Following hot on the heels of Audient’s EVO 16 interface comes the company’s EVO SP8 mic preamp expander. Featuring its teammate’s Smartgain technology among other things, we expand our EVO rig to see how it does…
In Summary
EVO SP8 is an 8 channel standalone mic preamp. Hooking up over ADAT to any audio interface, it is perhaps most at home as part of an all-EVO rig for up to 24 channels of hands-free level setting courtesy of linked Smartgain technology.
Going Deeper
Add-On Mic Pres - What’s The Catch?
For a long time, one of the many things that set a pro studio apart from the home recording experience was the number of available simultaneous inputs. Up until this point, many productions either luxuriated in 24 inputs or more in the studio, or roughed it at home with 2 or possibly 4 ways in.
Around the mid-to-late 2000s things started to look up. With names beginning to offer rackmount interfaces with 8 built-in mic inputs, indy productions could at last do things like multi-mic a drum kit. Better still, using ADAT lightpipe connections borrowed from digital tape recorders, a number of standalone 8 channel mic pres also started to appear. Finally, tracking an entire band at home (in one pass!) had arrived.
While standalone mic pres bring big advantages, they can have some drawbacks. Often, they see fewer controls to condition the inputs such as the HPF and polarity buttons seen on interfaces. Also, increasingly users want the flexibility of modular, transportable rigs. Many who have taken a preamp out of the rack to use on location will have experienced the pleasures of scratching themselves on redundant rack ears, untangling line-lump power supplies, or having to hold onto a box with no feet to stop it sliding around.
Audient EVO SP8
Bringing a solution to some of these ergonomic gripes and more is Audient’s EVO SP8. Designed to partner with its EVO 16 stablemate, the EVO SP8 8 external preamp shares the same footprint and enclosure, and as such the two can be stacked for desktop use thanks to their grippy feet. This reflects how many owners now use their gear; attachable rack ears are available as well.
Much of the rest of EVO SP8 has much in common with other external mic pres in terms of function, however its other features that distinguish it are its linkable digitally-controlled pres driven from its Motion UI panel, and of course its party trick: Smartgain.
EVO SP8 In Use
In the video we take EVO SP8 for spin on a multichannel favourite: drums. Where eight inputs aren’t quite enough, we stack up to track up with EVO 16 and EVO SP8. This simple rig can then accommodate close mic options on each drum, as well as a hat mic and overhead options too. Having so many inputs to hand also gives the option of choosing between front or rear connections. We then show how easy it is for engineers to reset levels for when the music has a change of gear; Smartgain across multiple EVO units can be called up from just one Big Green Button.
Audient Evo SP8 Key Features
• 8 x EVO mic preamps.
• 2 x JFET instrument inputs.
• 8 x line outputs.
• 2 x ADAT inputs.
• 2 x ADAT outputs.
• Class leading AD/DA converters.
• Multi-channel Smartgain.
• ‘EVO Motion UI’ sontrol system.
• One knob centralised control with high res LCD Screen.
• Channel status indication.
• Optional rack ears.
• Word Clock Input.
• 24bit / 96kHz.
Final Thoughts
Using EVO SP8 with EVO 16 (or other interface) presents a multichannel solution that will easily fit in something like a laptop bag thanks to its compact form via detachable rack ears. Having gone rack-less for this test, the ease of using the EVO rig without a rack case is something that I wish I could do as easily with other gear. Having Smartgain across 16 inputs is of course also a real bonus. Somehow Audient have managed to build the power supplies into both units as well, so those are one less thing to leave at home too.
All in all, those looking for a very compact, modular multichannel rig could find a friend in the EVO SP8, especially when perched on top of an EVO interface tablemate. For not a load of cash, hands-free Smartgain level-setting and compact stackable form certainly makes rack cases and gain pots seem pretty antiquated…
A Word About This Article
As the Experts team considered how we could better help the community we thought that some of you are time poor and don’t have the time to read a long article or a watch a long video. In 2023 we are going to be trying out articles that have the fast takeaway right at the start and then an opportunity to go deeper if you wish. Let us know if you like this idea in the comments.