Focusrite Red 16Line 64x64 Thunderbolt 3 Pro Tools HD Dante Audio Interface

Focusrite Red 16Line: 64x64 Thunderbolt 3 and Pro Tools HD Interface

The Focusrite Red 16Line is a 64-in, 64-out flagship audio interface with dual Thunderbolt 3, Pro Tools | HD, and 32 x 32 channels of Dante audio networking in a single 2U chassis. It brings three professional connection standards into one unit so an engineer can move a session between a Thunderbolt DAW, a Pro Tools | HD rig, and a networked audio system without swapping option cards. For a busy commercial studio that hosts different clients and formats every week, that flexibility removes hours of reconfiguration and protects creative momentum.

Reference-Grade 24-Bit/192 kHz Conversion

High-performance converters deliver more than 118 dB of A-to-D dynamic range and 121 dB of D-to-A dynamic range (A-weighted) at up to 24-bit/192 kHz resolution. Dynamic range measures the distance between the quietest detail and the loudest peak a converter can capture cleanly, so a higher figure means more transparent recordings and deeper, quieter reverb tails. Mastering engineers and orchestral recordists rely on this headroom to hear exactly what the microphones captured, without the converter adding its own color.

Dual Thunderbolt 3 Connectivity

Two Thunderbolt 3 ports provide up to 64 channels of ultra-low-latency I/O to a Mac or Windows computer and let you daisy-chain additional Thunderbolt devices. Thunderbolt is a high-bandwidth connection that keeps round-trip latency low enough to monitor through DAW plug-ins in real time, so you can track a vocal through your favorite compressor without a distracting delay. A producer overdubbing at 96 kHz can build one mix in the DAW and use it for both recording and playback, eliminating the old two-mix workaround.

Native Pro Tools | HD Integration

Two Mini DigiLink ports connect Red 16Line directly to a Pro Tools | HD system for up to 64 channels, with 32 channels per connection. DigiLink is the dedicated interface standard used by Pro Tools | HD hardware, so having it built in means no separate HD I/O box is required. A post-production facility cutting dialogue and effects in Pro Tools can switch the interface from HD mode to Thunderbolt mode from the front panel in seconds, then hand the same room to a music client working in another DAW.

32 x 32 Dante Audio Networking

A dual-port Dante card gives Red 16Line up to 32 inputs and 32 outputs of networked audio over two standard RJ45 Ethernet connectors. Dante is an audio-over-IP standard that carries many channels of low-latency digital audio across ordinary Cat 5e or Cat 6 network cable, letting one Ethernet run replace dozens of analog cables. A facility can place mic preamps in a live room, monitor controllers in a control room, and this interface at the hub, then route any signal anywhere on the network in software.

Two Red Evolution Mic Preamps

The two digitally controlled Red Evolution microphone preamplifiers supply up to 63 dB of clean gain with individually switchable 48V phantom power, a high-pass filter, phase reverse, and stereo linking. Air mode adds a 2 dB lift at 10 kHz to emulate the open, airy character of the classic transformer-based Focusrite ISA preamp. A vocalist tracking through a large-diaphragm condenser gets the recognizable Focusrite top-end sheen, while remote control lets the engineer set gain from the software mixer without touching the rack.

Extensive Analog and Instrument I/O

Sixteen balanced line inputs and 16 balanced line outputs arrive on DB25 connectors, joined by two 1/4-inch main monitor outputs and two front-panel instrument inputs. The DB25 connector, also called a D-sub, carries eight balanced channels on a single locking plug, keeping a dense patchbay tidy and reliable. A mix engineer can wire outboard compressors and EQs across the line I/O for hybrid analog summing, while a guitarist plugs straight into the front panel without walking around the rack.

Comprehensive Monitoring and Metering

Two discrete high-fidelity headphone outputs drive 32 to 600 ohm headphones, and three LCD displays provide accurate level metering for any input or output block. High-impedance headphone support matters because studio reference headphones often need extra voltage to reach full, distortion-free level. A tracking engineer and a performer can each monitor a personalized cue mix at healthy volume, while the metering confirms signal levels at a glance during a fast-moving session.

Digital I/O, Clocking, and Sample Rates

Beyond analog, Red 16Line adds 16 channels of ADAT optical I/O, stereo S/PDIF, plus Word Clock and Loop Sync connections for locking multiple digital devices together. Word clock keeps every converter in a system running on a shared timing reference, which prevents the clicks and drift that occur when digital devices disagree about sample timing. Supported sample rates run 44.1, 48, 88.2, 96, 176.4, and 192 kHz, so a room can expand its channel count over ADAT while staying perfectly in sync.

Who the Red 16Line Is For

Professional tracking rooms, post-production suites, mastering studios, and immersive-audio facilities are the natural home for Red 16Line, which unites Thunderbolt, Pro Tools | HD, and Dante in one interface. Its combination of pristine conversion, networked expansion, and instant host switching means a single unit can anchor a room that serves many workflows and clients. Studios building toward Dolby Atmos or large channel counts can grow the system over the network instead of replacing the interface, and every unit includes the Hitmaker Expansion bundle with the Red 2 and Red 3 EQ and compression plug-ins for finishing mixes in the box.