Arturia AudioFuse 16Rig Audio Interface Review: So Many Inputs

For arsenic long arsenic euphony cogwheel companies person been making audio interfaces, they’ve assumed that astir radical successful the marketplace attraction lone astir plugging arsenic galore microphones into their machine arsenic possible. They mightiness person a mates quarter-inch inputs successful beforehand for “instruments,” but the marketplace dominance of interfaces that give the bulk of their existent property to inputs with mic preamps and XLR jacks has gone unquestioned and unchallenged for acold excessively long. What astir boomer gearheads with racks of vintage preamps who don’t privation chintzy Guitar Center–grade circuity coloring their signal? Or the synth nerds who request a hassle-free hub for their galore winding paths of modular goodness?

Some of the astir innovative cogwheel answers questions that aren’t being asked, and Arturia has been up of the curve connected these matters for the amended portion of a decade. Known champion for their durable MIDI controllers and Behringer-beating fund synths, the French steadfast turned heads erstwhile it dipped its toes successful the crowded waters of the audio interface marketplace with its AudioFuse series. These durable and stylish small boxes made it elemental for signaling artists of each stripes to seizure ideas with small effort, each astatine a terms constituent that hovered successful a comfy mediate crushed betwixt the bargain basement junk that litters Amazon and the “prosumer” workplace centerpieces offered by glitzier brands similar Audient and Universal Audio. The summation of USB hub ports for connecting cogwheel similar USB MIDI controllers, keyboards, and different communal peripherals was a “Why didn’t anyone deliberation of this sooner?” infinitesimal for the ages. To date, the MiniFuse 2 ($122) is my favourite interface for speedy and casual iPad-based audio production.

As they determination upmarket with the AudioFuse 16Rig, Arturia answers different important question nary 1 is asking: Would anyone wage $1,299 for a rack-mount interface that trades preamps for a mind-boggling array of inputs and outputs? A period with the 16 inputs and 8 outputs offered by this 1U dynamo of routing and workflow convinced maine the reply is simply a resounding “Yes.”

Audio Infusions

Patience and spontaneity are the yin and yang of lo-fi chamber musicians and revered producers alike. Creativity tin deed astatine immoderate time, but you’ll request to walk untold hours successful beforehand plugging things successful to foster an situation that makes the process of sitting down and hitting the grounds fastener arsenic frictionless arsenic possible.

I spent a fewer afternoons routing my Line 6 Helix, HX Effects, synths, and a pedalboard afloat of effects from brands similar Chase Bliss and Walrus Audio done a basal patchbay and into the assorted ins and outs of the AudioFuse. It took little than an hr to wrapper my caput astir however the accompanying bundle could pb maine to a “set it and hide it” setup that would beryllium acceptable to spell astatine a moment's notice.

The bundle is comparatively straightforward, with predictable layouts and functions nested successful its I/O, mixer, and routing matrix pages. The mixer leafage starts disconnected bare and requires channels to beryllium “added” to go active, which took immoderate getting utilized to, but this and the I/O leafage volition consciousness instantly acquainted to anyone who uses a DAW with immoderate regularity.