Arturia has given its studio workhorse an under-the-hood refresh with the new AudioFuse Studio Rev2 – retaining the seriously comprehensive connectivity of the original while introducing optimised DiscretePRO preamps, updated conversion and an upgraded Bluetooth receiver.
Key Features
- Four DiscretePRO preamps with 78dB of gain, -129dBu EIN and 119dB dynamic range
- Eight analogue inputs including four mic/line/instrument inputs and a dedicated phono input
- Latest-generation 24-bit AD/DA conversion at up to 192kHz
- ADAT, S/PDIF, Word Clock, MIDI, USB-C and upgraded Bluetooth connectivity
- Four analogue inserts, dedicated reamping outputs and comprehensive monitor control
There are audio interfaces designed to live quietly on a desk, and then there are the ones that slowly become the centre of an entire studio. AudioFuse Studio has always leaned heavily towards the latter.
For Rev2, Arturia hasn’t dramatically reinvented the formula. Instead, it has concentrated on some of the less glamorous things that actually matter when you’re recording every day: cleaner preamps, updated conversion, connectivity and an enormous amount of I/O packed into one box.
Four Preamps and Plenty of Headroom
At the front of the AudioFuse Studio Rev2 are four of Arturia’s DiscretePRO preamps, each offering a hefty 78dB of gain.
That amount of gain makes the interface particularly interesting for anyone regularly working with quieter microphones or sources that would normally have you reaching for an external preamp. Arturia specifies a -129dBu Equivalent Input Noise and 119dB of dynamic range, alongside +18dBu of headroom.
Each of the four channels can handle microphone, line or instrument-level signals, with dedicated physical controls and analogue insert points. That last bit is particularly useful once you’ve accumulated a few favourite compressors, EQs or other bits of outboard gear and want to bring them into the recording chain without turning the back of the desk into a cable excavation site.
The converters have also been updated, with latest-generation 24-bit AD/DA conversion operating at sample rates up to 192kHz.
Eight Analogue Inputs Without Constant Repatching
The four main inputs are joined by another four line inputs around the back, bringing the total to eight analogue inputs.
For a synth-heavy studio, this could be one of AudioFuse Studio Rev2’s most practical features. A few synthesisers, drum machines or other bits of studio gear can remain permanently connected rather than being unplugged whenever it’s time to record something else.
Inputs 5–6 can also operate as a phono input via the integrated RIAA preamp, allowing a turntable to connect directly to the interface. Beyond simply listening to records through your monitors, that opens up an easy path for sampling vinyl directly into a DAW without adding a separate phono stage to the setup.
There’s also ADAT expansion for up to eight additional channels at 96kHz, alongside S/PDIF, Word Clock and MIDI. In other words, there’s plenty of room for a studio to grow around the interface rather than immediately outgrow it.
Reamping, Inserts and Proper Monitor Control
The connectivity goes beyond simply getting signals into the computer.
Four analogue inserts make integrating external processing relatively painless, while two dedicated Aux/instrument-level outputs are designed for reamping. You could record a clean guitar signal, get the performance right, then send it back through different amps and pedals later without having to commit to a sound during tracking.
Monitoring is similarly comprehensive. Two pairs of TRS outputs allow two sets of studio monitors to remain connected, with integrated switching for quickly jumping between them while mixing.
There are also two independent headphone channels with their own source selection, controls and metering. It’s a small detail until you’re recording someone else and realise how handy separate performer and engineer headphone mixes can be.
AudioFuse Studio Rev2 also doubles as a multi-port USB hub, providing somewhere to connect controllers, storage and other USB devices. For laptop-based studios in particular, saving a couple of precious ports can make a surprisingly big difference.
Bluetooth Gets an Upgrade
Bluetooth might seem slightly out of place on a professional audio interface, but in practice it can be genuinely useful.
The updated receiver supports AAC, aptX, aptX HD and aptX Low Latency, and Bluetooth sources can be recorded directly through the AudioFuse Studio.
That makes referencing a track from your phone quick, but it also presents some interesting possibilities for sampling and production. If someone walks into the studio with a demo, voice memo or interesting sound on their phone, getting it into the session doesn’t necessarily need to involve sending files around first.
It’s the kind of convenience feature that probably won’t sell an interface on its own, but may end up getting used far more often than expected.
Software Straight Out of the Box
Arturia is also bundling AudioFuse Studio Rev2 with the AudioFuse Creative Suite, an expanding collection of software instruments and effects.
The package draws from Arturia’s FX Collection, covering preamps, compressors, reverbs, delays and modulation alongside virtual instruments. It means there’s enough included to start tracking, processing and mixing without immediately needing to build out another plug-in collection.
The AudioFuse Studio Rev2 feels less like Arturia trying to rethink the audio interface and more like it refining an unusually ambitious one. Four preamps, eight analogue inputs, inserts, reamping, phono, ADAT, MIDI, Word Clock, multiple monitor paths, dual headphone mixes, Bluetooth and a USB hub is quite a list.
For musicians whose studios have a habit of acquiring another synth, pedal, turntable or piece of outboard every few months, having an interface that’s ready for that inevitable next cable might be the feature that matters most.
I’ve kept the Rev2 changes grounded in the supplied material rather than adding unconfirmed differences from the original model.
