Power comes by way of a provided DC supply although USB bus powering does work to some extent, in testing I found that playback was extremely jittery even without the USB hub being active.
A headphone socket completes the line–up, with a switch to toggle between the output 1–2 and 3–4 mixes.Īround the back, balanced TRS jacks and phonos (RCAs) are provided for the first two line outputs, with unbalanced phonos only for the second pair of outputs. Instead of having a variable gain control, a simple switch toggles between two gain levels (0dB and +10dB) and an input monitor switch to route the inputs for direct monitoring. Next, an input section provides two line-ins on phono connectors. On the front of the unit, the USB hub is housed on the far left. Three further LEDs adorn the panel to show audio input activity and whether the USB hub and audio stream are in use. On the right-hand side is a volume control for headphones, and Novation, by all accounts, made this ‘super loud’ to cope with the demands of cueing–up material during a live performance. Above these controls, further LEDs indicate which USB ports in the hub are active. The top panel features separate volume dials for output pairs 1–2 and 3–4, with an LED on each showing activity and/or clipping on the outputs. Aside from push switches that rattle very slightly, controls feel incredibly positive and sturdy, whilst a rubberised pad underneath keeps the device from sliding around on the desktop. The Audiohub is housed in a tough and compact metal case with a brushed aluminium finish. On the face of it - given the ever–decreasing number of ports on new computer models - Novation’s ploy of combining an audio interface and USB hub seems to provide a neat solution for a musician wanting to plug in a range of USB peripherals with a minimal amount of hardware. Being the only dedicated audio interface in the Novation range, the Audiohub is designed to provide flexible audio output and monitoring facilities for the electronic musician in tandem with a powered USB hub. The Audiohub 2x4 is a curious new piece of hardware from Novation, erstwhile purveyors of synthesizers and MIDI controllers. Novation’s Audiohub 2x4 combines an audio interface with a three–port USB hub. LEDs offer simple metering for the inputs and outputs. On the top, three volume dials correspond with the two output pairs plus headphone level. Switches are provided for direct monitoring, gain switching the line inputs and to toggle the headphones between the two output pairs.
The front panel features a three–way USB hub, two phono line inputs and headphone socket.
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