Steinberg's AXR4 - the most impressive interface ever?

28 inputs, 24 outputs, 32-bit integer recording, Rupert Neve Designs processing... the list goes on

Hardware > Audio Interface, MIDI Interface

Steinbergs amazingly well-equipped AXR4 interface.

Audio interfaces are usually more about utility than excitement, but Steinbergs AXR4 is something else - it combines design expertise from Steinberg, Yamaha and Rupert Neve Designs, and packs an incredible amount into a 1U rack space. Its a low-latency, 32-bit integer, 28-in, 24-out audio interface capable of handling sampling rates of up to 384kHz, with a colour display for metering plus MIDI and wordclock, two indpendently adjustable headphone outs and twin Thunderbolt 2 connections taking audio to and from the attached recording system. Steinbergs product video below helps to get all of these features clear in your mind.

Video of New AXR4 Thunderbolt 2 Audio Interfaces | AXR4 Audio Interface Promo Video

The first four input channels (the first two of which can be switched to accommodate high-impedance guitar signals) are accessed via front-panel Neutrik XLR/TRS Combi jacks with 48V phantom power and Yamahas high-quality AXR mic preamps. Also assignable to those first four inputs are two types of Rupert Neve Designs Silk processing, a digital emulation of the sonic qualities of classic Neve input modules. Somewhat inscrutably labelled Red and Blue, the first of these apparently emphasises second harmonics for top-end sparkle, while the latter makes more of low end and percussive, transient-heavy tones. Thats not the end of the processing options, either: a suite of Yamaha DSP effects, including compression, EQ and reverb, is also built in.

A further 16 channels of I/O are accessed via twin s-PDIF/ADAT connectors on the AXR4s rear; eight of these channels can also be accessed via an AES/EBU D-connector. The remaining eight I/O channels are on the rear-panel quarter-inch jacks. If thats not enough, you can daisy-chain up to three AXR4s via the Thunderbolt connectors. And still theres an expansion slot to further expand the number of channels in future.

With all these channels, routing might have been complex, but its all taken care of in the attached computer via an on-screen matrix, making everything straightforward. Unsurprisingly, integration with Cubase is designed to be seamless!

The ARX4 is due to ship in the Spring, initially only with Mac drivers. Windows users will have to wait until Summer.

SOSs Sam Inglis visited Steinbergs booth on the last day of Winter NAMM 2019, and talked to Greg Ondo from the company about the AXR4s amazing features. You can see their conversation in the video clip below.

Video of Steinberg AXR4 - NAMM 2019

http://www.steinberg.net

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