Emu 0202 USB 2.0 Audio Interface

by E-MU

Product Details

read the owners manual [PDF]

• Product Dimensions: 11 x 3.4 x 8.7 inches ; 2.2 pounds
• Shipping Weight: 2.8 pounds
• ASIN: B000IXLH6K
• Average Customer Review: 2.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (23 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #9,551 in Electronics (See Top 100 in Electronics)
  • #9 in Musical Instruments > Recording Equipment > Computer Recording > MIDI Interfaces
• Date first available at Amazon.com: September 20, 2006

Product Description

From the Manufacturer

E-MU's new 0202 USB 2.0 Audio Interface is the ultimate portable USB audio interface for PC, offering pristine 24-bit/192kHz recording and playback, direct monitoring and a host of professional features in a compact, USB bus-powered package. The 0202 USB sets a new standard in portable USB audio, providing users with two Class-A preamps that can be run independently or in stereo to amplify guitars, keyboards or microphones, with individual ground lift switches for optimal audio performance.

The E-MU 0202 USB 2.0 features:

• Premium 24-bit/192kHz A/D and D/A converters* (A/D: 113dB SNR, D/A: 112dB SNR) deliver unmatched USB audio fidelity - gold-plated connectors for pristine audio quality
• Ultra-low noise Mic/Hi-Z/Line preamplifiers with ground lift switches enable you to plug microphones, keyboards and guitars straight into your computer with professional results (XLR, 1/4" TRS, and 1/8" 5V condenser mic input)
• Ultra-low latency USB 2.0 drivers offer accurate timing and playback of your recorded audio and software instruments
• Hardware zero-latency direct monitoring (mono/stereo) allows you to record and overdub with no annoying delay
• Plug-and-play operation with hands-on control of all major functions like direct monitoring level, headphone level, preamplifier gain and more
• Compatibility with most popular audio/sequencer applications - (Windows XP/x64: ASIO2 and WDM; Macintosh OS X: Apple CoreAudio)

I/O Configuration:

• Class-A Ultra-low Noise Mic/Hi-Z/Line Preamp XLR, 1/4" TRS and 1/8"* Inputs (113dB SNR)
• Class-A Hi-Z/Line Preamp 1/4" Input (113dB SNR)
• Two 1/4" Outputs (112dB SNR)
• 1/8" Stereo Speaker Output (112dB SNR)
• Stereo Headphone Output (108dB SNR)

* Macintosh analog operation up to 96kHz only at this time.

Product Description

E-Mu'S New 0202 Usb 2.0 Audio Interface Is The Ultimate Portable Usb Audio Interface For Pcoffering Pristine 24-Bit/192khz Recording And Playback Direct Monitoring And A Host Of Professional Features In A Compact Usb Bus-Powered Package. The 0202 Usb Sets A New Standard In Portable Usb Audio Providing Users With Two Class-A Pramps That Can Be Run Independently Or In Stereo To Amplify Guitars Keyboards Or Microphones With Individual Ground Life Switches For Optimal Audio Performance.Primary InformationForm Factor :  External Interface Type :  Hi-Speed USB Sound Output Mode :  Stereo DAC Data Width :  24-bit Max Sample Rate :  192 KHz Compliant Standards :  ASIO 2.0 WDM PC Compatibility :  PC Signal-To-Noise Ratio :112 dB UNSPSC CodeUNSPSC Code :  43201502 Product IDUPC:  054651129221Manufacturer Part:  70EM874006000

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

11 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars iTunes and emu 0202, perfect together, November 7, 2008

By 

B. Lefever (phila, pa) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Emu 0202 USB 2.0 Audio Interface (Personal Computers)

If you use iTunes to listen to your music at home, you owe it to yourself to try this wonderful digital to analog converter.

Got emu 0202 digital to analog converter several months ago. Originally hooked it to an xp machine, now with a new vista system. What an amazing upgrade to the integrated soundcard.

When I initially used iTunes, it was to simply load music to my ipod. once i had the database of music, though, i realized that the pc made a much easier interface to access songs than did the ipod. so began my quest...

using the speaker out from the pc soundcard left me with sound inferior to listening to the ipod from the dock hooked to my stereo. which was inferior to listening to a cd on my onkyo cd player. I knew i needed better but did not have the ability to drop $700-$1200 for a high end digital to analog converter (which i assumed i would hook up to the toslink digital out on an apple airport express - another $100). When i stumbled across the emu 0202 on audiophile discussion boards, then found it on amazon for around $100, i knew i had to give it a try.

I have the emu 0202 output to a pair of 20' RCA cables to my living room system (parasound hp-850 preamp, adcom GFA-545 amplifier, castle durham 3 loudspeakers). The sound is remarkable! Listening to my favorite music, i have heard nuances that i never heard before. Great base, detailed midrange, lovely highs.

Almost immediately, i removed the cd player to the basement, and our ipods have been relegated to walkmen duty (travel and working out).

One caveat: the vista machine is a little quirky in its relationship with the emu. it is worth a little trial and error to plug the usb connector in upstream of slower usb devices (like keyboards and mice), otherwise the pc does not always allow you to use the highest sampling rates. also, when vista goes to sleep, it resets the sampling rate to the lowest quality.

11 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars DPC latency!, April 29, 2008

By 

Abhishek Nath - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Emu 0202 USB 2.0 Audio Interface (Personal Computers)

I bought this device to complement my very nice HD595 headphones but like one of the previous reviewers mentioned I received a whole lot of crackles and pops. I did some research and concluded that it was my Dell Laptops high DPC latency that was really responsible for the poor output and as a result I am now using it with my desktop.

With my desktop I get clear highs, a punchy bass and a crispness that has brought a big smile to my face :).

10 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars not bad, but no joy with a vista laptop, April 29, 2008

By 

GameMaker (Portland, OR USA) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Emu 0202 USB 2.0 Audio Interface (Personal Computers)

I originally bought this because I wanted to use my Dell XPS laptop (running vista) as a DAW, and the dell came with such a lousy soundcard that I bought this in hopes that it would suffice. Sadly, after a bunch of effort, I finally concluded that I just couldn't make it work.

I updated the firmware, got the latest drivers, installed and re-installed them, tried using this with different software packages, nothing worked well. The main problem is that I'd always get a lot of "crackle" no matter what I set the buffer to, and there were a lot of machine-lockups that were associated with this interface.

Anyhow, I've since connected it to my desktop machine (running XP) and it has worked pretty well in that capacity.

One easily overlooked aspect of this device though is the notable software that comes bundled with it. "Light" versions of Cubase, Ableton, Melodyne, and a few others. This might be reason enough to buy this interface for some people. Say for example that you are planning to buy Cubase and Melodyne. By installing those "light" versions, and doing an "upgrade" from those will save you $100 on *each* program. That more than pays for the cost of this interface right there... something to keep in mind.