Blackstar Polar 2 Interface Overview
Introducing Blackstar’s POLAR Audio Interface
Designed specifically for anyone who records guitar, Blackstar’s POLAR audio interface addresses the main challenges identified through extensive Human-Centred Design (HCD) research. Our research showed that most people who use an audio interface to record music at home record guitar. The three main challenges are poor feel/response, difficulty setting input levels without clipping, and complexity of use. POLAR overcomes these challenges, making it the ultimate solution for anyone who records guitar.
Three Reasons to Choose POLAR:
Feel and Response of a Real Guitar Amp
- POLAR is the only audio interface on the market with a FET input stage and an “Enhance” feature. This mimics the behaviour, characteristics, and electronics found in the input stage of a valve guitar amplifier.
- Plugging a guitar directly into a normal audio interface produces an anaemic signal with peaky transients, making amp plugins sound artificial.
- With the flick of a switch, POLAR’s “Enhance” feature makes all software amp plugins sound better by restoring the touch, feel, and response of real amps. It works perfectly with pedalboards, eliminating the need for DI boxes or extra hardware.
Foolproof Level Setting
- POLAR’s innovative input stage will never digitally clip, allowing the user to drive the interface like an amp. It boasts an impressive amount of headroom, running on +/- 12V, which provides 24V headroom compared to competitor units at 5V.
- Setting guitar input levels and improving your tone has never been easier.
- The POLAR MIC preamps are designed to match the response of the famed Neve 1081 preamps. In a blind A/B setup, the POLAR sounded identical to the vintage Neve.
- The “Enhance” function on the MIC input adds a gentle high-frequency lift that provides just the right amount of air and clarity to vocals.
Quick and Simple to Use
- The “Enhance” feature not only improves feel but also ensures an input stage that can never digitally clip, making input level setting foolproof.
- Users can set levels quickly without worrying about clipping, allowing them to focus on the most important part: the music.
- POLAR’s innovative features include an incredibly low noise floor (115db), 48V phantom power, and headphone outputs that can drive both high and low impedance models.
