ASP2802 Walkthrough Guide

Metering and Channel I/O

Each channel has a 10 segment LED meter, which can be switched between channel input, output and DAW (HUI Metering).

The channel is fed by 3 possible inputs - Mic, Line or DAW Return. There are also balanced inserts and a direct output for each strip.

The console employs the same microphone preamplifiers as other Audient products such as ASP8024 and ASP008. These provide a gain range of 6-60 dB with a high pass filter, polarity inversion and individually switched phantom powering. The line switch reverts to the standard Line input rather than Mic.

The direct output allows you to pick up the signal from four different points in the path:
- Post fader
- Pre fader
- Pre insert
- Channel (selects Line/Mic input for tracking use)

The DAW switch routes the DAW input through the rest of the channel. Otherwise, the Line/Mic path is used. There is a trim control of ±15 dB.

The insert button switches the insert input into the signal path, as you’d expect!

Cue and Auxes

There is a very flexible stereo cue on the ASP2802. This could, for example, be used for headphone mixes during tracking. This can be switched pre or post fader. There is also a switch to select the alternative input in to the CUE section.
The Alternative input is the Source that is not currently routed through the channel fader. For example, if you use the Channel (Mic or Line) input through the fader, the DAW return input will be the alternate input brought into the CUE section. The CUE bus can then be routed in to the main mix bus for a further 8 channels at mix down with Level and Pan.

Following this are two mono auxes with variable gain. These are globally configured pre or post fader.

Pan, Fader and Automation

The channel pan control sits below the cues and auxes. This section also contains the mix button to switch the channel into the main mix bus.

The three buttons below (SELect, CUT and SOLO) control the channel’s automation, and also make up an important part of the control surface functionality. (We’ll put a video up for that later.)

We have kept all four solo modes from Zen – AFL, PFL, SIP and SIF. For more details on these see the manual.

Last but certainly not least are the motorised ‘Alps’ faders at the bottom of each strip. These do not attenuate the audio directly, which allows us to provide the analogue automation and control surface functionality without one affecting the other.

Metering, Cue Source and Returns

There is a 19 segment LED meter for the main stereo output, and a gain reduction meter for the bus compressor just below it.

There is a section for the summing input and two FX returns. Here you can alter the gain, pan and routing – as well as selecting between stereo/mono mode for each one.

The Summing input allows you to feed in 4 stereo stems, or 8 Mono channels into a D-Sub connector on the back of the console, allowing you to make the most of the consoles analogue summing bus.

Below this are a series of buttons allowing you to switch different elements into the Cue/Foldback mix – such as the DAW mix, Control Room mix, both Auxes and of course the Cue bus. If more than one is selected, the inputs will be summed together.

Monitor, Solo and Aux Controls

Here you can select whether the channel meters display the input or output.

There are a number of monitor sources available, which are switched in by flicking the Mix/SRC select button below.

There is a 3.5mm jack input that can be sent to the monitors here, which has its own dedicated gain control.

The ALTernative Speaker button allows you to switch in and set the relative level for a secondary set of loudspeakers, most likely for comparison.

The main volume control is self explanatory, and also has the usual dim and cut buttons below it.

Alongside this is a headphone level knob, which has a separate on/off switch and a button to route the Cue/FB source into it. Handy if tracking in the control room.

To the left you can choose the dim level, switch the phase and put the monitoring into mono mode – these are great tools for finding phase problems. You are also able to cut the left and right parts of the monitoring signal individually.

The global controls for the auxes allow level alteration and pre/post selection.

Bus Compressor and Mix Assign

The stereo VCA bus compressor is a key feature of Audient desks, and is the same design as found on the ASP8024 and Zen consoles.

There are the usual compressor controls plus a dedicated dry/wet knob for parallel compression!

Selecting the EXTernal button allows you to use the compressor as if it were a separate unit. The inputs and outputs become available on the back of the console allowing it to be patched across any channels on the console.

To the left of this are the buttons to switch the Cue, DAW Mix and Inserts into the main stereo mix. There is also the option to sum the inserts send signal to the insert return allowing for more parallel compression.

The last knob in this section controls the Talkback level, and is switched in by pressing the non-latching button below it, as you’d expect!