Audient Evo 16
- 24 In / Out
- USB-C connection
- 8 EVO microphone preamps with Smartgain
Audient Evo 16 Review
Eight award-winning EVO Preamps, crafted with top-tier converter technology, will make everything you record sound better. Add in smart mic preamps that automatically set their own levels with Smartgain, the all-new, innovative Motion UI control system, and enough I/O power to handle even the biggest sessions—EVO 16 is truly a studio powerhouse, built from the ground up to make recording easy.
Audient Evo 16 Sound, Preamps, and Features
The EVO 16 features eight high-quality EVO Mic Preamps, accessible through the combo jacks on both the front and rear of the device. Backed by 25 years of engineering expertise, the analog EVO preamp is designed to deliver an accurate, clear, and true-to-source sound, no matter what you’re recording. It offers ultra-low distortion, a noise-free signal, and a 58 dB gain range—making it easy to power even gain-hungry microphones.
The EVO preamp technology not only provides the sonic advantages of an analog preamp, but also combines them with digital control. This gives you the ability to set your gain with pinpoint accuracy, down to the decibel. It also works perfectly for stereo pairs, allowing you to link input channel pairs for seamless recording.
Two JFET Instrument Inputs for Basic Tone and Modern Sound
EVO’s harmonically rich JFET instrument input circuit is designed to replicate the input stage of a classic valve amplifier, providing an excellent sonic foundation before you run your guitar through amp sims. The two 1/4″ instrument inputs on the front panel let you easily connect instruments like electric guitars and basses. This instrument input, often called a DI (Direct Injection), offers high input impedance to ensure you get the best tone from your instruments.
High-Efficiency Converters for Clear, Sharp Audio Quality
EVO 16 offers an impressive 121 dB of dynamic range, giving you high-performance conversion so you can hear your audio with precision. This helps you make creative decisions confidently, spot problems easily, and improve your recording and mixing process.
With reliable drivers, a high-speed USB connection, and ultra-low latency monitoring, EVO 16 gives you the stability you need for complex recording and mixing workflows.
Smartgain is a powerful feature that helps you start recording quickly. It listens to all activated inputs and automatically sets the gain for all eight channels in seconds. Simply set up your mics, hit Smartgain, and press record.
Evo 16 Design
The Motion user interface (UI) is designed to make working with your audio interface easier than ever.
Ultraclear Display
Every adjustment, every element, and every button press is beautifully shown in real-time on the bright, backlit color LCD display. This lets you navigate hardware options effortlessly, make quick adjustments, and take full control of your recording session.
The screen smartly shows information as you need it, giving you a fully immersive experience without needing to look at your computer. Thanks to IPS technology, the display stays clear and easy to read from any angle.
One-Knob Centralized Control
To keep your session moving, One-Knob Control lets you access all of EVO 16’s hardware features from a single, central point.
Channel Status and Metering
Pressing an input or output knob instantly shows the channel name, levels, and which features are active for that channel. All the information you need is right there in one place.
Keep an eye on your levels by quickly cycling through your inputs and outputs using EVO 16’s bright, full-color meters.
Function Button
With the customizable F button, you can assign any of EVO 16’s advanced monitoring controls to this programmable function button, letting you create the workflow that suits you best.
Versatile Routing with Eight Line Outputs
Connect and listen to your mixes through multiple sets of speakers with EVO 16’s eight line outputs. Or, use the extra line outputs to send audio to external gear—like compressors, FX units, or headphone amps for your artists.
EVO 16’s two dedicated headphone amps easily power headphones up to 600 ohms, so you can enjoy detailed monitoring and playback with plenty of volume.
Room to Grow with Two Digital I/Os
Whether you’re recording drums or working with a full band, EVO 16’s optical inputs and outputs have you covered. Supporting both ADAT and S/PDIF, you can add up to 16 channels of mic preamps to your setup, giving you lots of options for expanding your studio in the future. It pairs perfectly with any external mic preamp.
Stacked or Racked
At just over 1″ tall with non-slip rubber feet, EVO 16 fits perfectly on your desktop, under your laptop, or as a permanent part of your studio with optional rack ears. When you register your EVO, you can request rack ears from Audient, and they’ll ship them to you right away—an option Audient offers based on what you need.
Evo 16 Controls
If you need to switch between two sets of audio systems using the ALT monitor function, check your mix in Mono, or quickly talk to your artist using Talkback, you can activate all these features directly from EVO 16’s front panel. The best part? You can customize which control is assigned to the hardware F-button.
The F-button on the front panel can be set to activate Talkback, so you can easily communicate with an artist through their headphones. EVO 16’s dedicated talkback technology lets you use any audio source connected to your computer—like a built-in or USB microphone—as your talkback mic, freeing up valuable mic preamps for recording.
The EVO Mixer software gives you even more options for organizing and routing your inputs and outputs, as well as low-latency monitoring.
EVO 16 includes Loop-back channels, which let you capture audio from programs on your computer and send it to another application. This is great for recording computer audio, video calls, or setting up gaming streams. Think of it as a digital cable that routes audio from your app outputs back into other app inputs.
EVO 16 also features a BNC Wordclock output, allowing you to sync multiple digital devices to EVO 16’s master clock and keep everything perfectly in time.
- USB 2.0 audio interface provides 24-in/24-out over a common USB-C connection
- 8 analog Evo mic preamps yield 58dB of gain and digital-precise control
- Contains 2 JFET instrument inputs, 2 headphone outputs, and ample digital I/O
- Includes monitor control, audio loopback, and a word clock output
- Top-notch 24-bit/96kHz AD/DA converters supplies crystal-clear audio with 121dB of dynamic range
- Smartgain automatically analyzes your input signals and adjust each channel’s preamp gain
- Intuitive Motion UI control system with high-resolution TFT-LCD screen
- Channel status indicator displays the channel’s name, levels, and functions activated
- Easy-to-read, full-color metering makes keeping an eye on your levels a breeze
- 1-knob control and customizable F-button ensure simple, trouble-free operation
Why You Need the Audient Evo 16
If you’re looking for the latest technology in an audio interface without spending a fortune, the Evo 16 is your answer. Thanks to its Smart Gain feature, you can easily set your recording levels and never have to worry about your audio being too quiet or too loud.
We recommend giving it a try—with all the features it offers, we’re sure you’ll love it and want to make it the heart of your recording studio. While it may seem designed for project studios, trust us—you can handle and record even the most complex sources with ease.
Conclusion
We’ve put together a simple article to cover everything you need to know, and we hope it’s enough to get you excited about this new device from Audient. Unlike the previous two versions in the Evo series, this one isn’t as simple-looking—and we promise you’ll have even more fun with it!
Below, you’ll find a video from the developer that gives you a more in-depth look at the audio interface!
