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Actually solded my apollo x8 last year now im mixing with SMSL SU-X DAC by far superior convertion with two independent sabre 9039pro superior clock , DNR 135db 🤩 , THD -126db 🤩, huge improvement in depth and transients for just 999 bucks "it was a happy accident discovery" , i was asked everytime when i send stems to mastering about my gear 😉
Let’s be honest here. This isn’t much of an upgrade, at very best It’s a software update. To raise the price, recycle the body and not give you more inputs is just crazy to me.
Right.. and I spoke to my sales guy. The speaker monitoring thing is coming as an update to existing apollo users anyway. They didn't add any more dsp.. lmao just wow
Let's be honest, you don't have the gear yet so you are just saying stuff that doesn't mean anything. The price is pretty much the same. If you are too poor for new gear, buy the old gear used. Stop whining about new hardware updates. This was bound to happen with the hardware. You did not invest money into UA's R&D. You are just a consumer of their products. It is up to you to become the ROCKSTAR you dream of being. UA is not responsible for your shortcomings in the music industry. It's just gear. It's just tools.
Good stuff. I’m excited that the soundID thing is coming to UAD! I have an x8p and an x4. I don’t feel the need to upgrade. Auto gain is handy, but i rarely clip these days unless I WANT to. Things i really wanna see from UAD on Apollo/console: easier matrix routing/multing options. Currently it’s limited to the number of cue sends you have. Meaning i can only really do 4 mults and 4 cue mixes and they are linked together. I use this stuff to also send to a live stream computer, ideally I’d love to be able to get a mix to the artists performing on said live stream, myself, and a separate mix for the live stream. I feel like i should be able to send a mix to any output and have more aux tracks. Or at least be able to route certain tracks to specific outputs (aka maybe not a mix but just have only certain inputs routed like how it defaults to monitor output, I could have it send to multiple outputs instead so like the same mix to cue 1-2, line 1-2, adat 3-4 as an example). Oh also 32bit processing would be nice. Never worry about clipping again! And just more adat inputs on a single interface. 16 total channels just doesn’t feel like enough especially when compared to what some other companies do with two sets of adat.
It'll never happen, they'll annoy the fanboys and there's nothing viable they can replace the ancient SHARC chips with. I was a fanboy but the lustre has faded, they've even started charging for the native ports of products (that they promised would be free) when I have already paid them 10x todays current selling price. They're also going to be the only platform to charge to import your SoundID profile into (€79), claiming it uses DSP but yet it's incompatible with their older devices (only Apollo X and X MK2) even though they use the same DSP chips and the profile is simply an EQ curve that runs inside a $500 adam monitor......
Apollo isn’t competitive as just an interface. The competition has better drivers and better or equal sound. Apollo needed to go to new generation dsp to run more advance plugins for Apollo to keep its edge. Dsp for mixing is not important, but they needed to beef dsp up and make next generation of unison preamps, la-2a v3, etc, for tracking.
you dont really need that much dsp (depending on the size of your mix.) especially since you can delagte dsp to your cpu with luna extensions and native plugins. i never run out of dsp and i only have a quad
@@berdeauxlaveau6515Well some of us could’ve used some powerful dsp’s. But they’re not willing to upgrade, cause it’s still highly profitable, until someone does it better. For a 2024 audio interface, the sharc processors are ancient tech. I’m surprised they didn’t introduce a CD-writer in that apollo. Anyways, I still love UA 😅 it’s a musical environment that helped me a lot
FYI. still using shark chips no different from Gen 1.... and they’re more expensive... this is a minimal upgrade since a good portion of the changes are software updates that will be available for Gen1 apollos in UA console. No dsp upgrade, no Madi or increase channels....no ability to record to sd card/thumb drive, no serious upgrade for routing options....auto gain feature doesn't really mean much if you're using rack mount Apollo because most of the people that has one I’ll bet also has external preamps and compressors....and if you do, then autogain feature means very little.…The same goes for the monitor correction feature….. most serious people who are investing in $2000+ interfaces already have added either Sonarworks, Arc, or a Trinnov at this point…...and yeah you still have to pay for it, its not really “free” with the new Apollos. As for the headphone amp this definitely a nice upgrade. Overall, imo for the amount of money UA is asking for their product which are good interfaces however, there are equal to or better interfaces that offer a better $/feature value ratio which is why I upgraded to an AA Orion 32+ from my Apollo X4 this past April. I really do like UA however they need to start to offer more value in the form of expandability for the amount of money they charge that is my biggest criticism with UA and Lynx interfaces. I like to hear a test of Gen 1 vs Gen 2 conversion.... I can pretty much guarantee no one will be able to hear a significant difference in conversion. Edit: This is the best overall overview I've see thus far Good job Ed.
The auto gain could have been given to us via update.. I spoke to my sales guy and he says theyre bringing the sound correction to existing apollo users via update.. no added dsp.. definitely not a "major update " lol dont lie Ed!
Excellent review... could you please compare the gen 2 vs. gen 1 x4. I'm planning to purchase one and prefer the x4 gen 1 price, but Im wondering for a long time musician who's planning to start recording at home, would I be missing out on new HW features or will I ever use it. Based on majorityof the comments below, the consensus seems to be... get the x4 Gen 1, upgrade the sw (auto gain, correction, etc), and be happy ever after...! I actually have and use most of UA pedals for electric guitar which imho, are by far the most versatile pedals with hi-fi stereo signals that I've used. And you can dial in the true effect you're hearing in your head with any type of pickup with any guitar configuration.
Shootouts against RME, Apogee and Neumann are mandatory. They better match the sound of their competition or these units are gonna be obsolete on day one.
I wonder how it compares to Audient ID44 MKII in terms of conversion.. Audient's specs say ''weighted'' ADC dynamic range... I have no idea what weighted means. UA's specs don't say ''weighted''.... So IDK
Hey Ed! Since bypassing the preamps is a software update in console, do we as Gen1 users on the desktop Apollo get that feature also? Or is this feature for Gen2 desktop only?
Will be the same as perceived. 1-5% change in DA(!) won’t open new worlds. Biggest change in desktops. They were good but not proISH by any means, now the long waited upgrade happened for a hefty price. Not a good deal unless you are a total noob in the music prod.
Can u bypass the mic preamp completely with the x series gen1 with the new console app? I know everything is applied to the gen1 other than auto gain feature not that I would use the sonar room correction but for us gen1 x users it will be their for us.
@@EdThorne even if I was to upgrade the sound card to thunderbolt three? on my Apollo X8? I also have the Apollo twin X Harrison quad so you can’t bypass it completely in that one either?
Thanks for this, Ed. My biggest interest is the Bass Management. I currently have the stereo version of Sonarworks and manage the crossover on my actual Focal sub. I’m guessing I would have to upgrade to Sonar Wotks multi channel to take advantage of UA bass management and sub time alignment, routing my sub to its own LFE channel? Am I correct?
Thank you, Ed! I believe adding a new X6 to my current Twin X, giving me upgraded conversion, speaker calibration, bass management, and sub time alignment could be a win for me vs. getting Trinnov!
Sold all my apollos for rme. want no latency monitoring? just get live professor, n use any plugins while u record.. no need to over pay for UA's ecosystem. Just make ur own ecosystem with any VST host software, n get the best quality interface that your budget allows.
Just wish they had added Dante options for the X8P. Would love a way to have a Unison Preamp front end to my live/broadcast system without having to use an additional ADAT>Dante process. Maybe in another 6 years?
Heritage Audio are notoriously difficult to get a reply from. I emailed them three times about this interface. And I can’t be bothered buying one just to send it back after the review.
hi Ed thanks for this video!! i trust your word i want to ask you 1) how much better is the D to A from gen 1 ? I have always wanted a symphony desktop or RME but prefer UA console + plugins do you think the D to A on Appllo Desktop Twin X gen 2 is as good as Apogee Symphony D to A? 2) is the A to D much the same for gen 2? appreciate your response ! thanks!
I had an Apollo interface YEARS ago and thought it was a huge waste of money. Even with the DSP it just could do much. I've been running Presonus Quantum interfaces for the past 6ish years. I've been seriously considering getting back into to the Apollo world but couldn't bring myself to pull the trigger... until I saw these new Gen2 interfaces! I just bought two of the Apollo x8's and am super excited to get them up and running!
@@conrow1157 For Apollo X series only, to be precise, but indeed, if it’s software dependent, why they could not add to firewire series too, if it works with same Console app. Just like the interesting question: why shall we pay around 80bucks for the sound id UA addon…
I meant to ask is the Apollo X quad heritage edition come with two word clocks built-in? This is a question for the GEN one series. Also with the Apollo X8 if I was to update the card to a thunderbolt three apart from the speed, what other advantages does it get with this new console update that you know of?
An upgraded processor inside. The shark is from yesteryear. 90s tech they could easily throw a 16 core chip in these. I have the special edition apogee symphony io mkii and am actually debating selling to pick the x16 up with the x4. Seems like a killer combo and potentially maybe same conversion. Not sure if I should buuuuuuut maybe.
Ok, they upgraded the AD-DA converters... nice... but no SHARC upgrade in how long? if they would have at least increased the SHARC processors count I would have been way more impressed.. and why not let us use all of the ADAT input/outputs... I love these interfaces, don't get me wrong... but when I can't use what I think I should, like all adat and analog ins and outs would easily go through thunderbolt, I will eventually move on to something that will...
Specs for converters is one thing … but if the converters still sound mediocre as they do on the Gen 1 then this is a hard pass. Can the Gen 2 converters match Apogee symphony SE, Lynx or Prism? … if so then this is a well worth upgrade, however I don’t think they will until we hear a CONVERTER SHOOTOUT
For sure I am also interesting in hearing a direct comparison. This may be on the cards for a future video. From a headphone amp POV, the new DACs result in 15dB lower THD in places and that is audible!
No-one needs 32bit. It’s marketing fluff. If you clip 24bit (144dB of dynamic range) you need to learn gain staging. Strangely, I can’t measure RTLs on Apollos. Likely to do with the DSP preamp integration.
On an X8p? You can use either, the 8 preamps OR the 8 dB25s but not at the same time. The 8 ADAT inputs are available at the same time as they’re digital channels. So you can run 8 native preamps plus 8 external preamps by ADAT. Or 16 external preamps via DB25 and ADAT.
Just having 1 pass at DA conversion and doing it in realtime. Most sound correction systems are either external (Trinnov or Ik ARC) or software based like Sonarworks. The external ones mean your audio goes through 2 rounds of conversion, while the software based has a lot of latency. Having it embedded in Apollo means the DSP will make it near realtime and only 1 conversion round.
This is the best video I’ve seen related to the Gen 2 Apollos. I was doing a little research this morning regarding the bass management. Apparently it is only in effect on the main output and not Alt1 or Alt2(FCN) outputs. That might seem to be bug, but in my view it is a feature. Many of us have decent Main monitors supplemented with a subwoofer. When combined with an outboard headphone/monitor controller, such as the grace M903, there are some tricky ways where you can use the Apollo and input selectors on your monitor controller to hear your music both with and without , a subwoofer. At least that’s in theory. I have two Gen2 x8 coming so I will give it a try.
I have waited so long for this release, which is in my opinion well overdue -especially cos I am still a twin mk1 user!! But this is disappointing to me. There are just a few things that I simply don’t get, like why are there no improvements on the DSP front -no introduction of more Chips or new technology etc..?! Also why am I required to buy bundles with the interface, when I already own them and most people who are already UAD users will already own them also?! Why not have an option to just buy the interface? Again, why is there a charge to use Sonarworks sound ID for those of us who already own it?! RME have also introduced the option to export monitor profiles (not headphones at this point) to some of their units for no additional charge! I feel underwhelmed by the release of the UAD interfaces and it doesn’t seem like I am the only one either and don’t get me started on the inflated pricing….madness!!
Great run through. UA sound just gets better with every update in Luna. B.J. in US will be ready to tear into them over no 32 bit float and their DSP chips but, auto gain will save lowering in post anyway, if signals were ever recorded too hot. I think getting the right level for plug-ins to run at their best has always been a bit of a grey area for me so, this will really help and these chips just work and serve so well. Increased headphone experience is a big one. It’s fine but, more is always good on this front. Do hope they’ve addressed the headphone crackling pots on the rack mount models, behind the newer knobs. My original Apollo is still going strong but, this is an issue because they get a lot of tweaking and need a more robust construction both in electrical and design rigidity? One final thing is I’m still unsure if auto gain will be available on my Apollo Twin X with Unison plugs on input slots but, maybe a bit too hopeful, updating as we speak so fingers crossed and new plug-ins Topline and Ruby simply seem awesome. Very exciting ❤
Not much of an upgrade. It still has the same dsp power for 20 years for offloading plugins. Nothing new under the sun. Not enough to go wow I need that. When it comes to the numbers you really can't hear a difference between the last 3 versions. They need to find a way to make the dsp chips handle more so a quad core can handle more than the last version. The tech hasn't changed. I have a monotor headphone amp and would never upgrade because they have a better headphone amp. Honestly just buy a used Apollo at this point. You will Save a lot of money.
The company has abandoned its user base. The plugins don't scale at all. Customer service is just horrible. I would not buy a UAD product if they were the last manufacturer on the planet.
Thanks for the video Ed! Some folks don’t even want to appreciate better specs but I’ll take it. Thanks for the work on this! And I don’t need 32 bit! Smh 😂 looking forward to these
➡ Get A FREE Sample MASTER: edthorne.com/store/p/free-mastering-sample-30s ⬅
🎬 4 Reasons You HATE UA: ua-cam.com/video/W_ShTERrce4/v-deo.html
🎬 FULL UA Interface Range Comparison: ua-cam.com/video/HgTO_wTlhvI/v-deo.html
Actually solded my apollo x8 last year now im mixing with SMSL SU-X DAC by far superior convertion with two independent sabre 9039pro superior clock , DNR 135db 🤩 , THD -126db 🤩, huge improvement in depth and transients for just 999 bucks "it was a happy accident discovery" , i was asked everytime when i send stems to mastering about my gear 😉
Great summary! Wished they had gone to 32-bit, but the ecosystem is great.
Let’s be honest here. This isn’t much of an upgrade, at very best It’s a software update. To raise the price, recycle the body and not give you more inputs is just crazy to me.
Right.. and I spoke to my sales guy. The speaker monitoring thing is coming as an update to existing apollo users anyway. They didn't add any more dsp.. lmao just wow
👍
And the old ones get the update so thanks for that
Let's be honest, you don't have the gear yet so you are just saying stuff that doesn't mean anything. The price is pretty much the same. If you are too poor for new gear, buy the old gear used. Stop whining about new hardware updates. This was bound to happen with the hardware. You did not invest money into UA's R&D. You are just a consumer of their products. It is up to you to become the ROCKSTAR you dream of being. UA is not responsible for your shortcomings in the music industry. It's just gear. It's just tools.
Don’t agree. Love my 4 year-old Apollo x4 and this just makes it better for free.
Good stuff. I’m excited that the soundID thing is coming to UAD! I have an x8p and an x4. I don’t feel the need to upgrade. Auto gain is handy, but i rarely clip these days unless I WANT to.
Things i really wanna see from UAD on Apollo/console: easier matrix routing/multing options. Currently it’s limited to the number of cue sends you have. Meaning i can only really do 4 mults and 4 cue mixes and they are linked together. I use this stuff to also send to a live stream computer, ideally I’d love to be able to get a mix to the artists performing on said live stream, myself, and a separate mix for the live stream. I feel like i should be able to send a mix to any output and have more aux tracks. Or at least be able to route certain tracks to specific outputs (aka maybe not a mix but just have only certain inputs routed like how it defaults to monitor output, I could have it send to multiple outputs instead so like the same mix to cue 1-2, line 1-2, adat 3-4 as an example).
Oh also 32bit processing would be nice. Never worry about clipping again!
And just more adat inputs on a single interface. 16 total channels just doesn’t feel like enough especially when compared to what some other companies do with two sets of adat.
Seriously, no DSP upgrade?
Gen 1a...not 2.
Do they include a cable?
lol
Mild upgrade.
No dsp upgrade to handle newer uad plugins is unfortunate.
It'll never happen, they'll annoy the fanboys and there's nothing viable they can replace the ancient SHARC chips with. I was a fanboy but the lustre has faded, they've even started charging for the native ports of products (that they promised would be free) when I have already paid them 10x todays current selling price. They're also going to be the only platform to charge to import your SoundID profile into (€79), claiming it uses DSP but yet it's incompatible with their older devices (only Apollo X and X MK2) even though they use the same DSP chips and the profile is simply an EQ curve that runs inside a $500 adam monitor......
@@d-zone imagine they found a way to get arm chips in there? i know not realistic...
It’s a bummer for sure.
Apollo isn’t competitive as just an interface. The competition has better drivers and better or equal sound.
Apollo needed to go to new generation dsp to run more advance plugins for Apollo to keep its edge.
Dsp for mixing is not important, but they needed to beef dsp up and make next generation of unison preamps, la-2a v3, etc, for tracking.
@@d-zone The F? Do you mean, that if you buy the DSP version, you don't get the native version along it anymore???
Shocking they decided to continue to use those ancient DSP chips.
you dont really need that much dsp (depending on the size of your mix.) especially since you can delagte dsp to your cpu with luna extensions and native plugins. i never run out of dsp and i only have a quad
@@berdeauxlaveau6515Well some of us could’ve used some powerful dsp’s. But they’re not willing to upgrade, cause it’s still highly profitable, until someone does it better. For a 2024 audio interface, the sharc processors are ancient tech. I’m surprised they didn’t introduce a CD-writer in that apollo. Anyways, I still love UA 😅 it’s a musical environment that helped me a lot
Tell me you don't mix audio buy telling me you don't mix audio..
@@YoDaddyObamawe got a fan boy sheep.
@@torta122 UA Spark & Plug Alliance for the win. Rarely use my UAD-2 plugins now.
Thank you Ed, the information is timely and am glad you sound an alarm so i could know. That was emotional.
FYI. still using shark chips no different from Gen 1.... and they’re more expensive... this is a minimal upgrade since a good portion of the changes are software updates that will be available for Gen1 apollos in UA console. No dsp upgrade, no Madi or increase channels....no ability to record to sd card/thumb drive, no serious upgrade for routing options....auto gain feature doesn't really mean much if you're using rack mount Apollo because most of the people that has one I’ll bet also has external preamps and compressors....and if you do, then autogain feature means very little.…The same goes for the monitor correction feature….. most serious people who are investing in $2000+ interfaces already have added either Sonarworks, Arc, or a Trinnov at this point…...and yeah you still have to pay for it, its not really “free” with the new Apollos. As for the headphone amp this definitely a nice upgrade. Overall, imo for the amount of money UA is asking for their product which are good interfaces however, there are equal to or better interfaces that offer a better $/feature value ratio which is why I upgraded to an AA Orion 32+ from my Apollo X4 this past April. I really do like UA however they need to start to offer more value in the form of expandability for the amount of money they charge that is my biggest criticism with UA and Lynx interfaces. I like to hear a test of Gen 1 vs Gen 2 conversion.... I can pretty much guarantee no one will be able to hear a significant difference in conversion. Edit: This is the best overall overview I've see thus far Good job Ed.
Thanks. I hear your concerns.
The auto gain could have been given to us via update.. I spoke to my sales guy and he says theyre bringing the sound correction to existing apollo users via update.. no added dsp.. definitely not a "major update " lol dont lie Ed!
Im sorry the x16 gen2 conversion remains the same??
My main question is if the Gen 2 model actually sounds in better in quality as far as recording?
i’m wondering the same
The preamps can bypassed on the line-in, not sure if quality has changed, though.
great time to get the x6 or x8 G1!
Excellent review... could you please compare the gen 2 vs. gen 1 x4. I'm planning to purchase one and prefer the x4 gen 1 price, but Im wondering for a long time musician who's planning to start recording at home, would I be missing out on new HW features or will I ever use it. Based on majorityof the comments below, the consensus seems to be... get the x4 Gen 1, upgrade the sw (auto gain, correction, etc), and be happy ever after...!
I actually have and use most of UA pedals for electric guitar which imho, are by far the most versatile pedals with hi-fi stereo signals that I've used. And you can dial in the true effect you're hearing in your head with any type of pickup with any guitar configuration.
This is great! Love the new features of my X4 and in UA Console. Still my fav and best audio interface, ever.
Curious to know how would you compare this new dac on x4 to the mt-48.
Just get RME and be happy 4ever.
I think that's the way to go. UA have milked us long enough
For real, RME latency coupled with native UAD plugs, right?
I like the upgrades but I do believe they are a getting a bit too expensive for what you get
Shootouts against RME, Apogee and Neumann are mandatory. They better match the sound of their competition or these units are gonna be obsolete on day one.
Bro, Let's be honest and just say UAD added round buttons like apple. And a new color to them interfaces. There were no improvements or innovation.
I wonder how it compares to Audient ID44 MKII in terms of conversion..
Audient's specs say ''weighted'' ADC dynamic range... I have no idea what weighted means. UA's specs don't say ''weighted''.... So IDK
Soo what’s up with the monitor situation, psi gone and am I looking at hedd speakers?
Is there more DSP over v1?
Hey Ed! Since bypassing the preamps is a software update in console, do we as Gen1 users on the desktop Apollo get that feature also? Or is this feature for Gen2 desktop only?
The X6 gen2 vs Neumann mt 48?
Hi can u please shootout converters against, apogee sd , RME & Nueman mt 48?
That is a painfully complicated and time consuming video. So the short answer is no.
Hey Ed great stuff
❤your Studio Ed great job
What would be a great improvement is a standalone mode like RME has
and black lion it has a dac mode that it can be use as a standalone dac
Hows the sound quality in comparison to the previous models?
none
Will be the same as perceived. 1-5% change in DA(!) won’t open new worlds. Biggest change in desktops. They were good but not proISH by any means, now the long waited upgrade happened for a hefty price. Not a good deal unless you are a total noob in the music prod.
For the majority of people I don't think they'll notice difference.
Can two separate subs be added in stereo mode of bass management? I'm only seeing one.
How are the drivers stability on Windows vs the RME ?
I use a Lenovo Legion slim 7 (I think the 2023 model) with Tb4 without any issues.
Can u bypass the mic preamp completely with the x series gen1 with the new console app? I know everything is applied to the gen1 other than auto gain feature not that I would use the sonar room correction but for us gen1 x users it will be their for us.
No. Only rack mounted Gen 1 X series can be bypassed. Now, the desktop GEN2s can also be bypassed.
@@EdThorne even if I was to upgrade the sound card to thunderbolt three? on my Apollo X8? I also have the Apollo twin X Harrison quad so you can’t bypass it completely in that one either?
Thanks for this, Ed. My biggest interest is the Bass Management. I currently have the stereo version of Sonarworks and manage the crossover on my actual Focal sub. I’m guessing I would have to upgrade to Sonar Wotks multi channel to take advantage of UA bass management and sub time alignment, routing my sub to its own LFE channel? Am I correct?
This is a good question. Let me find out for you.
Thank you, Ed! I believe adding a new X6 to my current Twin X, giving me upgraded conversion, speaker calibration, bass management, and sub time alignment could be a win for me vs. getting Trinnov!
Sold all my apollos for rme. want no latency monitoring? just get live professor, n use any plugins while u record.. no need to over pay for UA's ecosystem. Just make ur own ecosystem with any VST host software, n get the best quality interface that your budget allows.
Just wish they had added Dante options for the X8P. Would love a way to have a Unison Preamp front end to my live/broadcast system without having to use an additional ADAT>Dante process. Maybe in another 6 years?
I'm sorry, how is this an upgrade? it's literally the same thing
its not
@@berdeauxlaveau6515 it is, are you blind?
Really like the new Heritage Audio i73 range with the Neve pre amps, any chance of a review Ed? 😎
Heritage Audio are notoriously difficult to get a reply from. I emailed them three times about this interface. And I can’t be bothered buying one just to send it back after the review.
Does Gen 1 integrate with Gen 2 interfaces. I have a Quad and interested in 8P and x16 Dante. And Uad71OD
Yes. They’re all linkable via thunderbolt across the generations (even mki and mkii tb2 devices - with cable adaptors to tb3 of course)
hi Ed
thanks for this video!! i trust your word
i want to ask you
1) how much better is the D to A from gen 1 ? I have always wanted a symphony desktop or RME but prefer UA console + plugins
do you think the D to A on Appllo Desktop Twin X gen 2 is as good as Apogee Symphony D to A?
2) is the A to D much the same for gen 2?
appreciate your response ! thanks!
I had an Apollo interface YEARS ago and thought it was a huge waste of money. Even with the DSP it just could do much. I've been running Presonus Quantum interfaces for the past 6ish years. I've been seriously considering getting back into to the Apollo world but couldn't bring myself to pull the trigger... until I saw these new Gen2 interfaces! I just bought two of the Apollo x8's and am super excited to get them up and running!
Why? And for how much extra? 😢
Wow, no sound id for older Apollo!
Money money money
@@conrow1157 For Apollo X series only, to be precise, but indeed, if it’s software dependent, why they could not add to firewire series too, if it works with same Console app. Just like the interesting question: why shall we pay around 80bucks for the sound id UA addon…
I meant to ask is the Apollo X quad heritage edition come with two word clocks built-in? This is a question for the GEN one series. Also with the Apollo X8 if I was to update the card to a thunderbolt three apart from the speed, what other advantages does it get with this new console update that you know of?
Can you mute the sub on and off while mixing like a monitor controller ?
Yes, by toggling the Enable button in the bass management section of Console.
Ed, how does the Sound ID correction compare to the Trinnov?
I had a coupon from Musicians Friend for 20% /$499 off which made the X6 Gen 2 $1999 😁
An upgraded processor inside. The shark is from yesteryear. 90s tech they could easily throw a 16 core chip in these.
I have the special edition apogee symphony io mkii and am actually debating selling to pick the x16 up with the x4. Seems like a killer combo and potentially maybe same conversion.
Not sure if I should buuuuuuut maybe.
What happened to your PSI monitors? Are you switching?
All will be revealed. Have replaced them for now with the Amphions. They work far better in my room and my mic translation is spot on.
Ok, they upgraded the AD-DA converters... nice... but no SHARC upgrade in how long? if they would have at least increased the SHARC processors count I would have been way more impressed.. and why not let us use all of the ADAT input/outputs... I love these interfaces, don't get me wrong... but when I can't use what I think I should, like all adat and analog ins and outs would easily go through thunderbolt, I will eventually move on to something that will...
Specs for converters is one thing … but if the converters still sound mediocre as they do on the Gen 1 then this is a hard pass. Can the Gen 2 converters match Apogee symphony SE, Lynx or Prism? … if so then this is a well worth upgrade, however I don’t think they will until we hear a CONVERTER SHOOTOUT
For sure I am also interesting in hearing a direct comparison. This may be on the cards for a future video. From a headphone amp POV, the new DACs result in 15dB lower THD in places and that is audible!
Did I miss the round trip latency section? Also 32bit is now a must have feature.
No-one needs 32bit. It’s marketing fluff. If you clip 24bit (144dB of dynamic range) you need to learn gain staging. Strangely, I can’t measure RTLs on Apollos. Likely to do with the DSP preamp integration.
Can I use 8 external pre amps and 8db 25 inputs at the same time or ADAT only for the second 8 inputs
On an X8p? You can use either, the 8 preamps OR the 8 dB25s but not at the same time. The 8 ADAT inputs are available at the same time as they’re digital channels. So you can run 8 native preamps plus 8 external preamps by ADAT. Or 16 external preamps via DB25 and ADAT.
Thanks
I don't have a sound correction system yet, but what's the advantage to having it built into your apollo?
Not having it on the master buss of your DAW, which can lead to errors
Just having 1 pass at DA conversion and doing it in realtime. Most sound correction systems are either external (Trinnov or Ik ARC) or software based like Sonarworks. The external ones mean your audio goes through 2 rounds of conversion, while the software based has a lot of latency. Having it embedded in Apollo means the DSP will make it near realtime and only 1 conversion round.
Are you keeping keeping your x16 Ed,or upgrading
Keeping it. Works great for me.
Weak update
What happened to your monitoring setup?
This is what i want to know😂
The saddest thing of this update is they didn't add more cue busses
I feel the same 😑
The best? Idk about that. Switch to lynx never looked back. Are those two15’s in the back?? I got a pair as well
Two18s paired with my PSI sub and Trinnov. Loving them!
They didn't even add more DSP power at all. Like just get an Apollo Satellite and use whatever interface you already have.
Satellite does not have Unison, no latency-free tracking with DSP.
UAD needs to take over the Live band Market with a affordable rig!
I would love to see this!
Biggest scam with Apollos so far. Shame.
This is what you call an update, not an upgrade.
This is the best video I’ve seen related to the Gen 2 Apollos.
I was doing a little research this morning regarding the bass management. Apparently it is only in effect on the main output and not Alt1 or Alt2(FCN) outputs. That might seem to be bug, but in my view it is a feature.
Many of us have decent Main monitors supplemented with a subwoofer. When combined with an outboard headphone/monitor controller, such as the grace M903, there are some tricky ways where you can use the Apollo and input selectors on your monitor controller to hear your music both with and without , a subwoofer.
At least that’s in theory. I have two Gen2 x8 coming so I will give it a try.
the prices will fall off, just wait
Can’t use them with iPad.
I have waited so long for this release, which is in my opinion well overdue -especially cos I am still a twin mk1 user!! But this is disappointing to me. There are just a few things that I simply don’t get, like why are there no improvements on the DSP front -no introduction of more Chips or new technology etc..?!
Also why am I required to buy bundles with the interface, when I already own them and most people who are already UAD users will already own them also?! Why not have an option to just buy the interface?
Again, why is there a charge to use Sonarworks sound ID for those of us who already own it?! RME have also introduced the option to export monitor profiles (not headphones at this point) to some of their units for no additional charge!
I feel underwhelmed by the release of the UAD interfaces and it doesn’t seem like I am the only one either and don’t get me started on the inflated pricing….madness!!
Valid concerns.
They could also have updated from Thunderbolt 3 to Usb 4 and improved windows compatibility... That's the selling point for me.
Great run through. UA sound just gets better with every update in Luna. B.J. in US will be ready to tear into them over no 32 bit float and their DSP chips but, auto gain will save lowering in post anyway, if signals were ever recorded too hot. I think getting the right level for plug-ins to run at their best has always been a bit of a grey area for me so, this will really help and these chips just work and serve so well. Increased headphone experience is a big one. It’s fine but, more is always good on this front. Do hope they’ve addressed the headphone crackling pots on the rack mount models, behind the newer knobs. My original Apollo is still going strong but, this is an issue because they get a lot of tweaking and need a more robust construction both in electrical and design rigidity? One final thing is I’m still unsure if auto gain will be available on my Apollo Twin X with Unison plugs on input slots but, maybe a bit too hopeful, updating as we speak so fingers crossed and new plug-ins Topline and Ruby simply seem awesome. Very exciting ❤
meh...
Not much of an upgrade. It still has the same dsp power for 20 years for offloading plugins. Nothing new under the sun. Not enough to go wow I need that. When it comes to the numbers you really can't hear a difference between the last 3 versions. They need to find a way to make the dsp chips handle more so a quad core can handle more than the last version. The tech hasn't changed. I have a monotor headphone amp and would never upgrade because they have a better headphone amp. Honestly just buy a used Apollo at this point. You will Save a lot of money.
👍
😆
No! No! Nooo! Well wait… 🤔
You lost me on serious upgrade.
The company has abandoned its user base. The plugins don't scale at all. Customer service is just horrible. I would not buy a UAD product if they were the last manufacturer on the planet.
lol you trippin gang
Thanks for the video Ed! Some folks don’t even want to appreciate better specs but I’ll take it. Thanks for the work on this! And I don’t need 32 bit! Smh 😂 looking forward to these
No-one needs 32 bit… most music has a dynamic range of about 6dB so 1bit would suffice 🤣 (give or take either obviously).
Bro, seriously, they should have made this 32bit at least! Disappointed! Not buying it
What does the extra 48dB of dynamic range give you that you can’t already achieve with 144dB?
just numbers, no one will notice.