Propellerhead Balance is a new two-in by two-out audio interface designed for people who want to create music. Propellerhead, makers of the music recording and production software Reason, has done away with software pop-ups and control panels by taking the sound board out of the box and into people’s hands. Balance is equipped with separate controls for monitors and headphones, has eight input connections for instruments and is USB powered. The Propellerhead Balance empowers music makers with the ability to record and create—right in their hands.

The design team looked at recording from the musicians’ perspective. They found that musicians were spending their time concerned with issues other than music making: riddled in installing software, managing cables, setting up control panels, setting gain levels, tweaking recording parameters, and more. Recording wasn’t as easy and straightforward as it should be. So designers were compelled to create a combination of the Balance audio interface and the Reason Essentials music recording software that lets musicians focus on creativity, not on technology.

Propellerhead Balance brings all of the company’s signature software touches—ease of use, stability, pristine sound quality and uncompromising focus on music making—to the audio hardware world. It takes care of all the tedious stuff musicians are used to, from latency problems to complicated installation and setup. All instruments can be connected at all times so musicians are always ready to record that song. It is fully USB2 powered with large volume knobs for both speakers and headphones.

While musicians most often only record one thing at a time, they do have lots of stuff they record: mics, instruments, synthesizers, mixes. Balance offers a box where musicians can connect everything they own and select inputs from the front panel. No hassling with cable swapping or a software control panel is required for selecting the active inputs. All the necessary controls are on the front panel, and the desktop-friendly design ensures that the controls will always be within reach.

Once they start recording and putting their all into a performance, musicians often find that their playing is louder than it was when they set their levels. Those who have lost too many good takes to distortion end up recording while watching the levels carefully. That sort of distraction hurts the performance. It’s very difficult to be both performer and engineer at the same time. The Clip Safe feature lets musicians record, concentrate on their performance, and know that even if they do overload while recording they can simply repair the distorted audio and save that perfect take. Putting making-music in focus, Propellerhead Balance provides all the essential tools for turning good ideas into great songs.

Credit: Propellerhead Software—Ernst Nathorst-Böös, Marcus Zetterquist and Fredric Vinnå; No Picnic—Anna-Carin Neale, Thomas Mach and Jonas Westius
Contact: Leo Nathorst-Böös: [email protected]