Universal Audio Apollo A Good Buy In 2023

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[@steveg219]

The Apollo continues to work really well for me. While UA is porting the plug-ins to Native, there is only a short list today available. Not sure for new buyers, but for those of us who have used UAD for a while it is still great AND you can run some of the plugins natively , this is a huge bonus

[@ScantlessBeatz]

I been buying a few plugins here in there and I have a few you can not even get if you do not have a apollo unit. I just wish apollo 6,8 & x16 was more in my price range. I find myself using the baisc uad tools on more and more sessions.

[@bdeep]

Been using UA gear since UAD-1, now using Apollo and have always been super happy. Great sounding, straight forward to use, and stellar customer support.

[@royalnegotiation]

I think there's more value in Unison than you're giving it credit for. Just about every blind test I've seen has left people borderline guessing as to whether they're listening to Unison preamps or hardware. For $100-$300 software to be virtually indistinguishable sonically to $2-7k hardware is really impressive, and will continue to be a huge Apollo selling point. I've gone so far as to run Neve 1073SPX pres and the UAD Neve 1073 through plugin doctor, only to find virtually no differences in frequency response and harmonics. I'm not saying it's the be all end all, but it's hard not to recognize value when I see it. Having a roster of high end preamp emulations that are a) portable, b) sonically indistinguishable, and c) less expensive to own/maintain is a very flexible system overall, and definitely worth the investment into UAD's interfaces.

[@henrikpetersson3463]

To be fair, apart from the impedance difference you would get an identical result if you run them as inserts in your DAW with the benefit of being able to switch them out. That said, I prefer the Apollo workflow and don't see the point in postponing decisions like those to the mixing stage.

[@FreakinOutOnAudio]

Love and use Apollo and Unison, but to my ears, the Unison Neve simulation pales in comparison to a real Neve or Neve clone. The Unison is nothing like the real thing when pushed into saturation, and it's not subtle. Still plenty of uses for Unison in general though.

[@wolfgilbert]

Barry, nice video with a well thought out perspective. I take a different viewpoint. To add context, I actually did buy an Apollo X8 this year and I have to say I'm delighted with it, but I did so even though I believe it is soon to be 'replaced'. There are a couple of points I'd like to make, first being that people buy in to 'ecospheres' more than devices...if you are an Apple guy/gal, you have iCloud, which means your Mac works best with an iPhone (vs. a Samsung) and your data is more easily ready from a Mac than from a Windows device. So when you need a new device as part of this ecosystem, you buy one from that same ecosystem...the same is true in cameras (lenses vs. bodies etc) and so many other areas. So if you've invested in UAD plugins, and you need a Preamp/Interface, you'll get benefit from a UAD device, and vice versa. Secondly, I don't think you are right in your thinking that because computers are getting more and more powerful and can do everything the Sharc powered UAD devices can do, that there's little value in offloading that to a device. I love the fact that I can have a signal come in from an analog device (mic/instrument/whatever), be processed the way I wan't, monitored, but also routed to another device, recorded...with or with out the processing, and if it's live, streamed directly, without every tying up my Mac (or frankly even needing it to be powered on - although admittedly it pretty much always is). It seem clear to me that releasing 'native' plugins is part of a two prong approach from UAD...obviously expanding their market to not UAD hardware people, but also setting up for the obvious shift to ARM based processing in what I assume will be UAD v3 hardware...but only once the entire stack is 'native' ready. I'm excited to see what they do with that, because I think it will let them do so much more, more cost effectively. So if I 100% believe that's the direction (which I do), why commit a not so small chunk of cash to a dated platform now? Well, I've watch the tech industry for a very long time and the one truth I can absolutely tell you is that there will *always* be something better coming along soon. Waiting for it is a fool's game. If you can wait until the next gen, you don't *need* anything now, and spending money on something you don't need is silly. If you do need it, buy it...if it's good enough now, the fact that something will be better latter is irrelevant...if it's not good enough now, save your money! Just my perspective...anyway, great video, and good discussion.

[@definfected]

I love my apollo x8p!! I'm using a classic Mac Pro on Mojave with Logic Pro and everything works great!! Thanks for sharing your thoughts. Much ❤ Barry!!

[@sumithramachandranwatchyou5045]

So happy with my first generation Apollo Twin. I will definitely buy the Apollo x . I just bought the Friedman and PT100 amps. Amazing sound.

[@JTPiano2011]

I use both PC & Mac in our studio. I looked hard at the Apollo product line recently. I ended up going in a completely different direction and bought an SSL Big Six. Latency is a thing of the past. Track through the console while monitoring through the console. Voila. Having said all that I am thrilled to be able to access the Apollo line of plugins to use in my system.

[@trebleboost7]

This seems to make a compelling case to look at the new Neve and Neumann interfaces. This also foots with some of the earlier ratings by BLA on the conversion quality of various boxes. Always love your perspective Barry. I just missed out on a deal for an A-designs Pacifica as a first step into the better preamp world....

[@americanbigelow]

"...If not thousands of tracks..." Wow! Barry, I'm impressed. My sessions are usually only between 80 and 150 with all the handoffs. You must truly be a master. FYI: My (Clearly inferior) Silicon Mac tops out around 300 tracks. So... You got a diamond. Thanks for the video!

[@Stormsurf001]

I'm using an Apollo X4 on a custom Win PC with Thunderbolt card with 16 core/32 threads at 24 bit/96khz with upwards of 350 tracks per song all recorded through soft preamps/some comps and tape emulation and piles of plugins on top and it works perfectly and steady as rock. Tracking through the plugins is very light like you mentioned. Anyway, the Apollo ecosystem is insane. All totally in the box. Good economic decision for me and I'm very happy with the system. Apollo rocks!

[@catojrgensen8912]

Hi Barry. Great points ! Regarding the "committing to tape" at the recording stage is a huuuuge win for me creatively. It might seem counter productive, but there is a huge creative aspect of limiting yourself and getting the sound right from the get go. Playing back something that has "the sound" early in the proces is an immense time saver and creatively rewarding and inspiring during the proces. Instead of having 50 tracks that all sound kind of bland because of fear of committing to a sound. And THEN you have to click on a mouse for a hundred years frustrating yourself with how many options you suddenly have chasing a sound that somehow seems like a faint and fleeting idea. No! I want my hands tied any day. Just a thought. Looooove your content!

[@C1ndf2ndi3]

Completely agree here!

[@vineyardrecordingstudio]

Love my 8xp ❤ It is a perfect audio interface and so much more!

[@gregczech7344]

Hi Barry thanks for doing what you do! I appreciate your straight forward, no BS approach. I’m deciding on an interface in the 2800$ range, and working with a new Mac mini. I have friends who swear by the Apollo’s but watched your video on RME. I track with a LA610mk2 and Warm 73 with Warm 76 and am happy with these units. Wondering your thoughts on which interface to go with. Thanks again for what you do👍

[@randyk1919]

Great video, and I agree with much of what you're saying. One area where we differ is.. I do frequently use the DSP both to monitor and print lightly-applied plugins on the way in. However, I'm also using my Apollo x8 in the same manner as you do with your hardware compressors, i.e. just a tiny amount on the way in. Bottom line is I enjoy making some of those sonic decisions earlier in the process and starting out my overdubbing and mixing sessions with certain tracks that already have a little magic dust baked in. That said, I also make a point to not overdo it. Also, I recently sold my Satellite because --- with the growing list of native plugins becoming available -- I'm no longer needing as much DSP.

[@TheChrispablo]

As a windows user i have the UAD apollo twin mk 2 thunderbolt for about 3 years now. It was a pain in the beginning setting it up and all that(thunderbolt drivers and windows was not easy), but after i made it work it was and still is the best thing i bought. My computer is not that powerful and the UAD makes it possible to track with auto tune, compression, reverb etc. with no latency and without taxing my computer. Sound quality is top. for 1000€ it was the best thing i bought.

[@ayo1387]

I’m surprised bro! Does Apollo Twin MK2 Thunderbolt works for windows?? I have Apollo for about a year now but I still struggle getting it to work on my Windows if it works for you please please I need help

[@hundeaux]

@@ayo1387they just dropped the Apollo Twin USB for Windows. Make sure you get that one and not the Thunderbolt version

[@samirchiakh]

@@ayo1387 You must have a motherboard with an integrated Thunderbolt port.

[@marklholloway]

I own two x16 and an x4 clocked off a Rupert Neve Master Bus Converter (MBC) and they sound great. I do love the workflow in Luna and the recent update where you can flip between Native and DSP versions of UA plugins, similar to Carbon DSP and Native in Pro Tools. I think UA may be taking their time on the next gen Apollo because there will be a change in the DSP workflow approach and to support this in Console, Luna, new and old Apollo hardware, updated software drivers, requites a massive roadmap and a large team of developers dedicated to just this. Meanwhile UA has acquired Bock and others and even though UA may be “small” they still have a big growth trajectory and added some great executives to their leadership team. Lastly, they are on a roll and I’m sure whatever the next generation of products are, they want to knock it out of the park as it will likely be a massive R&D investment.

[@mrzprettyfeet]

That's the setup I want to use x16 clocked off of the MBC or a Burl have you tried clocking the Apollo with the Burl? If So how do you think they compare. If not, what is your opinion onn the difference between the x16 alone vs with MBC added?

[@4th_wall511]

Thanks a ton for this. I'm new to the environment and almost bought an apollo but was really unsure whether i needed it since I already have a zoom f3 that can act as an audio interface. Going to just go with the subscription model for now.

[@pat-enz]

Makes sense. As you say it is a small company. They want to be efficient, so they put all the spare sharc processors in their pedals. Once they used them up, they will come out with a new big one with a new processor. As long as they do well, they will wait for this release and keep developing a great new hardware platform. If I record myself, I prefer the apollo. I even record with plugins to stop tweaking and be more productive and I love it. That being said, I will continue with my apollo until end of life and also stay with my mac.

[@Mayd_sounds]

Crazy how I googled this days ago! Thanks for the vid!

[@stayinspired2027]

Hey Barry love your opinion on this! I agree, I currently have an older Apollo and I am happy I can run plugins Natively now. Thinking of eventually upgrading my conversion I am guessing an RME would make the most logical sense for conversion and I/O in the same price range as the 8 channel Apollo?

[@MusicOfDreamweaver]

I find tracking with UAD has a better feel than using other interfaces. I have the native Brown Eye from Brainworks and I have the UAD version and when playing through the interface into the native plugin just doesn't feel as good as using it in console. When you add on that I can use it for streams or live, this adds to the value. I love that I can use both Native and DSP now because that gives me choice. Sure, when you mix it doesn't matter that much, but when you track it makes a world of difference.

[@henrikpetersson3463]

I have an M1 Pro and I still feel the need for DSP while tracking. Also the process of designing and playing through your sound in Console or Luna is a joy. Especially when it comes to guitar and bass. And committing to sound leaves for less decisions at mix stage. But as you said, I do not commit to heavy compression. I really wish that they would add the ability to record both dry and wet sound without messy routing though AUXes. Because usually what you record is just fine, but sometimes you do need to redo the processing. I completely agree that the conversion is not the best out there. The Neumann MT-48 is far better for example. But it is certainly good enough if everything else ticks your boxes.

[@riasure]

Hi Barry, really great video and timely for me! I have the Apollo twin duo mk1 (thunderbolt version) and was considering upgrading to the twin x. Would this be a worthwhile upgrade in your opinion? Or are the improvements from the twin mk1 to the twin x negligible? Thank you

[@IntheDAW]

You make some great points on why its not as necessary as it was before. But lets also keep in mind. Not everyone is able to buy a high spec machine. In a mixing session when you have tons of fx editing and sometimes even synths in a session lowering the buffer is not a option due to cpu. Or high delay compensation from more modern plugins. And finally its actually very comfortable to just slap fx that are all sub 2ms have auto compensation under the 2ms and lets you NOT have to commit. Now I myself and on a custom built pc in cubase pro. I use 2 x8p and 1 x twin. I also have alot of outboard for mixing and a few adat rack units to get all my analog stuff in as clean as possible. It works amazing for me since I get to track a full band or just sections of on at once but also am able to keep the recordings clean when not sure i want to commit. Its a great tool but I agree it has lost its necessity and become alot more of a convenience. I think they are great but if they stopped working tomorrow I would still find a way to get it done.

[@matthewg.garcia9415]

Just bought the Quad heritage Apollo Twin X. I love it, the preamps are killer, I run my guitar through a desktop British circuit tube pre-amp (EH English Muff'n - really cool) then into the Apollo with a Marshall Amp sim. Throw on some space echo reverb, and an 1176 compressor and it sounds absolutely amazing! Granted I upgraded from a PreSonus 44VSL from 2011.

[@kevinlentz7604]

❤Barry love your Chanel,I started on UAD 1 ,use my mk11 Apollo,with 14 pre amps compressors,have very much invested,can’t really afford to switch now ,I track with no plugins,Hardware ,love your channel and information,it’s extremely hard been recording since 1977 1/4 inch tape,mix hybrid ❤

[@arturflor]

Love you, Barry! Some counterpoints: -Even my M1 Macbook Pro can't get me the 2ms of latency that Apollo path offers. Not a big deal, but just saying... :) -In the late stages of a mix, with my M1 getting taxed with plugins, I need to quickly record a new take. With my Apollo, I can track with plugins printed at almost no latency, regardless of what's happening on my M1. That's a powerful argument for an Apollo for me. -For the price of an Apollo I could buy a nice hw preamp/channel, true. Or with an Apollo you can track a mic thru an API channel strip, a noise and room-removing magical plugin (C-Vox), and a Studer tape machine. I am making better use of my money with the second option. Just engaging here with you because I love your channel! 🙂

[@kevinlong4657]

100% , it's the reliability of the DSP that I love. Nothing worse than fiddling with buffer settings in your DAW to get low latency then getting crackles, and that still happens on M1

[@BarryJohns]

I’ve yet to experience that.

[@trebleboost7]

I am still trying to get my head around he Silicon offerings. Isn’t performance a lot to do with the fastest single core performance? The M2 Pro with 32/1TB option upgraded to ‘studio’ cores seems to be a sweet spot, but is it?

[@musiccreation1198]

@@BarryJohns Ditto

[@odmusicman]

Thanks Barry I just went through this decision myself and decided to upgrade my computer to the Intel 13700 verses a hardware change (I have a 18i20 Focusrite). My motherboard/processor upgrade was $540 and the performance is night and day. and will help with overall performance for recording, plugins, simultaneous tracks, etc. A better alternative investment. I was able to reuse my 48GB RAM and existing M.2 hard drives.

[@guyonkeys]

I recently sold my Apollo Twin X for this exact reason. Everything I need can be got natively. I did pick up a cheap UAD Arrow which is fab as it is powered through TB3 so is perfect as a portable device. I will pick up a new interface at some point but no urgency at the moment as I only really record 2 tracks most of the time.

[@Luchodela]

Hi Barry. Thanks for your videos and sharing your opinions. You made some good points. I was wondering if you heard or tried the Audient ID44? Lets say you had a powerfull computer, would you say that in terms of pre-amps and AD-DA conversion its at the same level as the Apollo Twin? Thanks.

[@marvk7210]

I'm on a "tight budget" and just did an upgrade from a Behringer FCA1616/ADA8200 combo and T-Racks plugins to a UA system on the recommendation of an engineer (who's now in the band with us). Even though UA just did a full upgrade to the Apollo series, one side effect of this was a BUNCH of used Apollo 8 Quads hit the market at a steal. I started with a Satellite Firewire, took advantage of a couple of bundle plugin packages on the mid-year sale, Then - for less than the cost of a new Apollo x8, I snagged two Apollo 8 Quads and two Thunderbolt 3 Cards. Do I need the DSP? Until I can upgrade my PC, yeah, I need 'em. I'm usually tracking 8-12 tracks at once. The sounds I'm getting are miles and miles above what I was getting on the prior setup.

[@getdownnowd13]

Thank you for that..! That helps me out

[@merochingon]

I used my apollo to Live events where I just insert plugins for my vocal..so besides only tracking..you can also use this in a live event or Live Streaming with a great sound using the DSP

[@BarryJohns]

Nice

[@trebleboost7]

This is where I like DSP too. I use a Tascam Celesonic and can set it up as a standalone mixer with compression/EQ/Master Reverb sends. Then for tracking can switch it over to DAW mode. Works fantastic. A little hard to get my head around all the routing options in the software though LOL,

[@ProVoiceBH]

Thanks so much Sir. But I feel that the amount of low latency that you get from UA Console is more pleasing and more comfortable to the ears than tracking natively in 32 samples even on Apple Silicon. I know the difference is not that much, but it’s noticeable if you compare them immediately one after the other. When I tried it I felt that the UA Console is closer to a real analog mixer in my opinion (in terms of latency performance). Lovely video BTW thanks again.

[@imhaydenmelrose]

That's because Apollos aren't great with latency from the DAW. It's their on-board latency that's fantastic. Their DAW latency is actually quite bad by todays standards. An RME should have a latency of about 2-3 ms at 32 samples (out of DAW). This is pretty on par with using an Apollo with on-board plugins. Apollos have much higher latency in this same scenario. I believe I've seen some get as high as 13ms.

[@ProVoiceBH]

@@imhaydenmelrose Hi mate. Yea I got your point. But in my case I compared the latency between Apollo (through UA Console) vs Focusrite Clarett 8Pre & Apogee Duet (through DAW on Mac M1 Pro). Maybe RME is different story in terms of latency? But anyway RME is expensive too so it’s not a budget option compared to UA. That’s just my experience on my system and workflow maybe it differs with others.

[@imhaydenmelrose]

@@ProVoiceBH I gotcha man. Well if that's what your testing shows, definitely do what's best for you. I tend to record and monitor through my plugin chain through my DAW. So for me, options like RME currently make the most sense. Always work with your workflow in mind. If it works for you, it works. I can't argue with that.

[@OneManRightHere]

Fully agree! Just got an x8p and absolutely loving it along with their native, apollo and Unison plugins. So far, I'm only using UA plugins and don't feel the need for anything else. And I LOVE LOVE LOVE the LUNA DAW. This is the DAW I've been seeking for a very long time. I'm usually a Windows guy. Have nothing against Mac, but never had the need to get one. So I got a used Mac Book pro with 16GB RAM and 1TB SSD and i7 processors, and it runs LUNA beautifully. I literally can't take any other DAW anymore, especially Reason. Most DAWs are like walking through Disneyland on acid, looking at like "wtf is this and what am I supposed to do with it??" LUNA hands down beats them all.

[@davidkey6623]

Hey Barry! The only positive to DSP the idea of “mic modeling” and like you said “committing” outboard gear. Just barely committing to stuff the same way you use your pat off gear or even using it just for monitoring. So there still is a benefit, it’s just a lot less of a benefit than it used to be. Because you are right you still can use a daw only but if you don’t have to mess with your balance in your daw and use the console purely for the sake of monitoring while recording. Hope that makes sense! I agree with all of what you said by the way, esp the preamps. I love my analog preamps with my Apollo 16 (no preamps built it). Keep making these awesome videos!

[@tmappe]

As a straight up -plug and play- no brainer solution if you have a little more cash it’s an avenue that saves a lot of headache. Buy an Apollo 8xp and a refurbished MacBook Pro M1 that’s what I did. Hook it up and press go. Everything sounds amazing.

[@taylorlimbeck6854]

I track with comfort reverb, eq and comp on everything. Use the DSP in my StudioLive Mixer but I do not commit. I mix with UAD plug ins since they’ve gone native. Had an Apollo X4 and it was great but having a full blown mixer with multiple inputs is far better for tracking and leaving everything mic’d and ready

[@TheBASSmentStudio615]

I'm thankful for their starting to port over to native. It's great come mix time... My apollos still reign for tracking. I love the conversion and I track through the unison preamps all of the time. It's about the tracking DSP... Not the mix DSP for me. It sounds the complete opposite for you.

[@keithkenyon3845]

literally just installed my Apollo 2 days ago. zero regrets.

[@rademasi]

Thanks and nice video. In your opinion how does Apollo stack up against RME (eg, UFXII) whichI own and have been extremely happy with

[@MrStevepowell7253]

Great video - which has probably saved me a lot of expense! I do use Luna via a Volt interface which allows access to quite a few free UAD plug-ins and I have purchased a few more. Could you explain in more detail how you would use the 1176 and LA2A - e.g in what orde and relative settingsd for a few tracking scenarios?

[@user-oo3tf9sj5d]

Hey Barry, as always great content... do you by chance have a video out talking about the townsend sphere l22 by chance?

[@garthmorrisette]

Thanks for the analysis. I've been considering buying an Apollo and I'm doing my due dilligence. I've been wondering the some of the same things you have brought up. What is the advantage of using an Apollo with DSPs vs just using native plugins on my macbook M1 via Logic? I've been using some of the UA native plugins on my Mac in Logic, and I've been really happy with them. I haven't run into in processing issues yet. My only beef with using the native plugins has been that I have to open UA Connect and Logic Pro and make sure the plugins have loaded. I've had several frustrating moments when the plugins haven't loaded and I have to reboot both. Perhaps using an Apollo with Console will make things more imediate and real time. Anyway, thanks for the analysis.

[@seekyeefirstforsound]

Been thinking of getting x8 and Dante compatibility for live performances. Especially being able to use C-Vox for live sound. Please let me know if you have any experience in such situations. I believe it'll really help me for my day to day work doing live sound not just being able to use it in post processing

[@JedWunderli]

I notice you got the new Adam A77s. I'm thinking of getting them. How do you like them? Is the low end solid? How are they at louder volumes - do they fill a decent size room? How about the midrange speaker, does that add a lot to the clarity? I really want to go to a three-way speaker from my Mackie HR824s that I've had for 20+ years. Thanks for your input.

[@kevinlong4657]

To me the remaining value of Apollo DSP is just during tracking where you really have a guarantee of no dropouts. In reality the UAD DSP plugins aren't even "zero latency". But even with my M1 mac, I might be trying to track some vocals alongside some drum plugin that I didn't freeze and now I've got pops and glitches in my audio or whatever. Never had a single pop/crackle from the DSP, the peace of mind is still nice to have.

[@luiza177music]

I sold my Apollo Twin mkII for an RME UCX II. I'm quite happy I did, though I do miss being able to track with a Distressor plug-in. Like you said though, nothing I can't just use later. The Apollo worked mostly fairly nicely for me on my Windows system... but if I as simply as decided to buy an extra cable for it (for my convenience), that'd cost at least 80 bucks with no guaranties that it'd actually even work. I still have a UAD-2 QUAD PCIe card, which I might end up also selling, considering I just ordered an AMD Ryzen as an upgrade, and there's a good chance it won't work. I'm still not sure what I'll do if that's indeed the case, between selling it for an OCTO, a QUAD USB Satellite, or just selling it period. But yeah, like Barry said, UA plugs are great, if you're exclusively on Mac, go for it. If not, then think really, really carefully before making that purchase

[@elwe23]

so how do you rate your RME vs Apollo in terms of converters and preamps ?

[@Sam-Ku-West]

I would like to know when LUNA will be available on Windows!?!?

[@LaCorriente220]

And don’t forget to mention!compatibles with other interfaces.

[@fulmine1]

Hi Barry thanks for your opinion. What’s about the new Neumann Interface ? You already test it ?

[@lilocapitalT-ix4nz]

i bought my apollo not for dsp but for unison plugins. but i respect ur input

[@samueloluyinkaojomu6548]

If you are faced with this 2 scenerio which would you prefer or go for. Option 1 is tracking with an Apollo twin x using universal audio prepamps and compressors for traking in or Option 2 Using an Audient ID44 mkii with real analog compressors as inserts for tracking. Which would you go for if you are tracking vocals, saxophone, bass and guitar and mixing 100% in the box without UAD plugins

[@markocannon8029]

I definitely didn’t need my Apollo anymore , my Volt 176 work flawlessly maybe it’s my mixing now but I’m making the best music I ever made with this lil Volt !

[@DamnnnDarius]

I got a Apollo twin X and I love it, I also work in Luna so it seamlessly works well. But that advid M box studio is looking very nice to me. Also wanna get me a duet 3 for on the go purposes

[@DavidDicksRFR]

I’m still using HDX card with 3 Lynx Aurora interfaces. I am down to 1 UAD2 card since I can’t use my FireWire UAD2 with the Mac Studio. Everything is solid. For now…. I looked at getting into the Apollo interfaces but for the money and my needs it would just be overkill I think.

[@proadstudio]

Ciao Berry , I still don’t have the Apollo but I have an M1Pro , what is not clear to me is how plugin are managed? Apollo will run only the uad plugin or also others? What with other plugins it will be the m1 to work , there is a split of computational loading or how it works?

[@kylewhittaker4862]

In you opinion, what is the best interface for the singer songwriter type, with atleast two mic pre’s under in the intermediate price range $300-$700 for windows users?

[@hakangurdol]

It's been one year I'm on M1 MacBook Pro it is so fine for me any job now I can manage to do it, with only one interface the SSL 2+ sound card.

[@garyclement2888]

I'm working at building a vocal stack for voice over in Apple Logic Pro X. What plugins and UA gear do you suggest? Plan is to focus on Cinematic Audio for movie trailers, promos. I'm looking at theUniversal Audio Apollo Twin X Duo Heritage Edition MAC.- Please give me your thoughts. My computer is a IMAC 2021 Intel machine, with 40gig Ram.

[@Bluesman788]

Love the content. I have an M1 Mac and Apollo Twin Mk II Quad, but I'd like to record acoustic drums. I can't justify the price tag on an Apollo x8 or x8p, so what would be your recommendation on adding some extra input channels?

[@ryanmondak1844]

Adat to an audient

[@seanriley9045]

I love working with Apollo and Luna. It’s just a work flow thing.

[@TheThinker43]

Barry, there is a huge benifit to dedicated Dsp. It’s the sole reason I can track over a session that’s got a full mix going and not loose the vibe. Master bus alone can have 2500 samples of delay. HDX and Apollo is the only game in town imho

[@BarryJohns]

I have made it clear, there are certain situations where DSP is necessary.

[@TheThinker43]

@@BarryJohns cool, my bad, must have missed that

[@knars7888]

As many audio gear companies recently, UAD realizes that there a lot of money to be made in the more entry level market, so they are making things like the arrow series of interfaces and fx pedals. I don't think apollo is a priority right now. But I do still love my apollos, the only plugins I care about are the unison, and personally, it's not about the fidelity, It's about the changes on circuity inside the interface, specifically the change in impedance.

[@williamjohnson2598]

But Barry, tracking thru the UAD unison preamps just makes me happy... (sniff)... in part because I can... I freely admit it... and partly so I can geek out for sure.

[@BarryJohns]

Then be happy brother!

[@pablochavez7481]

I own a mac mini m1 with 16 Gb Ram and I defineteley use and track with an apollo. I can track at 64 buffer size but I do notice a difference when I use low latency monitoring with the apollo. I preffer to record with eq or compression (just small moves). I use mostly la-3a, tubetech cl1b (parallel compression) neve 1073 and the fender amp. I've tried the fender twin verb after recording aguitar and it sounds very different than when using the unison pre, no placebo for me. It sounds a lot noisier.

[@StephaneDelaporte]

Hi. I really like your videos. I find them very interesting and instructive. So, I like to follow your recommendations. I need to update my audio interface and go from the Apollo Solo to ??? I understand that you are not fond of Avid as a company but that you love their hardware gears. What would you say about using the Avid MBox Studio with Ableton live? These are supposed to be compatible but I wonder if it would be relevant to use an interface that is optimized for Pro Tools with Ableton Live. Please note that I don’t need DSP’s. I look forward to getting your insight. Than you !

[@BarryJohns]

Avid gear is always gong to work best with ProTools, always has been that way. It’s by design. If I were working in ProTools and the Mbox io was adequate for my needs, it’s a worth consideration, otherwise, I’d look at other options.

[@Muzick]

Well they technically have released an "updated" version of their Apollo USB! I just ordered the X USB and am pretty excited. (Barring any windows issues UA is known to have).

[@mikenoble5049]

I love what my twin does for me but I feel like I need to get all the unison plugins to make my interface work to its full potential. Right now I buy the less expensive plugins that are more affordable. Ex: waves api 550, 60, 2500. Now UA has those plugins for unison And for Luna a built in channel strip. Am I missing out on UA/Luna’s full potential? Like your videos. Thanks

[@scorpion-unitrap5452]

Hello, very very good explanations. Now it turns out that I have a real 1073 Neve, my curiosity pushed me to do a simple test, I took a passive radial spliter I recorded my voice in the 1073 Neve hardware and at the same time in the apollo in unison with the Plugin 1073 with almost the same settings, the difference is not that easy to make. Now between a $5000 Product and a $300 plugin, it's obvious to me. In my opinion. if there is even 8% difference between Hard and Soft, well who will make the difference on a disc??????

[@Mitsch76]

Hi Barry! You are right about DSP Power...I recently bought a new Laptop (refurbished to be honest). An i5 on a small Lenovo Think Pad. And I can run 50 tracks, each with a SSL Channelstrip2 inserted, on that machine, without any dropouts. Why would I need any extra DSP?? 🙂So I'm happy with that, an SSL12 USB interface and some ADAT connected outboard if I wanted extra analog stuff in my channels. I remember the times I dreamed of Sharc DSP units while my PC couldn't run more than 4-5 tracks with Plugins, but these times are long over ;-)

[@DragonboltBlastter]

Barry, what is your opinion on the apollo x16 converter?

[@bayareafactorbaby8913]

I have a m2 pro laptop powerful computer whats the best interface too use if i have no problem using dsp im using a X6 apollo and i dont like the quality im getting from it my microphone is a townslab and i have a m1 slate digital microphone what a good microphone too pick up if i want too step away from UA i know the neumann a good brand but what should i buy im just recording RNb vocals and rap jn the room thank but i want the pro quality sound

[@dab7963]

I had an AMD with thunderbolt and it did not work in Windows 22H2 and I wrote a letter to build the owner of your AD and they told me buy a Mac

[@KeikoFXDesigns]

AMD don't come with thunderbolt. Unless you use a thunderbolt card. Intel is the way for Thunderbolt. Mac uses Intel cpu's and motherboards. Mac is just an OS.

[@imhaydenmelrose]

@@KeikoFXDesigns AMD's Ryzen platforms do support Thunderbolt. Intel used to be used by Apple, but no longer. Apple now uses their own in-house chips. Mac is a computer brand/line made by Apple. The OS that runs on them is called macOS. Universal Audio needs to support Windows. It's unacceptable for them to have such poor support for it at this point. I'll stick to RME and others until this changes. Even when this does change, they've burnt enough bridges with Windows users. UA isn't the only one in town anymore.

[@drewschempf944]

When do you think new dsp satellite units will drop if you can take a guess

[@MitchellSpille]

Its definitely nice that UA lets you run their plugins natively now. What most UA haters don't get though is the Unsion preamp tech. You can get 90% of the way to 8+ channels of Neve preamps with the unison preamps versus the real thing that costs much more. I always say that Apollos are the bet thing on the market unless you have the money for lots of analog hardware. But especially for those of us who are working session drummers, we usually can't afford to buy a dozen channels of Neve preamps. Even if you go with something like thte warm audio 1073s, that's still several thousand right there.

[@Doctaj54]

In the process of dumping my Avid HD Native interface I looked into Carbon vs Apollo and did not find Carbon's conversion better so I would have to disagree with you on that. I went with the Apollo X8p, Twin X, and would like an X16 but haven't bought one for the many of the reasons you stated. With the Mac Studio I don't need the UA's onbound DSP and they are heading down the native route so that's a plus. I feel the X8p seems a tiny bit cleaner than the Twin X at times. Maybe it's the clocking. Sometimes I don't like flipping over to the Console software and wished UA had an iPad app for it lol.

[@maninlalaland531]

I m looking forward the upcoming Apollo inferface if there is no dsp, better convert, more IO.

[@Kharrari]

Yea this makes a lot of sense. I would love to see what they make.

[@DRETD2124]

Having a super high spec P.C may be a luxury for most. I agree with your points though. I would add that i've heard ppl swear up and down about Luna's workflow.

[@nanasibisi]

Using my wife's mobile, but Barry I've done this (tracking with/without Unison) long enough to determine the difference (however subtle during tracking) in the sonic quality during mixing. It's not placebo, trust me.

[@stixxstevedo]

What are your thoughts on the Luna platform?

[@simonsays9368]

Is Avid Carbon, only for ProTools , or can it be used with other DAW systems? Thanks Barry, for all your informative input.

[@zonarecordingstudio]

Yes it can, but you will have access to the dsp chips,which is the best thing about the carbon, love mine

[@zonarecordingstudio]

will not have access to the dsp chips

[@guitargod666able]

I love my Apollo x8 worth every dime

[@sqsmnoise]

Hi, When you say that the carbon has way better convertion, what do you really mean exactly? Is it possible to do listen to some sound examples to prove your point? I really like your channel and youve had valid points before about UA but i do get a litle sceptical when you talk about way better conversion in the carbon but at the same time stress that there are so suddle differenses in conversion in most modern units that most people wont here a difference?

[@2coldjames648]

I have an Apollo twin 1st gen, is the upgrade to x worth it?

[@nlamste3]

Hi, great video as always! Just a couple of additional things to consider (maybe not the most important, but still): - buying an Apollo gives you ‘free’ plugins which most you can also use native without a monthly subscription - using the modeling mics latency free real-time is great (I own a L22) Additional downside for some people (not for me): - portability is less due to power cable, compare to a lot of USB powered interfaces Other than that, I am trying to cut my GAS and try to be happy with all the great stuff that is already here now, instead of always hoping for the better next thing 😉

[@CreativeMindsAudio]

I have an x4 and x8p. I think the things Apollo does WAY better than other companies is the preamp emulation and the reverbs are the best. But the real reason i have the Apollo is because i live stream and when i do that i would rather NOT have to open a DAW and just be able to do everything from console. To be able to compress and EQ my vocal mic and not have to open up a DAW that sucks a ton of processing power (and time to load up) is such a breeze. Add in guitar FX and what not and it’s even better, same with having guests. 0 latency. I have native equivalents to almost everything i have with UAD, so it’s not the end of the world for native/DSP wise. But since i often will run out of CPU power or DSP it’s good to be able to switch between them. Granted this is on HUGE sessions, but many of my sessions aren’t small.

[@dk6343]

How many dsp plugins can you run on the x4 before the dsp processors are maxed out

[@vc2tb]

It’s a case of different strokes for different folks. Ive got a trash can I’ve got dsp. When I upgrade to a new computer I may have to think about

[@jacksp8de]

Depends on the genre but When tracking vocals it’s extremely valuable to record pop and hip hop through my Apollo X4 because of autotune and my template projects have a lot of plugins but I never have to worry about latency. I think my apogee symphony desktop sounds clearer with a wider deeper stereo field and I have a hardware preamp and compressor with an M1 Pro so long as I don’t over do with the plugins it’s actually a great experience as well. With the Apollo I just don’t have to think about it. So it’s still more convenient.

[@AI-Consultant]

is the real time unison autotune that good? or is it more of an effect like kayne used it?

[@jacksp8de]

@@AI-Consultant yes it’s a uad version of auto tune but it’s the real thing. You can print it but I use it to monitor because the artist needs to hear it as they record. Ill have another auto tune in the daw the same settings so I can tweak it later if I need to

[@benderbi]

I've been thinking of a Appollo Solo but IDK, for that price I think I can do better with a SSL 12, MOTU M6 or IDK what else having a lot mor inputs, great preamps and just go for my system power. I don't see me spending that money just for DSP 🤷🏻‍♂

[@eddiestephens5213]

I bought my Apollo 8 years ago and needed the DSP. I still have that same computer but will upgrade soon so my next interface will not be an Apollo.

[@TouchwoodTV]

We use to own 4 Apollohem for long time but 's sold them all last year and bought Antelope Audio interfaces to replace them. I really hated the Apollo routing using multiple apollos on a system. Had them for a long time but needed to move on. FWIW UAD is many times the size of Plugin alliance and 10 time the annual revenue so yea the Native rollout on UAD is slow the first ones come out April 20, 2020 - that's over 3 years ago for 29 plugins....

[@garyclement5527]

I just posted this on Facebook, “I’m learning from Barry John’s on Studio Talk on KZbin, the new Mac M1, M2, M3 are so powerful, will we still need DSP processors in the future? What are your thoughts?” And a UA Rep responded. Followed by another question- so you work with Universal Audio, please share with us what you can about the future of DSP and why we should continue to spend big money on your interface if the technology is changing and may be obsolete in the next year or sooner? He did respond.

[@alainjulot3490]

What do you think about Steinberg AXR4 USB 3?

[@byus6928]

I’ve had an apollo since the black face. I recently switch to a lynx aurora. I can recommend apollo anymore. Night and day difference for me. Immediately knew I was selling my apollo x. Plus with their plugs going native. It’s a wrap

[@JohannesLabusch]

So, stupid question: If I want to take my MacBook with recordings made through my Apollo to a friend's house and work on them there, do I need the native versions of all the plugins I used? Will the computer automatically use those? Do I get them for free as an owner of the Apollo-based versions? Thanks!

[@BarryJohns]

If you own a plugin and there is a native version available, yes you get the native version as well. Must have either a satellite or Apollo connected to your computer to use DSP plugins, if you are using their plugins and they have a native option, you can mix with those on your computer anywhere.

[@JohannesLabusch]

Thanks a lot! Very cool. @@BarryJohns

[@PeterWoolstonMusic]

Again … thank you! I am upgrading from a 10 year old Focusrite Safire Liquid 56 with ADAT to a MacBook Pro M1. I need excellent class A mic preamps for vocals and guitars, Mac & Windows long platform support with driver stability & loopback for livestream & Zoom etc, near zero latency, 3 or more inputs + ADAT in & out. I was going to buy Apollo but based on your info I *think* RME Babyface Pro FS is best as it delivers all this and is also portable & bus powered & supports iOS. Any comments?

[@AI-Consultant]

the Apollo's major advantage is the onboard UAD-2 processing for using UAD plugins. The RME is more compact and arguably has better core drivers and routing, but limited I/O and no onboard DSP. The best choice depends on "YOUR" workflow needs and budget considerations.

[@PeterWoolstonMusic]

@@AI-Consultant thanks! I can expand IO via ADAT if needed 👍

[@PeterWoolstonMusic]

… but the the Apollo x4 is suddenly 23% off - so I changed my plan & bought it!

[@nukenoly8751]

MacBook Air M1 with RME interface and native UAD plugs using a multitude of DAWs including LUNA. Life is good. No issues

[@frankpaws]

You hit 30k🤘

[@jakesenkow7684]

Yeah, I’m just coming down off of a major pissed off moment because I have an X8P AND an X16, was running 5 UAD plugins over several channels with Capital Chambers in the Aux 1 and a Galaxy delay in Aux 2, AND IT MAXED OUT!!! Literally a Manly Voxbox and two Neve 1083s in unison slots with some EQ and compression across several inserts and it told me to go to the UA website to investigate my options to increase my DSP. Pissed, pissed, pissed!!!!

[@iRevolVeR21]

PC, apollo twin thunderbolt no issues here. Gotta say i rarely use ua plugins on the way in and or in post... plugin alliance ftw! 😅