At NAMM 2020, IK Multimedia has announced the AXE I/O SOLO, a new addition to their range of AXE I/O guitar interfaces with advanced tone-shaping features.

AXE I/O SOLO has been developed for guitar players who want to record the best possible sound on a budget or on the go. It is a compact 2-in/3-out USB audio interface that features IK's PURE microphone preamp; an instrument input with proprietary tone-shaping options; an exclusive Amp Out to incorporate real gear into a recording setup. It has 24-bit, 192 kHz converters for a wide dynamic range, for pristine recordings in all musical genres.

AmpliTube Controller

AXE I/O SOLO has also been designed to act as a controller for use with IK's included AmpliTube or other guitar-friendly software, offering a complete, affordable solution for players who want the best possible tone for their tracks.

High-Quality Mic Preamp

AXE I/O SOLO has IK's Class A PURE mic preamp, designed for transparent and clean recording with an extended, flat frequency response to capture the full tonal range of voices and instruments without colouring the sound.

Guitar Tone Shaping

Proprietary tone-shaping options enable you to dial in the perfect settings for their instruments or coax a wider range of tones from a single instrument…

1. First, an active & passive pickup selector adapts instantly to any instrument. The active channel bypasses unneeded gain stages, ensuring the signal is always as direct and uncoloured as possible.

2. Next, AXE I/O SOLO offers both a PURE circuit for pristine, transparent sound and a JFET circuit for adding warmth and harmonics, all within a single device. 

3. Finally, IK's proprietary Z-Tone impedance-adapting circuit lets users adjust the input impedance to interact with their guitar's pickups: at the maximum impedance, sounds are tighter, sharper and more precise, and at lower impedances, the sound becomes thicker and bolder.

These controls are designed to give guitars even more sonic character - with just a few minutes' experimentation, users should be able to dial in a sound that perfectly fits the mix.

Hassle-free Re-amplification

AXE I/O SOLO offers a streamlined re-amplification setup in a single box. A front panel Amp Out, lets guitar and bass players incorporate real amplifiers and stompboxes without the need for an external conversion box. This low-noise output also eliminates ground loops, to keep even the highest-gain re-amplification as quiet as possible.

Convenient Connectivity And Control

There are 1/4" balanced outputs and a headphone output with a "blend" knob mixes direct and processed signal for zero-latency monitoring.

In addition, AXE I/O SOLO also features two dedicated inputs for controller pedals and switches, plus MIDI In/Out, offering a range of options for real-time control over amp modelling plug-ins or recording software.

Software Bundle Included

For seamless, out-of-the-box recording and processing, AXE I/O SOLO comes bundled with AmpliTube 4 Deluxe, IK's guitar and bass tone studio for Mac/PC/iPhone/iPad, as well as a suite of T-RackS mixing & mastering plug-ins and Ableton Live 10 Lite recording software.

Pricing And Availability

AXE I/O SOLO will be available during the 2nd quarter of 2020 from the IK Multimedia online store and from IK authorized dealers worldwide for $/€249.99, and is now available for pre-order.