Blackstar Polar 2 USB Audio Interface Overview:

Blackstars mission with POLAR is to create the go-to audio interface for guitarists that seek the ultimate recording guitar tone.

POLAR 2 is a 2 channel USB audio interface built by guitarists for guitarists. It features 2 high headroom FET input channels for instrument, line and microphone, a high output headphone amp, +48V phantom power for condenser microphones, balanced outputs for professional monitoring, visual level meters and the proprietary Enhance switch.

POLAR comes bundled with the studio software collection including the full St. James Plugin Suite and everything you need to start recording now!

The 60 Second Story

• 2 channel audio interface designed for the recording guitarist.
• High-headroom FET input stage that improves tone and quality of signal and accommodates for wide range of instrument types, effect pedals and microphones.
• Enhance feature that introduces electronics into the signal path that replicate the sound of a classic guitar amplifier.
• Enhance completely prevents digital clipping for instrument inputs. Drive this interface like its a real amp and be free of the fuss of setting the correct levels.
• Enhance on the microphone or LINE inputs gives natural clarity and air to vocal and acoustic guitar performances.
• The Enhance feature negates the need for extra hardware and expensive DIs to capture high quality guitar signal. Its all built into POLAR.
• Comes with the St. James Suite (worth $//129), Ableton Live Lite, ReLab LX480 Essentials Reverb, Melodyne Essential and more.
• High power headphone outputs and monitor output, with independent monitor and headphone control.
• Mic preamp based off of the most renowned vintage studio preamps.
• Comes with POLAR Control mixing software, giving the control to adjust and fine-tune the levels, panning and routing of your monitoring.
• Runs on USB 3.0 bus power, with +48V switch for microphones that require phantom power.

Top 3 Call-outs

• The 2 channel USB audio interface for guitarists with FET input stage.
• Enhance feature engages circuitry that replicates input stage of a valve amplifier, eliminates digital clipping and gives clarity to vocal and acoustic performance.
• Studio software collection bundle including the St. James Plugin Suite (worth $//129), Ableton Live Lite, ReLab LX480 Essentials Reverb, Melodyne Essential and more. Everything you need to record. Included FREE software
• St. James Guitar Software Suite
  • Albeton Live Lite
  • Relab LX480 Essentials Reverb
  • Melodyne Essential
  • POLAR Control Software

Why?

POLAR 2 solves frustrations that recording guitarists commonly find when recording guitar by using a FET input stage. When engaging Enhance, a unique set of electronics are introduced into the signal path that replicates the input stage of classic valve guitar amplifiers. This circuit mimics valve amp behaviour and characteristics which improves tone, touch, feel, and response.With POLAR Enhance on, Blackstars innovative input stage will never digitally clip. No more ruined recording takes, no more hassle or confusion around setting the correct levels. POLAR allows the musician to drive the interface like the preamp gain on a real amp.

The POLAR 2 interface was created through the processes of Human-Centred Design, to help create a user-friendly solution to get musicians back to focusing on the mostimportant part: the music. Blackstars POLAR is easily the go-to audio interface for anyone that wants to play and record guitar.

Inside Information:

When recording guitar, the recorded signal is very transient which requires setting lower input levels, giving you an anaemic signal. Due to this weaker signal, it ends
up sounding less like youre playing through an amp, and more like youre playing through a plugin. POLAR 2 is designed to enhance the guitar DI signal in a way that
restores the touch, the feel, and the response of playing through a real amp.

POLAR features FET instrument inputs. Because of these FET inputs you get ultra-low noise and high headroom, which gives you the best sonic foundation for your guitar tone. When you switch on Enhance on the instrument input, it engages a unique circuit thats been meticulously designed to mimic the input stage of real valve amplifiersincluding all its non-linear behaviours and characteristics.

A major issue with setting levels on other interfaces is digital clipping due to the dynamic nature of guitar signals. The Enhance feature on POLAR completely
prevents digital clipping, meaning that setting guitar levels is easy and the input stage can be driven just like the preamp section on a valve amp.

On the microphone inputs, engaging Enhance will gently lift the top end of your signal to add just the right amount of air and clarity that sounds great on vocals,
acoustic guitars, and even more.

With POLAR Control, you can adjust and fine-tune the levels, panning, and routing of your setup for zero latency monitoring in seconds.

With ultra-low noise and high headroom, POLAR effortlessly accommodates a wide range of microphone and instrument types, empowering the musician to
achieve studio-quality recordings in any environment.

The FET inputs combined with the Enhance switch make it really easy to get an amazing guitar tone. You dont have to worry about any external hardware, no
additional DIsall of that is built right into POLAR.

Specifications:

Overview

• Number of Microphone Preamps: 2
• Phantom Power: Yes, 48V
• Instrument Inputs: 2
• Line Inputs: 2
• Line Outputs: 2
• Headphone Outputs: 1
• Loopback: Yes
• Connectivity: USB Type-C
• Protocol: USB 2.0
• Form Factor: Desktop
• Simultaneous I/O: 4 x 4 (including Loopback inputs)
• A/D Resolution: 24-bit/192 kHz
• Bus Powered: Yes (960mA)
• Supported Sample Rates: 44.1kHz, 48kHz, 88.2kHz, 96kHz, 176.4kHz, 192kHz

Microphone inputs

• Frequency Response: 20-20kHz 0.1dB
• Dynamic Range: 109dB (A-Weighted)
• THD+N: -101dB (-103dB A-Weighted); 0dB Gain, 950mVrms, 20Hz-24kHz BW
• Noise EIN: -121dBu (A-Weighted)
• Maximum Input Level: 2dBu
• Gain Range: 53dB
• Impedance: 3.3k

Line inputs

• Frequency Response: 20-20kHz 0.2dB
• Dynamic Range: 112dB (A-Weighted)
• THD+N: -85dB (-85dB A-Weighted); 8dB Gain, 380mVrms, 20Hz-24kHz BW
• Maximum Input Level: 10dBu
• Gain Range: 55dB
• Impedance: 500k

Instrument inputs

• Frequency Response: 20-20kHz 0.2dB
• Dynamic Range: 112dB (A-Weighted)
• THD+N: -82dB (-81dB A-Weighted); 3dB Gain, 630mVrms, 20Hz-24kHz BW
• Maximum Input Level: 10dBu
• Gain Range: 46dB
• Impedance: 500k

Line outputs (Balanced)

• Frequency Response: 20-20kHz 0.15dB
• Dynamic Range: 93dB
• THD+N: -80dB
• Maximum Output Level: 12.8dBu
• Impedance: 1k

Headphone outputs

• Frequency Response: 20-20kHz 0.15dB @ 33 / 300
• Dynamic Range
  • 110dB @ 33
  • 107dB @ 300
• THD+N
  • -83dB @ 33
  • -85dB @ 300
• Maximum Output Level
  • 7dBu into 33
  • 15.2dBu into 300
• Maximum Output Power
  • 85mW into 33
  • 66mW into 300
• Impedance: 10

Analogue to Digital Converter

• THD+N: -100dB THD+N
• Dynamic Range: 114dB

Digital to Analogue Converter

• THD+N: -100dB THD+N
• Dynamic Range: 114dB

Power

• USB: 960mA
• External (Optional): 4.8W
• Accessory: USB A to DC cable, USB A to C cable
• Bundled Software: TBC