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API developed the mid-format 2448 console to bridge the gap between their streamlined yet flexible 1608-II and the large-format, in-line AXS console. The overall design follows the blueprint of the immensely popular 1608 but incorporates the dual fader paths of the AXS, allowing it to pull double duty as a flexible 24-channel in-line desk for recording and a full 48-input console at mixdown.
“We were selling a lot of 32-channel 1608s, and people were monitoring on channels 17 through 32,” says API’s Dave Hintze. “Everybody wanted a 1608 with a monitor section, so we took that and designed the 2448. The bus architecture is the exact same, but we expanded the channel count to 24 and added the second fader path on a rotary pot, so now you have a full in-line console.”
The base 24-channel frame can be expanded up to 32, 40, or 48 channels and customized with your choice of API 500 Series modules in the “penthouse” slots above each channel strip. Other options include API’s Final Touch Automation system, a “producer’s desk” insert for mounting a display, and side-mounted 19-inch rack bays for outboard gear. With features like DAW control, 5.1 monitoring, and a built-in bus compressor, the 2448 can be configured to serve the needs of just about any studio.
To show customers everything the 2448 can do, API offers Virtual Console Experiences (VCEs): personalized demos streamed remotely from API headquarters, where product experts can answer all your questions and give you close-ups on every detail of the console. Here’s what we learned from a recent VCE with Hintze and Mark Seman from API’s sales team.
All API consoles share the same sonic DNA, from the signature sound of the iconic 2520 op-amps to the clear and open character of API’s premium output transformers. That means that the 2448 delivers all the classic mid-forward tone and punchy transients you expect from API gear, with ample headroom to drive the console lightly for subtle coloration or push it harder to bring out maximum midrange richness.
“When the meters are dimmed, it's in its happy place,” says Hintze. “You can't push this console too much. It's never going to distort; it'll just sound more like an API. You have the ability to make it really transparent or really mid-forward and punchy, and I think it sits well sonically between some of our competitors that just do a single thing really well.”
One lesser-known aspect of the API sound is the slew rate, or the speed at which the circuitry responds to changes in voltage. Lightning-fast slew gives API consoles a very open and natural sound, preserving details of the signal that other consoles tend to soften. “The 2520 and proprietary output transformer we use on every output stage has inherently high gain, low noise, and fast slew rate,” Mark Seman explains, emphasizing the effect it has on preserving midrange detail. “That's one of the scientific reasons why most music lives in the midrange—that's where the musicality is in almost everything we listen to.”
Like the AXS, the 2448 features two inputs per channel: the “large fader” and “small fader” (although in this case, the small fader is a rotary knob). By default, the channel inputs route to the small fader path for recording into your DAW, allowing you to craft a rough mix on the 100mm long-throw faders without affecting the recorded signal. A “FLIP” button on each channel (plus a master flip) swaps the input sources of the large and small faders, allowing you to switch up your workflow on the fly, and the EQs can be inserted on either path.
When mixing, the small faders can be used as additional line-level inputs with their own hardware inserts, effectively doubling your channel count. A global Fader Bypass button makes all channels pass signal at 0 dB, so your DAW mix will sound exactly as it should, including automation. “If I hit that 0 dB switch, all of the small faders are bypassed and it's just unity in, unity out,” says Hintze. “So if you've got your balance the way you want in Pro Tools and you're just monitoring it through the system, you can hit that, and then you don't have to even worry about where the knobs are set.”
The API 2448’s Master Section is where everything comes together, starting with the Monitor Control and Monitor Output modules, which support one set of 5.1 main monitors and two alternate stereo pairs. The Master Section also houses the eight aux send masters, four stereo returns with automatable 100mm faders, eight multichannel busses, and a Multifunction Module with controls for the headphone amp, talkback system (with built-in mic), test oscillator, and more.
Notably, the buses can double as eight extra inputs for mixing. “Let's say you’re working on a big project and you want to bring some additional stems into the console, but you don't need any extra processing like you have on the channels,” says Seman. “We have a bus mix input on the back of the console that lets you bring eight additional line-level sources onto these eight buses, so you can really expand your channel count and get up to 64 inputs to the mix bus.”
API consoles have always been renowned for their modular architecture, and the 2448 takes this concept further than ever. From the channel count to the hardware inserts, automation system, and add-ons, the API 2448 can be configured for any purpose and price point required by a professional studio.
The stock 2448 comes loaded with the popular API 550A three-band EQ module on channels 1-16 and 560 graphic EQs on channels 17-24, but buyers have the option to customize the loadout with 550B four-band EQs, 565 filter modules, 505 direct input modules, or blank panels. Eight additional slots above the Master Section can house additional EQs or compressors to be used as inserts on the four stereo return channels.
The standard 2448 configuration includes an API 529C Stereo Compressor set up as an insert on the Program Bus, giving your mixes punchy VCA compression at the touch of a button. This horizontal version of the API 529 includes all the same features as the 500 Series version, including switchable feed-back and feed-forward operation as well as the THRUST® frequency-dependent sidechain filter. Of course, the bus compressor is optional, and you can easily patch in your own outboard compressor via the Program Bus inserts.
According to Hintze, about 90% of 2448 owners choose to add the optional Final Touch Automation system. Consisting of an onboard computer, color touchscreen, and motorized faders, the system is capable of recording, saving, and recalling all your fader movements and switch positions (such as mutes and inserts). It also enables DAW control via USB (using the Mackie Control or HUI protocols), turning your console into a control surface.
The Producer’s Desk is a 30-inch insert that can be fitted between any of the eight-channel sections, providing mounting space for a 27-inch display as well as a generous flat work surface to accommodate your mouse, keyboard, and peripherals (just be careful with the coffee). Rack Bays can be added on either side, providing 8U of space for 19-inch rackmount gear plus an additional flat work surface (or a slightly safer place for a coffee mug). Load up the Rack Bays with your favorite outboard processors and patch them into any channel using the rear-panel I/O or a patch bay for easy access.
One unique add-on is the “Mix Over Solo” feature, which allows you to blend the Control Room Monitor source with the Solo Bus. This can be useful when you want to focus in on certain tracks but don’t want to take them completely out of the context of the mix. “Maybe you're doing guitar overdubs in the room, and you just want to sit at the desk and play,” says Seman. “You don't want to have to redo the mix for that, but you want to be able to have some context, so you can blend your mix behind it.”
With its flexible in-line architecture, modular design, and numerous add-ons, it’s easy to customize the API 2448 with all the features you need and nothing you won’t use. Whether you want a lean 24 channels of pure API sound for tracking, 48-96 inputs for complex 5.1 mixes, or advanced automation and DAW control, the mighty 2448 can do it all.
The best way to get an in-depth look at the API 2448 is to schedule a Virtual Console Experience with the API team. Using multiple camera angles, they’ll give you an in-depth tour and demo of the console, answer all your hyper-specific questions, and talk you through how to configure it for your individual needs. To learn more and get the ball rolling on your new studio centerpiece, get in touch with a VK Audio Consultant or schedule a virtual console demo today.
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