Universal Audio Apollo interface

[AV3X]

Originally Posted by synthdogg

You make an ass out of you and Ming?

Ming would not appreciate that!

[Gatortail1]

Originally Posted by Nathanz

Wow, I've just read all 42 pages of this thread in one sitting! What a bunch a wacky scamps you guyz are.
Now I'm gonna use my power drill to open a few extra holes in my head, relieve the pressure.
First, I feel like picking a fight. Can you blame me?

YOU! YEAH, YOU!! How could you be so stupid as not to know that the FU-MF92 processor scams out on the logarithmic x/y variable at over 14x the WTF RU that you so laughably espouse? Moron?
There. Maybe I should google trepanning so I get some tips, do it right.

Couple things first. Congratulations if you've spent 2x 3x 4x+ the $$$ of an Apollo on premium hardware Pres and DACs and have something that you swear actually sounds better than this thing ever possibly could! Maybe I too should sink about 2k into a Symphony I/O card, stare at it till I have another 1700 for the box to put it in, look longingly at that till I can put 2 or 3k into maybe a two channel pre, pray 2 channels will do, and then remember I'll have to shell out another thou for a plugin setup like on the Apollo.
Or should I get the Apollo and hang out on an M-Audio thread, brag on my rig, tell them what a piece of crap the $500 Interface Looking Object they're lusting after really is? Compared to mine. Even if it's all they can afford. Even if they might be able to do more with it than I could ever dream of doing at Abbey Road. Ya never know.
And you couldn't even say this ain't no Swiss Army knife if there was, in fact, no such thing as a Swiss Army knife, which did not, in fact, exist until it was actually invented.

The Apollo could have a good this, a very good that and just a pretty good the other thing and still add up to very VERY good overall, aka more than the sum of its parts. When that happens: magic. Almost anything can be better than it has any right to be. A girlfriend, a car, a day, a song, a shiny piece of gear. If it never happened, we'd all be a lot more cynical than we even are.
There are people here with more serious knowledge in one toe than I have unto the xth generation of my ancestors but we share the same complete ignorance in judging what only the future will tell us. My 2 cents (x100000?) tells me this will I hope I hope I hope, have serious magic musicality.

ONE more thing. There's a sweet spot in spending money to accomplish a particular goal. If my goal is just to sound at least credibly professional, how much? 1k for an Mbox Pro 3? Maaaybe...not? If I go double on an Apollo, would I actually get more bang PER buck? Probably. If I go 4k, will I sound twice as good as on an Apollo? Hmmm. How bout I put a world class mike, say a U87 in front of it? If you're spending lots a dough on legendary shiny boxes, I sure hope you spend a lot MORE on great mikes, the best cables and killer monitors.
Otherwise, you're a collector. (Or the owner of a totally tricked out high end studio.)
And for some of you, intuitive ease of use is not an issue. Maybe you're smart and skilled and patient enough to fiddle your way to perfection. Good for you. I, however, is a very ignint man. Every time I get on the AUX/SPDF bus, I end up lost in some part of town I never seen before and has to walk allaway home. All by myself. At 4 in the morning. An I NEVER ask for directions. So if the Apollo has a recognizably simple analog feel to the workflow, then maybe I won't lose the moment because I don't know whether to cancel or okay some incomprehensible message from some piece of %$*& software that had me outgunned before I ever thought of firing it up.

Last thing. I seriously want to thank the many good willed people on here willing to share some part of their considerable expertise to shed light on... whatever the hell it was you were talking about. I could almost pretend to be a little less ignint, thanks to you. So. Thank you. Now go take a walk!

Q: My Symphony I/O did not include installed rubber feet.
A: As of April 2011, Symphony I/O will no longer ship with rubber feet. Customers worldwide may request rubber feet for their unit by contacting Apogee Technical Support.
...I spent 1700 (plus 2000 per module) and I gotta ask special for the %@#%$ rubber feet???
Pretty please, can I have some rubber feet? That just seems wrong. Baddabing, gottago.

BADASS!

[Mazrak]

So, only four tracks of audio are available if sampled at 88.2 through ADAT to the Apollo?

[euphoria89]

No, still 8 tracks at 88.2kHz / 96kHz, as you would expect with 2xADAT inputs.

The issue is that you still only have access to 8 inputs, even at 44.1kHz/48kHz, as the other potential inputs are digital mirrors of the first 8.

A lot of people with larger tracking setups who use 44.1/48 would prefer to have access to more IO, which is completely agree with. Whether this is technically possible, i've no idea!

[kaiO]

Originally Posted by Bob Amirian

Cheap mic pres, poor converters, lots of shiny diodes and a lot of shebang around it. Surely a recipe for success.

But certainly not for pro sound.

This box can do everything, what as always means that it can't do anything best.

It won't attract serious clients nor bring the smile on mastering engineers' faces.

For home studios and travelling musicians will be enough. There's everything in it to record an idea.

But for studios - no freaking way it would beat for instance Apogee AD16x soundwise.

Cheap chinese recent UA's mic pres are really poor. Not even close to the great 6176.

So why are they calling it a milestone and stuff? Because they have to

I'm interested in this product and looking for unbiased opinion. I would like to know how you could come to this conclusion. Based on the actual usage of this unit, or speculation based on the experience with the other UAD hardwares? Thanks,

[Mazrak]

Originally Posted by euphoria89

No, still 8 tracks at 88.2kHz / 96kHz, as you would expect with 2xADAT inputs.

The issue is that you still only have access to 8 inputs, even at 44.1kHz/48kHz, as the other potential inputs are digital mirrors of the first 8.

A lot of people with larger tracking setups who use 44.1/48 would prefer to have access to more IO, which is completely agree with. Whether this is technically possible, i've no idea!

Gotcha. Thanks for clearing that up!

[bigbone]

Originally Posted by euphoria89

No, still 8 tracks at 88.2kHz / 96kHz, as you would expect with 2xADAT inputs.

The issue is that you still only have access to 8 inputs, even at 44.1kHz/48kHz, as the other potential inputs are digital mirrors of the first 8.

A lot of people with larger tracking setups who use 44.1/48 would prefer to have access to more IO, which is completely agree with. Whether this is technically possible, i've no idea!

Agree, i need 10 tracks sometime to record my drums, so this unit is not for me......:(

[Avening]

Originally Posted by kaiO

I'm interested in this product and looking for unbiased opinion. I would like to know how you could come to this conclusion. Based on the actual usage of this unit, or speculation based on the experience with the other UAD hardwares? Thanks,

The thing is, there is not a person on this message board that has tried the Apollo, so no one can give you the advice you seek. Also, considering UA has never made an interface before, there's really no point of reference.

If you like UA products, I'm sure you'd have a pretty good chance of enjoying the Apollo. But then again, who knows.

[Avening]

Originally Posted by bigbone

Agree, i need 10 tracks sometime to record my drums, so this unit is not for me......:(

You have access to 8 analog I/O, and another 8 on ADAT, and another 2 on SPDIF. That's 18 channels simultaneously. Plenty for drums.

[bigbone]

Originally Posted by Avening

You have access to 8 analog I/O, and another 8 on ADAT, and another 2 on SPDIF. That's 18 channels simultaneously. Plenty for drums.

All with the same converter ????

[Macaroni]

All with the same converter ????

ADAT is a digital connection, so whatever comes through those channels will have already been converted by whatever device is feeding the ADAT connection.

[DR Music]

Originally Posted by bigbone

All with the same converter ????

Come on big bone....

[Avening]

Originally Posted by bigbone

All with the same converter ????

Originally Posted by Macaroni

ADAT is a digital connection, so whatever comes through those channels will have already been converted by whatever device is feeding the ADAT connection.

This.

An example would be two UA 4-710d preamps patched into the Apollo via ADAT. That would give you 8 channels of preamp (the A/D conversion already happened on the 4-710d) on a digital IN. You would access this in Pro Tools under ADAT 1-8 in the I/O menu. You would still have access to all 8 analog I/O for use with external preamps, or also use the on-board preamps on the Apollo, plus four external preamps.

In addition, you could then patch a two channel preamp like an API A2D into the SPDIF coaxial input on the Apollo. Like the ADAT inputs, the SPDIF connection is digital, and the A/D conversion would happen on the API A2D. You would access this in Pro Tools under SPDIF 1-2 in the I/O menu. That's 18 Inputs total, at the same time.

[bigbone]

Originally Posted by DR Music

Come on big bone....

Oki i will be serious.....

[bigbone]

Originally Posted by Avening

This.

An example would be two UA 4-710d preamps patched into the Apollo via ADAT. That would give you 8 channels of preamp (the A/D conversion already happened on the 4-710d) on a digital IN. You would access this in Pro Tools under ADAT 1-8 in the I/O menu. You would still have access to all 8 analog I/O for use with external preamps, or also use the on-board preamps on the Apollo, plus four external preamps.

In addition, you could then patch a two channel preamp like an API A2D into the SPDIF coaxial input on the Apollo. Like the ADAT inputs, the SPDIF connection is digital, and the A/D conversion would happen on the API A2D. You would access this in Pro Tools under SPDIF 1-2 in the I/O menu. That's 18 Inputs total, at the same time.

That will work, but you got a few converter on your way out....... that scare me.............

[Avening]

Originally Posted by bigbone

That will work, but you got a few converter on your way out....... that scare me.............

Well, if you are using quality products it will not be an issue.

Another way of doing the same thing would be to use an external 8 channel converter that has an ADAT output. You could use Apogee, Burl, Prism, Lynx, Lavry, MyTek, ect. You could then patch in whatever external preamps you want (Neve, API, UA, GR, Chandler, ect..) into the analog inputs of your 8 channel converter, then patch that converter via ADAT into the Apollo. That way you would have 8 channels of Apollo conversion, and eight channels of whatever else you happen to like using.

Having multiple conversion sources is just a part of life in the studio. It's not always practical to have unlimited channels of the same conversion on tap. Especially when you're not working with a console.

[bigbone]

Originally Posted by Avening

You could use Apogee, Burl, Prism, Lynx, Lavry, MyTek, ect. You could then patch in whatever external preamps you want (Neve, API, UA, GR, Chandler, ect..) into the analog inputs of your 8 channel converter, then patch that converter via ADAT into the Apollo. That way you would have 8 channels of Apollo conversion, and eight channels of whatever else you happen to like using.

That's what i'm planing to do maybe,but first i will try the Apollo by itself
with 4 EXT mic pre's and the 4 pre's on the Apollo and see what i could do with 8 mic. i'm doing it now and like it. ( the 8 mic )

[Big_Bang]

Someone please say something stupid, and fast !!

This thread is dying out...

Ok ok, I'll go first.

I think the Apollo is a piece of crap. Chuck Norris can feel sub-2ms latency... ?

[Flexable]

Originally Posted by Big_Bang

Someone please say something stupid, and fast !!

This thread is dying out...

Ok, a question, if i buy an extra converter with the Apollo how does the extra Adat show up in my daw? (cubase).

Just like extra i/o?

[Big_Bang]

Originally Posted by Flexable

Ok, a question, if i buy an extra converter with the Apollo how does the extra Adat show up in my daw? (cubase).

Just like extra i/o?

No fair!! That is not a stupid question!!

In Cubase, if you hit F4 it opens up the I/O dialog. From there you can set up your matrix.

This is after DSP driver, but it's basically the same for everyone. Say you have the Apollo + an 2 Channel pre ADAT interface. In the input section of Cubase, you just create 10 mono inputs and label them. Here is where you select the "source" for each cubase input.

1 through 8 = Apollo
9 and 10 = Super Duper pre.

Then, as you create your session, you just need select the source input, you'll have 10 available.

For instance, in my little studio I have the MR816x + 8 Adat Octopre mkii

Channel 1 of the octopre (which corresponds to cubase input channel 9), I use as talkback, so I labeled it "talkback". In the future, I'll be adding other external pre's from here on until input 8 of the octopre (cubase input channel 16)

I have a UA 6176 hocked up to channel 2 of the audio interface.

So this could be a possible mock-up of your Cubase input matrix.

1 - Input 1
2 - Universal Audio 6176
3 - Input 3
4 - Input 4
5 - Input 5
6 - Input 6
7 - Input 7
8 - Input 8
9 - Talkback (ADAT 1)
10 - Future Pre 1 (ADAT 2)
11 - Future Pre 2 (ADAT 3)
12 - Octopre Pre 4 (ADAT 4)
13 - Octopre Pre 5 (ADAT 5)
14 - Bass D.I. (ADAT 6)
15 - Receive From Summing Mixer L (ADAT 7)
15 - Receive From Summing Mixer R (ADAT 8)

So in each Cubase channel's input drop down menu, you'll see these easy to read descriptive naming

Does this help?

[MrJaneFinch]

Originally Posted by Big_Bang

Someone please say something stupid, and fast !!

This thread is dying out...

Ok ok, I'll go first.

I think the Apollo is a piece of crap. Chuck Norris can feel sub-2ms latency... ?

Yeah, after the vid of Fab using the Apollo live at NAMM and his q&a, this thread jumped BACK over the shark and got boring.

Damn you Fab!.

[Flexable]

Originally Posted by Big_Bang

No fair!! That is not a stupid question!!

In Cubase, if you hit F4 it opens up the I/O dialog. From there you can set up your matrix.

This is after DSP driver, but it's basically the same for everyone. Say you have the Apollo + an 2 Channel pre ADAT interface. In the input section of Cubase, you just create 10 mono inputs and label them. Here is where you select the "source" for each cubase input.

1 through 8 = Apollo
9 and 10 = Super Duper pre.

Then, as you create your session, you just need select the source input, you'll have 10 available.

For instance, in my little studio I have the MR816x + 8 Adat Octopre mkii

Channel 1 of the octopre (which corresponds to cubase input channel 9), I use as talkback, so I labeled it "talkback". In the future, I'll be adding other external pre's from here on until input 8 of the octopre (cubase input channel 16)

I have a UA 6176 hocked up to channel 2 of the audio interface.

So this could be a possible mock-up of your Cubase input matrix.

1 - Input 1
2 - Universal Audio 6176
3 - Input 3
4 - Input 4
5 - Input 5
6 - Input 6
7 - Input 7
8 - Input 8
9 - Talkback (ADAT 1)
10 - Future Pre 1 (ADAT 2)
11 - Future Pre 2 (ADAT 3)
12 - Octopre Pre 4 (ADAT 4)
13 - Octopre Pre 5 (ADAT 5)
14 - Bass D.I. (ADAT 6)
15 - Receive From Summing Mixer L (ADAT 7)
15 - Receive From Summing Mixer R (ADAT 8)

So in each Cubase channel's input drop down menu, you'll see these easy to read descriptive naming

Does this help?

Thank you so much for this answer, very helpfull indeed.

[Monte Cristo]

Originally Posted by Nathanz

Wow, I've just read all 42 pages of this thread in one sitting! What a bunch a wacky scamps you guyz are.
Now I'm gonna use my power drill to open a few extra holes in my head, relieve the pressure.
First, I feel like picking a fight. Can you blame me?

YOU! YEAH, YOU!! How could you be so stupid as not to know that the FU-MF92 processor scams out on the logarithmic x/y variable at over 14x the WTF RU that you so laughably espouse? Moron?
There. Maybe I should google trepanning so I get some tips, do it right.

Couple things first. Congratulations if you've spent 2x 3x 4x+ the $$$ of an Apollo on premium hardware Pres and DACs and have something that you swear actually sounds better than this thing ever possibly could! Maybe I too should sink about 2k into a Symphony I/O card, stare at it till I have another 1700 for the box to put it in, look longingly at that till I can put 2 or 3k into maybe a two channel pre, pray 2 channels will do, and then remember I'll have to shell out another thou for a plugin setup like on the Apollo.
Or should I get the Apollo and hang out on an M-Audio thread, brag on my rig, tell them what a piece of crap the $500 Interface Looking Object they're lusting after really is? Compared to mine. Even if it's all they can afford. Even if they might be able to do more with it than I could ever dream of doing at Abbey Road. Ya never know.
And you couldn't even say this ain't no Swiss Army knife if there was, in fact, no such thing as a Swiss Army knife, which did not, in fact, exist until it was actually invented.

The Apollo could have a good this, a very good that and just a pretty good the other thing and still add up to very VERY good overall, aka more than the sum of its parts. When that happens: magic. Almost anything can be better than it has any right to be. A girlfriend, a car, a day, a song, a shiny piece of gear. If it never happened, we'd all be a lot more cynical than we even are.
There are people here with more serious knowledge in one toe than I have unto the xth generation of my ancestors but we share the same complete ignorance in judging what only the future will tell us. My 2 cents (x100000?) tells me this will I hope I hope I hope, have serious magic musicality.

ONE more thing. There's a sweet spot in spending money to accomplish a particular goal. If my goal is just to sound at least credibly professional, how much? 1k for an Mbox Pro 3? Maaaybe...not? If I go double on an Apollo, would I actually get more bang PER buck? Probably. If I go 4k, will I sound twice as good as on an Apollo? Hmmm. How bout I put a world class mike, say a U87 in front of it? If you're spending lots a dough on legendary shiny boxes, I sure hope you spend a lot MORE on great mikes, the best cables and killer monitors.
Otherwise, you're a collector. (Or the owner of a totally tricked out high end studio.)
And for some of you, intuitive ease of use is not an issue. Maybe you're smart and skilled and patient enough to fiddle your way to perfection. Good for you. I, however, is a very ignint man. Every time I get on the AUX/SPDF bus, I end up lost in some part of town I never seen before and has to walk allaway home. All by myself. At 4 in the morning. An I NEVER ask for directions. So if the Apollo has a recognizably simple analog feel to the workflow, then maybe I won't lose the moment because I don't know whether to cancel or okay some incomprehensible message from some piece of %$*& software that had me outgunned before I ever thought of firing it up.

Last thing. I seriously want to thank the many good willed people on here willing to share some part of their considerable expertise to shed light on... whatever the hell it was you were talking about. I could almost pretend to be a little less ignint, thanks to you. So. Thank you. Now go take a walk!

Q: My Symphony I/O did not include installed rubber feet.
A: As of April 2011, Symphony I/O will no longer ship with rubber feet. Customers worldwide may request rubber feet for their unit by contacting Apogee Technical Support.
...I spent 1700 (plus 2000 per module) and I gotta ask special for the %@#%$ rubber feet???
Pretty please, can I have some rubber feet? That just seems wrong. Baddabing, gottago.

Mine didn't have feet either. What I found out from Apogee is people were screwing them in too tight and the screws would break the main computer parts in there so now they have stick on feet. Or they will send you the feet but if you screw them in too tight it's your fault, no warranty claims!

[tomteontour]

Originally Posted by Big_Bang

Someone please say something stupid, and fast !!

This thread is dying out...

Ok ok, I'll go first.

I think the Apollo is a piece of crap. Chuck Norris can feel sub-2ms latency... ?

Everybody knows Chuck Norris only Uses X/Y/Z Converters.. but would NEVER EVER use an Apollo...

Com on lets feed the troll...*I want my popocorn :D

[GPl]

Where's Walters? He could take this to another level altogether in one post

And Chuck Norris now has an Apollo and is putting it through some rigorous testing as we speak....

[Jose]

Orpheus, Apollo...the next Apogee could be Zeus, Artemis or make your choice here:

List of Greek mythological figures - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

[masterminds]

Who the hell is Chuck Norris?

Originally Posted by tomteontour

Everybody knows Chuck Norris only Uses X/Y/Z Converters.. but would NEVER EVER use an Apollo...

Com on lets feed the troll...*I want my popocorn :D

[jnashguitar]

Originally Posted by Big_Bang

I think the Apollo is a piece of crap. Chuck Norris can feel sub-2ms latency... ?

Both of these are true.

The Apollo is a piece of crap: Chuck Norris' crap.

And of course Chuck Norris can feel 2ms latency. When Chuck Norris refers to a "near-zero-latency-cue-mix," we call it: Reality.

-James

[Wiser]

Chuck Norris Has An Apollo With 50 Simultaneous Ins and Outs and Thunderbolt 2.0 :-p

[RightOnRome]

i guess there is nothing more to say about this product