Long considered the “titans of audio mods,” Black Lion Audio has finally created its own interface. Behold, theRevolution 2x2! Touted as not simply “…another run-of-the-mill interface…” I owned a Black Lion Audio-modified Digidesign 003 years ago, and was happy with it, so when offered the opportunity to review theRevolution 2x2, I jumped at the chance.
You might be thinking, “Great, just what we need: Another entry-level priced interface,” but theRevolution 2x2sets itself apart from most of the pack. I’ve owned several interfaces in this category, so I have an ear for a unit that might be considered exceptional and have come to the conclusion that theRevolution 2x2is a badass little box!
I’ll highlight a few technical details here, but will focus more on my user experience. TheRevolution 2x2is a 24 bit, 192 kHz USB-C bus-powered interface. Housed in a sturdy black chassis, the2x2is a single rack space high and a 1/2 rack space width. It has two mic/line inputs, a S/PDIF coaxial input, one headphone output, two line outputs, and ships with the Revolution Software Suite: Presonus Studio One Artist, iZotope Elements Suite, BrainWorx bx_digital, and Lindell 6X-500. Though not covered in this review, this is an awesome software package right out of the box that will get you on your way to professional sounding recordings! TheRevolution 2x2is Mac (class compliant) and PC (via software driver install) compatible, but check system requirements. Lastly, the box this interface ships in is quite sturdy and fully usable for storage or transport – a nice nod to sustainability and product care. For a deeper look at specs, visit Black Lion Audio’s website.
I recently used theRevolution 2x2for remote vocal tracking and mixing. I really dig this interface! As expected, it is easy to use, simple to set up and intuitive. It has a tight, clear sound – no doubt due to the Macro MMC Clocking technology that Black Lion Audio has refined over years of modifications and borrowed from their own clocking products such as the Sparrow [Tape Op#113] and Micro Clock [#109]. Black Lion Audio utilizes their years of experience modifying other manufacturer’s gear by including high end components in theRevolution 2x2’sdesign that you won’t find in most stock interfaces: High grade capacitors and ICs, optimized internal gain staging, and a fully decoupled and balanced analog I/O.
TheRevolution 2x2’sDirect Monitoring feature was easy and satisfying to balance between input and playback. This is often a struggle with interfaces in this category and can be frustrating for self-recording artists. However, Black Lion Audio has nailed it here, and slight adjustments in either direction were enough to satisfy both artist and engineer. The Mono playback button is also super useful. While tracking remote vocals (and monitoring with a single speaker), I was able to plug into a single monitor for control room playback. As part of this setup, I used a Universal Audio 2-610S pre [Tape Op#27] for my vocal chain. TheRevolution 2x2took the line level clean from the preamp with no overdrive or gain issues. The built-in preamps are clear, clean, and have a nice vibe, not dull or uninteresting like many of the cheaper pres you’ll find in most small interfaces. You can push the gain pretty far without picking up any noise. Most pres in interfaces similar to this one are noisy past unity. This allows you to get a clean tone, even with your mics that require extra gain.
One of the most awesome features of this interface is its front panel 8-segment LED stereo output meter – something you usually don’t get from interfaces in this category. It is so nice to have a visual representation. I’d like to see a switch to toggle input levels to the main meter, but that’s not a deal-breaker at this price point, and there are mic/line level indicator LEDs for each pre that turn red when you are overdriving the signal. All in all, theRevolution 2x2is a sweet little studio in a box that packs a professional-sounding punch!
($399 MSRP;blacklionaudio.com) Buy From Sweetwater! -Ben Bernsteinbenbernsteinmusic.com
