Universal Audio Apollo X Gen 2: to the moon and beyond

Sponsored by Universal Audio

Since the first line of Apollos was released in 2012, Universal Audio has been at the forefront of audio interface discussions and the company has had a huge influence on how music is produced in the digital realm, most notably when it comes to input-level preamp emulation. With their clever Unison technology and UA’s near-zero latency monitoring through effects, the Apollos became a studio staple and a benchmark for users and a reference point for their manufacturing competitors alike. From the bygone days of FireWire to the current crop of Thunderbolt and USB protocols, Apollo has remained as relevant as ever, and that’s due to Universal Audio’s constant drive to adapt their products to an ever-changing audio world..

In this article we’ll dive deep into the latest iteration of the Apollo, but first let’s get up to speed and start with a brief overview of this exquisite line of audio interfaces - then we’ll check out the latest features introduced for the current generation.

The current line-up

The Apollo series is a comprehensive range of audio interfaces that can serve a great number of use cases: from the electronic musician in a small project studio to big commercial facilities doing major label projects with a much higher number of input and output demands, everyone is covered here. Here’s the current selection of Apollos and their most recent iterations:

Apollo Solo: The smallest unit, a compact and portable interface with two microphone preamps, instrument input, stereo analog output, headphones output and a single DSP chip for plugin processing. Available in Thunderbolt and USB versions.

[BLOCKright="400"][/BLOCKright]Apollo Twin X Gen 2: An insanely popular model and a very capable desktop unit with two microphone preamps, instrument input, two stereo analog outputs, headphones output and a handy ADAT/SPDIF input port. It offers two DSP variants - a ‘Duo’ with two chips and a ‘Quad’ with four chips. The Twin can also serve as a monitor controller when used in tandem with the rackmount units. The Twin Gen 2 runs on Thunderbolt 3 and a USB 3 model is available for Windows.

Apollo x4 Gen 2: The biggest of the desktop units and it’s basically a “Twin times two”, with four microphone preamps, six analog outputs, two instrument inputs, two headphones outputs and ADAT/SPDIF I/O. It can also double as a monitor controller (with extra inputs and DSP of course) when run alongside one of the rackmount interfaces. Runs on Thunderbolt 3.

Apollo x6 Gen 2: The most affordable of the rack units, with HEXA DSP, two microphone preamps, six line inputs, six line outputs, stereo monitor outputs, two instrument inputs, two headphones outputs, stereo coaxial SPDIF I/O and two sets of optical ADAT S/MUX for I/O expansion. Runs on Thunderbolt 3.

[BLOCKRIGHT="400"][/BLOCKRIGHT]Apollo x8 Gen 2: Same as the x6, but with four microphone preamps, eight line inputs and eight line outputs. Also equipped with HEXA DSP, stereo coaxial SPDIF I/O and two sets of optical ADAT S/MUX I/O ports. Runs on Thunderbolt 3.

Apollo x8p Gen 2: Essentially the x8, but with eight microphone preamps/line inputs on combo XLR/TRS connectors and the outputs are handled through a D-SUB connector instead of TRS. It also packs HEXA DSP and features stereo coaxial SPDIF and optical ADAT S/MUX ports for expanding the I/O options. Runs on Thunderbolt 3.

Apollo x16 Gen 2: The flagship of Apollo line, with premium AD/DA converters, HEXA DSP, sixteen inputs and outputs on D-SUB connectors and AES I/O ports for further increasing the channel count. Runs on Thunderbolt 3.

Apollo x16D: The same as the x16 Gen 2, but equipped with a Dante card for IP-based audio for streaming over networks.

New software packages

The Apollos Gen2 are now offered with three distinct UAD2 plug-in bundles: the Essentials+ Edition is available for all the units, the Studio+ Edition is an option for the x4, x6 and x8/x8P models and the Ultimate+ Edition is available only for the x16 Gen 2 and x16D. Here’s a quick rundown of these packages:

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Essentials+ comes with over twenty plug-ins, including six channel strips/preamps (four Unison-compatible), seven compressors/limiters, six equalizers, four special processors (including Auto-Tune Realtime Access), three delays/modulators, three rooms/reverbs, one virtual instrument and three guitar/bass amps and pedals.

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Studio+ packs over fifty plug-ins, including nine channel strips/preamps (seven Unison-compatible), seventeen compressors/limiters, six equalizers, seven special processors including Auto-Tune Realtime Advanced, six delays/modulators, four rooms/reverbs, six virtual instruments and three guitar/bass amps and pedals.

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Ultimate+ brings nearly everything the UAD2 platform has to offer with over a hundred plugins, including nineteen channel strips/preamps (fifteen of them Unison-compatible), twenty two compressors/limiters, seventeen equalizers, twenty one special processors, ten delays/modulators, thirteen rooms/reverbs, six virtual instruments and nine guitar/bass amps and pedals.

Now that we have that covered, let’s check out what the second generation is all about.

Enter the new

The latest generation of the Apollo line has brought a number of meaningful improvements that go far beyond the faceplate and its sleek new shade of grey - Gen 2 brings updated circuitry, new converters and assistive auto-gain. Universal Audio has also updated the Console app for all X units (including Gen 1) with subwoofer management and integrated Sonarworks SoundID headphones and speakers correction. Here’s a breakdown of each of these new features:

[BLOCKRIGHT="425"][/BLOCKRIGHT]Circuitry and converters: Universal Audio has seized the opportunity and improved the circuitry across the entire line, and now the converters are uniform across the Twin, x4/x6/x8 and x8p models, with the x16 featuring their top-tier chip that sets it apart from the rest - as expected from what is their flagship unit. All the units now feature elite 24-bit/192kHz converters with the digital-to-analog section boasting the highest resolution and headroom ever present in the Apollo line, with the lowest noise and THD (total harmonic distortion) figures offered by UA to date. The monitor outputs, headphones amps and Hi-Z inputs were also improved, with more headroom (up to +12.6dBu) on the Hi-Z inputs and cleaner headphone/monitor outputs with significantly less distortion.

[BLOCKRIGHT="425"][/BLOCKRIGHT]Subwoofer Management: A feature that was high on the priority list of those using subwoofers in their studios has finally arrived. Users now can set the crossover points along with their desired filter slopes in order to send send properly-prepared signals to their satellite speakers in many monitoring modes, from regular 2.0 stereo all the way up to surround configurations with the x8/x8p (up to 7.1) and x16/x16D models (up to 9.1.6). The available crossover points for the satellites are 80, 100 and 120 Hz in stereo mode, with an additional 150 Hz when using configurations with a LFE channel, and the filter slopes are 12 and 24 dB per octave with a Linkwitz-Riley design.

[BLOCKRIGHT="425"][/BLOCKRIGHT]Assistive Auto-Gain: The Gen 2 Apollos are equipped with a highly useful automatic gain adjustment feature for the inputs. This will come in handy for those recording by themselves, as it allows users to focus on their performance without having to worry about input levels, which also speeds up the creative process since they’re not wasting time with the interface set up or ruining those valuable takes that were damaged due to poor gain staging. It is also a great asset for those recording multiple channels, allowing for shorter setup times when preparing recordings for drum kits, ensembles, choirs or any situation where multiple musicians and microphones are involved. This feature is available on Unison inputs with the Neve, SSL and API preamp emulations.

[BLOCKRIGHT="425"][/BLOCKRIGHT]Sonarworks SoundID: Second to none when it comes to speaker and headphones correction, Sonarworks is now fully integrated into the updated Console app for both Gen 1 and Gen 2 Apollo X interfaces. For those who are totally new to this, Sonarworks SoundID is the gold standard for correcting the frequency response on headphones and speakers to provide accurate monitoring. It provides hundreds of headphone profiles to be readily loaded, and for those interested in speaker correction the whole process is easily done with a measurement microphone. Sonarworks SoundID is a separate piece of software to be used either as a system-wide solution or as a DAW plug-in, but Apollo X owners will now be able to use it without having to run anything else as it is baked into the monitor control section of the Console app, which is quite handy. (Note however that Sonarworks SoundID is an optional add-on that needs to be purchased separately.)

Something for everyone

As mentioned earlier in this article, the Apollo lineup has a number of offerings to serve basically everyone - let’s make everyone’s life easier and provide some guidance so you can pick the right one for your needs.

If you’re a solo artist or content creator working mostly on your own, the Twin X is the Apollo you want. It’s perfect for those recording themselves, which is made easier now with the assistive auto gain feature. The two preamps should be enough for most situations, including recording a duo or having a guest on your podcast, And there’s always that ADAT port to be used In case you need more inputs down the road.

If you’re a electronic music producer with a project studio or working mostly in-the-box and occasionally recording vocals, real instruments or hardware synths, the desktop models are the ones for you: the Twin X or the x4 are both perfect for your needs, providing the analog inputs and preamps for recording and proper outputs for monitoring whilst giving you room to expand with the ADAT port in case more channels are needed for recording more instruments or musicians.

If you’re running a recording studio, the rack-mount x6, x8 and x8p are what you want, since they provide multiple mic preamps for recording with Unison technology for instant analog vibes with officially-endorsed emulations from API, Neve, SSL and many others. The rack-mount Apollos will also provide all the outputs for setting up multiple monitoring cues so everyone can hear exactly what they’re playing. They also provide ADAT ports for expanding the channel counts in case bigger recording sessions come through the door.

If you have a studio with lots of outboard gear, the x16 is the Apollo for you with its plentiful I/O count that will be perfect for connecting a mixing desk, and the top-tier conversion will be the perfect match for your lovely analog hardware: you’ll have all the infrastructure you need to connect those precious outboard effects, compressors and EQs, not to mention it can easily be turned into a bonafide recording rig with external preamps, be it through the analog front-end or digital AES ports.

If you’re working with mastering or mixing for immersive formats, the x16 will be your Apollo of choice since it provides all the outputs for connecting all the speakers needed for an industry-standard 9.1.6 Dolby Atmos mixing rig with the utmost accuracy for monitoring thanks to its premium converters and Sonarworks SoundID integration.

Start your journey now

[BLOCKRIGHT="435"][/BLOCKRIGHT]The Apollo X Gen 2 interfaces are now available worldwide on your favourite retailers with the following prices for each model and corresponding software package.

Although the plug-ins bundled with the Essentials+ Edition are a great starting point to the UAD universe, there’s a substantial incentive for users to get the Studio+ and Ultimate+ editions as they greatly increase the bang for buck by packing more plug-ins at a discounted price - more bang for your buck.

For more information, please visit the Universal Audio website.









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