Audient ASP800 – 8-Channel Microphone Preamplifier and ADC with HMX & IRON

Designed for professional recording studios that require expandability, the Audient ASP800 is an 8-channel Class-A microphone preamplifier and audio interface. The single 1 RU 19″ rackmountable all-metal enclosure provides eight channels of preamps from the company’s renowned consoles designed by David Dearden, along with 118 dB A to D convertors from Burr Brown.

The unit also features two JFET DI inputs as well as two channels that incorporate the company’s HMX – MOSFET drive and IRON – Magnetic Transformer Drive colour controls to add retro character to your guitars, keyboards, and drum machines.

The front panel of the unit features two 1/8″ (6.35 mm) DI inputs with a dedicated hand-milled knob for gain, MOSFET drive, and magnetic drive. An array of back-lit LED buttons allows you to switch +48V phantom power, reverse the phase 180°, engage a pad, engage the HMX MOSFET drive colour control, and engage the IRON magnetic drive colour control. The remaining six channels feature dedicated gain, +48V phantom power, and pad controls. A separate button allows you to lock the sampling rate of the unit at 44.1, 48, 88.2, and 96 kHz.

The rear panel of the unit features eight locking balanced XLR/TRS Combo jacks, as well as ADAT SMUX Optical Outputs (1-4 and 5-8, or 1-8 on both <48 kHz), a BNC wordclock input, a wordclock termination button (75 ohms), and a 0 dBFS calibration button for matching to an interface (+18 dBu to match the iD22 and +12 dBu to match iD14). A D-Sub connector provides line outputs 1-8.

Key Features

Mic Pres
Uses Class-A mic preamplifier design developed and optimised by legend David Dearden over the course of 18 years

Retro Channels
Adds harmonics to signal for creating tones most often associated with 1960’s tube designs and the coveted transformer zing of British audio from the 1970s

HMX MOSFET Drive
Produces asymmetrical harmonic distortion giving you the option to add richness and body to the pristine tone of the mic preamp

IRON Magnetic Transformer Drive
Uses a custom British transformer with a high-voltage MOSFET drive network designed to recreate the signature of a 1970’s recording with one control that simultaneously alters drive impedance, bass response, high-frequency damping, phase shift, magnetic saturation, and transient shaping to add sparkle and growl to the signal

Plug and Play
As well as eight channels of mic pres, the unit features two harmonically rich JFET DI inputs to replicate the input stage of a classic valve amplifier

Built To Last
Features hand-milled aluminium knobs and an all-metal enclosure

Specifications