I hear a lot of talk about this desert island studio gear. I would highly recommend against bringing expensive analog gear onto an untreated desert island. Much less traveling to a deserted desert island in general. Hope this helps someone.
For reference, I'm a vocalist. I was an Apollo user for 8 years. Even after all my investments in their eco system I left it behind for the Neumann MT48. Much better depth and sound quality. I also found the touch screen mixer was better for my needs. The MT48 is kind of like a swiss army knife. It's incredibly flexible. I don't think Apollo and their unison preamps do it for me either. It sounds ok and looks cool but it was always much harsher than the hardware equivalent.
The merging technologies converters are quite good, I’ve heard a few complaints personally about the software and bugs with the MT48 and I’ve also heard that it doesn’t stack up to the Anubis from merging (even though online supposedly they are comparable). I haven’t tested them back to back myself but I have to verify some things about the device before feeling confident enough to recommend it myself! I’m really happy it’s working well for you though and will definitely take this into account going forward! 🙏
I've recently upgraded to a new audio interface. Previously, I was using an aging Mackie Blackbird that began to fail, and I also wanted to integrate some of my hardware. Initially, I considered the RME FireFace UFX II, but I opted for the Motu 828, which was roughly a third of the RME's price. The Motu boasts outstanding converters and drivers, along with sufficient I/O for my needs. The clarity I experienced with this unit's converters was immediately apparent. I can also expand if needed with the adat jacks so I’m pleased with the purchase.
I’m also using the Motu 828, best bang for the buck, independent volume knobs, 2 headphone jacks, the ability to bypass the onboard pres, touch sensitive knobs, etc.
I’m using a Neumann mt48 as conversion going into the Apollo X6. Also just fyi Gen 2 apollos are supposed to sound as good as the X16 now. I haven’t tried it yet.
@@jacksp8de i was told the rack mount Apollos have the same converters but I know the twin doesn’t have the same quality, that’s a solid setup though and lots of I/O! Congrats on the set 💯🙏
@ They say they updated all the converters, except the x16 which has new components but is pretty much the same sound. The other rack mounts were brought up closest to the x16, and the desktops are better too but not as good as the racks. They mostly talk about the D/A being the most improved. The A/D is supposed to be slightly improved as well but I doubt it sounds as good as the Neumann. And thanks man yeah I love this setup
I think RME didn't make the 'desert island' option because of appollo's value for money. How can one 'easily' tell the value of conversion in a song? thanks in advance.
@@nungu60a well honestly I think RME UFX has better conversion BUT, I do think it lacks in the features department and as far as conversion goes, there are more detailed and transparent options as well to choose from! I love RME to be honest though, starting to wish I put some mention of them in this video, been really advocating for the RME ADI as well especially! Thanks for tuning in 🙏
I had a few different Antelope models and they were good too but not entirely reliable units. Antelope improved their customer service dramatically and when their units function well they are great! Most franchises stopped carrying Antelope as well which makes me more reluctant to suggest them as well because the store that have good warranty are the ones to buy from! Other than that, I did really like my Orion in particular, but not more than the other ones I bought. Thanks for tuning in bro 🙏
Could you explain a bit more about the sonic differences between Prism and Metric Halo? I've only used Prism interfaces so far, and I'm curious about the sonic differences in AD/DA conversion.
Honestly, the prism has a tape like quality to it but it’s very hollow and sauceless so to speak. It doesn’t add any magic and almost sterilizes audio that passes through it. The Metric has a slightly more natural sound to my ears and is definitely the unit I’d go with personally over the Prism. The prism is also a bit dead in the top end, a tad harsh and rolled off but upsampling helps with this by also makes the recordings even more flat. The metric just sounds solid. Not overly characterized or lacking in any way. Sounds “right” and is a good starting place. It’s especially good for mixing and outboard processing. The features, conversion quality, and endless updatable modular build makes it a great deal better to me!
I own a Prism, I have it for sale because I need more I/O. To me Prism sounds like tape, its very musical and organic, I would love to have more Prism channels but its getting very expensive and for that money you can buy the new UAD x16 with all the new and improved converters. So I agree that the UAD option is a good choice assuming that you are working on a Apple computer.
That’s a great way to describe it actually, the recording quality of it definitely has that tape bump character with a full and deep sound that definitely has a good work flow for sure! Still trying to really integrate it properly into my work flow but i also struggle with the I/O on it. Currently trying to push audio out from my RME ADI through analog and into the Prism to leverage its A/D quality. Especially when it comes to protools, I can see why people really enjoy the sound of prism! And dude it totally was a headache running UAD with a windows machine for the year I had it! Agreed!
@@RAYNETHESAVIOUR I knew you would agree with the Prism sounding like tape because it really does. I am wondering how you pushing audio to the Prism using the ADI, do you use two computers? In windows I am not sure if this is possible. Maybe this is an idea for an other video. Keep it on friend.
@ typically I would use a bus processor of some sort, a summing mixer, or a bus comp in analog to clip the Prism if I’m mastering it but otherwise I’d just run it directly via cables! I use Mac only now but I had windows for a while and it was before I had the prism or the ADI! I was all Antelope and UAD back then but Antelope is a whole other story 😂! Thanks man 🙏
@@Iaintthesharpesttoolintheshed honestly, the best engineers out there know about it and use it accordingly. Manny uses the AD 16, Josh Gudwin uses Symphony, Gold’s legendary studio is powered by Apogee, it don’t think it’s underrated necessarily! But I could definitely be more popular for what it brings to the table. If the DAC was better for playback, it would be no contest 💯
Interesting, so would you recommend a Metric Halo LIO-8 mkIV if I wanted to add io for hardware inserts.? If you were connecting that to an apollo which would you use as the clock?
Here’s the thing, I would pick the Apogee Symphony I/O Mk2 Special edition over the Aurora because the A/D conversion is magic and because Apogee has AES on its SE 2x6 which is what I had. I use AES for my monitoring and prefer it as well! That said, the DAC is worst on the Symphony BUT I don’t think it’s particularly stellar on the Aurora so if you’re going analog out to your speakers then I’d probably lean toward getting a separated playback DAC or converter and getting the Symphony, especially is recording is prioritized and you don’t have a bunch of gear you use for mixing and master that would be fed by the Symphony DAC. Hope this helps and be sure to demo all products to be certain of your purchase before buying 🙏
@@RAYNETHESAVIOUR ok i get it. And i was looking your video about using AES. because im in the process of shopping for interface and monitor controller..and youve got me stuck between the PMC's or maybe the Bearfoots. is there a link that touches on the use of a seperate AD/DA ? ( and thank you)
it sounds like maybe you haven't spent time with an RME interface? their software, feature set, rock solid solid drivers with the lowest latency of any interface, and commitment to keep supporting 20+ year old interfaces should very much put them in the best interface conversation. for features and reliability, RME is an easy win over UA unless your workflow relies on the UAD dsp plugins. also i will add that the conversion on the most recent RME generation is very impressive.
RME does indeed make great stuff. I’ve got the 802, had the UCX, the babyface, and now have the ADI. I’ve also used the UFX but haven’t owned it. The new one is supposed to have stellar sound as well but RME’s state of the art sound really in in their flagship converters from my experience and so I tend to focus more on their ADI instead of their other interfaces. That said, the UFX is a solid grab and I fully support RME as a company! 🙏
UFX is really great for sure, total mix is a little complex but RME is alternatively my choice for dedicated converter, RME ADI is the best converter under 10K USD in my opinion easily, features wise and converter wise RME isn’t my first pick but it’s definitely incredibly well built and incredibly reliable and I fully support the brand 🙏
Apollo is too expensive. I have two brought one use and one decades ago when they weren’t 4k. Buy Apollo used. But I don’t use the converters. I use apogee. Bruh why are you recommending this and the draw back is the converters. If you can’t use the converters why buy a 4k converters?
My Prism sits on my desk and continues to collect dust. It’s good at what it’s known for but it wouldn’t be my desert island pick personally! When it works, it works really well! Thanks for watching 🙏
Apollos paired with Dangerous music D-Box+ and AD+ converter works great for me !!! Took a long time to figure out.
Really enjoying your content🙏🏾 It’s short and concise. Just gets straight to the point but still very informative , which I like. Thank you
Thank you for the kind words 🙏 I appreciate hearing I’m going in the right direction!
I hear a lot of talk about this desert island studio gear. I would highly recommend against bringing expensive analog gear onto an untreated desert island.
Much less traveling to a deserted desert island in general.
Hope this helps someone.
@@willwerly5600 legendary comment, welcome to the channel.
For reference, I'm a vocalist. I was an Apollo user for 8 years. Even after all my investments in their eco system I left it behind for the Neumann MT48. Much better depth and sound quality. I also found the touch screen mixer was better for my needs. The MT48 is kind of like a swiss army knife. It's incredibly flexible. I don't think Apollo and their unison preamps do it for me either. It sounds ok and looks cool but it was always much harsher than the hardware equivalent.
The merging technologies converters are quite good, I’ve heard a few complaints personally about the software and bugs with the MT48 and I’ve also heard that it doesn’t stack up to the Anubis from merging (even though online supposedly they are comparable). I haven’t tested them back to back myself but I have to verify some things about the device before feeling confident enough to recommend it myself! I’m really happy it’s working well for you though and will definitely take this into account going forward! 🙏
I've recently upgraded to a new audio interface. Previously, I was using an aging Mackie Blackbird that began to fail, and I also wanted to integrate some of my hardware. Initially, I considered the RME FireFace UFX II, but I opted for the Motu 828, which was roughly a third of the RME's price. The Motu boasts outstanding converters and drivers, along with sufficient I/O for my needs. The clarity I experienced with this unit's converters was immediately apparent. I can also expand if needed with the adat jacks so I’m pleased with the purchase.
Motu is great as well, I’ve been partial to Motu for additional I/O and reliable hardware! All about workflow and what works best 🙏
I’m also using the Motu 828, best bang for the buck, independent volume knobs, 2 headphone jacks, the ability to bypass the onboard pres, touch sensitive knobs, etc.
I upgraded from x6 to x8 Gen 2, and honestly it’s great for tracking. They get a lot of hate but it just works great.
I agree! The workflow is crazy with them and they sound nice! Congrats on the upgrade 🙏
I’m using a Neumann mt48 as conversion going into the Apollo X6. Also just fyi Gen 2 apollos are supposed to sound as good as the X16 now. I haven’t tried it yet.
@@jacksp8de i was told the rack mount Apollos have the same converters but I know the twin doesn’t have the same quality, that’s a solid setup though and lots of I/O! Congrats on the set 💯🙏
@ They say they updated all the converters, except the x16 which has new components but is pretty much the same sound. The other rack mounts were brought up closest to the x16, and the desktops are better too but not as good as the racks. They mostly talk about the D/A being the most improved. The A/D is supposed to be slightly improved as well but I doubt it sounds as good as the Neumann. And thanks man yeah I love this setup
Lynx Aurora n is king imo. Just get a satellite if you need dsp for UAD plugins.
@@thevisualizer305 aurora is dope! Lots of great options out there! Satellite is solid as well as an Apollo Alternative. Thanks for tuning in 🙏
I think RME didn't make the 'desert island' option because of appollo's value for money.
How can one 'easily' tell the value of conversion in a song? thanks in advance.
@@nungu60a well honestly I think RME UFX has better conversion BUT, I do think it lacks in the features department and as far as conversion goes, there are more detailed and transparent options as well to choose from! I love RME to be honest though, starting to wish I put some mention of them in this video, been really advocating for the RME ADI as well especially! Thanks for tuning in 🙏
Just upgraded to the Apollo x8 gen 2 the Apollo eco system is so good
Honestly, they do have a really good ecosystem, well noted 🙏
So whats ur recommendation on standalone converter?
@@papertiger9845 I got a video on that too! Check out my video on converters cause it’s kinda a long answer! 🙏
straight to the point!!!!
No Antelope?
I had a few different Antelope models and they were good too but not entirely reliable units. Antelope improved their customer service dramatically and when their units function well they are great! Most franchises stopped carrying Antelope as well which makes me more reluctant to suggest them as well because the store that have good warranty are the ones to buy from! Other than that, I did really like my Orion in particular, but not more than the other ones I bought. Thanks for tuning in bro 🙏
@@RAYNETHESAVIOUR really appreciate your take on Antelope🙏🙏
Could you explain a bit more about the sonic differences between Prism and Metric Halo? I've only used Prism interfaces so far, and I'm curious about the sonic differences in AD/DA conversion.
Honestly, the prism has a tape like quality to it but it’s very hollow and sauceless so to speak. It doesn’t add any magic and almost sterilizes audio that passes through it. The Metric has a slightly more natural sound to my ears and is definitely the unit I’d go with personally over the Prism. The prism is also a bit dead in the top end, a tad harsh and rolled off but upsampling helps with this by also makes the recordings even more flat. The metric just sounds solid. Not overly characterized or lacking in any way. Sounds “right” and is a good starting place. It’s especially good for mixing and outboard processing. The features, conversion quality, and endless updatable modular build makes it a great deal better to me!
I own a Prism, I have it for sale because I need more I/O. To me Prism sounds like tape, its very musical and organic, I would love to have more Prism channels but its getting very expensive and for that money you can buy the new UAD x16 with all the new and improved converters. So I agree that the UAD option is a good choice assuming that you are working on a Apple computer.
That’s a great way to describe it actually, the recording quality of it definitely has that tape bump character with a full and deep sound that definitely has a good work flow for sure! Still trying to really integrate it properly into my work flow but i also struggle with the I/O on it. Currently trying to push audio out from my RME ADI through analog and into the Prism to leverage its A/D quality. Especially when it comes to protools, I can see why people really enjoy the sound of prism! And dude it totally was a headache running UAD with a windows machine for the year I had it! Agreed!
@@RAYNETHESAVIOUR I knew you would agree with the Prism sounding like tape because it really does. I am wondering how you pushing audio to the Prism using the ADI, do you use two computers? In windows I am not sure if this is possible. Maybe this is an idea for an other video. Keep it on friend.
@ typically I would use a bus processor of some sort, a summing mixer, or a bus comp in analog to clip the Prism if I’m mastering it but otherwise I’d just run it directly via cables! I use Mac only now but I had windows for a while and it was before I had the prism or the ADI! I was all Antelope and UAD back then but Antelope is a whole other story 😂! Thanks man 🙏
Do pp sleep on Apogee? What do you think?
@@Iaintthesharpesttoolintheshed honestly, the best engineers out there know about it and use it accordingly. Manny uses the AD 16, Josh Gudwin uses Symphony, Gold’s legendary studio is powered by Apogee, it don’t think it’s underrated necessarily! But I could definitely be more popular for what it brings to the table. If the DAC was better for playback, it would be no contest 💯
@ 🫶
Interesting, so would you recommend a Metric Halo LIO-8 mkIV if I wanted to add io for hardware inserts.? If you were connecting that to an apollo which would you use as the clock?
I would use the metric for hardware inserts and for clocking between the two!
@@RAYNETHESAVIOUR Thanks
Great info! still running my old Lynx aurora 16.
Same here 🔥🙌🏻
One thing to love about Lynx is that they don’t quit easily! Great choice 🙏
hmmm.. symphony over the aurora why? ( im interface shopping now serouisly)
Here’s the thing, I would pick the Apogee Symphony I/O Mk2 Special edition over the Aurora because the A/D conversion is magic and because Apogee has AES on its SE 2x6 which is what I had. I use AES for my monitoring and prefer it as well! That said, the DAC is worst on the Symphony BUT I don’t think it’s particularly stellar on the Aurora so if you’re going analog out to your speakers then I’d probably lean toward getting a separated playback DAC or converter and getting the Symphony, especially is recording is prioritized and you don’t have a bunch of gear you use for mixing and master that would be fed by the Symphony DAC. Hope this helps and be sure to demo all products to be certain of your purchase before buying 🙏
@@RAYNETHESAVIOUR ok i get it. And i was looking your video about using AES. because im in the process of shopping for interface and monitor controller..and youve got me stuck between the PMC's or maybe the Bearfoots. is there a link that touches on the use of a seperate AD/DA ? ( and thank you)
it sounds like maybe you haven't spent time with an RME interface? their software, feature set, rock solid solid drivers with the lowest latency of any interface, and commitment to keep supporting 20+ year old interfaces should very much put them in the best interface conversation. for features and reliability, RME is an easy win over UA unless your workflow relies on the UAD dsp plugins. also i will add that the conversion on the most recent RME generation is very impressive.
RME does indeed make great stuff. I’ve got the 802, had the UCX, the babyface, and now have the ADI. I’ve also used the UFX but haven’t owned it. The new one is supposed to have stellar sound as well but RME’s state of the art sound really in in their flagship converters from my experience and so I tend to focus more on their ADI instead of their other interfaces. That said, the UFX is a solid grab and I fully support RME as a company! 🙏
No rme mention at all? Should I be upgrading?
don't get influenced that easily
@@dimitrisgakis9206 I'm just curious of why it wasn't even mentioned
@@Furybeatsgmedon’t worry. RME _is_ the upgrade.
Naw man, don’t upgrade just off this video. RME is great and you’re still in great hands with them!
@@RAYNETHESAVIOUR 💯💯
Kinda bummed you didn’t mention RME
UFX is really great for sure, total mix is a little complex but RME is alternatively my choice for dedicated converter, RME ADI is the best converter under 10K USD in my opinion easily, features wise and converter wise RME isn’t my first pick but it’s definitely incredibly well built and incredibly reliable and I fully support the brand 🙏
Apollo is too expensive. I have two brought one use and one decades ago when they weren’t 4k. Buy Apollo used. But I don’t use the converters. I use apogee.
Bruh why are you recommending this and the draw back is the converters. If you can’t use the converters why buy a 4k converters?
UAD is wrong for charging almost 4k for there gear. The converters are not that good.
Because interfaces under 10k will never compete with standalone conversion quality
prism
My Prism sits on my desk and continues to collect dust. It’s good at what it’s known for but it wouldn’t be my desert island pick personally! When it works, it works really well! Thanks for watching 🙏