Fender Link I/O: Affordable Audio Interface with Direct Monitoring
A new Tone Master FR cab and a Blues Junior, too!
4,3 / 5,0 | 
Fender continues to expand into new territory. With the Fender Link I/O, the company is introducing a very compact and affordable audio interface. There is also an anniversary edition of the Blue Jr. and the Tone Master FR-212 – an overview of the rest of the Fender releases!
Fender Link I/O: Audio Interface with Direct Monitoring
The Fender Link I/O is a compact, one-channel USB-C audio interface. That is it. You plug your guitar in, connect it to your computer and off you go. It does seem to play it safe a little too much, if you ask me, though. The only other feature worth mentioning is the direct monitoring. Here, you can choose to monitor your signal before it’s converted. Which means latency-free monitoring through the headphone output (mini jack).
But what if you prefer to mic your combo or amp? Without an XLR input, you’re in adapter hell. Couldn’t it have at least had an XLR/line combo input? At least, the interface runs via USB-C and requires no additional power supply. I
By the way, Fender Link I/O converts at up to 24-bit and 96 kHz. And costs 79 euros at Thomann. But maybe this is just the starting point for a larger link series with better-equipped models. Overall, I don’t want to deny the audio interface its usefulness, but I do think that at this price, at least one software package could have been included.
Tone Master FR-212 – 2×12″ Cab for Modelers
The Tone Master FR-212 is more of a product update than an innovation. The FR-10 and FR-12 models have already shown what a Fender full-range speaker can do. As the name suggests, the FR-212 model features two 12-inch speakers with a 1000-watt amplifier for plenty of oomph.
On the back panel, there is an XLR/line input and an XLR output. The top panel of the FR-212 features controls for the output volume, a three-band EQ (treble, middle, bass), and for attenuating overly sharp highs (cut). Like the Fender Link I/O, the Tone Master FR-212 is now available to order from Thomann*.
Blues Junior 30th Anniversary
For the amp’s 30th anniversary, Fender is releasing a special edition of the legendary Blues Junior, the Blues Junior 30th Anniversary. On the one hand, its look has been given a little more vintage vibe, with Commemorative Western Vinyl cover and the Vintage Bassman grill. According to Fender, the inside of the combo has also been optimized.
They’ve modified the preamp to make the sound fuller and optimized the Spring Reverb. A Celestion G12M-65 Creamback was chosen as the speaker. What remains the same is one channel, an EL34, 15 watts, and controls for master, EQ (treble, middle, bass), reverb, and gain, plus a FAT switch, all in the chicken head style. The Blues Junior 30th Anniversary can be ordered now from Thomann*.
Infos über Fender Link I/O
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