Sound Shaper

A new audio interface featuring a valve preamp and cab simulations specifically aimed at guitarists

- Trevor Curwen

AUDIENT SONO GUITAR RECORDING INTERFACE £419

What You need to Know

1 An audio interface with a valve? Surely not...

Yep, the USB-C connection to your computer might be bang up to date, but there’s some nice vintage technology in the guitar signal path to enhance your sound.

2 There are a lot of knobs for an audio interface...

True, but those six black ones are pretty much dedicated to guitar tone: setting the input to the valve stage, tweaking it with three-band EQ,and setting the drive of a simulated power amp.

3 So, who is Audient anyway?

You may not have heard of the company before, but it is a respected UK brand with over 20 years of history and best known for mixing consoles, audio interface and microphone preamps.

As long as it’s got a Hi-Z input, you can plug in and record a guitar through any audio interface. Savvy manufacturers, however, have realised that guitar players might desire a few extra features above and beyond the usual array, so have been coming up with interfaces designed specifically for guitar recording.

We recently took a look at the IK Multimedia Axe I/O (in issue 448), which features variable input impedance as well as JFET circuitry in the preamp. Now it’s the turn of the Audient Sono, a system that actually puts a 12AX7 valve in the guitar signal path and follows it with three-band EQ and Torpedo power amp/ speaker cabinet simulation from specialists Two Notes Engineering.