AUDIENT ASP4816 -HE Compact Analogue Recording Console

• 16 Audient mic preamps
• 40 faders
• 48 inputs at mix
• 16 record buses
• 8 subgroups
• 42 inputs
• 6 aux bus, 2 cue sends
• In-line architecture—twin inputs on each channel
• 4 stereo monitor outputs
• Advanced monitor control
• 4-band splitable EQ
• Stereo VCA mix bus compressor
• Footswitch for talkback control
• Vintage Mix Bus processing
• Gain reduction VU meter
• John Hardy 990 Op-amps
• Bus compression bass expand
• Monitoring-grade headphone output

• Retro Iron is engaged with the switches in the master fader section, and when inserted into the mix bus signal path, provides a massive headroom of +28 dBu into 600 ohms at the mix insert send output, perfect for driving a vintage mix bus EQ or Fairchild. You should try engaging the Retro Iron features half-way through a mix to give you a little lift
• When combined, these stages provide a punchy, weighty sound that is not murky or slow, but harmonically exciting and ever-so-slightly gritty. Perfect for adding character to your mixes, where the output transformers provide just the right growl in the lower midrange for guitars.
• Operating ahead of the discrete amplifiers, there is a powerful and delicately tuned EQ that changes the energy levels delivered to the harmonic output stage to sweeten and “tilt” the response of the console to the style of music you are working on. This EQ is based upon legendary Baxandall peaking filters with broad curves, using high-quality capacitors and exceedingly smooth, low-distortion modern amplifiers—the LM4562.

• Add color and shape your mixes with the Vintage Mix Bus Processor. A discrete transformer drive produces a weighty, harmonically exciting and ever-so-slightly gritty sound, letting you add character to your mixes. Whilst a Low Bump and High-Lift EQ let you shape the response of the console to the style of music you are working on.
• The introduction of the XFRMR Drive, Low Bump, and High Lift allows you to add weight and life to your mixes. This processing is added to the signal chain before the Mix Bus Insert and the Mix Bus Compressor. Audient recommends adding the XFRMR drive around halfway through the Mixing Process, just after you've got your levels and pans set how you want them. The Low Bump and High Lift are usually best added towards the end of the Mixing Process to add emphasis, but really can be added at any point since they are such wideband EQ changes.
• When sending audio to the Mix Bus, you'll be sending your audio through a pair of discrete John Hardy 990C+ Op-amps as part of the summing circuit. This provides a number of benefits over the monolithic op-amps you may find on other consoles. Firstly, the noise floor of the Mix Bus with the 990C+ op-amps is vanishingly low, even when summing a large number of channels. Furthermore, the discrete design of the op-amps allows for a lightning-fast transient response, giving you an incredible amount of detail and punch and providing that “3D” sound that will bring your mixes to life.

• Designed to deliver ultralow noise and low distortion with a touch of classic analog warmth, ASP4816-SE’s 16 discrete hybrid Class-A preamps are ready to handle any microphone, instrument, or source you can throw at it.
• With a flexible topology offering up to 60 dB of gain and an incredibly wide bandwidth, ensuring your transient detail is accurately preserved in stunning resolution, the Audient preamp gives you a versatile and flexible solution ready for any session.

Designed by David Dearden (of DDA & Advision Studios) back in 1997, the Audient mic pre is an all-discrete high-grade op-amp design that delivers low noise, low distortion, and high common mode rejection at all gain levels, offering a faithful reproduction of the source with just enough color to give the signal some character.

 

• Character: clean, punchy with a touch of warmth
• Wide bandwidth: preserves your audios transient detail
• Flexible topology: optimized gain range 0 to 70 dB gain
• Low noise floor: 30,000 times quieter than the signal level
• Circuitry: discrete Class-A high-grade op-amp design
• Transformerless: RF immune input stage for detailed resolution

• Often likened to classic analog boards from the 80s, the Audient mix bus compressor does far more than just control levels, it adds weight, depth, and warmth to your mix as well as helping to glue your production together for a more polished result.
• Featuring adjustable ratio control, auto-release settings, a VU gain reduction meter for better visual feedback, and the much coveted side-chained high-pass filter Bass Expand—designed to let you tighten up your mixes and add punch without compromising your low end.

Powerful and musical

 

• The massively flexible Dearden-designed EQ offers two fully parametric bands that span from 40 Hz to 20 kHz, are adjustable from -15 dB to + 15 dB and offer an adjustable Q control. These are flanked by low- and high-shelving EQ bands with the ability to engage the ‘Air’ button for that often-needed finishing sheen.

Splitable

• The EQ can also be split across both the short and long faders, meaning you can EQ both your mic inputs and DAW returns at the same time, making it incredibly easy to start building your mix from the moment you start recording.

• The ASP4816-SE features an astounding amount of connectivity for such a compact frame size. With 48 channels, over 40 insert points, 8 sends, and 8 groups available on mixdown, the ASP4816-SE will handle the most comprehensive of mixing and tracking tasks.
• And with so many sends, buses, and inserts available, when partnered with a suitable patchbay, the ASP4816-SE offers an incredible number of routing options for creative bouncing, summing, and parallel processing, all with none of the problematic phase and latency issues that digital systems can have.

• The ASP4816-SE makes signal flow a breeze with flexible routing, one knob per function, no menus or hidden features, and no need to worry about latency—making working on the console fast, intuitive, and most importantly, fun.
• The console’s in-line architecture will let you start building your mix as you’re tracking. By using the long and short faders, you can create separate record and monitor paths on one channel strip, all while being able access the console's splitable EQ and aux sends, ideal for getting it right from the start.

A fully featured monitor control section offers full artist communication, footswitch enabled talkback control, solo in front, powerful source selection, and loudspeaker control with a short passive signal path for incredibly clear and accurate monitoring.

 

• 4 stereo monitor outputs
• Main mix + 3 stereo sources
• 2 foldback outputs
• Mono summing
• Talkback functionality

The ASP4816-SE utilizes clever circuit board design to provide you with the versatility and sound of a large-format recording console, but in a beautiful, space-conscious package, making it the ideal analog console solution for even the smallest of studios.