When Focusrite announces new products, the audio world sits up and takes notice. Which means now is a pretty exciting time. They’ve just announced the brand new Red 16Line and RedNet X2P. Here’s what you need to know.

About the Red 16Line

The Red 16Line is a 64×64 Pro Tools HD and dual Thunderbolt 3 audio interface with ultra-low latency A-D/D-A conversion, Red Evolution mic preamps, up to 121dB dynamic range, ultra-low round trip latency, and expansion over Ethernet for networked audio. It provides DigiLink connectors and Thunderbolt connections, which means it’s a dream to simply switch from Pro Tools HD to a second DAW without reconfiguring the interface’s option cards. All you do is change DAWs, and it only takes seconds.

Conversion is superb thanks to an 118dB dynamic range A-D and 121dB dynamic range D-A, calibrated to deliver the finest sound quality, dynamic range and conversion latency balance. It revolutionises workflow thanks to its ultra-low round trip latency, and one mix is enough. Just build it on the DAW and use it for overdubbing or playing back, keeping all your plug-ins in place.

The Red 16Line has 16 line inputs on D-sub, 16 line outputs and two main monitor outputs. The two digital Red Evolution mic preamps provide as much as 63dB super-clean gain plus stereo linking, individual phantom power, high-pass filter, phase reverse and Air mode. And it’s networked audio-enabled out of the box thanks to dual-port Dante connectivity.

Focusrite Control is their software mixer, designed for easy and fast setting up of monitoring and routing plus remote control of preamps. But it’s the involvement of the Emmy-winning plug-in developer McDSP that takes the biscuit with an unprecedented plug-in and interface bundle. If you’re a registered customer who owns a Focusrite Red 4Pre, Red 8Pre or Red 16Line Thunderbolt and Pro Tools HD audio interface, you’ll get a free 12-month subscription to McDSP’s All Access HD plug-in pack.

About the RedNet X2P

The Focusrite RedNet X2P is a compact, robust 2×2 Dante audio interface with a couple of Red Evolution mic pres, stereo line out and a stereo headphone amplifier. It adds I/O to your Focusrite Red or RedNet interfaces or any Dante audio-over-IP system in no time. And you also get power, audio and remote control via a single Ethernet cable. A local input mixer lets you tap into ‘more me’ monitoring control, and the clever control lockout means you can use it remotely without messing with your settings.

Two mic pres provide loads of ultra-clean gain plus stereo linking, individual phantom power, a high-pass filter and phase reverse. They also come with Air mode, which beautifully emulates Focusrite’s classic transformer-based mic preamps. And there’s very high-performance audio conversion thanks to a dynamic range of more than 118dB.

Because it’s sometimes good to have direct input monitoring within the interface, RedNet X2P’s crossfader lets you control local input levels versus network inputs feeding line or headphone outputs. The entire unit mounts onto a mic stand, out of the way but in reach. And fully flexible control locks mean you can easily lock out mic pre-set local controls, output settings or both, so you never accidentally adjust the mic pre gain.