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Post by guitfiddler on Apr 17, 2019 23:45:33 GMT -6
Does anyone own these two units and have you compared the preamps? I’m curious if the 880 has a lot better preamps than the Apollo 8XP or if they are too close to matter. This would be an interesting test. Anyone?
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Post by kcatthedog on Apr 18, 2019 0:33:32 GMT -6
Aren’t they both simply ic chips? As the X is a much newer design, isn’t the pre surrounded by better signal path in the X, I think the audient is plus 5 years old ?
There audient users at ua forum.
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Post by hio on Apr 18, 2019 0:45:59 GMT -6
Which preamps because the Apollo has its chameleon like capabilities with its many Unison preamps like the 1073, 1290, 88RS, Helios, 610 A&B, SSL, API, V76, Manley, etc.
I have most all of them and they all sound very different along with its very transparent generic preamps they come outfitted with and sorry I don't have the Audient to compare it for ya.
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Post by 000 on Apr 18, 2019 5:31:39 GMT -6
I haven’t really heard the new Apollo’s - but the audient preamps sounds much wider and detailed than the old gen Apollo’s
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Post by guitfiddler on Apr 18, 2019 8:47:59 GMT -6
I wished I hadn’t started this thread. My response would be so long and detailed and opinionated that I just don’t have the time to get deep into it. Actually going to change this thread once I do more research.
I wish I could get an interface with inserts that has preamps built in. For ex. The 880 has inserts for outboard that can be used in tandem with the preamps. I wish UA had put inserts on the X8p like on the Audient 880. They have the DB25 inputs and outputs, but no inserts. Kind of a bummer for me. Then again UA seems to be going for the all in one kind of thing making digital and plugins the only thing in a closed system. I guess I’m just asking for too much, but if you are paying that much money, it should be more flexible.
This is all old news and really probably not worth much of anyone’s time to talk about history and features of these boxes. It’s been pounded into the ground already. I’m just going to delete this thread. Thanks for the responses. I just thought maybe someone had both of these boxes in a mobile rig and they could tell me what they thought between them as far as the preamps.
As far as Unison technology...hmmm. Don’t know what to think? It’s louder and sounds a little different? I still get better results from the outboard. They seem to be getting closer. I am experimenting with it now and will come to a conclusion.
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Post by guitfiddler on Apr 18, 2019 8:53:28 GMT -6
I haven’t really heard the new Apollo’s - but the audient preamps sounds much wider and detailed than the old gen Apollo’s .The old gens? The Silverface Apollo? The Blackface Apollo?
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Post by kcatthedog on Apr 18, 2019 8:55:16 GMT -6
You can get real pres in the symphony and control them in logic ?
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Post by Martin John Butler on Apr 18, 2019 9:10:31 GMT -6
The main thing with the new Apollo's is the clocking and converters have been completely upgraded.That to me was always their weakness. The preamp might be the same, I don't know but you can ask Drew from UAD.
Why not just get a nice preamp or two? Or even the Audient piece with 8 preamps?
I use the Stam SA73 and the Dizengoff D4 with my Apollo X6
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Post by hio on Apr 18, 2019 11:03:53 GMT -6
I use my Apollo just like a glorified outboard preamp that just happens to have many colors in tandem with all of my other hardware preamps feeding out board converters in a best of both worlds scenario.
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Post by sirthought on Apr 18, 2019 14:40:55 GMT -6
I wish I could get an interface with inserts that has preamps built in. For ex. The 880 has inserts for outboard that can be used in tandem with the preamps. I wish UA had put inserts on the X8p like on the Audient 880. They have the DB25 inputs and outputs, but no inserts. Kind of a bummer for me. Then again UA seems to be going for the all in one kind of thing making digital and plugins the only thing in a closed system. I guess I’m just asking for too much, but if you are paying that much money, it should be more flexible. So those DB25 I/O on the x8p can't be used as inserts? I did not know that. That would be a big strike against that to me. I have an 8p and an Audient ASP800. I think I read that the preamps on the x series are the same, but the power handling and analog paths around them have been improved, leading to better results. The Audient models all use the same pres, from the consoles on down to the little desktop units. I have been really satisfied with both, but don't have too much experience working with better outboard myself. I like the Audient for drums and/or bass. The ASP800 has that HMX iron feature that offers up some nice color. Although the internet seems to have tons of detractors I've been happy using the Unison preamps. I guess to me if the song and performance is good, and you don't screw up your gain going in, I can get a sound I like usually in the mix.
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Post by kcatthedog on Apr 18, 2019 15:06:30 GMT -6
Apollo’s don’t have an insert and I think all inputs (xlr/line) go to converters,you can route an output out to OB but post conversion and then back in: so 2 conversions.
But if you have ob pres, of course, you can just patch however you want before you hit the apollo and you could still use ua plugs while tracking (monitoring or print).
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Post by brenta on Apr 18, 2019 15:48:29 GMT -6
Aren’t they both simply ic chips? As the X is a much newer design, isn’t the pre surrounded by better signal path in the X, I think the audient is plus 5 years old ? There audient users at ua forum. From what I understand the Audient is a discrete transistor/op amp design. Not IC.
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Post by Quint on Apr 18, 2019 15:52:27 GMT -6
Aren’t they both simply ic chips? As the X is a much newer design, isn’t the pre surrounded by better signal path in the X, I think the audient is plus 5 years old ? There audient users at ua forum. From what I understand the Audient is a discrete transistor/op amp design. Not IC. I thought it was some kind of hybrid discrete/IC sort of thing but, yes, I also did understand it to not be a straight IC sort of preamp.
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Post by guitfiddler on Apr 18, 2019 16:24:29 GMT -6
You can get real pres in the symphony and control them in logic ? . Too expensive! I was looking at 32 I/O...wow!
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Post by jcoutu1 on Apr 18, 2019 16:28:36 GMT -6
You can get real pres in the symphony and control them in logic ? . Too expensive! I was looking at 32 I/O...wow! If the plug in preamps are good enough, why aren't the plugin compressors and eq good enough?
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Post by guitfiddler on Apr 18, 2019 16:40:30 GMT -6
. Too expensive! I was looking at 32 I/O...wow! If the plug in preamps are good enough, why aren't the plugin compressors and eq good enough? I can get by with a little touch of software eq, and the 1176, La-2a, and Fairchild plugs aren’t too bad, but the hardware compressors wipe the floor with software. I am looking at tracking with the X8p and running out into the X-Desk for mixing and inserting the outboard in the analog domain, then into the Dangerous AD+ for printing the mix.
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Post by guitfiddler on Apr 19, 2019 4:47:07 GMT -6
The main thing with the new Apollo's is the clocking and converters have been completely upgraded.That to me was always their weakness. The preamp might be the same, I don't know but you can ask Drew from UAD. Why not just get a nice preamp or two? Or even the Audient piece with 8 preamps? I use the Stam SA73 and the Dizengoff D4 with my Apollo X6 . I have several top preamps. I’m just looking at a new interface with preamps, or should I say upgrade. I just wanted to know more about the Audient ASP880.because I think they just might be a better sounding multi-preamp box than the preamps in the Apollo X series, but after hearing some recorded songs on the new Apollo X, it definitely sounds good enough to me, and I could have a change of heart.
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Post by kcatthedog on Apr 19, 2019 6:22:27 GMT -6
I don’t believe the X has an upgraded pre amp as it is just ic. The X has upgraded psu, clock, converters and signal path, that’s where the improved sonics come from.
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ericn
Temp
Balance Engineer
Posts: 14,967
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Post by ericn on Apr 19, 2019 13:31:14 GMT -6
. Too expensive! I was looking at 32 I/O...wow! If the plug in preamps are good enough, why aren't the plugin compressors and eq good enough? Because they can’t solve a problem before you hit the converters during tracking like real filters or dynamics control during tracking.
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Post by sirthought on Apr 19, 2019 14:12:59 GMT -6
If the plug in preamps are good enough, why aren't the plugin compressors and eq good enough? Because they can’t solve a problem before you hit the converters during tracking like real filters or dynamics control during tracking. That's quite the claim.
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ericn
Temp
Balance Engineer
Posts: 14,967
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Post by ericn on Apr 19, 2019 15:06:01 GMT -6
Because they can’t solve a problem before you hit the converters during tracking like real filters or dynamics control during tracking. That's quite the claim. Not really, anyone who has ever tracked a large scale live event or worked in broadcast will tell you you use compression and filters to maximize dynamic range and digital resolution, nothing worse than a 60 hour hum or HVAC sounds eating up your digital dynamic range or having to back off on a bunch of stuff because you can’t ride all those faders, well a handful of analog comps will take care of that and keep you from the digital brick wall of clipping. As the world of recording moves from well designed and isolated studios to bedrooms with designer sheets these tools become more and more needed. Ask any mix engineer how much time he could save and how often a track would have sounded better if it had been tracked with a comp or filters before the converters. Hell the last time I sat down with a bunch of guys who came up with SSL 4Ks all but one said the thing we missed most was the filters because during tracking even in a well designed room they could save the day.
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Post by Drew @ UA on Apr 23, 2019 3:22:54 GMT -6
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Post by Vincent R. on Apr 23, 2019 5:44:33 GMT -6
I really enjoy the Apollo Unison preamps, but my experience with the plugin compressors and tape emulations is a mixed one. I find it very easy to distort them, particularly tube comps like the La2a emulations and the studer tape. Meanwhile when I played with an Audio-Scape Opto we were getting 10db of reduction and no distortion on my big voice. So, while I track with the Unison preamps all the time, hardware is easier to hit hard without distortion.
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Post by javamad on Apr 23, 2019 16:40:37 GMT -6
I have 2 BF Apollo 8's and also the Audient 880. On the way in I don't tend to do much compression or EQ but because I have the 880 insert points on the patchbay I tend to use them with my Distressors on overheads or my HW Zener on Kick/Snare. That said I get great results using the Unison API Channel strip with the Apollo pre's.
I did try the 8 Apollo bare pre's against the Audients pres when I got them but that was a while ago and I am such a crap drummer I didn't come to any conclusions. I did notice some extra girth in the Audient but that could have been the Audient converters. I guess the real test of Pre vs. pre would be to go from the Audient pre's into the line ins of the Apollos.
Very happy with both anyways though I just got my hands on a UA4110 a couple of weeks ago and that is definitely up a level :-)
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Post by guitfiddler on Apr 24, 2019 10:39:09 GMT -6
I have 2 BF Apollo 8's and also the Audient 880. On the way in I don't tend to do much compression or EQ but because I have the 880 insert points on the patchbay I tend to use them with my Distressors on overheads or my HW Zener on Kick/Snare. That said I get great results using the Unison API Channel strip with the Apollo pre's. I did try the 8 Apollo bare pre's against the Audients pres when I got them but that was a while ago and I am such a crap drummer I didn't come to any conclusions. I did notice some extra girth in the Audient but that could have been the Audient converters. I guess the real test of Pre vs. pre would be to go from the Audient pre's into the line ins of the Apollos. Very happy with both anyways though I just got my hands on a UA4110 a couple of weeks ago and that is definitely up a level :-) Do you have any intention of going to the X series Apollo?
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