UAD Apollo as regular audio interface

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As well as hosting DSP plugins can an Apollo also work as a regular coreaudio interface on Mac?

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I was thinking of picking one up in the BF sale if it does to replace my ageing RME Fireface

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aMUSEd wrote: Sat Nov 19, 2022 11:03 pm I was thinking of picking one up in the BF sale if it does to replace my ageing RME Fireface
Is the fireface dying?

Apollos main strength might be the Unison technology where it integrates with e.g. 1073 pre amp and can model recording through a 1073.

If you're doing a lot of recording could be worth it. Otherwise just either picking up a DSP card or getting Spark to run natively may be fine with a neutral pre like the fireface has.

*I have a fireface ufx and UAD 2 cards, and don't feel I miss on having an Apollo.

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I don't know for Mac but the round-trip latencies or general latency of the apollo is desastrous on a pc.
The real latency of my apollo running on 128 is higher than my Fireface ufx running at 256.
And if that wasn't worse enough, the cpu load of the RME at 128 is lower than on the Apollo at 256.
So if you are playing vstis etc I would avoid an apollo.
I only use an apollo as an adat extension to my RME interface.

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_leras wrote: Sun Nov 20, 2022 9:14 am
aMUSEd wrote: Sat Nov 19, 2022 11:03 pm I was thinking of picking one up in the BF sale if it does to replace my ageing RME Fireface
Is the fireface dying?

No but I get error messages from Ventura saying the USB2 drivers being used will not work on future versions of MacOs - I'm sure RME will update it but they seem to keep needing to play catch up whereas the Apollo seems designed for thunderbolt and Mac

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aMUSEd wrote: Sun Nov 20, 2022 9:41 am No but I get error messages from Ventura saying the USB2 drivers being used will not work on future versions of MacOs - I'm sure RME will update it but they seem to keep needing to play catch up whereas the Apollo seems designed for thunderbolt and Mac
Not sure what Ventura is, but I'd expect RME to get working drivers sorted.

What are you look to in UAD?

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_leras wrote: Sun Nov 20, 2022 12:42 pm
aMUSEd wrote: Sun Nov 20, 2022 9:41 am No but I get error messages from Ventura saying the USB2 drivers being used will not work on future versions of MacOs - I'm sure RME will update it but they seem to keep needing to play catch up whereas the Apollo seems designed for thunderbolt and Mac
Not sure what Ventura is, but I'd expect RME to get working drivers sorted.

What are you look to in UAD?
Primarily wanting a very low latency interface (so Thunderbolt) but their Synths are a bonus

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Works perfectly with my 2019 iMac and MBP here. As mentioned, the Unison preamps was a big feature for me and, as I had hoped, my Twin X replaced an expensive Focusrite ISA200 channel strip for me. I later added an Apollo X6 and daisy chained the Twin X, which works great as a big knob controller. I also have 15 hardware synths, basses guitars, etc. so having all those on-board effects saves me the cost, space, and headache of racks of hardware effects.
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rasmusklump wrote: Sun Nov 20, 2022 9:31 am I don't know for Mac but the round-trip latencies or general latency of the apollo is desastrous on a pc.
The real latency of my apollo running on 128 is higher than my Fireface ufx running at 256.
And if that wasn't worse enough, the cpu load of the RME at 128 is lower than on the Apollo at 256.
So if you are playing vstis etc I would avoid an apollo.
I only use an apollo as an adat extension to my RME interface.
This somewhat echoes my thought.. RME have stellar low RTL performances (only probably lynx audio and the presonus quantum I think are anywhere near these (maybe others I am unaware of)).

I don't currently own an RME (I have a lynx audio), but low RTL is key for me in an interface... so I for one wouldn't trade an RME for an Apollo.
Ever...
rsp
sound sculptist

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aMUSEd wrote: Sun Nov 20, 2022 12:46 pm
_leras wrote: Sun Nov 20, 2022 12:42 pm
aMUSEd wrote: Sun Nov 20, 2022 9:41 am No but I get error messages from Ventura saying the USB2 drivers being used will not work on future versions of MacOs - I'm sure RME will update it but they seem to keep needing to play catch up whereas the Apollo seems designed for thunderbolt and Mac
Not sure what Ventura is, but I'd expect RME to get working drivers sorted.

What are you look to in UAD?
Primarily wanting a very low latency interface (so Thunderbolt) but their Synths are a bonus
I think their low latency applies only if you are using their console or whatever it is called to record audio not vstis.


edit: actually they aren't that bad:

https://gearspace.com/board/showpost.ph ... count=3188


others for comparison: https://gearspace.com/board/showpost.ph ... ostcount=1
rsp
sound sculptist

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Thanks - looks like RME is still at the top then

Just hope they keep updating the drivers for the older USB 2 models

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aMUSEd wrote: Sun Nov 20, 2022 7:24 pm Thanks - looks like RME is still at the top then

Just hope they keep updating the drivers for the older USB 2 models
The USB2 interfaces are going strong with more than 12 years of support already, they still support older interfaces. I think they have a very good platform to keep everything working.i don't think there is any other brand that can match the support of RME.
dedication to flying

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aMUSEd wrote: Sun Nov 20, 2022 7:24 pm Thanks - looks like RME is still at the top then

Just hope they keep updating the drivers for the older USB 2 models
For about the cost of a good new interface (or less), UAD currently have their ultimate bundle on a black Friday sale price

https://www.uaudio.com/uad-plugins/plug ... te-11.html

And it includes their synths.

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_leras wrote: Sun Nov 20, 2022 9:35 pm
aMUSEd wrote: Sun Nov 20, 2022 7:24 pm Thanks - looks like RME is still at the top then

Just hope they keep updating the drivers for the older USB 2 models
For about the cost of a good new interface (or less), UAD currently have their ultimate bundle on a black Friday sale price

https://www.uaudio.com/uad-plugins/plug ... te-11.html

And it includes their synths.
but uad doesn't as good drivers or long term support as RME
dedication to flying

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