Avid S4 Price, Cost Comparison, and Financing Options

The Avid S4 is a professional grade DAW controller for small recording studios that gives you a massive amount of flexibility and production power. However, even within the S4 itself, there are several different versions with a wide variation in pricing and several different ways to pay.

In total, there are three versions (for lack of a better term) of the S4:

• S4 8-channel
• S4 16-channel
• S4 24-channel

All three of these units are priced differently, so we'll look at the Avid S4 price in this article to give you an accurate number of what you can expect to pay, depending on the number of channels you want to work with.

Avid S4 8-channel price

The smallest of these units, the Avid S4, starts at about $22,000 depending on where you buy. Typically, we base our price assessment on Sweetwater, which should give you a pretty accurate picture of typical retail value.

• Purchase price: $22,000
• Approximate finance payment: $900-$925/mo.
• Browse on Sweetwater

Avid S4 16-channel price

Bumping up to the 16-channel version of the S4 pushes you to $35,000.

• Purchase price: $35,000
• Approximate finance payment: $1400 - $1500/mo.
• Browse on Sweetwater

Avid S4 24-channel price

The largest version of the Avid S4, with 24 channels, costs approximately $49,000. Not cheap by any standards.

• Purchase price: $49,000
• Approximate finance payment: $2000-$2100/mo.
• Browse on Sweetwater

Is there interest if we get it financed?

Sweetwater typically offers a promotional period that lasts 24 months. During this period of time two things are true:

1. You pay no interest until the 24 months is up
2. If you pay the minimum amount each month, you will pay off the device before the promotional period expires, thus avoiding any interest payments

You'll need to check with a Sweetwater rep to be sure a promotional offer is active (they tend to come and go a lot), but this one is fairly typical and is/was current at the time of writing this article.

Are there other payment options?

Typically there are four ways to pay, including outright.

The others are the 24 month/zero percent interest option we already highlighted, along with a six installment, and three installment payment option.

• 24 month payment plan: 0% interest
• 6 installments: $15 processing fee
• 3 installments: $10 processing fee

Is the S4 worth it in my situation?

So is the S4 worth it?

That's a difficult question to answer without knowing your specific situation. What Avid does tell you is the purpose and design of the S4, and that it's made for the following scenarios:

1. When you need a lot of control and panel functionality for your DAW
2. For small to mid-sized recording studios
3. For professional-level music production

In other words, we'd expect folks who are considering the S4 are going to earn money as a result of having it. These are going to be small to mid-sized recording studios that have a decent-sized client base and are actively bringing in money.

The S4 will simply allow you to better serve your clients and perhaps to gain a larger clientele in the process.

If that's your situation, the S4 could be a good addition to your studio setup.

What controller(s) are you replacing?

It's also wise to think about what the S4 is replacing.

Do you have a DAW controller already? Is it enough to do the job you're trying to do?

Don't replace a controller that is getting you good results already, unless you just need more functionality and/or more channels.

It's a tough judgement call that shouldn't be taken lightly.

Conclusion

The Avid S4 is expensive, but it can do it all.

And if you need something of that caliber, there are multiple ways to finance it. I'd recommend checking with the folks at Sweetwater or using one of the payment plans highlighted above.

If the S4 will help you earn more money and build a better studio, it might be worth the investment.

Questions

Do you have questions about the Avid S4 price?

If so, hit us up in the comments section below.

If we can't answer directly, we're certainly able to get you in touch with people who can.

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