News
200/500 Series
Rackmount
MC531
API Select
Consoles
Virtual Console Experience
Where to Buy
Company
API 1608-II Recording and Mixing Console

“I think it might have been the first record I printed in my studio. It literally felt like as soon as I put it through my 1608 it locked. There was an ‘AH HA’ moment when it took on this whole 3D thing and I thought ‘what sorcery did I just buy’?”

— Shawn Everett

“The joy of working on this console is that after I get the levels dialed and hit record, it sounds like a finished record. Everyone who hears the sounds coming out of the speakers from the API 1608-II are amazed at how full and rich it sounds. It has far exceeded my expectations.”

— Kirby Fitzgerald

“Sometimes a piece of equipment comes into the studio and fundamentally changes the way you work for the better. The 1608 II was such a piece for me. The flexibility built into the console’s DNA has seamlessly tied my studio and workflow together.”

— Taylor Dupree

“The API 1608 II has drastically changed our recording process. Bolder decisions are made from the start so the end result arrives earlier, with less second guessing and more focus on the music. All the tools you need are right in front of you and sound sonically coherent, so it's easy to take the music where you want it to go.”

— Francis Milne (Tricone Studios - Berlin, Germany)

Following the introduction of the 1608 in 2008, API delivered over 600 consoles and expanders to discerning audio professionals throughout the world. New for 2018 and based on the incredible success of the original, API proudly announces the 1608-II. Equipped with an updated feature set and debuting API's new cross-platform Final Touch Automation® system, the 1608-II continues API's rich legacy of crafting the world's highest-quality analog recording consoles. Adding valuable features for today's Engineers, Producers and Musicians, the 1608-II provides the powerful reliability and the incredible API sound that has characterized API products for nearly 50 years.

1608-II Features:

  • 16, 32, or 48 Input Channel Frame sizes
  • Each channel equipped with Mic Pre and Equalizer
  • Accepts API 500 Series Equalizers
  • 8 Multitrack Buses
  • 8 Auxiliary Buses
  • 1 Stereo Bus
  • 4 Stereo Returns, 100mm faders (manual or automated) with Multitrack and Stereo Bus assign
  • Full Center Section Control
  • Surround 5.1 Center Section Monitoring
  • Classic Analog Metering
  • Global 0dB Fader Bypass
  • Comprehensive Rear Panel IO Connectivity

The standard fit of a 1608-II Console is:

16
12
4
8
1
16
1
548c Inputs with Mic/Line and Direct Output
550A Equalizers
560 Equalizers
Echo Returns
Complete Center Facilities Section
Manual Faders
Stereo Fader

Pricing and Options:

Consoles
16 Channel Console
$53,900
16 Channel Expander
$45,900
16 Channel Console Plus 16 Channel Expander (32 Channels Total)
$96,900
16 Channel Console Plus Two 16 Channel Expanders (48 Channels Total)
$145,700

Final Touch Automation Motorized Fader Automation System

Derived from API's Vision Automation System used extensively in the Vision, Legacy Plus and AXS consoles, API now offers optional Final Touch Automation fader automation for the 1608-II console. Final Touch Automation combines system reliability, user flexibility and operational simplicity and offers a host of features found only in the most expensive and sophisticated console automation systems typically costing many times more. Consoles can be factory-fitted with Final Touch Automation prior to delivery, and existing 1608-II consoles can be retrofitted with Final Touch Automation

New: In addition to the 1608-II, API's Final Touch Automation systems are available for the flagship Vision console, the Legacy AXS, and the new 2448. This allows for mix files to be easily transferred across any of these API console products.

Final Touch Automation Features:

  • Reliable, self-contained system requiring no external computer
  • Individual Switch Control on each fader
  • Global Control Panel in the console Center Section
  • Hi Resolution 7.5" Touch Screen Control
  • Files are easily saved to standard memory cards
  • Automated Mute and Insert switches on each channel
  • Unlimited Fader Groups with 2 dedicated Group Master Faders
  • Motorized Stereo Program Fader
  • 4 Motorized Stereo Returns
  • DAW Control with unity gain audio bypass
  • Unlimited Mix Restore points
  • Comprehensive Operations Manual

Pricing and Options:

Consoles With Final Touch Automation
16 Channel Console
$64,900
16 Channel Expander
$49,900
16 Channel Console Plus 16 Channel Expander (32 Channels Total)
$112,900
16 Channel Console Plus Two 16 Channel Expanders (48 Channels Total)
$164,700

For more information, contact:

Mark Seman, Sales: (301) 776-7879, ext. 211; mseman @ apiaudio.com
Dave Hintze, Sales: (301) 776-7879, ext. 212; dhintze @ apiaudio.com

For a full list of 1608-II demo locations, please visit our dealer page.