Khaliq Glover

Khaliq Glover, a Grammy-winning recording engineer based in Los Angeles, is thrilled with the quality of the Mobile I/O. "I think it's one of the very best sounding audio interfaces on the market," enthuses Khaliq, who recently used the Mobile I/O on a variety of projects with legendary singers Smokey Robinson, Jeffrey Osborne, and Herbie Hancock. Khaliq, who also produces under the Khaliq-O-Vision title, utilized the interface while performing engineering and production duties for both Herbie Hancock's "Future To Future" and "Future To Future-Live" albums.

"As an engineer," explains Khaliq, "I must have the very best sonic tools available to handle any situation. The Mobile I/O is truly an upper-echelon class audio device capable of producing a pristine signal that can stand side by side with any other audio format available."

Khaliq finds himself using various combinations of hardware and software depending upon his clients' needs, including Pro Tools, Logic Audio, Nuendo, and Digital Performer. "Since the Mobile I/O can be used with almost any software it maintains the audio quality of my portable recordings that I need once I get back in the studio," he comments.

Mobile I/O 2882 supports simultaneous input and output of all the major digital audio standards, including S/PDIF, AES, ADAT® Optical and IEEE 1394 (FireWire). Analog inputs and outputs are all 24-bit, 96kHz compatible. Having passed a variety of audio signals through both Mobile I/O and Pro Tools, says Khaliq, "I really found the best usage with both Logic Audio and Pro Tools hardware. I noticed a richness and a round, fat, and warm sound that I preferred when running virtual instruments through it. But I must say that, depending on the source material, many times I preferred the sound of the Mobile I/O."

Overall the Mobile I/O is a pleasure to use, he reports. "I love taking it around on my Powerbook to do quick and dirty (but not sonically!) recording. You don't hear a bunch of noise and artifacts in your audio after you record with it."

Khaliq, who won a Grammy in 2002 for his work on bassist Marcus Miller's "M2" album, started his career as an apprentice at Kenny Rogers' Lion Share Studios in 1982. He went on to become a first engineer on records by Jermaine Jackson, Donna Summer, Kenny Rogers, and Jeffrey Osborne, participated in Quincy Jones' "We Are The World" project, and was chief engineer at Osborne's 48-track Wings West Studio for four years. Last year he recorded and mixed the "Beautiful World" album by seven-time Grammy Award-winning vocal group, Take 6, produced by Miller. Other clients include B2K, Narada Michael Walden, Kenny Lattimore, and the Thelonious Monk Institute of Jazz.