IK Multimedia AXE I/O Solo

About: IK Multimedia AXE I/O Solo

AXE I/O Solo combines IK’s two decades of innovation in analog modeling and hardware design to make recording guitar faster, easier and better than ever.

Key Features

• 2-in / 3-out USB audio interface
• ACTIVE/PASSIVE pick-up selector
• PURE and JFET input stages
• Z-Tone® impedance-adapting circuit
• Amp Out with ground loop interrupter
• High-resolution, Class A mic preamp
• 24-bit, 192 kHz sound quality
• Wide frequency response ideal for instruments
• Best-in-class analog/digital conversion
• Ultra-low noise floor for high-gain recording
• Designed and made in Italy

Your guitar’s golden channel

AXE I/O Solo offers a triple-topology instrument input designed to preserve your guitar’s unique character, combined with powerful tone-shaping features to adapt to any guitar or bass, and helps you coax a wider range of sounds from any instrument.

Pick your pickup:

• PASSIVE: designed to accommodate everything from low-output vintage pickups to hotter modern humbuckers with ultra-low noise and extended frequency response.
• ACTIVE: bypasses unnecessary gain stages when using active pick-ups, to keep your signal path as direct, transparent and clean as possible.

Choose your channel:

• PURE: a completely transparent and ultra-accurate preamp circuit that won’t color  your sound in any way.
• JFET: a Class A JFET input buffer for subtle harmonic enhancement, midrange focus and warmth.

XE I/O Solo also offers IK’s patent pending Z-TONE® circuit, letting you dial in impedance from 1 MOhm (“sharp”) down to 2.2 kOhms (“bold”) that interacts with your pick-ups.

At the maximum impedance, you’ll find your sound tighter, sharper and more precise. Increase the load and the sound becomes thicker and bolder. 

You’ll quickly find yourself using these controls to give your guitars even more sonic character – with just a few minutes’ experimentation you can dial in a sound that fits the mix beautifully.

PURE mic preamp for transparent recording

AXE I/O Solo offers a high-definition, Class A mic preamp designed for transparent and clean recording. An extended, flat frequency response captures the full tonal range of your voice or instrument without coloring the sound, and best-in-class dynamic range ensures ultra-quiet recordings.

Re-amplification made easier than ever

AXE I/O Solo offers a dedicated Amp Out, a with ground-isolated design and zero-latency routing, letting you ditch expensive and confusing reamping setups.

It’s simple: connect the Amp Out to your amp, then mic it up using AXE I/O Solo’s microphone preamp. Now you can capture a clean copy of your signal while recording and feed it back to your amp afterwards to experiment with different amp, stompbox and microphone settings without re-recording countless takes.

Connections and Controls

Front Panel

• One 1/4" instrument input jacks
• Two analog potentiometers for Input GAIN
• Two 5 segments input level meter (peak)
• Analog potentiometers for Z-Tone control
• Pick-Up selector (PASSIVE/ACTIVE)
• Preamp topology selector (JFET/PURE)
• +48V phantom power switch
• USB LEDS
• MIDI IN/OUT LEDs
• Monitor knob
• 1/4" headphones output jack
• Master potentiometer for main output control
• 1/4" Amp output jack

Rear Panel

• MIDI I/O 5-pin DIN connectors
• B-Type USB socket for connecting a computer (Mac/PC)
• 2 x 1/4" TRS External controllers sockets
• 2 x 1/4" TRS Balanced floating line outputs
• 1 Combo socket for MIC input and Line input (auto selecting)

Package includes

• AXE I/O SOLO
• USB A-Type to USB B-Type connection cable (1.5m/4.32ft)