The Arturia AudioFuse Studio, for all its versatility and complexity, is an easy-to-use audio interface with 18 inputs and 20 outputs in total. The front panel presents users with an invitingly clear layout, with four channel strips and precise DiscretePRO preamps. For smooth recording sessions, there's a metering function, four pleasingly chunky gain knobs, and a large master control with dim, mute, and mono controls. Up to four instruments can be plugged into the AudioFuse Studio directly, including electric guitars and basses, making it practical for real-world on-stage setups, and there are also two headphone outputs for musicians - ideal when tracking, and even a built-in talkback mic. Alongside physical connections, the Arturia AudioFuse Studio can also send to monitors via Bluetooth, and on top of this versatility, the interface also delivers low latency and a range digital I/Os, for seamless integration into any studio environment.
The rear panel of the Arturia AudioFuse Studio is equipped with four line inputs, a stereo RCA connection (with a built-in phono preamp for vinyl sampling), four inserts, and a stereo AUX output - plus two stereo outs for a pair of monitor sets - and alongside these analogue connections, there are digital ADAT and S/PDIF connections for eight more ins and outs. External hard drives, MIDI controllers, and licence dongles can also be hooked right into the Studio via its three USB ports; the DAW runs via USB-C, with the cable included here. The package also ships with MIDI adapters that let artists connect any external gear via standard five-pin MIDI ports. Finally, the central connection is ready to send and receive word clock signals for perfect synchronisation.
As with so much Arturia gear, the AudioFuse Studio interface was built for professional musicians and producers: It captures signals at up to 24-bit and an impressive 196kHz, with an almost perfectly linear frequency response. Thanks to its high-grade DiscretePRO preamps, the interface has ultra-low self-noise, so even the tiniest details will come through crystal clear. Conversely, an input gain of up to 72dB provides plenty of headroom to drive even the quietest mics, with the VU meters giving reliable gain feedback for each of the four front input channels. Hit the Instrument mode and the AudioFuse Studio instantly adjusts impedance for electric guitars or basses, at the touch of a button. On top of all that, the unit is built tough – for years of dependable use.
Arturia's success story began with software emulations of well-known analogue synthesizers such as the Moog Minimoog, Sequential Prophet-5, and Oberheim SEM. The popular software instruments included in the V Collection are still flagship products of the French developer today. Over time, Arturia has gradually expanded its range and now also offers a host of hardware devices, ranging from synthesizers and keyboard controllers to sequencers. Since then, the former software developer has thus also become a household name in the world of analogue synthesizers and other equipment.
New owners of an Arturia AudioFuse Studio have immediate, free-of-charge access to Arturia's AudioFuse Control Center software suite, which – among other things – lets users customise the front-panel controls of the interface to suit any workflow. It also lets producers set parameters and routing options such as sample rate, as well as manage the word clock's send and receive. The Control Center also provides access to the routing options for the digital I/O channels, as well as allowing users to define the talkback mic's routing destination and gain. Firmware updates are handled through the software too, making sure the AudioFuse Studio interface will always be up to date. And the program is not a massive memory hog, so the window can be resized freely for a clean, efficient workflow.
DiscretePRO Preamps
Arturia's DiscretePRO preamps are capable of capturing any input's finest nuances, thanks to their exceptionally low self-noise of -129 dBu EIN (Equivalent Input Noise) and an outstanding dynamic range of 118dB(A). Total harmonic distortion is minimal too, with a THD+N figure of -107dB(A), meaning virtually no audio colouration. For very quiet signals, the AudioFuse Studio has both line-level and mic-level gain modes. The preamps also boast an ultra-flat frequency response, varying by as little as 0.09dB between 20Hz and 20kHz: This precision ensures that the unique character of every microphone is captured perfectly.