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Antelope ZEN GO Synergy Core - Audio Interface Review (real-time effect processing?)
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- Опубліковано 15 сер 2024
- In this video I test the Antelope ZEN GO Synergy Core audio interface.
Thomann EU | Audient iD4 MKII: www.thomann.de... *
Amazon US | Antelope Audio ZEN GO Synergy Core: amzn.to/3DNc2nT *
Support future videos on Patreon: / juliankrause
00:00 - Intro
00:50 - Hardware Overview
03:50 - Internals
04:40 - Software Overview
05:34 - Direct Monitoring Latency
06:05 - Synergy Core Effect Latency
06:05 - More about the software
09:28 - Mic Input Performance
10:41 - Mic Preamp Performance
12:31 - Line Input Performance
13:23 - Main Output Performance
14:22 - LCD Interference Issue
15:09 - HP Output Performance
17:15 - Verdict
* Affiliate links from which I receive a commission for sales. This doesn't generate any additional cost for you. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.
** Patreon is a platform where you can voluntarily choose to support the channel by purchasing a monthly subscription.
Update on the inteference issue:
With the firmware version 2.2.4 Antelope addressed the issue and changed the PWM frequency of the LCD backlight. This eliminates nearly all inteference in the audible range by shifting it above the human hearing range.
Hey the comment is here but not pinned to the top so you might want to pin it again. Cheers!
@@joesalyers Thanks, pinned it again.
Stickers are for kids. Thumbs UP!
@Julian Krause do you think replacing those resistors in the headphone amp with something along the lines of 0.3 Ohms would solve the issue with the high impedance?
@@anonymus8760 It will definitely lower the output impedance. But be warned, the interface was not designed with such a low output impedance and modding the output can damage the interface as the current won't be limited anymore by the resistors. Not sure if that's worth the risk.
You sir are the best. I watched a few other reviews of this interface; yours is head and shoulders above the rest. Thank you (as always) for your attention to detail.
yes, he is.
This review, like all of your reviews, is excellent! So sharp, so detailed, so insightful. I can't believe you even found the root cause of the LCD interference bug. I wish there was a review made by you for every piece of audio hardware in the world so that I didn't have to watch anything else but your reviews.
Final score: Julian Krause 1 - Warranty sticker 0 😂
Easily my favorite one so far.
the warranty stickers are actually illegal, the law says that you have a right to open up any device (and even repair) without voiding the warranty.
There's comedians that talk about the German sense of humor, or lack there of, but I will tell you that I literally laughed out loud by the dry humor of you cutting that warning tag with the utility knife after saying, "there's no way to get into the device", hysterical!! Perfect timing..every time I watch it it makes me laugh. thanks!!
Guys. I have this interface. I tested few newcomers, Audient, Black Lion Audio, Motu, etc, and I can say this. numbers are numbers but ears are ears. This unit sounds phenomenal. Closes to this was Black Lion audio 2x2. but antelope just sounds very clear and with weight. Bass has meat. Hights are smooth. They have best clocking and converters for a lot of more money. It's class in its own. Believe me, plus drivers are fast. This unit is great value for money and software mixer and plugins are just cherry on the top. So with all respect, regarding this review, numbers and tests are one thing, sound and usability is another. Remember Julian is testing hardware, specs and all that stuff, but sound and software is another story. (PS. I really like Julian and I love this channel but it's just one side of view really).
I just got myself this interface for my birthday and I want to add a couple of things that I think are important.
1) you can drastically improve crosstalk measurements (and, I presume, performance) by changing the Panning Law to 0db. I tested it myself with RMAA looping the monitor out into the line in, and with the default settings I got -50.1db, with Panning Law set to 0, I got -100.9db.
2) Maybe the software update has fixed it, or maybe they fixed it in newer units, or maybe even your unit was defective (or I got an extremely good one) but in my case you don't need to max out the gain to drive Shure SM7b and the noise is much lower. In the software the gain maxes out at 65db, and speaking at around 5cm/2in from the grill I was averaging -8db with peaks approaching zero even on a relatively moderate voice level. 60db of gain is more than enough, I'd say even 55db is plenty. And I dunno how to measure EIN but to my ear the noise for me is lower than what is shown in the video. So if you are considering buying this interface keep that in mind.
Just what everyone wanted to see. Julian reads our minds again).
Julian, these reviews are the best and most comprehensive i have found. I will now retreat to my room and go back through all your videos. Much to my wifes disgust. You sir are awesome.🤜
Those stickers which say "warranty void if removed" were found to be unenforceable and illegal in the US quite some time ago so I'm surprised any company would still bother using them.
...same in the EU.
For countries outside US I suppose
Let me share a trick on how to pry the unit without damaging the sticker. Use a hairdryer at high temp and blow. Point it at yhe sticker, within a minute, you can easily take it off without tearing it. You can re-stick it back once done..
well Bulgaria is not part of the EU, nor the US. But anything sold in the EU Gott play by EU rules, such as 2 years warranty minimum...sorry US...they look out for their customers ;)
Thanks for the review! I’d be curious to see you review the Audient iD4 MkII with the updated converters!
Me too, I'm currently working on the review :)
Thank you once again my friend. Great job as always. Greetings from Greece!
Was waiting for an Antelope or UA interface!
Should i consider the Antelope Zen Go Synergy Core instead of the apollo solo? I have a MXL REVELATION-II.
I still wish like a thunderbolt 3 comparison - as i can't make up my mind if investing in the X series UA , makes any sense
Unison Technology is interesting to say at least
But honestly, my main target point are just realtime effects without processing on monitoring & recording (well and broadcasting)
If you have Windows, definitely skip UA - even if it’s a USB version. Trust me.
@@alexandergrimes6959 can totally agree. Got an Apollo Twin X one year ago… One year full of problems (with windows). I think ill sell it and buy an zen go 👍🏼
@@deedy9975 That's exactly what I did! I got a Zen Go last month and it has been perfect with Windows. Zero problems, zero configuration headaches.
Apogee Symphony Desktop will be great to review! Unbiased and informative reviews. Great Channel!!
i never comment on the patreon, i'm more a YT guy. but man, become a patreon is just a must when your content is THIS GOOD !
Keep the good work Julian!
I hope you'd get to review the Audient iD14 mk2 next :D Keep up the good work Julian. 👍
Testing it right now ;)
@@JulianKrause Nice, will wait for that review :D
@@JulianKrause Yes!!
@@JulianKrause check phase between the two input channels vs frequency.
@@JulianKrause It will be interesting to compare your tests with tests of Anton Bushinskyi (Антон Бушинский).
New background looking good, Julian!
Excellent job Julian! You recommended the Audient ID14 MKII in a past video where I asked for your opinion, I look forward to your review on it so I can buy it.
It is finally available in Brazil.
Should i consider the Antelope Zen Go Synergy Core instead of the apollo solo? I have a MXL REVELATION-II.
Hahahaha I literally laughed with the sticker thing.
Great review Julian. Would love to see you have a sister channel for plugin reviews. Your impartiality is great to see as practically every other reviewer is being rewarded directly or indirectly for their opinions, which skews the reviews and leaves the consumer none the wiser.
Welcome back!!
Glad I found your channel for my interface needs. Best review as always.
But so much temptation every new episode! haha
The interference from the LCD is from PWM flickering! This is due to how many of the speciality display controllers handle brightness. It's very common in high refresh rate computer monitors. This will bleed into your audio if the monitor is being controlled by the same chip as the audio effects so it's best to run it 100% brightness just like a high refresh rate monitor. Great review by the way!!! Keep up the awesome work.
Hey, you are right with the PWM control. Check the pinned comment for an update on this topic :)
@@JulianKrause Great thanks for the info!
Julian it's great to see real world 'fact based' comparisons like yours. Highly professional. Would love to see you review Antelopes Zen Tour Synergy Core in same manner, they make some big claims👍
Wieder mal ein super Review - ist man von dir ja gewohnt...
Julian Krause is the real deal!! Antelope Audio should have put out a MUCH better product for this price point imo. Quite disappointing.
The other interfaces that were compared against it in those charts have their own flaws as well, so it really depends on what you're looking for. It's also worth noting that a chunk of the price comes down to the cost of their high end effects that you can add to your recording signal. For what it costs vs. an Apollo, (and the fact that you can loopback into Discord/Twitch, etc, which UA cannot do on it's own), $500 is a reasonable price. For the songwriter equipped with a microphone, guitar, and 250ohm Beyerdynamic headphones, this is everything you need.
Great to see you're getting some folk backing you in these things, they've guided me to and away from a few purchases already. Hope to see you spread out to other audio-stuff too down the line.
I’d love to see the Black Lion Audio Revolution 2x2
Check out the AudioScienceReview forum for some measurements of the BLA 2x2. Spoiler alert, it measures like complete shit.
@@cnotecashmoney8474 yeah I saw that but numbers don’t mean it’ll sound good. People say it sounds good but that’s actually why I don’t want it anymore. I’m looking for the flattest most uncolored signal possible
@@cnotecashmoney8474 i want to know what you think about the zen go vs the ssl 2
@@AlexandrusMajoca I've never used the SSL 2 but I had the Zen Go for a few weeks. It provided great sound quality but the software was a mess. Plugins would bug every time I booted my system and distort the sound. The only way to fix it was to manually adjust the plugins. When using multiple plugins it was too tedious so I returned it and bought the MOTU MK5 which has been great.
Thanks for the work you are doing Julian. May I make a couple of requests for your future videos.
There are a number of use cases where it is not necessary to tweak audio parameters of the interface. In particular in regards to interfaces with DSP features or digital external control. In order to avoid having to open an extra control program such interfaces would ideally boot to the last used settings ,which is one of the more useful attributes of the X Air series mixers. So it would be useful to highlight if such functionality exists with any particular interface during the review. Another thing that is frequently overlooked is the subject of USB-C connections Since the USB-C standard was created to unify various USB speeds and power supply standards there is a lot of noise made by manufacturers and non tech reviewers of the existence of a type C connector. Many assume the presence of a USB-C connector implies full type C speeds and power, which is contrary to the fact most USB-C connectors on audio interfaces are really only USB-2 complaint for speed and power. I note you have highlighted this on units with higher specs than USB-2 but again it might be useful to definitively indicate this in all your reviews. I acknowledge that USB-2 is plenty fast enough for low channel counts but I find it disingenuous of manufacturers taking liberties by omission in their promotional materials.
As always...Julian, you make the most complete reviews in the world
😂😂the tension at the warranty really got me
Want a comparison video
Antelope Zen Go
Vs
Apogee Duet
Vs
RME Babayface Pro
Want to know
•which one sounds best ?
•Which one should I buy for M1 Chip Mackbook?
.Which one can drive my 250 ohms headphone better?
I really like how your voice sounds through that BurrBrown and mic preamp. Smooth.
Great video Julian. I decided to get one and all is good so far. Cheers
Did you get the microphone simulation software with yours? Let us know how it works out when you get it set up.
@@Grindstaff09 Sorry for the late reply. The Mic software only works their Mic's. Very happy with the unit.
Finally, a real review and not just a bunch of shills tripping over themselves for free kit.
Guessing you had to pay for this thing. If Antelope willingly sent you one, I'll be pleasantly surprised and may actually consider one :).
Thanks as always for a real, detailed review.
EDIT: looks like they got you too with the "thunderbolt". that isn't thunderbolt. that's just a charging port. If this was thunderbolt, it'd be a steal at 499 USD. The symbol looks like a thunderbolt symbol so it's confusing everyone :D
Yes, I paid for the Zen Go with my own money. Thanks for the hint with the thunderbolt connection. Antelope got me good with the icon :) I deleted the thunderbolt part from the video.
@@JulianKrause They got everyone with that haha. Surprised to see the reasonably low latency on USB though. Antelope has traditionally been pretty weak here using canned Theyscon ( I think) drivers even on their flagship interfaces.
Did it seem usable at 64 buffer? If so, I may still get the damn thing :D
Danke!
Best review ever I could find. Thank you so much Julian. love your work. 👍👍
Отличный,честный обзор!По таблицам и сравнительным показателям сразу видны все плюсы и минусы данного дивайса.Особенно радует показ плат и конверторов АЦП-ЦАП,т.к. мало какой производитель раскрывает этот "секрет")))Все пишут "топовые конвектора" ... а всё-таки кто-то предпочитает AKM, а не Cirrus Logic или Burr Brown ...
Glad you posted this. I contacted Antelope asking for the headphone amp specs of the Q and they refused to give me them. I only wanted to know the power output to see if they would run my headphones. No idea why they would hide these specification when every other company releases them. Everyone is better of sticking with companies such as RME, Motu, Audient etc who are transparent with their specs. Who knows what else Antelope are trying to hide and I for one wouldn't use them!
That sticker part was great.
Great reviews as always....Really like that you do these reviews with windows too. Get to see how the driver support is. Wonder if there will be and RME device in your future
I’m very curious at the analysis of the Apogee Element 24 and the new Apogee Symphony Desktop compared to the rest of the field you’ve evaluated.
Hi Julian , Excellent video.What about RME babyface pro fs vs Antelope ZEN synergy core vs Solid state logic ssl2+ vs Black lion audio revolution 2x2 ?
you're being greedy, lol.
Definitely a great choice for live gigs with the snappy DSP but it really leaves me wishing more for home studio use given that Motu M4 delivers more value and audio quality at quarter of the price.
I find your content excellent, thanks for taking the time to make the respective measurements and inform us about it, I would like to know if you can do a review of the new Antelope Zen Quadro? Greetings from Bogota- Colombia.
This is by far the best review I have seen. Great level of tech detail and communicated so I understand it 🥸
hahaha when you went like " I really can't get passed this sticker " I went " hmm I mean yea it is kinda expensive you probably just want to return this. But then you opened it anyways hehe, awesome work man
Thanks julian. Always the best reviews.
Very thorough as usual. Maybe look at the RME Adi2Pro next? Even though it's a convertor, I'm curious as to what your review of the headphone outs would be.
Being forced to create an account is a deal breaker for me. Thanks for the reviews as always!
Want a detailed comparison video for Antelope Zen Go Vs Babyface Pro Vs Apogee Duet Vs Apollo Twin
,Most hobby players say Apollo Twin, but refer to twin from 3 years ago or even 2014. The current Twins are X3 3rd generation. This cannot even come close.
You are the best, love from Dominican Republic bro
I recently bought the Zen Q Synergy Core USB. For I know the internal parts are quite the same. Would you be able to talk about the Zen Q?
Thanks for all of your amazing and honest reviews!
I'm really enjoying these Audio Interface reviews. Great job, Julian! You know there is gonna be one question that many people have, right? Yep...which one is best? I know the answer is probably "It depends......." but I'd love to see a video where you make a final conclusion and recommendation. Maybe there is one and I just haven't watched it yet........ :)
I have an Antelope interface and it has so many weird quirks that I’m currently trading it for a Motu.
One of those quirks is the line level input limit at +19dBu that you mentioned at 13:00. I disagree that is ‘in the realm of’ professional audio levels. Many vintage and/or pro audio outboard gear maxes out at +24dBu and occasionally as high as +26. I have 1 piece of gear I use on absolutely everything that sounds best when you drive it hard all the way up to +24. So I need to put an attenuator between it and the Antelope unit.
Another major shortcoming IMO is the lack of diversity in the available real-time FX. Antelope heavily favors vintage compressor and EQ emulations and does not have much selection of standard effects like reverbs. The one reverb in their FX library has some major limitations like only being able to run it through their internal mixer … you cannot actually add it as an effect in any AFX chain.
The list goes on. I have a long list of such quirks that I just got so fed up and and I am dumping Antelope.
Man, that was super informative... I just need to know your thoughts and graphs on Apollo Solo (for Windows) and Arturia Audiofuse and then I’ll make my choice for the next interface
yeah he doesnt respond to comments, so good luck...
The knife part had me howling 😂
Cutting the the warranty seal on a device, simply to quench your curiosity, is irresponsible.
Now with that out of the way,
cut that baby & open it up!
You are fantastic bud!
Hope all your new adventures are going excellent. As always, be well bud.
Great review Jay.
I was taught the big difference with this kind of interfaces (from this Antelope to up the star of pro equipment) is the quality of the converters and as far as I know it's an audible thing. I wonder if there is an objective measurement related to this, in other words there are ways to actually put measures and numbers behind a "this is an interface with professional quality converters"? And which are these?
I have an old Focusrite Saffire Pro 40, and these modern small interfaces outmatch it easily. The quality of the converters its something that maybe can be easily understood if we make an analogy to the quality of MP3 audio vs WAV audio. I tested a SSL 2 plus with my same mics, and boy, i felt like i was recording on MP3 quality the whole time. Obviously its not, but the quality of converters makes it feel more "true-to-life" and/or more "tridimensional". The SSL was far more superior, i need a new interface for sure.
Would love to see you reviewing more high end "budget" devices like Apollo Solo.
Isn’t this one in the same ballpark.
3:45 Julian: "Once again I have cut a worthless warranty label"
Another greatly in depth review! That Zen logo seems very similar to AMD's Zen logo hhmmm
Nice job Julian, like always👍
Thank you, you are the god of reviews!
Great review, very interesting with the dynamic range and noise floor!
PLEASE can you do one of the Antelope Discrete interfaces. The pre amps are component based and are supposed to be like console preamps. Very interested to see how it performs. Thank you.
Hi Julian,
Love your channel! Are you planning on doing a RME babyface pro FS review, perhaps?
Thanks!
Yes, that's on my todo list!
Please.
Yes! Cool to have a confirmation of the headphone impedance of this one. I wrote to the Antelope Support and first they told me 120ohms, I asked are you sure and they respond 54ohm. I asked in the Facebook page and they told me 24 ohms. So I will go with the Motu m2 since my sundara cans have an impedance of 38ohms.
I really enjoy your videos.. I'm curious on when you'll review the antelope audio zen q interface, please..
Love your work J. Also love that you keep your testing method consistent unit to unit to end up with a big comparison table.
Really hope you can check out the new Black Lion Revolution interface which is shipping now (in the states) for $399. They have been modding interfaces for a long time I'm very curious how their own interface will perform as it allegedly contains all of their mods already. Keep up the fantastic work. 👍
Hey, I just bought the Black Lion Audio 2x2 Revolution. We'll find out soon how it performs.
Love from Bangladesh Bro.... Always great review
Great review! Congrats!
Nice video!! Keep up with the good work.
Rme babyface pro please))) And it will be good to compare it with Zen Go
Should i consider the Antelope Zen Go Synergy Core instead of the apollo solo? I have a MXL REVELATION-II.
The issue with Antelope LED displays is that the white color fades out over time down to a dark orange color. I know this is the case, as I had a Discreet 8 Synergy Core for only two years and 80% of the white faded out in all of the different menu sections down to a dark orange color. It was hard to read at that color. A big flaw in the Antelope LED displays! Also the Antelope drivers for Windows are slow and frustrating to work with. I recently switched to a Focusrite and the ASIO and WDM drivers work flawlessly in Windows.
super in depth review thank you
Immediate thumbs up when he cut the warranty sticker
Hi JUlian and thanks again for a thorough review. I see Antelope are claiming a much higher dynamic range than you measured. A‑weighted dynamic range of 120dB on the input, I trust your measurement more than a manufacturers marketing but can you explain the discrepancy?
Where have you been my Bro?
Nice new setup.
Would you recommend the ZenGo over the Apollo Solo to a singer-songwriter?
Solid video as always!
Will you also be reviewing its competitor ? uad apollo solo. Same price, display, dsp...
I hope to get my hands on competing interfaces soon :)
I tried lots of ways to make as efficient as possible switching my DAW between mixing and low-latency tracking and I’m still not happy with 3 clicks to switch, so moving that out of the DAW would be awesome for me. I skipped to the verdict when I saw the required account with them and the spam. Thanks for the honest review.
Antelope, if you’re reading this: get a clue!
I've had mine a month and I've had 3 items of mail from Antelope 2 offers of free or cheap stuff and notification of a firmware and software update. Not really spam.
My unit doesn't buzz when the display is dimmed either.
@@MrOpticali 1 month? Check, you might still be able to return it! ;)
@@enado18 Good idea! I'll say that I want to return it because some guy off UA-cam doesn't know how to unsubscribe.
@@MrOpticali Cool! :) Had you not went with this one, what other interfaces would you have considered?
@@enado18 I needed something with decent mic pres as I have some good outboard instrument pres. I briefly considered the Audient ID14 mk11 but really wanted an RME Babyface or an Apollo before I saw this. The FPGA component modelled AFX's are great, like having an analogue rack to track with and insert.
Another great review.
Now I really want this interface 😭
Lmao, I lost it at the warranty sticker comment
So i was going to get rid of my SSL 2+ for the Zen Go just to use the SPDIF for my Kemper. Seems like a good decision still right Mr. Krause?
Please do this with the Zen Q! Please
Can we get a review on the zen q? or does anybody have a walk through on how to use the zen q properly?
Julian, as always, great video!! Thanks. Can you made one review for a RME babyface Pro FS? It will be fantastic!!!
Pity about the warranty sticker, would really have loved to see inside the interface. Amazing work!
3:44 proof of a very good sense of humor.
Thank you for this interesting video, it saves me from buying garbage.
Can you test some USB Mixer, like Allen & Heath, Mackie or Soundcraft? I was wandering if buying one of them for podcast, videomaking, and interviews.. I've tried to find AD/DA specs for these mixers, but I didn't found nothing.
It can be interesting to know how the digital part of these Mixer, and headphones amps compares with some same-price Audio Card.
Just bought it as a package with the Edge Solo mic, 15 additional FX, Bitwig 16 track (Not needed as I got Logic Pro X) for under AUD1000. Looking forward to have this replace my Scarlett 2i2
package...
thx krause ,but what about the new audient 14 MKII??
Hey, I'm testing it right now!
@@JulianKrause Audient ID14 mrkii vs Motu M4.
plz plz compare it to the zen go and ssl
Julian ! you always make really good job ! thx it is very helpfull for all of us.keep doing it ! when it is possible i would like to know your oppinion about Black Lion interface ! thx again !
Thanks for the review. It seems this is almost perfect as an interface, especially if you use an external A/D converter. Perhaps they'll be able to squeeze a bit more performance from their next gen in those trouble areas you mentioned. This seems like a decent competitor to the UAD, though UA definitely has them beat if you like spending thousands of dollars on hardware-accelerated plugins.
Danke sehr für deine Videos
Audient id24 vs zen go? Please let me know
Would love to see Audient Sono and something from RME AND apogee
Great review 😎