Arturia

I
t feels like Arturia’s AudioFuse
Studio has been a long time
coming. We fi rst saw the Studio
version of the Grenoble-based
fi rm’s audio interface at the
Winter NAMM show back in
2019 and that was two years
after we reviewed the original
AudioFuse. Which, to add, was
announced two years before that. But
despite a whole fi ve years elapsing
since then (a long time in tech
terms), the AudioFuse range still feels
like fresh territory for Arturia.
The desktop unit features four
Discrete Pro preamps fed by four
front-mounted mic/line combi ports.
Meanwhile, channels 5 to 8 are
served by TR ports around the back,
with channels 5 and 6 also giving you
the option of phono ports, should you
need them. And the analogue inputs
don’t stop there: the unit is equipped
with four line-level inserts on the fi rst
four channels. In terms of outputs,
channels 1 to 4 are reserved for two
sets of speaker outputs, while 5 and
6 double as aux outs but can also be
switched for reamping guitars and
effects. Returning to the front of the
unit, we see two headphone channels
each with two source selections,
volume controls and both 1/4 inch
and 3.5mm sockets.
As for connectivity, the Studio
does not disappoint. You get double
the ADAT ins/outs to handle eight
channels up to 96kHz sample rate.
We fi nd the same three-port USB 2.0
hub as the smaller AudioFuse
interface and 3.5mm MIDI I/O with
DIN plug breakout cables. There’s
also Wordclock and SPDIF coaxial
connections and the unit is rounded
off with a Bluetooth receiver featuring
aptX and AAC support.
Fresh out of the box and we were
immediately impressed with the
inclusion of cables, something many
companies scrimp on.
Signal fl exibility and extra features
aside, at the heart of any interface is
the sound and you’ll want it as
accurate as possible, which the
Discrete Pro preamps deliver. Our old
ears couldn’t detect distortion even at
higher volumes and the transparency
lets you add your own colour –
catered for in the form of the Creative
Suite plugin bundle; featuring classic
channel strip emulations and iconic
effects, as well as a Lite version of
Analog Lab. The four preamp
channels each have phantom power,
pad and phase invert options,
interfaces on paper, in size and I/O
count, the Studio is €200 more than
the 8pre, making it the fl agship
model in the range. But that price
point is fully justifi ed with its rich set
of useful features, fl exible signal
routing and quality preamps.
generous metering and individual
pre-fader listen buttons. These only
let you hear one channel at a time,
though it would’ve been nice to be
able to hear all four without needing
supplementary software.
Flexibility-wise, the Studio
delivers on all counts. The AudioFuse
Control Centre software lets you get
under the hood and confi gure all the
routing options to your project’s needs
with ease, including the ability to
loopback the main mix, or either cue
mixes. Bluetooth is a great touch,
especially with the option to route the
signal into your DAW and not just
studio monitors. The AudioFuse
Studio also features a Control Center
launch button and every control
adorning the unit is also accessible
within the software.
While it might seem to slot in
between the other two AudioFuse
THE PROS & CONS
+
Flexible
signal routing
Dedicated
reamping channels
Bluetooth-equipped
Great bundled
software
-
Control Center
software UI
is unscalable
FM VERDICT
9.3
One of the most future-proof
interfaces we’ve seen in a
while with options for all
your studio needs; even ones
you didn’t think you had
t feels like Arturia’s AudioFuse
Studio has been a long time
coming. We fi rst saw the Studio
version of the Grenoble-based
fi rm’s audio interface at the
Winter NAMM show back in
2019 and that was two years
after we reviewed the original
AudioFuse. Which, to add, was
announced two years before that. But
despite a whole fi ve years elapsing
since then (a long time in tech
terms), the AudioFuse range still feels
like fresh territory for Arturia.
The desktop unit features four
Discrete Pro preamps fed by four
front-mounted mic/line combi ports.
Meanwhile, channels 5 to 8 are
Meanwhile, channels 5 to 8 are
served by TR ports around the back,
with channels 5 and 6 also giving you
the option of phono ports, should you
need them. And the analogue inputs
don’t stop there: the unit is equipped
with four line-level inserts on the fi rst
four channels. In terms of outputs,
channels 1 to 4 are reserved for two
sets of speaker outputs, while 5 and
6 double as aux outs but can also be
switched for reamping guitars and
effects. Returning to the front of the
THE PROS & CONS
signal routing
Dedicated
reamping channels
Bluetooth-equipped
t feels like Arturia’s AudioFuse
Studio has been a long time
coming. We fi rst saw the Studio
version of the Grenoble-based
fi rm’s audio interface at the
Winter NAMM show back in
2019 and that was two years
after we reviewed the original
AudioFuse. Which, to add, was
announced two years before that. But
despite a whole fi ve years elapsing
THE PROS & CONS
+
Flexible
signal routing
Dedicated
reamping channels
effects. Returning to the front of the
unit, we see two headphone channels
each with two source selections,
volume controls and both 1/4 inch
and 3.5mm sockets.
As for connectivity, the Studio
does not disappoint. You get double
the ADAT ins/outs to handle eight
channels up to 96kHz sample rate.
We fi nd the same three-port USB 2.0
despite a whole fi ve years elapsing
since then (a long time in tech
terms), the AudioFuse range still feels
like fresh territory for Arturia.
The desktop unit features four
Discrete Pro preamps fed by four
front-mounted mic/line combi ports.
Meanwhile, channels 5 to 8 are
Meanwhile, channels 5 to 8 are
served by TR ports around the back,
with channels 5 and 6 also giving you
the option of phono ports, should you
need them. And the analogue inputs
don’t stop there: the unit is equipped
with four line-level inserts on the fi rst
four channels. In terms of outputs,
channels 1 to 4 are reserved for two
sets of speaker outputs, while 5 and
6 double as aux outs but can also be
switched for reamping guitars and
effects. Returning to the front of the
reamping channels
Bluetooth-equipped
Great bundled
-
Control Center
software UI
is unscalable
despite a whole fi ve years elapsing
since then (a long time in tech
terms), the AudioFuse range still feels
like fresh territory for Arturia.
The desktop unit features four
Discrete Pro preamps fed by four
front-mounted mic/line combi ports.
reamping channels
Bluetooth-equipped
Great bundled
software
The AudioFuse range
feels like fresh territory
for Arturia
Flexibility-wise, the Studio
delivers on all counts
Arturia AudioFuse Studio | Reviews
85
FMU360.rev_arturia_afuse.indd 85 13/07/2020 16:50