Antelope Audio's Zen series of premium desktop interfaces has just gained a new member. The Zen Q Synergy Core USB connects via USB-C, and provides attached computers with up to 14 audio input channels and 10 independent outs. Like its Zen brethren, it's built into a monitor controller format, and sports a large rotary level control on its top panel, alongside a hi-res colour display.
The extensive I/O is split between front- and rear-panel socketry. On the front are a pair of high-impedance instrument input jacks, plus two independent headphone outputs, while the rear panel hosts two mic/line 'combi' sockets, a pair of monitor outputs, an additional pair of line-level outputs, stereo S/PDIF I/O, and an ADAT input expansion port.
The 'Core' part of the name indicates that this newcomer is packed with Antelope's cutting-edge processing technology, which combines DSP chips and FPGAs to offer a wealth of features and analogue-modelled effects. The Zen Q Synergy Core USB ships with no fewer than 37 Core-powered processors, including meticulous recreations of iconic studio processors such as the Gyraf Audio Gyratec, dbx 160 compressor, the classic '76 FET compressor/limiter, and an enormous selection of classic guitar amps and speaker cabinets.
Another technology borrowed from Antelope's premium interfaces is AFC, or Acoustically Focused Clocking. This is said to reduce jitter to an absolute minimum, resulting in the Zen Q Synergy Core USB's line outputs boasting a massive dynamic range of 127dB (A-weighted).
Finally, the Zen Q Synergy Core USB can derive all of its operating power from the USB-C connection, meaning no extra power supply is required, and facilitating truly mobile use.
Antelope's new USB-C interface is available imminently, and priced at $899.
