Audient EVO SP8

Audient call SP8 the world’s ‘smartest mic preamp’, which might not set your heart racing, but it could also be the desktop expander you need

Audient’s EVO 16 was released at the end of last year to quite some acclaim. For around just £400 you get 24 ins and outs (made up of eight inputs with quality mic pres, eight outs and 16 further digital ins and outs) plus a couple of quite brilliant design extras. EVO 16 featured ‘Smartgain’ so you can automatically set input recording levels of all eight inputs with ridiculous ease. Simply plug in whatever inputs you like and the unit automatically set its levels in seconds. There are also some fabulous control software to partner it and a great screen that features Audient’s Motion UI technology, and it’s so clear and functional that the software is almost made redundant. What we have here is not just a partner for EVO 16, but a possible expander for other audio interfaces.

More, more, more

SP8 is not an audio interface but a ‘smart preamp’ and expander for audio interfaces that features ADAT I/O expansion. So if you have an interface with such connectivity you can expand it via the SP8. This will give you the unit’s eight inputs and outputs, plus additional digital connectivity so you can chain another SP8 adding the same spec again.