New PODCAST 🎧 ep99 - What's the camera of the future? Trying out new features on CineD.com Listen or watch now!
LISTEN to PODCAST 🎧 ep99 🎬
What's the camera of the future?
Education for Filmmakers
Language
The CineD Channels
Info
New to CineD?
You are logged in as
We will send you notifications in your browser, every time a new article is published in this category.
You can change which notifications you are subscribed to in your notification settings.
Japanese audio specialist Zoom released the new UAC-232, a portable 2×2 USB-C audio interface with 32-bit float recording. Gain controls are no longer necessary as you can capture clipping-free and low-noise recordings no matter how loud or quiet a performance gets. The Zoom UAC-232 is now available and retails for $199.99. Let’s take a closer look at the new sound device without gain controls.
We know other 32-bit products from Zoom like the MicTrak M2, M3, M4, F3 Portable, or the even bigger F8n Pro 32-bit 8-Channel audio field recorder. Now Zoom is enlarging their product line with the Zoom UAC-232 Portable 2×2 USB-C Audio Interface:
Let’s focus on why you would want to record in a 32-bit float: the technology is designed to capture distortion-free sound, regardless of its intensity. There is no need to adjust a gain controller when recording audio with a 32-bit float because even the loudest sounds will simply not clip. This explains why the Zoom UAC-232 audio interface doesn’t have a gain knob anymore.
Unlike a traditional 24-bit audio recording, you can recover noise-free sounds that were recorded almost silently, or, very loudly. The people from Zoom summarized the key information about 32-bit float audio recording and the post-production process in this article, so please check it out if you want to know more. Alternatively, we really recommend watching this excellent 32-bit float recording video from RODE.
Filmmakers, content creators, podcasters, streamers, and musicians will find capturing and streaming high-quality audio rather easy with the Zoom UAC-232. The 2-in and 2-out audio interface with a 32-bit float audio interface eliminates the need for a gain control knob.
The Zoom UAC-232 features a pair of XLR/TRS combo inputs on the front panel for microphones or line signals, along with two microphone preamps, the same ones used in Zoom’s professional F-Series recorders. It also supports +48V phantom power for recording with condenser microphones.
Afterward, the input signal is converted to a digital signal by dual A/D converters, which can be output to a computer via the USB-C port using USB 2.0. Additionally, a second USB-C port on the back side can connect a USB power supply if the host computer cannot provide enough power to the Zoom UAC-232 via the USB bus. The Direct Monitor button allows the input signal to be directly fed to the headphones and routed in parallel to a DAW or streaming software. The Mix Control can adjust the volume and panning for the direct monitor feed.
The recording can be monitored either through the balanced TRS headphone output or through the two TRS outputs with volume control on studio speakers. The MIDI input/output lets you connect external MIDI devices like drum machines, synths, and keyboards.
The configuration of the input/output routing and loopback function of the Zoom UAC-232, as well as control of the input and monitoring levels, is done through the UAC-232 Mix Control App (Windows, macOS, iOS). Selecting the Music mode can be done by routing to DAW software or in Streaming mode to combine all inputs into a single signal for streaming software.
The Zoom UAC-232 2×2 USB-C audio interface is now shipping and retails for $199.99. For further information, please visit the Zoom website here.
What do you think about the Zoom UAC-232 audio interface? Are the days of 24-bit over, and is there no way around 32-bit recordings? Please leave us your thoughts in the comment section below.
Δ
Stay current with regular CineD updates about news, reviews, how-to’s and more.
You can unsubscribe at any time via an unsubscribe link included in every newsletter. For further details, see our Privacy Policy
Want regular CineD updates about news, reviews, how-to’s and more?Sign up to our newsletter and we will give you just that.
You can unsubscribe at any time via an unsubscribe link included in every newsletter. The data provided and the newsletter opening statistics will be stored on a personal data basis until you unsubscribe. For further details, see our Privacy Policy
Jürgen Moors is a freelance filmmaker based in Vienna Austria. As a pilot he is passionate about all sorts of aerial photography, but he is also working on the ground as a production manager, producer, director, editor and camera operator. Jürgen has over 35 years of experience in several departments in the film business.