The company announced the release of a new audio interface and monitor controller, Audient ORIA, during a broadcast on the official YouTube channel. The device is positioned as an interface for professional recording studios working with immersive and spatial audio in the Dolby Atmos format.
Audient ORIA combines an audio interface and a monitor controller in one housing and is designed for rack mounting. It is noted that the interface was created for studios working with multi-channel and spatial audio (for example, in the Dolby Atmos format ). The sound card also received built-in SoundID Reference sound correction tools, created with the participation of Sonarworks.
The audio interface is equipped with 16 outputs and is capable of working with sound in 9.1.6 format. For connecting signal sources, two combined mic/line/instrument inputs are provided, connected to the Audient Console mic preamps. Despite its positioning as an interface for working with multi-channel audio, the model is also suitable for working with a stereo signal.
The number of channels is expandable via two ADAT inputs. In addition, users can add 16 more inputs via an AoIP (Dante) expansion card sold separately. For digital synchronization, the interface is also equipped with Word Clock I/O connectors.
In addition to two linear stereo outputs, the card has 16 output connectors capable of operating in analog or AES format. Additionally, there are two independent headphone outputs with their own volume control.
The preamps provide up to +60 dB of gain, which is enough to work with power-hungry dynamic microphones like the Shure SM7B. Line inputs provide gain from −10 dB to +50 dB, instrument inputs from 0 to +60 dB.
The maximum input level is +18 dB. According to the technical specifications, the range of reproduced signals is from 20 to 40,000 Hz (± 0.5 dB), the input impedance is 1.5 kOhm. The THD + noise is 0.0015% (-96 dB), the equivalent noise level reaches -129 dB, and the signal-to-noise ratio is 100 dB.
The dynamic range of the line outputs is 126.5 dB, and the headphone outputs are 124 dB. In this case, the declared range of reproduced frequencies ranges from 10 to 40,000 Hz (± 0.3 dB).
Digital inputs operate at sampling rates from 44.1 kHz to 48 kHz when operating with 16 channels via ADAT, from 88.2 kHz to 96 kHz when operating with 8 channels. When using an AoIP expansion card, 16 additional channels can operate from 44.1 kHz to 96 kHz.
To connect ORIA to a computer, a USB-C connector (USB 2.0) is used. The maximum number of input channels when connected reaches 34 pieces – 2 analog, 16 digital, 16 AoIP. The maximum number of output channels is 38 pieces – 20 linear, 2 headphone outputs, 16 AES.
When used as a monitor controller, speaker groups are color coded to easily identify the correct monitor pairs. It is noted that users can mute or solo any outputs or groups of outputs. The interface body also houses global volume controls and delay compensation. Additionally, there is an option to control the Dolby Atmos renderer from the device itself, for which there is a Down Mix button on the case.
Among the features, the manufacturer highlights the built-in sound calibration system, created in collaboration with Sonarworks. The Advanced Speaker Processing function provides simple and fast sound correction through a set of presets. Users can create their own calibration models for any audio signal format, save them for later use, and freely switch between sound options in real time.
There are two options for sound calibration – manual and automatic. In manual mode, users can analyze the sound themselves using the measurement microphone, and then make changes using the eight-band equalizer, delay control and other parameters. In automatic mode, the system determines the appropriate settings by software from Sonarworks.
The ORIA package includes a Sonarworks Reference measurement microphone and SoundID Reference for Multichannel software. With automatic sound calibration, data from the microphone is transferred to a program that determines the appropriate sound settings. It is noted that the created profiles are loaded into the memory of the audio interface and processed by the built-in DSP chip.
Despite integration with SoundID Reference, calibration options are limited. Specifically, the software comes as a 60-day trial version. After the trial period, users wishing to use the created profiles will have to purchase the full version of the program separately.
Price: $2700
