API
57Also known as: API Audio, Automated Processes, Automated Processes, Inc., API (Automated Processes, Inc.)
UnclaimedAPI (Automated Processes, Inc.) is an American professional audio manufacturer based in Maryland, founded in 1969 by Saul Walker and Lou Lindauer. The company is widely credited with defining the sound of American rock, pop, and R&B recordings from the 1970s onward, largely thanks to Walker's 2520 discrete op-amp and the modular 500 Series format he pioneered. Early consoles built for studios l...
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$2,965.50
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API (Automated Processes, Inc.) is an American professional audio manufacturer based in Maryland, founded in 1969 by Saul Walker and Lou Lindauer. The company is widely credited with defining the sound of American rock, pop, and R&B recordings from the 1970s onward, largely thanks to Walker's 2520 discrete op-amp and the modular 500 Series format he pioneered. Early consoles built for studios like Apostolic and Record Plant established API's reputation for punchy, transient-fast signal paths driven by fully discrete Class A circuitry.
The company's catalog centers on large-format recording consoles such as The Box, 1608-II, 2448, Vision, and Legacy AXS, alongside an extensive lineup of 500 Series and 200 Series modules. Signature outboard products include the 512c mic preamp, the 550A and 550b equalizers, the 560 graphic EQ, and the 2500 and 527 compressors. API also manufactures rackmount summing mixers, channel strips, and the TranZformer line of guitar and bass pedals that bring its console tone to instrument-level signal chains.
In 2006, API established the VPR Alliance, a set of electrical and mechanical specifications that standardized the 500 Series format across third-party manufacturers and turned the "lunchbox" chassis into an industry-wide modular ecosystem. The brand remains a fixture in tracking and mixing rooms at studios including Blackbird, Capitol, and Abbey Road, and its EQ and preamp curves are frequently modeled by plugin developers.
API has 68 products cataloged on Equipboard, including Effects Processors, Preamps, and Mixers. Their gear is featured by 159 artists, with the strongest followings in Rock, Electronic, and Pop. Notable users include Owl City, Aphex Twin, and Patrick Carney. Most API products sit firmly in the high-end, boutique range.
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