The Antelope Audio Amári is a high-quality, reference-class audio interface whose name comes from the Yoruba language and means "strength" - a nod to the device's high performance capabilities, which include audio conversion at up to 384kHz/24 bit for recording and playback. The interface's front panel houses two balanced headphone outputs that can accommodate both XLR and 6.35mm jack connectors, while the rear panel features an extensive range of analogue and digital inputs that support sample rates of up to 196kHz. All of the Amári's channels employ a dual DAC architecture, which ensures a wide dynamic range of 138dB (and 128dB for the headphone outputs on the front panel), and the interface can be conveniently controlled via the touchscreen. Together, these features make for a versatile audio interface for discerning users.
The front panel of the Antelope Audio Amári features only a few controls, and these are clearly arranged to allow quick and easy operation. The central element of the interface is the touchscreen, which displays meters for all of the input channels, and the "Menu" button located in the upper left-hand corner allows general settings to be made easily and intuitively: For instance, the input source and headphone output impedance can be adjusted and five presets stored and recalled by tapping, holding, and swiping. Users can also convert sample rates in the same way. The volume control is located to the right of the touchscreen, and the connected monitors can be muted, dimmed, or set to mono using the buttons on the far right.
The Antelope Audio Amári is an excellent choice for mastering engineers who want to pay meticulous attention to every detail of their final product as well as for discerning home studio operators, who will benefit from the outstanding sound quality that this audio interface delivers. This sound quality is thanks to features like the interface's dual-amp design, wide dynamic range, and internal oven-controlled crystal oscillator for a precise clock signal. Alternatively, the Antelope Audio Amári can also be connected to the external Antelope Audio Masterclock M10 in order to increase the accuracy of the clock signal even further. For flexible control, users can download dedicated software for Windows and Mac from the manufacturer's website, which gives users access to a "Lock Mode" for the Antelope Audio Amári's control panel as well as VU metering. A Kensington MiniSaver Slot on the rear panel additionally offers a physical security solution against theft.
Antelope Audio is a manufacturer of professional audio equipment that was founded by developer Igor Levin, who invented the famous AardSync clock generator with which his then-company Aardvark made waves in the world of audio engineering at the end of the 20th century. In 2005, Igor Levin went – as he himself put it – back to his roots and continued to develop the AardSync concept. The result of this development work was the “Oven Clock”, a word clock generator that is kept at a constant temperature of 64.5°C to provide increased stability and improve jitter performance. The newly founded Antelope Audio caused a similar splash in 2005 with its OCX Clock Generator. Today, Antelope Audio, which is based in Sofia, Bulgaria, is one of the world’s leading manufacturers of high-quality audio interfaces and AD/DA converters and includes big names such as Rihanna, Jay-Z, and the Wu-Tang Clan among its users.
Alongside its analogue and digital connection options, the Antelope Audio Amári's flexibility is enhanced still further by its USB port, which allows it to be connected to a computer. The functions found on the interface's touchscreen can then be accessed via the corresponding computer software, allowing the user to make adjustments while sitting in the acoustic sweet spot in the studio as well letting them change the audio driver settings, e.g. adjust the buffer size. In order to monitor the mix flexibly via headphones, users can adjust the impedance of the corresponding outputs in 17 increments, which allows them to use different models and ensure that the final mix sounds great on any headphones, and monitor loudspeakers can in turn be connected to the outputs on the rear panel with XLR or 6.35mm jack cables.