AXE I/O Solo

Compact audio interface with advanced guitar tone shaping

AXE I/O, IK’s award-winning audio interface, set a new standard for guitar-oriented recording interfaces. Now AXE I/O Solo brings the same great tone shaping, convenient features and premium sound to everyone, everywhere, in a compact and affordable 2-in / 3-out format.

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 for reamplification or Tone Modeling using TONEX for Mac/PC
• Comes with AmpliTube 5 SE and TONEX SE for Mac/PC
• 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.

AXE 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.

Tone Modeling and reamplification made easy

AXE I/O Solo also includes a dedicated Amp Out so you can create the perfect Tone Models of your amps and pedals using TONEX for Mac/PC. Or process your recorded tracks using real guitar amps and stomps without the need for external accessories (and without having to unplug your gear). This low-noise output also eliminates ground loops during amplification and Tone Modeling to keep your high-gain amps as quiet as possible.

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 create a perfect Tone Model using TONEX for Mac/PC. 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.

Advanced digital control & routing

AXE I/O Solo also includes a powerful, convenient Control Panel application to manage inputs & outputs and assign routing & controller inputs.

In the INTERFACE tab, you can view the active inputs, enable phantom power and control the ground lift to dial in the least noise for your setup. Adjust output volume, direct monitoring routing, select the sample rate and more.

The CONTROLLER tab gives you control over the 2 controller inputs. Set behavior, MIDI channel, MIDI CC #, minimum and maximum values, and more, to dial in the best settings for any application you want to control.

The AXE I/O Solo Control Panel lets you keep focused on your work, instead of adjusting settings on the unit itself, for a faster, freer workflow.

Download the AXE I/O Solo Drivers and Control Software

Specifications

Common

• AD and DA Resolution: 24-bit
• Sampling Rate: 44.1 kHz, 48 kHz, 88.2 kHz, 96 kHz, 176.4 kHz and 192 kHz
• Host Connection: USB Type-B receptacle. USB 2.0 (High Speed).

Line Outputs 1-2 (Monitor)

• Configuration: Electronically balanced and floating, automatically compensates level when connection is balanced or unbalanced, tip hot.
• Output impedance: 150 Ohms balanced, 75 Ohms unbalanced
• Output Level: 0 dBFS corresponds to +13.5 dBu
• Frequency response: From 1 Hz to 46 kHz within 0.5 dB (96 kHz sample rate)
• Dynamic Range: 113 dB(A)
• THD @ -1 dBFS: 0.001%
• THD+N: -103 dB(A) at -1 dBFS
• Channels 1-2 crosstalk: 112 dB(A)

Output 3 (Amp output)

• Configuration: Unbalanced, floating, with selectable ground lift
• Output impedance: 75 Ohms
• Output Level: 0 dBFS corresponds to -3 dBu
• Frequency response: From 20 Hz to 42 kHz within 0.5 dB (96 kHz sample rate)
• Dynamic Range: 106 dB(A)
• THD+N: -93 dB(A)

Headphones Out

• Output impedance: Virtually ideal source (zero Ohms) until clipping
• Maximum Output level: +9 dBu into 50 Ohms load (approx 95 mW)
• Frequency response: From 1 Hz to 42 kHz within 0.5 dB (96 kHz sample rate)
• Dynamic Range: 111 dB(A)
• THD+N: -102 dB(A)

Instrument Input

• Configuration: Multiple topology instrument preamp
• Input impedance, PASSIVE mode: Variable from 1 MOhms down to 2.2 kOhms
• Input impedance, ACTIVE mode: 10 kOhms
• Input level, min gain: 0 dBFS is obtained with a +12.5dBu signal at the TS input
• Input level, max gain: 0 dBFS is obtained with a -19 dBu signal at the TS input
• Frequency response: From 6 Hz to 42 kHz within 0.5 dB (96 kHz sample rate)
• Dynamic Range: 117 dB(A)
• THD, PURE mode: 0.002 % (-1dBFS input)
• THD, JFET mode: 0.5 %

Mic Input

• Configuration: Class-A discrete differential microphone preamp, pin 2 hot
• Input impedance: 4 kOhms differential
• Input level, min gain: 0 dBFS is obtained with a +9 dBu signal at the XLR input
• Input level, max gain: 0 dBFS is obtained with a -44 dBu signal at the XLR input
• Frequency response: From 7 Hz to 32 kHz within 0.5 dB (96 kHz sample rate)
• Dynamic Range: 116 dB(A)
• THD+N: -104 dB(A) at -10 dBFS

Line Input

• Configuration: Class-A discrete differential line receiver, tip hot
• Input impedance: 20 kOhms differential
• Input level, min gain: 0 dBFS is obtained with a +26 dBu signal at the TRS input
• Input level, max gain: 0 dBFS is obtained with a -27 dBu signal at the TRS input
• Frequency response: From 7 Hz to 32 kHz within 0.5 dB (96 kHz sample rate)
• Dynamic Range: 117 dB(A)
• THD+N: -104 dB(A) at -10 dBFS

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)

Dimensions

• Size: 19.5cm x 19.5cm x 5.3cm
• Weight: 1.0kg

Compatibility

• Computers
• 64-bit application. Requires a 64 bit CPU and Operating System.
• Mac® (64-bits)
• Minimal: macOS 10.11 or later. One free USB port.
• Windows® (64-bits)
• Minimal: Windows 10 or later. One free USB port.