Audient Horizon 16 — a Thunderbolt 3 audio interface

Following the 8P , Audient has expanded its flagship Horizon audio interface range with the Horizon 16, designed for modern hybrid studios.

Photo: official website audient

The new interface offers 34 inputs and 34 outputs for extensive integration of external analogue equipment. Unlike the 8P, it has no built-in microphone preamplifiers and focuses entirely on line-level connections. Four DB25 connectors provide 16 line inputs and 16 line outputs for permanent connection of external compressors and equalizers. The rear panel also has a dedicated pair of balanced TRS Stereo Mix-Bus inputs, TRS monitor outputs and 16 channels of ADAT I/O expansion.

Photo: official website audient

The product offers switchable reference levels of +18 dBu and +24 dBu, a dynamic range of 133 dB and expansion to four interfaces in one system. Up to 200 × 200 inputs and outputs can run under one macOS driver. Routing settings can be saved in software and recalled instantly for previous sessions. The dedicated application provides independent polarity inversion and digital attenuation for each of the 16 analogue channels.

Photo: official website audient

Horizon Control software acts as an advanced virtual matrix mixer. Round-trip latency is 0.99 ms at 192 kHz with a 64-sample buffer. The hardware uses flagship 32-bit ESS ES9823PRO and ES9039 converters, ultra-low-noise OPA1602 and OPA1612 operational amplifiers for accurate transient reproduction, and hybrid analogue/digital PLL circuits for jitter suppression. Rear-panel BNC Word Clock inputs and outputs provide external synchronisation with signal termination.

Photo: official website audient

Audient Horizon 16 will be available for $3,500.