Extreme Speed For Extraordinary Sound.

The Zoom TAC-2R

Thunderbolt™ Audio Converter

The compact, rugged TAC-2R audio interface uses the latest Thunderbolt™ technology for blazingly fast speed, near zero latency and the ultimate in high-quality audio, up to 24-bit/192kHz. With its easy-to-use design and advanced converters, the TAC-2R is perfect for studio and field recording of mics and instruments, onstage playback, and pristine audio streaming. It can even serve as an ultra-stable MIDI interface.

Features at a glance

• 2-in/2-out high speed Thunderbolt™ audio interface
• Support for recording and playback up to 24-bit/192kHz
• Ultra-low latency audio streaming
• Two combo balanced XLR/TRS input connectors accept both mic- and line-level signal
• Switchable +48V phantom power
• Hi-Z switches allow direct connection of electric guitar or bass
• Two balanced TRS output jacks for connection to amplifiers or self-powered speakers
• ¼" headphone jack with dedicated level control
• Independent gain controls and clip LEDs for each input
• Large knob output volume control
• Direct Monitoring switch for zero latency monitoring in mono or stereo
• MIDI In and Out
• High-performance mic preamps with up to +60dB of amplification
• 4x upsampling during A/D and D/A conversion for reduced noise and enhanced fidelity
• Asynchronous transfer system unaffected by computer jitter
• Bus powered—no AC power required
• Robust metal housing ensures roadworthiness
• Works with all Thunderbolt-equipped Macintosh computers running OS X 10.8.5 or later

Thunderbolt Fast. Creator Driven.

More than twice as fast as USB 3.0—not to mention twenty times faster than USB 2.0 and twelve times faster than Firewire 800—Thunderbolt is the interconnection technology of the future. Co-developed by Apple and Intel Labs, it allows signal to be transferred at an incredibly fast 10 gigabits per second, which means virtually no latency.* Thunderbolt interfaces such as the TAC-2R are also unaffected by computer jitter (slight variations in timing), so there's no need to connect an external master clock source.

In addition, Thunderbolt carries 10 watts/18 volts of power (as compared to the 2.5 watts/ 5 volts carried by USB 2.0)—enough to provide stable phantom power. This also allows the use of high-end components such as the Burr Brown PCM4202 analog-to-digital converter and AKM AK4396 digital-to-analog converter in the TAC-2R.

The TAC-2R performs 4-times upsampling during both analog-to-digital and digital-to-analog conversion. In other words, when the sampling frequency is set to 44.1kHz or 48kHz, the TAC-2R processes the signal at high resolution 176.4kHz or 192kHz. For A/D conversion, this means less aliasing noise; for D/A conversion, this means increased clarity and fidelity.

* Latency time in the TAC-2R is just 4.17 msec round trip when operating at a 44.1kHz sampling rate with a 64 sample buffer size.

The Hardware

The Thunderbolt port on the rear panel carries digital signal to and from your computer in addition to providing power to the TAC-2R—no external power required. Dual front panel combo XLR/TRS inputs allow you to connect a wide variety of microphones as well as line-level signals from electronic keyboards and music players—even passive instruments such as electric guitars and basses. Dual balanced TRS output jacks enable you to connect the TAC-2R to amplifiers or self-powered speakers, and there's an independent ¼" stereo headphone jack with dedicated volume control for private monitoring of the input or output signal. In addition, MIDI In and Out is provided to allow precise synchronization with devices such as electronic keyboards and drum machines.

Dedicated input gain controls and Clip LEDs make it easy to set optimum input levels, and a large Output knob enables fast control over overall output level. A phantom power switch applies +48 volts to the mic inputs, allowing you to use the TAC-2R with studio-quality condenser microphones, and a three-way Direct Monitoring switch enables monitoring of input signal with zero latency in both mono and stereo.

Extend your capabilities with software

AC-2 MixEfx is a free Macintosh application designed specially by Zoom for the TAC-2R. With TAC-2 MixEfx, you can set mix parameters and add high-quality effects such as reverb and echo. Other features include a low cut filter, phase reverse, AUTO GAIN control for each input. TAC-2 MixEfx even has three memory slots for saving user settings with quick recall.