Arturia’s flagship 16Rig USB Audio Interface is now with us, bringing an array of connections with a smooth workflow that is built to handle a hardware-focused setup.

Connections, Connections, Connections:

This thing is pretty comprehensive, perhaps the most comprehensive interface I’ve encountered. Arturia describes this unit as a workhorse hub and that’s quite accurate. It’s a bit of a beast.Certainly, because of the DC coupled analogue inputs, this interface is especially interesting for those who are working with synthesises, and particularly those with modular rigs, but that’s not to say this interface is not suitable for those working with bands and more organic ways of working with performance and instrumental ways of working, such as more traditional recording sessions involving musicians, bands, and for singers and songwriters. It’s a one stop shop for all recording.

Certainly with its number of inputs (16 analogue inputs!!!) it’s also perfectly suited to recording full band setups, or indeed for capturing live gigs, it's very well suited for all scenarios. The interface also has the ability to work as a standalone unit, which is great. It features a very clear and user-friendly screen on the front of the unit, which allows access to most of the features of the unit, and is very straightforward despite the comprehensive nature of the device. Also, despite the complexity of the unit and the scope of features it offers, I found the whole thing to be very intuitive in operation, and you’ll probably only need to resort to manual diving for some of the more advanced features. I found the whole thing pretty much plug and play and for those with experience you’ll be up and running in no time at all, and for those starting out I’ll bet it won’t take long to get going.


One thing to remember though when selecting an interface for band setups is the number of mic preamps, and the AudioFuse16Rig is limited to two mic pres, and those are present on the front of the unit, so if you’re recording more traditional setups, you will need some external mic pres, just something to consider. Talking of in and outs, here’s an overview:

• x8 Analog Line Outputs (DC Coupled)
• x16 Analog Line Inputs
• x2 ADAT I/O
• x1 MIDI In & 2x MIDI Out/Thru
• Wordclock I/O
• 24-bit 192kHz AD/DA

Pretty impressive, and on top of that every interface comes with a suite of Arturia’s FX collection, which are top notch, and allow the user to tailor sounds further.

Taking control:

The software control implementation is quite comprehensive. All of the major functions are available in the Control Center software, as well as features and functions not available from the front panel, it goes pretty deep, and its features are packed. The Control Center software allows pretty comprehensive remote control of everything available, as well as offering a visual representation of signal routing, via a very nifty matrix, as well as various configurations of main as well as cue mixers offering extensive facilities, input and output levels, channel status, hidden parameters such as word clock impedance and other device specific features.

Despite the complexity of the software, it is elegantly laid out and quite intuitive in operation. The main window is a great base from which to tweak and configure things to your specific needs, nothing being too far of a click or short step away. There's good two way communication between software and unit, and it's gratifying to see instant response between clicking something in the software and using the hardware response via its lights and front screen.

The front panel is very well laid out, starting from front left: outputs 3 & 4 are replicated on the front (bypassing the 3 & 4 on the back when utilised) Also to note, different configurations of these front panel outputs are available within the Control Center software, including the ability to turn the outputs into stereo outputs, amongst other things, which is particularly handy, and the two mic pres, combined with line/instrument Hi-Z are next to them. These inputs are the only mic pre and Hi-Z on the unit, but enable quick auditioning and connection of gear without having to faff around on the back, which is a very welcome design feature. Next to these to the right, is a 3.5 stereo minijack input which is great for connecting synths which use this type of connection or for connecting phones or other portable audio devices on the fly. Very useful indeed. To the right of these and moving to the centre of the front panel is a control interface comprising 6 buttons and the main screen. These buttons give you access to vital features such as inputs, which display metering for all input signals, a button for input one, input two, a button for outputs, a mixer button, which takes you to the AudioFuse 16Rig’s main mixer, and a Cue button which takes you to the 16Rig’s secondary (Cue) mixer.


At the center sits a colour display that shows all relevant information while using the interface. It’s nicely done, clear and precise, good use of colour and looks great. To the right of this is the main encoder for parameter control which can be turned or pressed (clicked) for selecting, or engaging the chosen parameter on screen.Next along to the right is the monitor/volume knob which controls the level of the (main) speaker outs. It’s accompanied by a mute button, which turns red when clicked and mutes the main out to silence the speakers. There’s also a programmable function button below the mute, which can be configured for different functions, such as ‘mono’, ‘dim’ and a/b speaker selection. The button illuminates different colours (green/orange/blue) depending on which function is configured.

Moving again to the right of these, on the far right of the front panel, are the controls for the headphone amp, consisting of a volume knob, and two headphone outs a 1/4’’ and a smaller 3.5mm, which is very handy. Both work from the same volume knob. The headphone amp is good, clean and powered everything I tried with no problems at all, and it sounded great, loud enough for all purposes and clear and defined. Finally, on the far right are two USB-A ports. The first labelled ‘HUB’ works as a USB hub for external devices. The second labelled ‘MIDI’ is a USB host port that allows you to connect a controller that only has a USB connector and not a 5 pin DIN MIDI port. Unlike the HUB connection, this port remains active even in standalone mode, giving you MIDI input and output even without a computer connected.

Connect some more:

The 16Rig’s rear panel continues with a large complement of connections: At the far right you’ll find 16 TRS balanced analogue inputs with, according to Arturia, world class converters. These can handle signal levels up to +24dBu with the Pad switched on, and +12dBu with the pad switched off. Remember that the rear Inputs 1 & 2 are ignored if the front panel inputs are used, unless the REAR function is selected. The outputs 3 & 4 on the front also work in the same way. Moving to the left there are the rear panel audio outputs. To the left of the bank of outputs are the main L & R (1&2) Monitor/Speaker outputs, and there are an additional 8 analogue outputs here also.These are balanced analogue line level outputs which can either be used as mono outs or paired up as stereos. These outputs are all DC coupled, so as well as audio, they can also send DC control voltages to external modular synths and other analogue synth gear.


The AudioFuse16Rig is amply supplied with extensive expansion abilities, offering the ability to send and receive multi channel digital audio such as four ADAT ports, providing 16 channels of I/O at 44.1 or 48kHz, or 8 channels of I/O at 88.2 or 96kHz. There are connections for Word Clock in and out. To the left of these there is a MIDI in and a pair of assignable MIDI Out/Thru 5-pin DIN connectors, alongside a 3.5mm jack providing an analogue MIDI clock signal for use with certain analogue synths, drum machines and modular synths. To the left of the MIDI jacks are a rear panel USB-A port that acts as part of the interface’s built-in hub, a USB-C port that connects to the host computer for interface control and DAW communication, and a nice screw locking connector for the 16Rig’s power supply. Very nice touch, feels very secure.

In real life:

The sound quality was top notch, no complaints there. Recordings sounded clean, defined and there was good headroom to be had. The preamps drove everything I could throw at them, including ribbons and dynamic mics without the need for boosters, and noise was very acceptable in practice. A solid performer.

The sheer configuration abilities of this interface make it very open ended when comparing various workflows and the good manual provided by Arturia really opens this thing up to various uses, but everything is explained thoroughly and well in the manuals. Hooking things up for mics, instrument D.I’s multiple speaker setups and the ability to switch between them, hooking up to ADAT expansion devices, creating cue, or monitor mixes in the Control Center software, hooking up MIDI and USB devices, synths, control surfaces, drum machines, software control USB devices and memory sticks is all possible. Of particular note is the ability to to use 16Rig’s outputs as DC coupled outs, so for instance with some analogue synth gear and the right DAW such as Ableton or Bitwig, you can easily output CV signals from your DAW to control your modular and semi-modular synths.

Navigation around the front screen with the encoder is as simple as scrolling to move through options on the screen page, and clicking once landing on the desired section. It’s all pretty intuitive. The top home screen is a kind of ‘carousel’ and so it's a case of scrolling through different sections and facilities before diving deeper into the facilities. Pressing the buttons on the bank to the left of the screen brings you into specific sections, or screens, to let you access the most commonly needed functions like general input metering, inputs 1 & 2 and their parameters, output metering, mixer, and the cue mixer screen. The top level of the onscreen menu hierarchy at the ‘carousel’ is recognized by large circular icons, and from these one can dive into specific sections of the system. It’s generally self explanatory for seasoned vets, but a quick glance at the detailed information in the manual will be enough for successful navigation in a very short time. Setting up input levels and phantom power, configuring outputs and general utility duties were achieved relatively easily and it was a good workflow in practice. Impressive despite the extensive amount of control on offer.


The AudioFuse Control Center software implementation is impressive and, as stated before nearly all of the 16Rig’s functions can be accessed from the front controls, but diving into the software greatly extends the utility of the interface. It’s deep, and the internal mixing facilities open up very specific configurations for particular rigs and uses. The mixers are comprehensive, and the ability to tweak is extensive, including ability to very precisely tailor inputs, outputs, all analogue and digital connections such as ADAT, loopback facilities, and of particular interest is the Routing Matrix. This is the first time I’ve seen such a fully featured matrix system on a hardware audio interface, and it’s a blessing for those who want to dive deep into personalised setups. The Routing screen shows a matrix of SOURCES (columns listed from left to right and numbered in gold) and DESTINATIONS (rows listed from top to bottom and numbered in purple). To make a connection, simply click the point where the source and destination intersect in the matrix. Connections are shown with blue squares. It’s an extremely powerful matrix and basically lets you connect any source to any destination, so it gets deep and powerful fast. This right here is next level and absolutely stunning implementation on Arturia’s part. Bravo.


In use, the sheer scope of the Control Center software was awesome and everything worked. I didn’t experience any bugs or glitches, so top marks there. It really is a very fully featured system and really opens up new and interesting ways of patching between computers and synths for example.

The depth of the system is nicely balanced with the more simple and straight forward logic of say, having the extra output and inputs on the front panel for hot plugging of synth, lines and devices on the fly as it were. I really liked this. Some forethought and vision has really gone into this, and it’s a joy to use. I found myself getting into a workflow relatively quickly and then diving deeper with extended control parameters later.

The look of the unit is very nice. The lights, the buttons all perform well. The on switch glows blue nicely on powering up, and the screen is nice and crisp and the colours are strong and the whole thing reeks quality. The aesthetic of the unit is good, and the knobs offer a minimum of expensive feeling resistance. All in all, a very nice user experience. The unit can either be rack mounted, with use of the included orange rack ears, but also there is the ability to connect these rack ears at a 45 degree angle and rest the unit on top of them for desktop use which is nice.

Conclusions:

Having had a good chance to test this unit for all kinds of scenarios, I have to say, it’s an awesome unit. Fully packed with lots of facilities, and powerful, but especially for those with extensive synth rigs. For those working in electronic music and with synths this interface is definitely worth checking out. It’s a powerhouse of a thing, and really delivers a massive amount of facility. The included bundle of software is very welcome indeed, as Arturia makes some nice plugins. The FX series in particular are very good indeed.


I like this interface a lot, despite the complex nature, it was easy to get up and running relatively quickly and easily. The drivers seem good, the latency is good, working on the Mac, setup was painless, and the audio quality is really good. The interface came with 2 nice tweed USB cables, which was a nice touch. This interface is interesting in the market offering substantial advantages over many of the competition, but it all depends on what your particular application is as I’ve stated before. For those with synths it’s a powerhouse, the DC coupled abilities and the sheer configurability of the unit yields some very powerful facilities, but that’s not to say that the unit might not be useful to those looking at other applications, for instance the face that this unit can be used in standalone mode, and offer the onboard facilities via the hardware controls in conjunction with the jog wheel encoder and front screen, make this a contender for mobile recording to USB memory stick plugged in to the unit, just make sure you have ample external mic preamps to facilitate your session.

Certainly the amount of available inputs in its price class is a very welcome facility. I found the interface a bold act of vision and application on Arturia’s part and it does stand slightly apart from the crowd due to its scope of functions and facilities. There’s honestly not a lot to dislike here. Everything seems incredibly well thought out. Is it the unit for you and your needs? That depends entirely on your rig, approach and needs, but it is definitely a great unit, and in the right hands will bring much needed facilities in a straightforward and solid way.

Highly recommended!

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