Overview for 1478 Riverplace Blvd Jacksonville, FL 32207. Instantly capture your inspirations, keep an audio archive of the session, or record a “crushed room” sound when tracking drums. Directly connect your guitars & other instruments to Ensemble using the 2 front panel ¼” inputs. The Apogee Ensemble Thunderbolt is the centrepiece of my studio. Back in January I decided to put 3 audio interfaces up against my PreSonus Quantum. 2. 1 Read More → Availability: In Stock Now that is not something we have heard before. With ultra-low latency performance, comprehensive studio functionality and legendary Apogee quality, Ensemble is the ideal choice to meet the diverse demands of the professional home or commercial studio. Up until now, I've always chosen the budget end of studio gear. Though we no longer test or update our software for newer versions of OS X, our customers tell us it will install and work for them in most cases. Ensemble’s groundbreaking front panel marks the evolution of Apogee’s simplified user interface, featuring total monitor control and a built-in mic for talkback. The 2015 and 2016 12″ MacBook, shown here, do not include a Thunderbolt port. Third, I wanted to maintain the level of I/O I was accustomed to with the Quantum. When you factor in the vaunted Apogee sound quality, super low latency, Thunderbolt bandwidth, and the flexible and generous I/O, it starts to look like one heck of a deal.". Learn more>, Up to 18 channels of digital I/O, in ADAT, SMUX, S/PDIF optical and S/PDIF coaxial formats, to easily integrate expanders, hardware synths and digital effects. But I'll leave it at that. Latency has been reduced to an astounding 1.1ms round-trip*, allowing you to monitor through your DAW, plug-ins included, simplifying your workflow and leveraging the power of your Mac. To accommodate different workflow preferences, Ensemble features optional direct hardware monitoring through Apogee’s Control Software with 0.6ms of latency. For example, is the Apogee Ensemble, which clocks at $2495 USD, really that much better than a PreSonus Quantum (which was my interface earlier this year), which retails a hair below $1000 USD? Obsessively crafted by the same team that designs all Apogee hardware and software products, Apogee FX and FX Rack plugins offer superior sound quality, and full bandwidth performance (44.1 to 192.kHz) for all DAWs on your Mac. Once a technology exclusively reserved for Apogee’s most advanced audio converters, Soft Limit is included in Ensemble and can be enabled in Apogee Control software or from the front panel. At NAMM 2019 Apogee have announced the HypeMiC, which they describe as their ‘next-generation’ studio-quality USB condenser microphone with built-in analog compressor. LEARN MORE ABOUT APOGEE Defining the Art of Digital Audio Since 1985 ABOUT APOGEE Defining the Art of Digital Audio Since 1985 Since 1985, Apogee has produced innovative, award-winning technology that powers many of the […] Much to my own surprise, 2020 became the year I decided to make some rather pricey upgrades to my studio. Soft Limit allows several more decibels of apparent level to be recorded while subtly providing an analog tape-like warmth to the sound. I love using it and am producing some of my best work – musically & sonically – as a result. With vast experience as a producer and artist, Karin has extensive knowledge with recording equipment and what she likes in an audio interface. Easily integrate your favorite analog compressor or EQ, in mono or as a stereo pair, into your recording chain with separate ¼”  balanced send and return connector for each channel. Once the initial install was out of the way it was time to upgrade to the release version 1.2. They weren't mind-boggling, mind you. This combination of DSP and native versions of these plug-ins means that Apogee dual path monitoring is now a reality. [mod_booking] The Ensemble brings Apogee's hardware and software technologies to an easy-to-use, high-quality Firewire audio interface. Connect up to 8 microphones or a combination of instruments, external mic preamps, and other analog audio devices. © Copyright - Apogee Electronics Corp. All Rights Reserved. This superior FET-based analog design prevents the digital clipping that causes distortion by instantaneously rounding off transient peaks before they hit the analog-to-digital converter. We have found 100 companies and 100 people at this address. See below for details on how we can take your interface to the next level! Each day our team on the show floor at NAMM 2019 are on the look out for products that catch their eye and in this Best Of NAMM 2019 roundup James Ivey, Julian Rodgers and Eli Krantzberg share their top 3 from day 1. Then there's the ingenuity of the Apogee Thunderbolt interfaces. Other than my Pearlman TM-1, this is the best studio investment I have made thus far. Connect a second Ensemble Thunderbolt or an Element Series interface to your Ensemble Thunderbolt and expand your studio. Learn more>, Instantly capture your inspirations, keep an audio archive of the session, or record a “crushed room” sound when tracking drums. Apogee Knowledgebase, Find a Dealer with the It’s reliable, easy to use, and sounds great.”, Get answers now in the Either way you'll end up with a fantastic interface. While each unit has its merits, I landed on Apogee for 2 reasons: Top-notch sound, specifically the output converters, Tight and clever integrations with Logic Pro and Macs in general. Related: apogee symphony mkii apogee ensemble apogee symphony module avid apogee quartet apogee symphony 8x8 apogee symphony 16 apogee duet apogee symphony 16x16 apogee symphony 2x6 apogee symphony desktop lynx aurora. However, Production Expert's Russ Hughes has a glowing review of his own of the Ensemble that you can check out. Apogee's preamps and converters sound great and, even playing MP3's using iTunes, the Ensemble made an immediate improvement in the sound over my old Focusrite interface. Current Price & More Info https://amzn.to/2taMLVF Apogee Ensemble Thunderbolt 2 - Is One Of The Best Audio Interface Of 2020! Studio work ranges from producing to commercial composing. So I ordered the following: Focusrite Scarlett Solo (Gen 3) ($109.00 USD), Universal Audio Apollo Twin X ($899.00 USD). Ensemble is designed to be best-in-class in the digital interface category and will compare favorably to any multi-channel box within $1000.00 of its price point in either direction. Ensemble is built solidly on this reputation. Most importantly, the built-in mic may be used for talkback. I could go on and on about Apogee's Ensemble. Answer: No. Hardware DSP with Premium Native Plugins. Ensemble’s mic pre, A/D and D/A circuitry are powered by discrete, Apogee-designed power regulators for ultra-low noise not obtainable with off-the-shelf components. My experience recording with the Ensemble for the Sea Sons album was amazing! Apogee says this on their site: The last version of OS X we tested with the Ensemble Firewire or Duet Firewire was 10.10 Yosemite. 8 Mic preamps with up to 75 dB of gain and Advanced Stepped Gain circuit, Thunderbolt connectivity for ultra-low latency (1.1ms round trip with Logic Pro X), Front panel Guitar I/O with Class A JFET inputs, dual mode re-amp outputs, Talkback functionality with built-in mic and control button, 16 analog outputs of premium Apogee conversion, Core Audio optimized DMA engine frees up Mac CPU for plugins and software instruments, Apogee Control software offers highly customizable workflow and Essentials Control Strip window, Compatible with Apogee Control hardware remote studio controller, Connect two Ensembles to your Mac and double your analog inputs and outputs, Connect any Apogee Element series interface to Ensemble for additional Ensemble quality inputs and outputs, Featuring DualPath monitoring, available exclusively. Intel’s Thunderbolt™ technology was made for connecting multiple high bandwidth peripherals to your Mac. Again, those differences were small. Directly connect your guitars & other instruments to Ensemble using the 2 front panel ¼” inputs. ESS Sabre32 32-bit Hyperstream DAC with Time Domain Jitter Eliminator offers unequalled dynamic range, ultra low distortion, and unmatched audio clarity free from input jitter. Both the Ensemble and Element series are digitally controlled and recallable. Karin Park is a singer, songwriter, and producer based in Leksand, Sweden, and has a particular intrigue with Apogee Ensemble. Learn more>, Drive 2 sets of high impedance headphones louder than you’ll ever need. Apogee FX Rack Plugins are made with the same quest for quality and obsessive attention to detail as Apogee hardware products. Ensemble’s custom driver includes two innovative features to maximize the performance of the software-hardware interface: a full 32-bit signal path from the output of your DAW straight to the high-performance ESS DAC, and a revolutionary Direct Memory Access (DMA) engine to more efficiently read and write data directly to Mac memory independent of the Mac CPU. The Apogee FX plugin offers a Channel Link function, which tethers an instance to the hardware's DSP from your DAW's mixer. Element series interfaces feature Ensemble sound quality at unprecedented prices. The Apogee Ensemble Thunderbolt is the successor to the very popular Apogee Ensemble audio interface. Chris remains fervently entrenched in the Apple ecosystem. Do Apogee’s Thunderbolt products (Element 24, Element 46, Element 88, Ensemble Thunderbolt, Symphony I/O MkII Thunderbolt, and Symphony 64 Thunderbridge) work with the 2015 and 2016 12″ MacBook? I was skeptical. I expected the differences of the Twin X and Element 24, in particular, to be minuscule at best. Learn more>, Use Ensemble as the master clock to take advantage of Apogee’s superior built-in clocking technology. But for a professional studio rack, you're looking at full-sized options such as the Apogee Symphony I/O 8x8 Audio Interface with 8 Mic Preamps. I went with the Ensemble due to the combination of high end DA/AD conversion, in built guitar re-amping, the ability to squeeze 10 mic inputs out of it (for drum recordings) plus the extra cash I’d have left over for pre-amps/microphones. Maybe they'd sound better. Even when your session’s DSP demands require a higher buffer setting, Ensemble’s ultra-low latency means no longer having to choose between power and speed. Think Universal Audio's Console. The Apogee Ensemble is Chris Vandeviver’s Hardware Product Of 2020, he explains why. Apogee Ensemble Thunderbolt 2 Review by AskAudioMag. Apogee Ensemble Weekly Rental 8 MiC preamps with up to 75 dB of gain and Advanced Stepped Gain circuitThunderbolt connectivity for ultra-low latency (1.1ms round trip)Front panel Guitar I/O with Class A JFET inputs, dual mode re-amp outputsTalkback f… more info. Electric guitar recording is extremely popular in music production, especially in the home recording crowd. Thanks to Apogee’s unique DualPath DSP-Native technology,  Apogee FX Rack plugins can run both on the hardware DSP in Ensemble Thunderbolt and Element Series interfaces and as native plugins on your Mac. That's right, the $2495 USD unit I thought was a piece of overpriced marketese! Optimistic that as audio technology advances, quality will increase as prices decrease. Ensemble is Apogee's lower-cost offering, but it sounds better than many top-tier products from other manufacturers. Apogee Ensemble is one of the the first Thunderbolt 2 audio interfaces to offer superior sound quality, the lowest latency performance and the most comprehensive studio functionality all in one box. Apogee have announced native versions of these plug-ins in AAX, VST and AU formats for macOS only. Ensemble is a step up from the Mini-Me, being more transparent and quieter. The Apogee Ensemble Thunderbolt audio interface isn't just an update to the original, award-winning Ensemble -- it's a complete, ground-up redesign that raises the bar for the amount of I/O, latency performance and the sheer sound quality you can get from a single rack space. Thanks to the digitally controlled input and output controls, my iPad serves as a monitor controller for all the Ensemble's functions. They only have a USB-C port. But enough for me to notice. It’s such a popular form of recording that many pro audio brands have specifically designed and engineered audio interfaces for the job. The value the Ensemble brings to the table really is worth stating again. Ensemble Thunderbolt™ is the best sounding all-in-one audio recording interface for Mac. Combining design elements from the company's other products, the Ensemble Thunderbolt Audio Interface from Apogee builds upon their reputation for high-gain preamplifier design and improves upon their transparent analog-to-digital and digital-to-analog conversion with the addition of an ultra-low latency 1.1 ms (96 kHz / 32 buffer) 32-bit playback Thunderbolt signal path. Vintage Preamp Emulation. Darren Censullo's Avatar Acoustics did itself proud with a system that, on one of John Atkinson's recordings of male vocal ensemble Cantus, delivered totally natural and clear sound with beautiful layering and air, and natural timbres to boot. 2 balanced monitor outputs on ¼” TRS connectors & 8 balanced line outputs on 1 D-Sub 25-pin connector. The Apogee Ensemble is a great option for anyone looking for an extensive feature set in a 1U chassis. Specifically, the Direct Monitoring function. Apogee are showing their Apogee FX Rack DualPath Monitoring Feature, their Pultec Series of plug-ins for Apogee FX Rack - two classic vintage Pultec plug-ins and a Symphony Mk II Dante Software Preview. Ensemble features premium Apogee AD/DA conversion, 8 Advanced Stepped Gain™ mic preamps, monitor controller functionality including talkback, front panel Guitar I/O, two headphone outputs and digital connectivity for a total of 30 x 34 I/O. Apogee Ensemble is one of the the first Thunderbolt 2 audio interfaces to offer superior sound quality, the lowest latency performance and the most comprehensive studio functionality all in one box. And Ensemble’s revolutionary DMA engine provides incredible CPU efficiency allowing you to leverage the full power of your Mac and native plugins. Ensemble's assignable buttons can be configured in Apogee's Maestro software to switch between up to 3 pairs of speakers, allowing you to use Ensemble just like a standard monitor controller. This design was first implemented in Apogee’s flagship Symphony I/O’s 3-Stage Cascaded power supply. Superior converters I'd imagine. Apogee Software Download Links Current Products macOS/iOS Symphony Desktop | macOS Installers Duet | macOS/iOS Installers Quartet | macOS/iOS Installers ONE macOS/iOS Installers Symphony I/O Mk II | macOS Installers Ensemble | macOS Installers Element Series | macOS Installers Please note HypeMiC, MiC+, Jam+, ClipMic digital do not require software for operation. Then toss in Apogee's DualPath FX. Whether recording powerful drums, dynamic vocals or delicate strings, your recordings retain the full impact, intricate detail and lifelike dimension of the original performance. Learn more>, Connect up to 8 microphones or a combination of instruments, external mic preamps, and other analog audio devices. In this article we share our experiences on a selection of the most popular electric guitar-centric audio interfaces you can buy today. Trusted content from independent music and post production experts. But enough to swap converters? Flagship Sound Quality. Ensemble’s proprietary Thunderbolt driver has been written from the ground up for Mac OS X Mavericks, resulting in unmatched performance and efficiency. But I often wondered, is the added expense all it's cracked up to be? With ultra-low latency performance, comprehensive studio functionality and legendary Apogee quality, Ensemble is the ideal choice to meet the diverse demands of the professional home or commercial studio. "Apogee's preamp reputation is second to none; this interface sounds sumptuous and there's no doubt that it will turn the heads of guitar-led producers as much as those requiring more 'regular' microphone and line inputs via its neat and well thought- through re-amping capabilities. This year I decided to test my assumptions. But it turned out, the results of my comparisons surprised me. Additionally, Apogee offers an iOS app for its software mixer. As well as the new HypeMic, which should be available almost immediately, Apogee are taking the opportunity at NAMM 2019 to preview several products not due for release for some time. Apogee’s FX plugins are a small but growing range of plug-ins offering dynamics and EQ in both modern and vintage forms and until now have been available as FX Rack plugins running as DSP accelerated plugins in Apogee interfaces like the highly rated Ensemble. listening experience. Instantly capture your inspirations, keep an audio archive of the session, or record a “crushed room” sound when tracking drums. My primary goal - identify if there truly were any noticeable differences in audio quality, specifically with the output converters. Up until now, I've always chosen the budget end of studio gear. The Rosetta 800 and 200 converters are a step up from Ensemble. 3. The mic pres are excellent, balanced inserts are icing on the cake. Including: 10 analog outputs (2 balanced monitor outputs, rest via D-Sub), 2 instrument outputs for direct throughput to an amp or reamping, 2 analog inserts for piping in outboard (if I ever purchase any). $195.00. Hardware Inputs Columns – The hardware analog and digital inputs of the Ensemble are displayed in these columns. Routing and phone outputs sound clean with loads of headroom. The Ensemble, on the other hand, has a dazzling array of options. The Best Of NAMM 2019 From The Production Expert Team - Day 1, Apogee Preview Apogee FX Rack DualPath Monitoring, Pultec MEQ-5 Plugin And Symphony I/O Mk II Dante Option Card At NAMM 2019, Apogee Announce HypeMiC USB Microphone With Built-in Analog Compressor. In this article, we take a look at our pick of the most popular audio interfaces you can buy today, all of which are designed to live and function on your desktop and not be rack mounted. Apogee FX is living inside the DAW's mixer, but utilizing the hardware's DSP resources. Ensemble Thunderbolt™ is the best sounding all-in-one audio recording interface for Mac. Learn more>, 2 balanced monitor outputs on ¼” TRS connectors & 8 balanced line outputs on 1 D-Sub 25-pin connector. We’re spoilt for choice! To be clear, I walked into this competition expecting to be unimpressed and unwavering in my choice of interface. I chose the Ensemble because I am a Logic user, and needed some mic pres. I don’t see any reason that the Element/Ensemble couldn’t be updated to include this feature… and it should - Enhanced Plugin UI: When Linked to an Apogee input the plugin will display the full Control channel strip and headphone and monitor control from within the plugin… NICE! Apogee is an award-winning industry leader in digital recording technology with over 25 years of experience. Chris Vandeviver is a mix engineer and content creator based out of Rochester, NY. However, this is far from being the only change to the new Ensemble. Karin takes us through her church turned studio Djura Missionshus, in this Artist Q & A. Apogee is announcing a number of new products at NAMM 2020 including the Symphony Desktop 10x14 Audio Interface, Symphony I/O Mk II Connect Series, Apogee Network Control Software for Symphony I/O Mk II Dante, Rent-To-Own Apogee FX Plugins as well as Apogee FX Rack Dual-Path V1.0 for Element Series and Ensemble Thunderbolt now being available. Butasmanyofyouknowbynow,Iamnotfondof Apogee's form-over … Ensemble features 36 channels of simultaneous audio, including 8 channels of Apogee’s legendary A/D and D/A conversion, 4 transparent, digitally controlled 75db mic preamps, 8 channels of ADAT I/O, 2 channels of S/PDIF coax and optical I/O, and FireWire connectivity to and from the computer.