Just bought an Apogee Symphony i/o

[Johnkenn]

without trying it first...Haven't hooked it up, but I'll come back with my impressions. Also, I plan on using it with the USB, so I hope that's stable. I've had a 2192, Lavry Blue, Rosetta 200 and an MR816. Really hoping I'm gonna hear a difference.

[JoFo]

I just bought one too, so hope you don't mind if I chime in on your thread with my thoughts.

I really love the sound of this thing, no question. But it has some quirks too.

My first impression was...why no numbering on the metering?
No "1-8" on both sides or even "1-16" all the way through.

I've not used a converter before that has left this out (even the old DA-78 has it). It's hard to pin point which track is what.

I understand that it's nice you can select which side displays your relevant I/O, but to not have some numbering on the front panel makes it difficult to work quickly if you are watching your meters.

Not sure why apogee would leave this out.

[Nerine]

What DAW and computer are you using?
I'm guessing Mac but what sort?

[trock]

i will be interested in your impressions as well

i have had an RME FF 800 and for the past few years a yamaha N12 (same as your MR)

i listened to the Apogee at gearfest this year and couldn't hear a huge diff in the quality compared to the N12. the N12 def had better DA for me than the RME.

however that was not in a nice room

the other thing i go back and forth on is the shoot outs here, wasn't there one with the MR and Apogee? and the fact that so much more goes into a great sounding song than the ADDA.

But i will be interested in what you hear and your thoughts on this as i actually just asked my sweetwater rep about this piece, the 8 I/O card and a coleman. its not a money issue on my end, its will there be, like you said, a huge diff.

[Johnkenn]

From this thread: ******//www.gearslutz.com/board/high-...de-anyone.html

OK - I should preface this with the admission that I've been getting over walking pneumonia that eventually traveled to my head and stopped my ears up for a week...SO - my first impressions were made while holding my nostrils and trying to pop my damn ears...I shoulda waited because once they did, this thing is pretty awesome. Here's an email I was sending to a friend which kinda turned into a mini review that I'm posting here:

"Finally got some more antibiotics and steroids and my ears have unpopped. This thing is REALLY nice. Makes all the mixes I've done in the past sound like ass - I can hear all the problems. The DA is round and thumping. I didn't notice any bigger depth of field from my MR816 and the stereo width isn't particularly wider, but the MR816 is a really great piece. As for the Symphony, I notice the bottom is definitely tighter and more defined and the mids and trebles are nice and round. The frequency spectrum seems wider - seems like you can really hear the difference better between say 1.4khz and 1.7khz. Can't wait to mix something with it - watch it sound like shit...

The biggest thing I've noticed in the two days I've had it is that the AD is the BOMB. I reeeally notice it recording acoustics. Beautiful fullness, smooth mids, pleasant highs. Sounds like what I get back from the big mama studios around town. Same with vox...Feels like my mics are more expensive. Have no idea if this is a step up from the AD16x and DA16x, but from my memory it sounds better than the Rosetta's...

It's been a little quirky with the USB connection. I had to install the firmware twice and the software twice. I had some issues where Maestro wasn't working and/or would quit working fading out with a digital distortion, but after the second installs, everything seems kosher. I'm about to use it 3 days in a row all day, so we'll see. I had a TC Electronics Level Pilot as a passive volume knob between the outs of the Symphony and the ins of the monitors, but I was paranoid it was introducing yet another way to degrade the sound, so I yanked it...Now I can use the volume on the keyboard as a level control. Not sure I like it as much...

All in all, I'm very, very happy. I really believe (again...I turned my back in a time of poverty) that the ADDA is the building block to everything else in your chain. I have a feeling the more I use this unit, the more I'm going to find out how big of a help it is."
Johnkenn is online now

[trock]

cool john

first though, glad you are feeling better!

this is the one area i always go hot and cold on, ADDA. i have done very good mixes on the RME and the N12 especially since treating my room and getting the opals. probably with anything you have to get to know your room and your stuff.

that being said, i have always had a "gut" feeling i am missing something which is what you said, the building block of all recording, mixing, mastering, especially for someone who does it all themselves.

my only goal for this and coleman would be "does it sound better and make my life easier in all stages"

i will probably get this with the 8 I/O analog card and the coleman for monitoring and try it out and compare in the next couple of months

that will be interesting to me as i have friends who have great gear and get great sounds and ones who have laptops and "low end" stuff and get equally great sounds.