EVO 16-24 in/24 out USB audio interface with Smartgain

Product Information

The total gain range on the mic preamps is 58dB, and the alignment is quite nicely judged. At one end of the scale, you can get a healthy level from close‑miked speech with a moving‑coil dynamic mic, and on the other, you can record drums without clipping. Equivalent Input Noise is less than ‑127.5dB (presumably A‑weighted, though this is not stated) and the A‑D converters deliver a dynamic range of 112.5dB A‑weighted; the practical upshot is that even with the headroom that Smartgain leaves, the noise floor of the EVO 16 itself is always going to be way, way below that of your source. Input impedance in high‑impedance mode is 500kΩ, which is on the low side, but of course you can easily attach a DI box if you feel this is loading down your electric guitar. However, the Gear4music extended warranty scheme provides an enhanced service, and is designed to offer a higher level of protection than many 'free' warranties offered by some retailers and manufacturers. MusicRadar verdict: Audient’s goal with EVO is to make recording easy. EVO 16 achieves this and makes it flexible and affordable too. A really great product. Audient EVO 16: The web says British audio company, EVO by Audient is delighted to announce the launch of the latest product in its range, EVO 16. A 24 in / 24 out Audio Interface, this newest release features eight award-winning EVO Preamps, advanced converter technology as well as the ingenious Smartgain feature which can be used on all 8 channels simultaneously, and continues to deliver on the EVO promise to ‘make recording easy’.

EVO 16 Driver and Manual Downloads – Audient Help Desk EVO 16 Driver and Manual Downloads – Audient Help Desk

I mentioned the ability to adjust preamp gain from software as one of the pluses of the digital approach, and in this case, the software in question is simply called EVO. As the EVO 16 is a class‑compliant device and uses the Mac’s built‑in Core Audio driver, you can actually operate it on Apple devices without installing the EVO software, but I can’t imagine why anyone would do so! In look and feel, EVO adopts the ‘clean and clear’ look also favoured by manufacturers such as Focusrite and Arturia, and which probably owes a lot in the first instance to Ableton Live. When you first load it up, in fact, you might think everything is greyed out, but you soon realise that it’s just very grey. I’m a big fan of Audient gear. I own a Gen 1 iD14 and I used to teach at a college that had both an ASP8024 and an ASP4816. They all work and sound great. Take that as a brand endorsement before we even start. Audient started out as manufacturers of large‑ and medium‑format analogue mixing consoles, drawing on the immense experience of designer Dave Dearden. When they moved into making audio interfaces, one of the key selling points was their ability to apply this analogue design expertise in the new sector. Audient’s ID range thus combines ergonomic desktop form factors with mic preamps and other circuit designs closely related to those used in their flagship ASP consoles. I like the flexibility of the software and the fact that it can easily be driven from the front panel. My daily driver is a (distinctly premium) Focusrite Red4Pre and I control that almost exclusively front the front panel. Having an easy to use interface with a clear and informative front panel display in a unit at this price is great.

Price and availability data

The much touted Smartgain feature has not previously interested me on their smaller interfaces for a simple guitar or vocal, but on an 8-channel device, for setting multiple levels like with a drum kit or small ensemble, it makes more sense. I am yet to test it but I assume/hope it leaves enough headroom on super-fast HF sources like ride cymbals and tambourines. For musicians who don’t want to faff around doing boring tech stuff, this can get you sorted in seconds, and you always have the option to manually tweak anything if you choose. The market for budget, entry‑level interfaces is mostly made up of newcomers to recording. These customers, on the one hand, benefit from designs that present the easiest possible learning curve; but on the other, they’re also unburdened by preconceptions as to how an audio interface should work. Consequently, Audient have put a lot of work into the usability and ergonomics of the EVO series, and they’ve not been afraid to depart from established convention. The EVO 4 and EVO 8 look nothing like any other audio interface I’ve ever seen, and present a refreshingly minimal and friendly user interface.

EVO By Audient EVO 16 USB Audio Interface - Gear4music EVO By Audient EVO 16 USB Audio Interface - Gear4music

Audient’s recently announced EVO 16 promises a glimpse of things to come for the interface market, but how well does it actually perform? See it and hear it as three Experts give their verdict… Evolving The Interface One of the things that differentiates the EVO range from Audient’s more costly ID and ASP products is the use of generic audio circuitry rather than bespoke designs. However, that doesn’t necessarily mean that you can expect inferior performance, and the audio specifications for the EVO 16 are actually rather good. (They’re also commendably clear and comprehensive, especially in regard to things like headphone output level, which is often overlooked.) If you’re thinking of interfacing the EVO 16 with other studio gear, though, be aware that like many other affordable interfaces, it doesn’t quite operate at ‘professional’ levels. The outputs generate a maximum level of +12dBu, while the hottest that can be accommodated at the inputs is +16dBu. The EVO software mixer is clear and simple, but gives access to some surprisingly deep functionality. The EVO 16 is expected to ship sometime in June and retail for EUR 469 (VAT included). Learn more about the EVO 16If that wasn’t enough, you can customise your advanced monitoring controls by using the assignable ‘F’ (function) button. You can assign the function button to any of the interfaces monitoring controls and program it to suit your needs. The fully immersive UI and sleek design make it one of the most streamlined interfaces on the market. JFET instrument inputs and 48V Phantom Power Working alongside EVO 16’s hardware controls, Motion UI provides a centralised, one-knob control system for adjusting all EVO 16’s hardware parameters,” continues Andy. “Simply put, every adjustment is displayed on the screen in real time, letting the user make changes on the fly and take full control of the recording session without ever needing to look at the computer.” As with the smaller EVO products, EVO 16 comes with the Smartgain feature, which automatically sets the gain with the touch of a button. “The added bonus with EVO 16, is that it can automatically set the gain for all 8 channels at once, ideal for drummers who have multiple mic inputs and synth players needing lots of line inputs,” explains Andy. “Smartgain has been designed to take the guesswork out of setting gain. Not only does it save time for the user, but it eliminates the hassle for those working on their own, which means users can spend less time figuring out the tech and more time recording.” The software only allows 4 mixes, it would have been nice to allow more if using mono mixes as it does have 8 outputs.