Audient ASP4816 Heritage Edition Analog Recording Console

The Audient ASP4816 Heritage Edition is an in-line, fully analog console for recording and mixing. Designed by David Dearden, it brings large-format console features into a much smaller footprint and is intended as the centrepiece of a production studio, including DAW-based project and home studios.

• 16 Audient console mic preamps: discrete hybrid Class-A designs with up to 60dB of gain
• In-line architecture: 40 faders, with long and short faders giving every channel separate record and monitor paths
• 4-band splittable EQ: two fully parametric mids from 40Hz to 20kHz with ±15dB and adjustable Q, plus low and high shelves and an Air button
• Stereo VCA mix bus compressor: adjustable ratio, auto-release, gain reduction VU meter and Bass Expand sidechain high-pass filter
• Vintage Mix Bus Processing: discrete transformer drive for harmonic colour, plus Low Bump and High Lift EQ
• John Hardy 990 discrete op amps on the mix bus summing amplifiers

The Heritage Edition includes everything found on the Standard Edition and adds the vintage mix bus section, the John Hardy op amps on the mix bus output and extra compressor features. Because the EQ can be split between the short and long faders, you can shape incoming mic signals and DAW returns at the same time, which makes the console equally useful while tracking and at mixdown.

With 16 record buses, 8 subgroups, 6 auxes and 2 cue sends, and more than 40 insert points, the ASP4816 HE suits routing-heavy workflows. Paired with a patchbay it handles analog summing, parallel processing and outboard integration, with 8 sends and 8 groups available when mixing down.

The monitor section covers talkback with footswitch, solo in front, selection between the main mix and three stereo sources, four stereo monitor outputs, two foldback outputs, mono summing and a monitoring-grade headphone output for the engineer, all on a short passive signal path. The power supply is built in, so the console connects directly to the mains. Visually, the Heritage Edition gets a new colourway, cool-white metering, clearer labelling and a wooden armrest handmade in the UK.