Find out more about Zen Studio+

VINTAGE HARDWARE-BASED FX

No boundaries for your creativity while writing, mixing or mastering music

In addition to its proven sound quality and versatility, Zen Studio comes with VEQ-1A, VEQ-55A, UK-69, NEU-PEV & LANG PEQ2. These 5 vintage EQ models sound, behave and feel like the very real studio legends, which we all love.

Zen Studio’s secret weapon is the extremely powerful Field Programmable Gate Array (FPGA) device with massive hardware modeling capabilities. Eight times more powerful than those used in similar devices it allows zero latency processing of multiple effects and mixers, enhancing your studio workflow like no other device on the market.

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Overview

12 MIC PRES IN JUST 1U

Studio quality and functionality in a sleek easy to carry box.

Zen Studio is the professional, portable audio interface with the most competitive analog and digital connectivity. The 12 world-class mic pres, Antelope’s signature clocking, the hardware-based effects with multiple monitor mixers and the proprietary low-latency USB make Zen a world-class mobile recording system, that can easily fit inside a backpack or gear bag. Zen Studio is designed to meet the needs of the modern day producer or engineer on-the-go, as well as location sound engineers, sound designers, independent bands and musicians in search of greater sound quality and flexibility.

Features

12 mic pres

12 high-end mic pres with phantom power, allowing you to record and mix a full band in-the-box

24-BIT, 192 KHZ AD/DA

Analog sounding conversion on a device that fits in your backpack

24 I/O CHANNELS

Battle-tested, custom USB streaming of 24 simultaneous I/O channels

ACOUSTICALLY FOCUSED CLOCKING

Antelope Audio’s 4th gen 64-bit AFC jitter management

CUSTOM FPGA

Custom FPGA for massive hardware modeling

ZERO LATENCY

Create up to four independent, zero-latency mixes assignable to any output

Zen Studio’s features

DESCRIPTION

FLAWLESS CLOCKING AND CONVERSION

Proven technologies for supreme audio

Antelope Audio’s Acoustically Focused Clocking provides the most authentic analog sounding A/D & D/A conversion on the market. Antelope’s clocking and conversion along with the custom USB technology implemented in Zen are identical to the ones in the top-selling 32-channel Orion interface which is a centerpiece in the playback rigs for artists such as Rihanna, Jay-Z and Justin Timberlake, and inside the mixing and mastering studios of engineers like Eric Sarafin (aka Mixerman), Brian Vibberts, Howie Wienberg or electronic music producers like Robert Babicz and Dusty Kid.

AURA VERB

As thick and authentic as a real hardware reverb

The latest addition to our multifunctional audio interface is AuraVerb – our first reverb. It creates various ambient colors, or “Auras”, using a unique algorithm to provide richness like no other reverb plugin on the market. Producers can easily design thickening effects, washing effects, bright halo type film score effects. There are also darkened mood effects and long, clear and rich decays – just a few of the many dimensions, which AuraVerb is able to add to the mix.

AuraVerb comes with reverb presets, exclusively designed by the 5-time Grammy Award winning recording and mixing engineer Brian “Dr. Vibb” Vibberts.

Zen and the Art of Backpacking

‘Next Generation’ Recording Engineer takes his Show on the Road

When Jochem Smaal graduated from the Art of Sound Program at the Royal Conservatoire of the Hague in the Netherlands this past September, he wasted no time setting up recording sessions in a variety of local studios and manning live sound at nearby venues. Soon enough, he was struck with an idea: what if he could take his recording work on the road, and still achieve studio quality results? Antelope Audio Zen Studio was the answer: a sleek and portable interface that would give him the 20 channels of simultaneous input he needed, in addition to 12 commercial, studio-grade preamplifiers along with built in clocking and conversion that Antelope is known for.

“With Zen Studio in my backpack, I am always ready for the next adventure.”

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Jochem Smaal is a musician/sound-engineer. He graduated the Royal Conservatoire in The Hague (audio-engineering) in the Netherlands in September 2014. 

Check out his adventure

ADVANCED CONTROL

Intuitive control and signal routing bringing unique versatility

Zen Studio is fully controllable using an intuitive desktop application on both PC and Mac, offering flexible signal routing and hardware-based FPGA effects alongside custom presets. Users can create up to four independent, zero-latency mixes assignable to any outputs, including the two independent headphone outputs and monitor outputs. All audio I/O is available simultaneously for a total of 38 possible input and 32 output channels, plus 24 simultaneous I/O channels via custom USB, supporting 24-bit, 192 kHz audio.

how about CONNECTIVITY?

Well, Zen Studio has quite a few connectivity options:

12 mic/line inputs (four of them capable of being instrument inputs); eight other analogue line level inputs; stereo monitor outputs and two independent headphone outputs; eight analogue line outputs; 2x ADAT in and 2x ADAT out, stereo S/PDIF input and output on coaxials and two TRS inserts … and word clock in and out … and 16 channels of onboard DSP processing, all powered by our custom FPGA.

The first live performance, called “Five and Change,” was performed by Invented Like Stars at The Federal Bar in North Hollywood, California.
The recording was tracked and mixed by Brian Vibberts (Michael Jackson, Green Day, Chick Corea) and mastered by Marcel James at Orange Door Mastering.

The second, a studio performance called “Butterflies,” was performed by The New Legends and recorded at Legends Studios in Burbank, California, formerly Barbra Streisand’s Evergreen Studio. This 44.1kHz recording was also tracked and mixed by Brian Vibberts and mastered by Marcel James.

VIDEO TUTORIALS

  • Zen Studio – Overview

  • Zen Studio – Set up out of the box

  • Zen Studio – Expaining the display

  • Zen Studio – Advanced features

  • Zen Studio – Control panel tour

  • Zen Studio – AFX and AuraVerb

  • Zen Studio – Routing (part I)

  • Zen Studio – Low latency mix with AFX

Connectivity

Specifications

  • ANALOG

    Analog Inputs
    4 x Mic / Line Instrument on XLR combos on the front (first two function on Hi-Z as well)
    8 x Mic / Line on XLR combos on the rear
    8 x Lines on DB25 (8 channels)

    Analog Inserts
    2 x Inserts on TRS (inputs 1,2)

    Analog Outputs
    8 x Lines on DB25 (8 channels)
    1 x Monitor out on TRS (2 channels)
    2 x Stereo Headphone outs on TRS (4 channels)

    D/A Converter
    Dynamic Range 118dB
    THD + N -98dB

    A/D Converter
    Dynamic Range 118dB
    THD + N -105dB

    Mic Preamp
    Gain: 0,10 – 65dB
    THD + N -108dB

  • DIGITAL

    Digital Inputs
    2 x ADAT (up to 16CH)
    1 x S/PDIF

    Digital Outputs
    2 x ADAT (up to 16CH)
    1 x S/PDIF

    USB I/O
    USB 2.0 Hi-Speed;
    Data stream up to 480 Mbits/192kHz, 24 channels I/O, Type B

  • CLOCKING

    Word Clock Input
    1 x Input @ 75 Ohms 3Vpp on BNC 32 – 192kHz

    Word Clock Outputs
    1 x Outputs @75 Ohms 3Vpp on BNC 32 – 192kHz

    Clocking System
    4th Generation Acoustically Focused Clocking
    64-bit DDS
    Oven Controlled Crystal Oscillator

    Clocking Stability
    <+/-0.02 ppm, oven controlled at 64.5 C/ 148.1 F

    Clock Aging
    < 1 ppm per year

    Clock Calibration
    <+/-0.001 ppm

    Sample Rates
    32, 44.1, 48, 88.2, 96, 176.4, 192 (kHz)

  • OTHER

    Operating Temperature
    0-50°C/32- 122°F

    Weight (approx.)
    2 kg / 4.41 lb

    Dimensions (approx.)
    Width: 418 mm / 16.5”
    Height: 45 mm / 1.8”
    Depth: 145 mm / 5.7”

    Electrical specs
    DC Universal Input: 18V
    Power Consumption: 25 Watts Max

    In the box
    Zen Studio Portable Audio interface
    Owner’s Manual
    Warranty Card
    1 USB Cable
    1 DC Power Adapter

System requirements

For MINIMUM SYSTEM REQUIREMENTS visit our Support Portal

Additional Info: Internet connection required for product activation.

FEATURED REVIEWS