Heyyy Apogee!!! Thanks so much for checking out my video and for the comment. I really appreciate it! I’m all about sharing my real thoughts and I honestly love that Apogee sound. I have an Element 46 as well and I tested it out using the optical out from the element into the symphony and it worked pretty well. I got my eye on that Hype Mic next. Thanks again!
@@jacksp8de you should test the neuman MT48. I like the sound of the Apogee. I own an element 24. Deciding wether to upgrade to the Symphony desktop or Mt48. Thanks for the review and feed back!
I love Apogee man. They’ve always had phenomenal sound. I’m still using the Duet but excited to upgrade to the Symphony Desktop. If they had built-in Auto-Tune, it’d be incredibly obvious.
The SD is my first Apogee product and I LOVE THE SOUND. I still love the Apollo sound, it’s more analog sounding, but the Apogee definitely has more separation and clarity.
FINALLY!!! Someone doing a comparison. no one else is doing this at the moment. I had both just as you currently do. But I returned the Apogee because for the robust amount of plugins of UAD. Apogee just doesn't have enough plugins yet. Also, UAD has discounts so, I received a lot of plugins bundled with the Apollo and UAD offers some free (rarely) and discounts constantly. For the Apogee, I didn't think the touch screen wasn't bright enough and a little pixelated. I will wait for the 2nd Apogee desktop version. Please keep the vids coming and doing comparisons more than just vocals. Thanks again and keep them coming. Nice job!
I’m glad could help! I agree! I ended up with the Apollo X4 not just for the plugins but for the extra thickness in the sound. I really like Apogee conversion but it’s not as warm sounding imo
Apogee Symphony Desktop for me. I love the sound and form factor. I have outboard gear to get the flavours I want so no need for all of the plugins. I'm Actually about to purchase the big boy Symphony i/o SE because of how much I love the sound. The desktop will be my portable Interface once I get it.
I’m going to do an update, after using the Apollo x4 and apogee SD, I’m using the SD as my main interface and using the x4 for the plugins and extra I/O. I still like the experience of recording with the Apollo better but for sound quality the Apogee wins
Thanks man, this is the best video for me. I have a twin quad that I just got and it's giving me hell. Slow computer, you turn it off n on and no connection without restart. They had this trouble since 2020. I do love the unit but need something that works. Considering that there apogee. I sure wish UAD with all its millions in sales had more than 12 hours a week customer service. They are losing another customer soon and maybe a video coming. The symphony sounds pretty good and everyone says the same thing about the quality.
Man sorry to hear about that. I’ve heard people have issues with Windows. I haven’t had a problem with my Mac but I think UA focuses more on being compatible with Mac computers. The Symphony is fantastic with its clarity. Although I’m using the Apollo X4 I’m actually holding on to the symphony desktop as well. I want to continue to test it as they update the unit
Apogee Symphony Desktop. Based on the fact that you can't bypass the internal preamps on the Apollo X Twins alone. Not only that but you don't need the UAD hardware to run their plugins anymore. Currently selling my X4 as we speak. Also, Thunderbolt 3 has issues on A LOT of computers. The Apogee is way more stable on way more Desktop and Laptop setups. I'd take the RME UCX II over both though.
Yeah I'm actually leaning towards the Symphony Desktop. On the Apollo, I really like the ability to direct monitor with all those plugins but software monitoring is so good these days with computers being so powerful. With the Software monitoring on the Apollo I noticed there is more latency than I like with the Apollo at 48k but at 96k its really low. The Apogee is more consistent at different sample rates. The direct monitoring through the Symphony is pretty nice as well. I'd have to look into the RME. People always rave about RME. I've never used one or even seen anybody with one.
@@2dboo11 LOL! No you can't. It's in the physical design of the XLR ports not to be able to do so. You can only bypass the preamps and go directly to the convertors on the rack mount units (X6, X8p, X16). This is a known fact put out by UAD themselves, not an opinion.
@@jacksp8de The RME latency is so low you can track with third party plugins with it and not skip a beat. It's always been the fastest and the scary part is they achieved this while still being on USB. Thunderbolt is supposed to be faster but in practice it's more of a headache than anything if you actually put in real work in different studios.
It’s all about perspective and how much you value the sound. I remember spending 400 for a sm7b had me nervous, but now I got several mics that cost over 1000. There are people who own mics that cost 10k but it’s worth it to them. If you want the apogee, get a payment plan. You’ll be happy in the end.
Great review. Nice to see this. Shame they are so damn expensive for very little on hardware side. Would love to see a comparison against audient id44... which is so much better for connectivity and claim in mk2 ad conversion is dope. Just no preamp imitation software.
Thank you for watching! I’ve never tried Audient but maybe I’ll get my hands on one. I’ve heard great things. You can make great music with pretty much any interface, these are for professional artists songwriters or recording engineers who need higher quality a step above hobbyist. They are expensive if you are not making money off music, but are really mid tier compared to other high end interfaces out there.
You mean the 1084? It sounds different to me but I think it’s because there is a boost in the high before you touch the EQ. I prefer the 1084 and I actually love the 88rs as well
Great 👍🏽.. I have listen to both 1073 and 1084 on various RUclips videos..and I've always luv hearing the 1084 better.. but people say they sound the same which is not..thanks..you should try century channel strip and let me know
@@brendanmondesir7477 hey you get it at zzounds I’m an affiliate so I’m biased just fyi (affiliate link) Http://www.zzounds.com/a--3979345/item--SEERFX?siid=121470
Jack I have the Apogee Symphony Desktop, and I’m thinking of getting an external preamp. I’m torn between the Avalon M5 and the UA 710 Twin Finity… which would you recommend? Or would you just rock with the built in preamps? Thanks fam
They are both good brand name and would both would probably sound better than the emulation in the Apogee. It really depends on how you want it to sound. Go on equipboard.com and see who’s using it and then go listen to their music. Also Sweetwater did a huge mic preamp shoot out. Just Google it and you’ll find it.
I’m currently running the ssl2+ w the rode nt1 and want to upgrade to the townsend labs but not sure what interface to upgrade between the Apollo or rme ucx ii , what would u recommend?
I’ve heard great things about rme but the Townsend Labs is owned by Universal Audio so it works really good with the Apollo. You can use the Townsend plugin inside of console latency free
@@bdotvisualz7461 The Apollo sounds thicker and heavier, more analog to me. The Apogee is super clear but not as thick. Depends on what you doing, for hip hop I like the Apollo for ballads I like the Apogee. Just my opinion
That’s what I hear as well. A thicker analog sound with the Apollo,the Apogee is cleaner with more separation but it’s being nit picky because both are really good. Curious about the the new Neumann interface
@@jacksp8de Its high specifications on paper may only translate into subtle sonic quality which is not really audible. First it has to be heard and compared to the big boys. Although very famous over time, nevertheless I do think that in this area Neumann has many years to catch up with the Apollos of this world.
I went with the Apollo X4 because of the amount of plugins and I felt like it was a warmer sound overall where as the apogee is more bright and clear. I prefer the sound of the apollo not because it sounds better but it sounds more analog to me
I Got My UAD Autotune For $149 On Sale Wished I Can’t Bring It To Myself To Buy The Native Version What Y’all Can Do Is Manually Tune Your Vocals Then Print The Autotune
Great vid! One other advantage the Symphony has is there's more gain on tap with the pre (75dB vs 65dB), which can be nice when using with an SM7 or other lower output mic. Major plugin advantage on Apollo, of course, and it comes with a lot of plugins to work. Quick note: you do have to pay for the native plugin versions with Symphony Desktop (except the channel strip), but the DSP versions are included. And a quick question: have you tried using LLM with the Apogee and Persistent Sends in PT for reverb and delay sends? I didn't, but I'd expect it to work just like it does with Apollo and RME, etc. Good stuff!
Hey Thanks for checking out my channel! I like your content as well. Yes that’s right, more gain on the Symphony. Oh right you do have to pay for the native plugins. I forgot because I have the 3a and the pultec already and those are the main ones I use. I have an apogee Element as well. I have used LLM but I just discovered that feature. It turns off all of the plugins when recording right? Im not certain if that’s useful in my workflow since I like to hear the plugins. I haven’t heard that term “persistent sends” if you’re talking prefader then yes, I did it in the video, it’s timestamped if you want to check it out. Overall what do you think of the Apogee Desktop?
Thanks for the comparison! Which of these two cards is more suitable for high-impedance headphones? And which card produces a more honest sound without embellishment?
They both will work, I think the apogee would give you a clearer sound. It’s very wide and clean. It is colored a bit though. They both have a sound but if I was doing an orchestra, natural instruments I would get the Apogee because the conversion is excellent, for recording pop and hip hop vocals I would choose the Apollo because of the workflow and the conversion is still very good. I’ve heard RME is more transparent or clinical.
Thanks! They both have a learning curve but once you get it, I think the Apollo has the better workflow because you don’t have to think about latency when recording
Bro, I sold my rme, now I'll take either symphony or twin x, It is important for me that the converters are so that the vocals are of high quality, I hear that the symphony sounds cleaner in your test. which one did you keep for yourself?
I would go with the Apogee because of their super low noise preamps but that’s only if I cared more about the A/D conversion than anything. Also you can bypass the preamps on the Apogee and you can’t on the Apollo twin. I sold the apogee and went all Apollo, with the Apollo X4 and Rack X6. I can bypass the preamps on the X6. I like Apollo because of the workflow, zero latency with autotune, and their vocal clean up plugin CVox is huge for me. I also think their preamps sound good. If I had the bread I would get an Apogee Symphony Mk2 SE and a Symphony desktop as a remote.
UAD plug-ins are not as expensive as you were stating unless you buy one at a time when they’re not on sale. They are constantly on sale and you can actually get 140 plug-ins for $1200 and you will have almost everything you need besides a few guitar amps and bass amps.
If you have to wait for deals then it’s expensive no? Normal price for the plugins are like 300 a piece. I just bought some over the holidays and I’m happy I did but still was more than other comparable plug-ins from waves slate or plug-in alliance
@@thomasfokas I definitely wouldn’t lol but just having to wait for a sale just shows how expensive they are. They are very good so I get it. Other companies such as plug-in alliance is cheaper but quality is really good as well. Just saying
@@jacksp8de Yup, but you have to wait for sales with PA as well. I purchased the whole shabang (spelling?) last Black Friday. Every plugin available from PA for only $499... (10 x $49/month) even though I owned about 1/3rd of their plugs already.
The Townsend because its so versatile. If you only want the Sony 800 sound The WA8k is a good choice though. It seems a littler thicker and warmer but also harsher. The 800 in the Townsend sounds smoother.
Can you monitor with the apollo whilst tracking with 2 plugins but only print with 1 plugin from the console? Is the round trip latency better on the appolo at 48 kHz over the apogee?
I think You can set up an Aux as monitoring and print the channel. If you want to use Autotune that’s how you would do it. The Latency is much better on the Apollo but the Apogee is usable. I like using autotune so Apollo is much more convenient
@@jacksp8de Bro i spend all night trying to get it to work the plugins is running on demo don't they suppose to be free if I spent all this freaky money ?? if they don't run on demo the software keep crashing and I got a strong 5k dollar pc
@@JayFlyMastering Weird. Did you get it used? If so whoever you got it from may have to unregister it or transfer it. Otherwise hit up Apogee support. All of my plugins worked when I registered it.
Hi Jack, very nice content, I do appreciate the job you have done on this video. I am currently using the famous Scarlett 2i2 and want to make an investment on a new Audio Interface for at least the next 5 years. I work on windows, quality on voice recording is my main concern. Which on of these Audio Interface would you recommend on my situation ? Please do not make your wife upset ;)
😂 she gonna be ok lol. I would recommend something other than the apollo for windows. I’ve heard some people have issues with it. I’m not sure because I use Mac and it works great. The Apogee is super clean and is very high quality for vocals. I do recommend it
My Apollo twin x duo headphones won’t play any sound and but when I plug it into the back it plays but it’s distorted and I just bought mine how do I fix that issue ?
Hi, thanks. Just wondering, how do the Apollo devices (Solo, Twin) sound without the plugins. Are they good interfaces at a fundamental non-plugin level.
Yes they sound great without the plugins but you can monitor or record through their plugins with minimal latency because it has its own processing power. You can directly monitor. Not as big of a deal as it used to be because computers are fast enough to achieve really low latency with native plugins. I actually use the Apogee Symphony Desktop as my main interface at the moment because I like the sound quality a little better. RME also have some great interfaces
@@jacksp8de Ah ok thanks for the reply. I didn’t know that the plugins helped with the latency. In fact I am considering the Apogee Duet or RME Babyface as well. Not sure I want to get trapped in this plugin world. Even more so because I would probably be getting the Solo and not the Twin. How do you find the Duet 3 to be by the way.
@@accentontheoff I never had the Duet. To be clear you do not need to use the plugins to use the Apollo. Its just a feature and it comes with some plugins. Its a great interface but to be honest you won't go wrong with any of the interfaces you mentioned. They all are really good these days. Apollo has my favorite workflow using console to monitor
@@jacksp8de for portable it’s an Anubis but my studio card is Symphony SE which is another factor why I got Symphony Desktop. It’s not a perfect interface some small bugs here and there but better than major bugs with Apollo X
Oh ok cool man. I have an Apollo x4 with the Apogee now. The Symphony has a deep 3D sound. There's so much separation and clarity. But the Apollo has a certain dreamy vibe and its louder with a wider bass which is dope for the type of music I do. I'm on a Mac though so no bugs with the Apollo. I have it connected to the Apogee at the moment. @@sounddiaryess
@@jacksp8de I had issues with UA software bugs and AES issues with their X8 , the Symphony Desktop had issue with preamp giving me random noise but all it needs was a power cycle also before I got it I was told to turn off the screen when possible as some people had screen issues after a year or two. These might of been isolated issues but they kicked up enough fuss in the usual places that their unresolved complaints ring louder than the positive things about the interface. For me I just find Apogee Software better than others, it’s simple but it works it may not be as extensive or intuitive as RME or Metric Halo but it works for most basic applications. Only reason I am hanging onto the Anubis is with the Neumann version of it released it means it might get software updates it needs but if not that guy is going on EBay haha
Why I hear apogee more clear but I more like Apollo …I don’t know what to choice for vocal recordings and rnb rap production…what u think it’s better for me?
I think apogee sounds slightly better but the workflow is amazing on the Apollo because of real time plugins so I would go with Apollo. The new version has better soubd
Worth the switch to what? If you mean the Apollo X line. I never heard the interface you have so I can’t say. People say the conversion is better but I have no clue how much better
@@sunnyjohnlouis4843 Yeah I heard the X line sounds better but if you're good with the one you have its not necessary to upgrade. I would because I just like having the best thing possible but that's just me.
@@sunnyjohnlouis4843 It’s more clear and the stereo field is wider but it seems a bit thinner. I like the recording workflow of the Apollo better. I just got a X6 as well so I’m team Apollo right now. I still really like apogee too though. Can’t go wrong either way
Very much informative video. Very well described all the details between the two audio interface. Love from Assam, India 🇮🇳. Sir what you will suggest me to buy among this two audio interface...?
Thank you for watching! They both are excellent. I think the Apollo is a touch warmer and thicker and the apogee is has a lot of clarity in the top end.
Good video but I am missing your hones opinion which one would you pick and why. I am myself on a dilema between those two. While Apollo is 1040 USD, Apogee is 1670 USD on my local market so i would like to know if you think Apogee justify the 60% higher price tag.
It’s hard to say for you. They both work but If you’re on a budget get the Apollo. But At that price that’s the duo and it can only run around 4 plugins though. The Quad can run more but it’s the same price as the apogee. With the apogee I think conversion is better and you can bypass the preamps if you have your own preamp already and has optical in and out for more expansion.
@@marcmouries7937 I made this in 2022. I have a Neumann MT48 but I use it ADAT going into the Apollo to record. I wouldn’t want to be without DSP because I can monitor with very little latency through console. When a project gets big there is latency even with my MacBook Pro M1 Pro. Having DSP in Apollo removes any worry.
I translated this. I think I know what you’re saying. I find the apogee to be accurate with the bass and the highs and mids tend to be very smooth. I’ve never tried RME but they have a great reputation.
100 times is a lot of times lol but yeah yeah it’s a great sound. But yes I agree their preamp is very smooth and musical. It’s fantastic. I love Apogee and I want their real Symphony I/O. I still have both but use my Apollos most of the time because workflow vibe, plugins, and their rack was more affordable and it sounds amazing.
Do you have a cloudlifter or fet head before the Apollo?? I hear of people not needing one with the 7B/apollo combo but I find its nowhere near enough gain.
When Im using the apollo with no hardware pre I can use an sm7b with no cloudlifter but I have to crank the gain on a unison preamp plug-in and also a compressor. However I’m usually using one of my hardware pres, I have the focusrite isa one and a neve 5211 I just got. Next video I’m comparing that neve 5211 to a WA73 if you’re interested
@@jacksp8de Im relieved to hear you're cranking the unison pre, and the compressor make up. haha even with 65db of clean Apollo pre, still only peaking at like -21 db. end up pushing it quite a bit further with a 2A. thought maybe I had a defective unit. Thanks for the quick response man! subbed.
@@JM17sounds haha yeah it’s kind of a work around tbh because those sm7bs need a lot of gain, but hey it works lol thanks for the sub, let me know if you want to see something specific
It’s the workflow that keeps me. Super low latency with amazing plugins. The preamps are nice too. I do prefer the Apogee preamps and conversion though. I would get the real Symphony if I could.
@@shyamlok I bet. I prefer the Apollo D/A to the symphony desktop though. It’s a more analog sound and more powerful. I like the SD too. Very wide stereo field so good for mixing. I’m testing the Neuman MT48 right now and it sounds amazing, but it’s almost too clean that it lacks soul.
@@jacksp8de Since you put it like that, the apollo x6 will likely be a very good upgrade. note that it has different set of converters than the twin,. i belive the x6 and x8 have same ones.
@@shyamlok Yup! And they have better clocking. I have the X6 and you can bypass the preamps. I also have the X4. Love the setup! Plus I’m really into using Luna now.
I had Apollo when they first came out and they sound good but they are not that great they have a flat sound and a one track sound Scarlett is better then apogee it’s more musical out the box apogee always sounded good so I’m not looking for it to not be the top ONE
Have to disagree with a Scarlett sounding better than apogee or Apollo. Maybe the higher end focusrite stuff can compete But I had a Scarlett and it’s nowhere near either of these. Apollo also changed their converters since they first came out. The X line is better.
Unison pres are nothing magical. It's just changing impedance a little bit, that's all. Still a mediocre pres compared to some hardware, unfortunately.
Thanks for watching. Well I still think velcro is magic so of course this blew my mind. Imma simple fella. 😂 Of course hardware is better but this is amazing to have when you’re creating. I have a Newton Channel which sounds great but sometimes I use my Sphere and go right into the Apollo and it sounds very good. Post Malone recorded Congratulations through it and the weeknd did Alone Again. Look what they did with mediocre pres
forgetting about the plugins and all that 💩💩💩The Symphony Desktop completely beats the overrated Apollo in sound quality and that´s what you are paying for
Can’t forget about those plugins tho! The Symphony is super clean and I love the sound but I like that the Apollo is thicker and low mids sounds really good it’s a thicker sound.
Jack, how would you compare Apogee Symphony vs Apogee Duet 3? I've used the original Duet and loved it. I got the Symphony but haven't started using yet--learning it!
Hey I’ve never had the Symphony or the Duet 3. I only have the Symphony Desktop. I wish Apogee had a mid tier Rack mounted Symphony but theirs is too expensive for me so I went with the Apollo X6 for more I/O
Really appreciate your honest insight and thorough review!! Amazing video and thanks for the kind words 🙏
Heyyy Apogee!!! Thanks so much for checking out my video and for the comment. I really appreciate it! I’m all about sharing my real thoughts and I honestly love that Apogee sound. I have an Element 46 as well and I tested it out using the optical out from the element into the symphony and it worked pretty well. I got my eye on that Hype Mic next. Thanks again!
FYI I use the Apogee Symphony Desktop now. Sounds amazing! I may do an update to this video.
@@jacksp8de Do you use the Element and the Symphony Desktop together with optical wire to have more inputs?
@@PhearNoneGearGadgets no I use it with the Apollo sometimes. I like the monitor outs on the Symphony but prefer to record with the Apollo
@@jacksp8de you should test the neuman MT48. I like the sound of the Apogee. I own an element 24. Deciding wether to upgrade to the Symphony desktop or Mt48. Thanks for the review and feed back!
I love Apogee man. They’ve always had phenomenal sound. I’m still using the Duet but excited to upgrade to the Symphony Desktop. If they had built-in Auto-Tune, it’d be incredibly obvious.
The SD is my first Apogee product and I LOVE THE SOUND. I still love the Apollo sound, it’s more analog sounding, but the Apogee definitely has more separation and clarity.
This is the ONLY reason I’m not buying the apogee. No realtime auto tune
@@Mercy_Pants Yup and the other plugins are fire too
@@Mercy_Pantsyou can’t get auto tune?
FINALLY!!! Someone doing a comparison. no one else is doing this at the moment. I had both just as you currently do. But I returned the Apogee because for the robust amount of plugins of UAD. Apogee just doesn't have enough plugins yet. Also, UAD has discounts so, I received a lot of plugins bundled with the Apollo and UAD offers some free (rarely) and discounts constantly. For the Apogee, I didn't think the touch screen wasn't bright enough and a little pixelated. I will wait for the 2nd Apogee desktop version. Please keep the vids coming and doing comparisons more than just vocals. Thanks again and keep them coming. Nice job!
I’m glad could help! I agree! I ended up with the Apollo X4 not just for the plugins but for the extra thickness in the sound. I really like Apogee conversion but it’s not as warm sounding imo
Apollo is about plugins. Apogee is about the converters which blow away the Apollo. It’s not even a close call.
Apogee Symphony Desktop for me. I love the sound and form factor. I have outboard gear to get the flavours I want so no need for all of the plugins. I'm Actually about to purchase the big boy Symphony i/o SE because of how much I love the sound. The desktop will be my portable Interface once I get it.
I’m going to do an update, after using the Apollo x4 and apogee SD, I’m using the SD as my main interface and using the x4 for the plugins and extra I/O. I still like the experience of recording with the Apollo better but for sound quality the Apogee wins
I really enjoyed your review and walkthrough. Love your jokes too!! :)
Thanks man! I’m glad you got some value! And comedy is for the entertainment value because just talking about specs sometimes is like taking NyQuil
Your content is always top notch! Thank you for blessing us yet again!
Thank you for always supporting! I appreciate you!
You be killing it on these videos. Professional and funny. I enjoyed watching it too. Keep it coming.
Thanks bro!! I appreciate the watch man more coming
Thanks man, this is the best video for me. I have a twin quad that I just got and it's giving me hell. Slow computer, you turn it off n on and no connection without restart. They had this trouble since 2020. I do love the unit but need something that works. Considering that there apogee. I sure wish UAD with all its millions in sales had more than 12 hours a week customer service. They are losing another customer soon and maybe a video coming. The symphony sounds pretty good and everyone says the same thing about the quality.
Man sorry to hear about that. I’ve heard people have issues with Windows. I haven’t had a problem with my Mac but I think UA focuses more on being compatible with Mac computers. The Symphony is fantastic with its clarity. Although I’m using the Apollo X4 I’m actually holding on to the symphony desktop as well. I want to continue to test it as they update the unit
Really love the detail and honest perspective you show in this! Thanks for sharing!!
Thank you! I appreciate you watching!
That track was hard I was low key hating for a second but couldn’t help jamming 😂 shit was fire my boy!
😂 mannn I’m glad you connect with it bro! I’m redoing it and releasing in a few months
Bro you got flow and you got something to say as well.
Thanks man!! I’ve been doing it all my life. I appreciate you watching
Apogee Symphony Desktop. Based on the fact that you can't bypass the internal preamps on the Apollo X Twins alone. Not only that but you don't need the UAD hardware to run their plugins anymore. Currently selling my X4 as we speak. Also, Thunderbolt 3 has issues on A LOT of computers. The Apogee is way more stable on way more Desktop and Laptop setups. I'd take the RME UCX II over both though.
Yeah I'm actually leaning towards the Symphony Desktop. On the Apollo, I really like the ability to direct monitor with all those plugins but software monitoring is so good these days with computers being so powerful. With the Software monitoring on the Apollo I noticed there is more latency than I like with the Apollo at 48k but at 96k its really low. The Apogee is more consistent at different sample rates. The direct monitoring through the Symphony is pretty nice as well. I'd have to look into the RME. People always rave about RME. I've never used one or even seen anybody with one.
You can go in the software and switch to bypass the preamps on the Apollo. Twin. It have a built in 3and 4 when you bypass.
@@2dboo11 LOL! No you can't. It's in the physical design of the XLR ports not to be able to do so. You can only bypass the preamps and go directly to the convertors on the rack mount units (X6, X8p, X16). This is a known fact put out by UAD themselves, not an opinion.
@@jacksp8de The RME latency is so low you can track with third party plugins with it and not skip a beat. It's always been the fastest and the scary part is they achieved this while still being on USB. Thunderbolt is supposed to be faster but in practice it's more of a headache than anything if you actually put in real work in different studios.
@@v3zMedia yup! That’s what I read
Dope Vid Bruh. Very Insightful.
Thanks man! Glad it could help
I love the apogee.....but no way i m spending such a fortune for this...Damn, i really like it
It’s all about perspective and how much you value the sound. I remember spending 400 for a sm7b had me nervous, but now I got several mics that cost over 1000. There are people who own mics that cost 10k but it’s worth it to them. If you want the apogee, get a payment plan. You’ll be happy in the end.
Check out Reverb for great used gear.
Good video! The "Aww, I forgot I have a wife" part had me cracking up. 😂
🤣 they say it’s cheaper to keep her but I’m not sure lol nah she dope tho in case she see this 😆 Thanks for watching bro!
Nice work,Thanks for the clear comp.
You’re welcome! Thanks for watching
Ohh, Apogee here sounds much better, even that I’m listening from iPad at deep night 😂 ❤
Yeah it sounds so good. That’s what I’m using right now. Although I love the Apollo and the plugins so I go back and forth.
Super dope video!! 🔥🔥🔥🔥
Ayeee I appreciate it my bro!!!
You can mute the headphones by pressing "Monitor" button until the "Headphones" label under the LED Meter lights up then press "Mute".
It only mutes the main monitors even when you’re on headphones
Great review. Nice to see this. Shame they are so damn expensive for very little on hardware side. Would love to see a comparison against audient id44... which is so much better for connectivity and claim in mk2 ad conversion is dope. Just no preamp imitation software.
Thank you for watching! I’ve never tried Audient but maybe I’ll get my hands on one. I’ve heard great things. You can make great music with pretty much any interface, these are for professional artists songwriters or recording engineers who need higher quality a step above hobbyist. They are expensive if you are not making money off music, but are really mid tier compared to other high end interfaces out there.
Hey, don’t know if you’ve learn this yet, but you can hide the UAD plugins you don’t own. Just go to settings, then plug ins, and just hide each one
Thanks! Yeah I figured that out! Makes it so much better. Thanks for watching
Is there a slight difference in sound between the 1073 and 1084?? Ppl say the eq but my guts say the sound as well
You mean the 1084? It sounds different to me but I think it’s because there is a boost in the high before you touch the EQ. I prefer the 1084 and I actually love the 88rs as well
Great 👍🏽.. I have listen to both 1073 and 1084 on various RUclips videos..and I've always luv hearing the 1084 better.. but people say they sound the same which is not..thanks..you should try century channel strip and let me know
Where can I get a microphone reflection filter like yours?
@@brendanmondesir7477 hey you get it at zzounds I’m an affiliate so I’m biased just fyi (affiliate link) Http://www.zzounds.com/a--3979345/item--SEERFX?siid=121470
Jack I have the Apogee Symphony Desktop, and I’m thinking of getting an external preamp. I’m torn between the Avalon M5 and the UA 710 Twin Finity… which would you recommend? Or would you just rock with the built in preamps? Thanks fam
They are both good brand name and would both would probably sound better than the emulation in the Apogee. It really depends on how you want it to sound. Go on equipboard.com and see who’s using it and then go listen to their music. Also Sweetwater did a huge mic preamp shoot out. Just Google it and you’ll find it.
I’m currently running the ssl2+ w the rode nt1 and want to upgrade to the townsend labs but not sure what interface to upgrade between the Apollo or rme ucx ii , what would u recommend?
I’ve heard great things about rme but the Townsend Labs is owned by Universal Audio so it works really good with the Apollo. You can use the Townsend plugin inside of console latency free
Why are some people afraid to just say that the Apogee sounds better... it sounds better than the apollo... simple...
I think Apogee sounds great, there is more clarity. Apollo has a darker sound but I wouldn’t necessarily say it sounds worse
Because it’s subjective fool..you like what you like and same for others
@@Gang-25j 🤣
Man! You took the words right out of my mouth. Lol like bruh just say it….it sounds better😂
@@bdotvisualz7461 The Apollo sounds thicker and heavier, more analog to me. The Apogee is super clear but not as thick. Depends on what you doing, for hip hop I like the Apollo for ballads I like the Apogee. Just my opinion
The Apollo sounds a bit warmer; more vintage but both are superb audio devices.
That’s what I hear as well. A thicker analog sound with the Apollo,the Apogee is cleaner with more separation but it’s being nit picky because both are really good. Curious about the the new Neumann interface
@@jacksp8de Its high specifications on paper may only translate into subtle sonic quality which is not really audible. First it has to be heard and compared to the big boys. Although very famous over time, nevertheless I do think that in this area Neumann has many years to catch up with the Apollos of this world.
@@davidfabien7220 Agreed.
Does anyone have problem with Symphony desktop preamp?
I haven’t had any problems other than the control app crashing a few times. Other than that it’s fantastic
Super!
@@SevenTausend 🙏🏾
good rappin' - great triplets - locked
Good look! I appreciate it fam
In the end which one did you choose? I'm currently debating one of these too. Tough decision for all the same reasons you mention.
I went with the Apollo X4 because of the amount of plugins and I felt like it was a warmer sound overall where as the apogee is more bright and clear. I prefer the sound of the apollo not because it sounds better but it sounds more analog to me
I Got My UAD Autotune For $149 On Sale Wished I Can’t Bring It To Myself To Buy The Native Version What Y’all Can Do Is Manually Tune Your Vocals Then Print The Autotune
Yeah that works but it’s a little different than the native. You can also use metatune from slate
They aren't the same auto tune FYI lol uad auto tune ain't for stacks
Great vid! One other advantage the Symphony has is there's more gain on tap with the pre (75dB vs 65dB), which can be nice when using with an SM7 or other lower output mic. Major plugin advantage on Apollo, of course, and it comes with a lot of plugins to work. Quick note: you do have to pay for the native plugin versions with Symphony Desktop (except the channel strip), but the DSP versions are included. And a quick question: have you tried using LLM with the Apogee and Persistent Sends in PT for reverb and delay sends? I didn't, but I'd expect it to work just like it does with Apollo and RME, etc. Good stuff!
Hey Thanks for checking out my channel! I like your content as well. Yes that’s right, more gain on the Symphony. Oh right you do have to pay for the native plugins. I forgot because I have the 3a and the pultec already and those are the main ones I use. I have an apogee Element as well. I have used LLM but I just discovered that feature. It turns off all of the plugins when recording right? Im not certain if that’s useful in my workflow since I like to hear the plugins. I haven’t heard that term “persistent sends” if you’re talking prefader then yes, I did it in the video, it’s timestamped if you want to check it out. Overall what do you think of the Apogee Desktop?
Thanks for the comparison! Which of these two cards is more suitable for high-impedance headphones?
And which card produces a more honest sound without embellishment?
They both will work, I think the apogee would give you a clearer sound. It’s very wide and clean. It is colored a bit though. They both have a sound but if I was doing an orchestra, natural instruments I would get the Apogee because the conversion is excellent, for recording pop and hip hop vocals I would choose the Apollo because of the workflow and the conversion is still very good. I’ve heard RME is more transparent or clinical.
Which one is easier to use? Great video!! 👌🏻👏🏻
Thanks! They both have a learning curve but once you get it, I think the Apollo has the better workflow because you don’t have to think about latency when recording
Bro, I sold my rme, now I'll take either symphony or twin x, It is important for me that the converters are so that the vocals are of high quality, I hear that the symphony sounds cleaner in your test. which one did you keep for yourself?
I would go with the Apogee because of their super low noise preamps but that’s only if I cared more about the A/D conversion than anything. Also you can bypass the preamps on the Apogee and you can’t on the Apollo twin. I sold the apogee and went all Apollo, with the Apollo X4 and Rack X6. I can bypass the preamps on the X6. I like Apollo because of the workflow, zero latency with autotune, and their vocal clean up plugin CVox is huge for me. I also think their preamps sound good. If I had the bread I would get an Apogee Symphony Mk2 SE and a Symphony desktop as a remote.
UAD plug-ins are not as expensive as you were stating unless you buy one at a time when they’re not on sale. They are constantly on sale and you can actually get 140 plug-ins for $1200 and you will have almost everything you need besides a few guitar amps and bass amps.
If you have to wait for deals then it’s expensive no? Normal price for the plugins are like 300 a piece. I just bought some over the holidays and I’m happy I did but still was more than other comparable plug-ins from waves slate or plug-in alliance
@@jacksp8de I don't know anyone who buys them not on sale. They are on sale ¾ or more of each year.
@@thomasfokas I definitely wouldn’t lol but just having to wait for a sale just shows how expensive they are. They are very good so I get it. Other companies such as plug-in alliance is cheaper but quality is really good as well. Just saying
@@jacksp8de Yup, but you have to wait for sales with PA as well. I purchased the whole shabang (spelling?) last Black Friday. Every plugin available from PA for only $499... (10 x $49/month) even though I owned about 1/3rd of their plugs already.
Intro had me wheezing
Hopefully thats a good thing lol Thanks for watching!
I have the Apollo x6 and you go into the Apollo software interface and switch the bypass the preamp
Apollo console app is 1 ms delay at 96khz. Autotune adds about .35 ms of delay.
Good to know
Which mic you like better. The Townsend lab or the WA 8000
The Townsend because its so versatile. If you only want the Sony 800 sound The WA8k is a good choice though. It seems a littler thicker and warmer but also harsher. The 800 in the Townsend sounds smoother.
Would love to see the Neumann mt 48 included in this comparison 🎉😊
Me too! I hope they send me one
Can you monitor with the apollo whilst tracking with 2 plugins but only print with 1 plugin from the console? Is the round trip latency better on the appolo at 48 kHz over the apogee?
I think You can set up an Aux as monitoring and print the channel. If you want to use Autotune that’s how you would do it. The Latency is much better on the Apollo but the Apogee is usable. I like using autotune so Apollo is much more convenient
very nice..thank you
Thank you for watching!!
Just just spend 1200 on my apogee. I had a budget of 3k to spend so uad is just a name brand apogee is quality
Dope! The Apogee is fire. Great choice. They both are quality. Can’t lose with either
@@jacksp8de Bro i spend all night trying to get it to work the plugins is running on demo don't they suppose to be free if I spent all this freaky money ?? if they don't run on demo the software keep crashing and I got a strong 5k dollar pc
@@JayFlyMastering Weird. Did you get it used? If so whoever you got it from may have to unregister it or transfer it. Otherwise hit up Apogee support. All of my plugins worked when I registered it.
Hi Jack, very nice content, I do appreciate the job you have done on this video.
I am currently using the famous Scarlett 2i2 and want to make an investment on a new Audio Interface for at least the next 5 years.
I work on windows, quality on voice recording is my main concern.
Which on of these Audio Interface would you recommend on my situation ?
Please do not make your wife upset ;)
😂 she gonna be ok lol. I would recommend something other than the apollo for windows. I’ve heard some people have issues with it. I’m not sure because I use Mac and it works great. The Apogee is super clean and is very high quality for vocals. I do recommend it
My Apollo twin x duo headphones won’t play any sound and but when I plug it into the back it plays but it’s distorted and I just bought mine how do I fix that issue ?
I have no idea bruh hit up tech support
@@jacksp8de dang alright thanks
Need the Symphony vs the
NEumann mt48
I'm going to try that one out soon
I think the converters should be the topic
Well the converters are being used to create the sound, hence the demo. I can read off specs and stuff but I try to demonstrate real world usage
@@jacksp8devery good video
Hi, thanks. Just wondering, how do the Apollo devices (Solo, Twin) sound without the plugins. Are they good interfaces at a fundamental non-plugin level.
Yes they sound great without the plugins but you can monitor or record through their plugins with minimal latency because it has its own processing power. You can directly monitor. Not as big of a deal as it used to be because computers are fast enough to achieve really low latency with native plugins. I actually use the Apogee Symphony Desktop as my main interface at the moment because I like the sound quality a little better. RME also have some great interfaces
@@jacksp8de Ah ok thanks for the reply. I didn’t know that the plugins helped with the latency. In fact I am considering the Apogee Duet or RME Babyface as well. Not sure I want to get trapped in this plugin world. Even more so because I would probably be getting the Solo and not the Twin. How do you find the Duet 3 to be by the way.
@@accentontheoff I never had the Duet. To be clear you do not need to use the plugins to use the Apollo. Its just a feature and it comes with some plugins. Its a great interface but to be honest you won't go wrong with any of the interfaces you mentioned. They all are really good these days. Apollo has my favorite workflow using console to monitor
@@jacksp8de Got it thanks! 🙂
100% I just swapped my 2nd mobile interface for Symphony Desktop and its way better
Yup. The sound quality is next level! Thanks for watching
What’s your main interface?
@@jacksp8de for portable it’s an Anubis but my studio card is Symphony SE which is another factor why I got Symphony Desktop. It’s not a perfect interface some small bugs here and there but better than major bugs with Apollo X
Oh ok cool man. I have an Apollo x4 with the Apogee now. The Symphony has a deep 3D sound. There's so much separation and clarity. But the Apollo has a certain dreamy vibe and its louder with a wider bass which is dope for the type of music I do. I'm on a Mac though so no bugs with the Apollo. I have it connected to the Apogee at the moment. @@sounddiaryess
@@jacksp8de I had issues with UA software bugs and AES issues with their X8 , the Symphony Desktop had issue with preamp giving me random noise but all it needs was a power cycle also before I got it I was told to turn off the screen when possible as some people had screen issues after a year or two. These might of been isolated issues but they kicked up enough fuss in the usual places that their unresolved complaints ring louder than the positive things about the interface. For me I just find Apogee Software better than others, it’s simple but it works it may not be as extensive or intuitive as RME or Metric Halo but it works for most basic applications. Only reason I am hanging onto the Anubis is with the Neumann version of it released it means it might get software updates it needs but if not that guy is going on EBay haha
Why I hear apogee more clear but I more like Apollo …I don’t know what to choice for vocal recordings and rnb rap production…what u think it’s better for me?
I think apogee sounds slightly better but the workflow is amazing on the Apollo because of real time plugins so I would go with Apollo. The new version has better soubd
@@jacksp8de u mean gen 2 of apollo ?
@@Mytradewin Yes Gen 2 is supposed to sound better but I haven’t reviewed it yet
@@jacksp8de do u think u can also record with autotune like u do with a shpere here on apogee and getting zero latency ?
@@Mytradewin Well it’ll be like any other interface. It will depend on your computer and how many plugins you got going in your DAW
Nice video!
Thanks! I appreciate you watching!
I got the Apollo mkii duo , 1073 bae preamp and Tlm 103 mic is it worth the switch or is the difference very small?
Worth the switch to what? If you mean the Apollo X line. I never heard the interface you have so I can’t say. People say the conversion is better but I have no clue how much better
@@jacksp8de yea the Apollo twin mkii it came out right before the Apollo twin x
@@sunnyjohnlouis4843 Yeah I heard the X line sounds better but if you're good with the one you have its not necessary to upgrade. I would because I just like having the best thing possible but that's just me.
@@jacksp8de ok thanks and is the apogee a lot better than the x ?
@@sunnyjohnlouis4843 It’s more clear and the stereo field is wider but it seems a bit thinner. I like the recording workflow of the Apollo better. I just got a X6 as well so I’m team Apollo right now. I still really like apogee too though. Can’t go wrong either way
Very much informative video. Very well described all the details between the two audio interface. Love from Assam, India 🇮🇳.
Sir what you will suggest me to buy among this two audio interface...?
Thank you for watching! They both are excellent. I think the Apollo is a touch warmer and thicker and the apogee is has a lot of clarity in the top end.
@@jacksp8de Sir what will be your choice if you have to pic only one...?
@@anupam3301 I picked the Apollo because of the plugins and workflow. I have an X4. I still have the symphony desktop as a backup
@@jacksp8de Thank you so much
@@anupam3301 no problem
Good video but I am missing your hones opinion which one would you pick and why. I am myself on a dilema between those two. While Apollo is 1040 USD, Apogee is 1670 USD on my local market so i would like to know if you think Apogee justify the 60% higher price tag.
It’s hard to say for you. They both work but If you’re on a budget get the Apollo. But At that price that’s the duo and it can only run around 4 plugins though. The Quad can run more but it’s the same price as the apogee. With the apogee I think conversion is better and you can bypass the preamps if you have your own preamp already and has optical in and out for more expansion.
Bro I'm subscribing. I'm on a mission fam
Ayeee I appreciate it!!!
In 2024 who needs to overppay for an interface with DSPs with all the powerful CPUs available?
@@marcmouries7937 I made this in 2022. I have a Neumann MT48 but I use it ADAT going into the Apollo to record. I wouldn’t want to be without DSP because I can monitor with very little latency through console. When a project gets big there is latency even with my MacBook Pro M1 Pro. Having DSP in Apollo removes any worry.
Up move ok thanks
No problem, thanks for watching
你好博主 我是个初学者 我现在拥有你手中的这款apogee和ucxii 为什么 我觉得apogee低音更厚重 中高音却很明亮 这样的声音感觉不是很舒服 但又很喜欢apogee的颜值和插件 好难选择
I translated this. I think I know what you’re saying. I find the apogee to be accurate with the bass and the highs and mids tend to be very smooth. I’ve never tried RME but they have a great reputation.
@@jacksp8de谢谢回答
Wow! The apogee sounds 100x better than the Apollo …. The preamp is incredible
100 times is a lot of times lol but yeah yeah it’s a great sound. But yes I agree their preamp is very smooth and musical. It’s fantastic. I love Apogee and I want their real Symphony I/O. I still have both but use my Apollos most of the time because workflow vibe, plugins, and their rack was more affordable and it sounds amazing.
Do you use a cloud for the shure Vocal mic
No I use a preamp with it but both of these interfaces has enough gain. The Apogee has more gain
Do you have a cloudlifter or fet head before the Apollo?? I hear of people not needing one with the 7B/apollo combo but I find its nowhere near enough gain.
When Im using the apollo with no hardware pre I can use an sm7b with no cloudlifter but I have to crank the gain on a unison preamp plug-in and also a compressor. However I’m usually using one of my hardware pres, I have the focusrite isa one and a neve 5211 I just got. Next video I’m comparing that neve 5211 to a WA73 if you’re interested
@@jacksp8de Im relieved to hear you're cranking the unison pre, and the compressor make up. haha even with 65db of clean Apollo pre, still only peaking at like -21 db. end up pushing it quite a bit further with a 2A. thought maybe I had a defective unit. Thanks for the quick response man! subbed.
@@JM17sounds haha yeah it’s kind of a work around tbh because those sm7bs need a lot of gain, but hey it works lol thanks for the sub, let me know if you want to see something specific
Apogee sounds more natural and with more detail and open
@@x-dsemusica.a8750 thanks for watching. I hope to test the new Apollos soon
How do these compare to Focusrite Clarett?
I’ve never used it but I’ve heard good things. It really depends on your needs
I thought you get 2.5k worth of plugins when getting the Apollo?
I wouldn’t know. This video is over a year old, they switch up their deals. Thanks for watching!
I 4GOT IT WAS ON...😂
😂
I thought that one was not supposed to run on your computer CPU
Elaborate a little not sure what you mean
I have both gave my twin away
Yeah that Symphony ain’t no joke. Trying RME next
For 1500 it’s kind of underwhelming.
Thanks for watching! What’s your dream audio interface?
0 Preamp noise on Apogee, i guess people pay up for that Universal Audio Plugin collection and the ecosystem,.
It’s the workflow that keeps me. Super low latency with amazing plugins. The preamps are nice too. I do prefer the Apogee preamps and conversion though. I would get the real Symphony if I could.
@@jacksp8de yep, symphony has superior converters and better preamps, that's true. and yes if you could. its worth it.
@@shyamlok I bet. I prefer the Apollo D/A to the symphony desktop though. It’s a more analog sound and more powerful. I like the SD too. Very wide stereo field so good for mixing. I’m testing the Neuman MT48 right now and it sounds amazing, but it’s almost too clean that it lacks soul.
@@jacksp8de Since you put it like that, the apollo x6 will likely be a very good upgrade.
note that it has different set of converters than the twin,. i belive the x6 and x8 have same ones.
@@shyamlok Yup! And they have better clocking. I have the X6 and you can bypass the preamps. I also have the X4. Love the setup! Plus I’m really into using Luna now.
I had Apollo when they first came out and they sound good but they are not that great they have a flat sound and a one track sound Scarlett is better then apogee it’s more musical out the box apogee always sounded good so I’m not looking for it to not be the top ONE
Have to disagree with a Scarlett sounding better than apogee or Apollo. Maybe the higher end focusrite stuff can compete But I had a Scarlett and it’s nowhere near either of these. Apollo also changed their converters since they first came out. The X line is better.
Unison pres are nothing magical. It's just changing impedance a little bit, that's all. Still a mediocre pres compared to some hardware, unfortunately.
Thanks for watching. Well I still think velcro is magic so of course this blew my mind. Imma simple fella. 😂 Of course hardware is better but this is amazing to have when you’re creating. I have a Newton Channel which sounds great but sometimes I use my Sphere and go right into the Apollo and it sounds very good. Post Malone recorded Congratulations through it and the weeknd did Alone Again. Look what they did with mediocre pres
forgetting about the plugins and all that 💩💩💩The Symphony Desktop completely beats the overrated Apollo in sound quality and that´s what you are paying for
Can’t forget about those plugins tho! The Symphony is super clean and I love the sound but I like that the Apollo is thicker and low mids sounds really good it’s a thicker sound.
Jack, how would you compare Apogee Symphony vs Apogee Duet 3? I've used the original Duet and loved it. I got the Symphony but haven't started using yet--learning it!
Hey I’ve never had the Symphony or the Duet 3. I only have the Symphony Desktop. I wish Apogee had a mid tier Rack mounted Symphony but theirs is too expensive for me so I went with the Apollo X6 for more I/O
I'm talking about the Symphony Desktop, too :) @@jacksp8de
Incoming Call... MONEY
You know it!!! 💰