Audient ASP4816-HE – Compact Inline Recording Console, Heritage Edition
The ASP4816-HE is the Heritage Edition of Audient's small-format inline console, adding three targeted upgrades to the mix bus section of the standard ASP4816-SE: a switchable Vintage Mix Bus Processing circuit, John Hardy operational amplifiers on the mix bus output, and an expanded VCA bus compressor with Bass Expand functionality. The channel strip architecture – 16 discrete hybrid Class A preamps, 4-band splittable EQ, inline dual-fader layout – is carried over from the SE unchanged. What changes is the degree of control over the stereo sum. A hand-crafted wooden armrest and redesigned cool-white metering complete a console that performs across long sessions without ergonomic fatigue.
Vintage Mix Bus Processing and John Hardy Op-Amps
The Vintage Mix Bus Processing circuit sits in the stereo bus signal path, pre-inserts and pre-compressor, and is switchable in and out on the fly. It adds saturation and tonal character drawn from analogue console design of the 1980s – a hardwired analogue stage, not a plug-in approximation. John Hardy operational amplifiers on the mix bus output operate independently, contributing musical harmonic content while keeping the noise floor in check. The upgraded VCA bus compressor adds two significant enhancements over the SE version: a moving-coil gain reduction meter for precise visual feedback, and a Bass Expand function – essentially a side-chain high-pass filter that removes low-frequency content from the detection circuit. This prevents deep bass transients from triggering excessive gain reduction, resolving one of the most common complaints about VCA bus compressors on bass-heavy material.
Engineer's Monitoring and Inline Workflow
The inline architecture delivers 48 inputs on mixdown from 16 physical strips, with long and short faders running independent record and DAW return paths on each channel simultaneously. The 4-band EQ – two fully parametric bands (40 Hz to 20 kHz, ±15 dB, variable Q) and two shelving bands with an Air switch – splits across both paths, allowing independent EQ on the mic input and the DAW return at the same time. The Heritage Edition adds a dedicated monitoring-grade headphone output exclusively for the engineer, separate from the cue sends used for musician foldback. The monitor section rounds out with four stereo loudspeaker outputs, source selection, solo in front, and footswitch talkback – all within the console's self-contained footprint.
KEY FEATURES
- Vintage Mix Bus Processing – switchable analogue circuit in the stereo sum bus path
- John Hardy operational amplifiers on the mix bus output
- VCA bus compressor with Bass Expand (side-chain HPF) and moving-coil GR meter
- 16 inline channels – 48 inputs at mixdown
- 16 discrete hybrid Class A mic preamps – up to 60 dB gain
- 4-band splittable EQ: 2x fully parametric (40 Hz–20 kHz, ±15 dB, variable Q) + 2x shelving with Air
- 16 record buses + 8 subgroups
- 6 auxiliary buses + 2 cue sends
- 4 stereo monitor outputs with source selection and solo in front
- Dedicated monitoring-grade headphone output for engineer
- Footswitch-controlled talkback
- Hand-crafted wooden armrest, UK-made
- Internal PSU
TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS
- Type: small-format analogue inline console, Heritage Edition
- Input channels: 16 mic/line
- Inputs at mixdown: 48
- Faders: 40 (long and short)
- Record buses: 16
- Subgroups: 8
- Auxiliary buses: 6 + 2 cue sends
- Stereo returns: 4
- Preamp: discrete hybrid Class A, up to 60 dB gain
- EQ: 4-band splittable – 2x parametric + 2x shelving + Air switch
- Parametric EQ range: 40 Hz–20 kHz, ±15 dB, variable Q
- Mix bus: Vintage Mix Bus Processing (switchable) + John Hardy op-amps
- Bus compressor: stereo VCA, Bass Expand (side-chain HPF), moving-coil GR meter
- Monitor outputs: 4 stereo
- Engineer headphone output: dedicated, monitoring grade
- Warranty: 3 years
- Power supply: internal PSU
- Dimensions: approx. 1000 x 1000 mm
