Apollo Twin: yay or nay?

[Len911]

Just in! there's something curious about the 500 series, the power supply issue must have been an off camera question? sort of maybe touches on it in this brand new video

https://youtu.be/YQzLt5q9Zvg?t=56m37s

[mojobone]

Do whatever makes you happy, but know that there's no logical reason to avoid 500 series processing, since the savings are accounted for, in terms of a common ground, a common power supply and nigh-universal interfacing. Sometimes, it's nice if you can get a little EQ or compression on the way to disk, but is it required? Naw. Plenty of folks are getting good results inside the box.

[Len911]

Apollo Twin sets another standard for desktop music creation we had truly would value the criticism from audience members whoopee or nay. I haven't knew about any negative things about it, with the exception of pricy modules. I just need 2 in's, simply that to the extent inputs go. I for the most part do mic'd up acoustic music, additionally EDM, rock n move, nation/country, and new age feel music. I'm just hoping to redesign my $100 Presonus interface with something higher end that is desktop benevolent.

The Apollo Twin's main thing is outboard dsp, so it's more than an interface.

The Audient iD22, is probably what I would have bought if it had been available when I was looking. A very cool feature, is the 2 sends and returns, that allows you to incorporate a 500 series rack with various preamps, compressors, eq's...
http://vintageking.com/audient-id22

So I would say the Apollo takes more of a software approach, and Audient an analog approach, both can be expensive, analog more actually, but for me, I would tend to prefer analog, because it's about capturing the signal analog before it goes into digital. I have an Api mic pre and compressor, and for me that's all I might ever need or want really, but the options are there. I'm not discounting the mic pres of the Audient in any way, that might be all you want or need for mic pres, you may not need or want an eq, or compressor, but it's versatile enough to provide a channel or two of an analog console channel with the 500 series. That's my perspective. I prefer things you can recycle or build upon rather than something you have to scrap and start over, it's more economical in the long term. It's the concept of the 500 rack series, once you buy a rack and power supply, you don't have to buy a power supply with every unit you buy, and you can certainly swap out modules and use the same power supply, very efficient,lol!

[Lipskimusic]

I owned an Apollo Twin but sold it this year. IMO there are three disadvantages: 1) Personally, I am not a fan of 'big button' interfaces (i.e. the big button having various functionalities (I had used an Apogee Duet before - same thing) 2) UA plugins are quite expensive and you cannot really continue working on a session with UA plugins whilst being on the road (you need to disable them etc. - too cumbersome for me). 3) The processing power (Twin Duo) does not go a long way. If you use a couple of 'fancy' UA plugins you quickly reach the limit.

I am using Focusrite gear these days. Works like a charm and it is really straightforward to use. When it comes to plugins, I am using Softube and Waves plugins but most of the time Logic X stock plugins (as I like to use two computers and I hate to disable plugins when moving a session from one machine to another). Softube allows you to use their plugins on two machines (so do many other plugin manufacturers). With Waves it is also doable but more cumbersome as you need to assign them to a specific machine (i.e. they can only be used on one of your computers at the same time). BTW - HOFA plugins are also very good an you can also use them on two computers at the same time.

Hope that helps.

Cheers,
Matt

[ochaim]

Hey Matt,

I just got a Twin myself having owned a Quad card for several years. Did you get a chance to record using the Unison enabled preamp plugins?

I owned an Apollo Twin but sold it this year. IMO there are three disadvantages: 1) Personally, I am not a fan of 'big button' interfaces (i.e. the big button having various functionalities (I had used an Apogee Duet before - same thing) 2) UA plugins are quite expensive and you cannot really continue working on a session with UA plugins whilst being on the road (you need to disable them etc. - too cumbersome for me). 3) The processing power (Twin Duo) does not go a long way. If you use a couple of 'fancy' UA plugins you quickly reach the limit.

I am using Focusrite gear these days. Works like a charm and it is really straightforward to use. When it comes to plugins, I am using Softube and Waves plugins but most of the time Logic X stock plugins (as I like to use two computers and I hate to disable plugins when moving a session from one machine to another). Softube allows you to use their plugins on two machines (so do many other plugin manufacturers). With Waves it is also doable but more cumbersome as you need to assign them to a specific machine (i.e. they can only be used on one of your computers at the same time). BTW - HOFA plugins are also very good an you can also use them on two computers at the same time.

Hope that helps.

Cheers,
Matt

[Lipskimusic]

Hi Owen!

You got me there I should have mentioned these, they are very good IMO. I only owned the UA 610 plugin but heard great things about the Neve, too.

Cheers,
Matt

[ochaim]

Thanks, Matt. I totally agree with your reasons for ditching the Apollo Twin though. The Duo isnt enough to run enough of the higher end, newer versions of the plugins, especially the channel strips. I'm just getting by with the Quad and the legacy versions of most of the plugins I have that have updated versions.

Looking forward to trying this unison thing!

[mojobone]

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.

There are some native equivalents for some of the third-party plugin vendors' wares, but UAD's plugins are mostly proprietary, IIRC.

[mojobone]

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.

I priced it out against a lunchbox, oddly enough. The Zen Studio came out ahead, because I/O on Tascam-pinout DB25 connectors [like you'd find on a lunchbox] and a dozen holy crap!-level preamps with state of the art power and transparency, the software mixer patches anything to anything, built-in realtime EQs, compressors and reverbs, oh, my! The high-end clocking means D/A conversion is superbly dimensional. Yeah, I kinda like my box, but a Twin is nothing to sneeze at, and a lot cheaper, 'til you add those plugs.

The technology is a bit different; no SHARC chips, but what's called an FPGA, or field-programmable gate array, which sports extremely powerful I/O and routing at rather astonishing , not to say vanishing latencies.

[Len911]

say you bought the used 2 slot rack for $225

is this thread still going?lol!

The used racks seem to sell like hotcakes.

Todd started the post and never returned!