Apollo Twin: yay or nay?

[ToddStakem]

Any Apollo Twin fans out there? I haven't heard of any negative things about it, except for pricy plugins. I only need 2 in's, nothing more than that as far as inputs go. I mostly do mic'd up acoustic music, but also EDM, rock n roll, country/bluegrass, and new age ambiance music. I'm simply looking to upgrade my $100 Presonus interface with something higher end that's desktop friendly.

Many Thanks Forum Family!

Todd

[andygabrys]

don't have a twin but have the UAD-2 PCI quad card.

Plugins are pricey yes, but every month is another sale, and they generally drop coupons in your account to try and entice you.

[Len911]

Todd, the difference between a preamp-a/d converter and the Apollo gear is the addition of dsp processing on a sharc chip(s). That basically means that the plugins processing is done on a chip inside the Apollo interface and not on your computer. The main advantage is almost no latency, or many, many times less than plugins within the main computer if used in real time.

It comes down to if you want or need the dsp. If you play guitar and have a favorite amp modeling unit, you would plug it in a preamp-a/d converter and no latency. The question then I suppose is how well you like the emulations and plugins on the Apollo vs. some amp modeling unit.

And then it's about the preamp-a/d versus other preamp-a/d.

Though if you were smitten by the Apollo plugins, there's only one way to get them, I don't think they come in just a regular vst type plugin.

So there's not really a yay or nay, without your own opinions.

The real question is probably whether or not you are actually upgrading your $100 Presonus interface as far as the preamp-a/d converters go?? I'm not sure.

[andygabrys]

The real question is probably whether or not you are actually upgrading your $100 Presonus interface as far as the preamp-a/d converters go?? I'm not sure.

ahhh....the age old question. does anybody actually hear it?

Lol / Not lol-ing

[Len911]

I mostly do mic'd up acoustic music,

Then I would probably lean more toward microphone and a preamp-a/d unit.

Actually if it was me, personally, I would probably just go with a 500 series preamp, maybe a 2-unit rack, and use the presonus as an a/d interface for now.

racks
http://vintageking.com/outboard/500-ser ... ries-racks

preamps
http://vintageking.com/outboard/500-ser ... =price&p=1
http://www.sweetwater.com/c1037--500_Se ... s/low2high

Here's the deal, maybe you go with 1 preamp, and maybe later an eq, or compressor.
Here's a preamp with eq in 1 unit
http://www.sweetwater.com/store/detail/6X500
http://www.sweetwater.com/store/detail/511

The bottom line, is that you can get a top-of-the-line, truly pro preamp, compressor, eq...
You don't have to buy 2 preamps if you really only use 1.

So for example, say you bought the used 2 slot rack for $225, then either the Lindell preamp with the pultec eq for $330 total $555, or the Neve w/eq for $545, total $770.

Anyway, something to consider.

[Len911]

The real question is probably whether or not you are actually upgrading your $100 Presonus interface as far as the preamp-a/d converters go?? I'm not sure.

ahhh....the age old question. does anybody actually hear it?

Lol / Not lol-ing

well actually you have a point. A/d converters have gotten much better over the years, and most are using one of a few chips for a/d, granted the analog circuitry and how they are implemented can make a lot of difference, (Lavry Engineering papers), or even Analog Devices will mention that in their chip videos, so that's kind of why I think maybe using a ho-hum converter perhaps with a really great analog preface, like something from the 500 series perhaps, could offer an affordable trade-off and best bang for the buck??

I mean Lavry has an AD11, 2 preamps and pristine a/d converters for $1,680. It has a usb interface.
Some of his stuff doesn't have usb and a very difficult way to get into the computer.
Not bad price really, $840 per channel, great if you could buy just 1 channel.

The lunchbox series is probably the most versatile and reasonable once you get past the purchase of the rack. For example if you only have a 2 rack slot, it is very easy to swap say preamps. So you could buy 5 different preamps if you so desired, and swap them for different flavors. Or 5 preamps, 5 compressors and mix and match, and only buy 1 channel and not be stuck with buying 2.

[andygabrys]

funny about the lunchbox.

some claim that the size reduction in some cases means less powerful (and bulky) transformers and they can hear a difference.

I think Mojo probably had a good call getting one of those Antelope Audio interfaces.

[Len911]

"Originally Posted by terraamb01 View Post
Actually a mastering engineer that Im friendly with... said, was "just so you know, the 500 series use low voltage rather than high voltage,...
And

With the lunch box I think it's more that it is sort of a *cheap* power supply.


You fortunately don't admit who the mastering engineer is, but he is 100% WRONG in the voltage statement with regards to API (we don't know about other manufacturers) - and nevefreak is also 100% WRONG with respect to the lunchbox power supply. Where do you 'authorities' get this kind of information??

The problem with this forum and the internet as a whole is that 'authority' and 'expert opinion' are neither accurate nor verifiable, yet taken as fact to the detriment of pro audio as a whole.

Very few people seem to take the time to actually ask the manufacturer these kinds of question"

https://www.gearslutz.com/board/so-much ... eamps.html

Funny thing, doesn't most gear have a 120v/230v power switch? 120v for U.S. and 230v for Europe?

I'm surprised there's not any comments, maybe there is?? , of someone in the U.S. who uses 240v instead of 120v because it sounds better.

The bottom line is that API publishes a spec for the 500 series, and if a mfg. is unable to design a 500 series unit that doesn't sound the same, they will say as much and if there is a difference. Then again, someone can always A/B them with test equipment!

Or, you can stick with the API modules, because you know they are the same as in their consoles.

http://umlsrt.com/wp-content/uploads/St ... NEQ_EQ.pdf

115V/230V Operation
Before adjusting the operating voltage, always switch off the unit and remove
the AC power cable!
To adjust the operating voltage, use a flat blade screwdriver to click the voltage
selector across to the required position until the legend 115V or 230V appears in
the window and fit the appropriate fuse supplied in the fixings pack.

"... Rupert's TLA (transformer-
like-amplifier) principle which emulates the
useful operating characteristics of a transformer."

Though not a transformer.

Neve wrote an overview in the above link. It gives perspective on a famous designers comments concerning class A and transformers versus his newer stuff with ic's and tla's.

[andygabrys]

I am honestly just here for the good times.

[Len911]

funny about the lunchbox.

some claim that the size reduction in some cases means less powerful (and bulky) transformers and they can hear a difference.

I think Mojo probably had a good call getting one of those Antelope Audio interfaces.

Perhaps so. But who knows what the preamps are? The a/d converter seems to be a TI4222 chip, Antelope boasts about using crystals for the clock, but that's just a part of the chip
http://www.ti.com/lit/ug/sbau124/sbau124.pdf

I suppose there are similarities with the Apollo in terms of DSP additions.

I'm not dissing the unit at all, but there are as many questions with it as there are everything else. What are you getting and what are you paying for.

https://www.recordingmag.com/productrev ... 10/93.html

There have been a lot of claims made about the Zen Studio's mic pres online -- some saying that they sound "API-ish", others saying "Neve-ish", and overall besting microphone preamps that on their own cost as much per channel as the entire Zen Studio. I so wanted to be the person to debunk their quality and cry foul, but I'll be darned if they didn't impress the heck out of me!

I did side by side comparisons with the 212 API mic pres found in API's THE BOX (reviewed September 2014), a Chandler Limited TG2-500 (reviewed elsewhere in this issue), and a Neve-inspired Great River MP500NV (reviewed October 2011), as well as my longtime stalwart Millennia Media HV-3D (most recently reviewed in its HV-37 dual rackmount form, July 2013).

The Zen Studio's preamps are not Neve, API, Chandler, or Millennia. However, they're not a million miles away either. They hang with the pack nicely, exhibiting a strong sonic quality that, as I mentioned before, offers a nice evenly-weighted modern day console sound. For remote work I had zero qualms using only the Zen Studio's preamps and leaving all of my expensive (not to mention bulky and heavy) preamps racked up in the studio.