Universal Audio (UA) in Scotts Valley, Calif., announces the Apollo 16 Audio Interface ($2,999 street). Building upon UA’s decades of hardware expertise, Apollo 16 features meticulous analog circuit design, top-end converters, and DC-coupled outputs, and is said to provide the lowest THD and highest dynamic range of any converter in its class. According to UA, Apollo 16’s deep, wide soundstage and exceptionally open and transparent sound make it a suitable centerpiece for professional recording facilities.
With its standard UAD-2 QUAD processing on board, Apollo 16 allows real time processing with UAD Powered Plug-Ins—with as low as sub-2ms latency—so recordists can monitor, audition, and “print” audio through analog emulations from Ampex, Lexicon, Manley, Neve, Roland, SSL, Studer, and more. Apollo 16’s onboard UAD processing is also available during mixing and mastering, so that music producers can employ UAD plug-ins (VST, RTAS, AU) throughout the creative process.
Apollo 16 offers 16×16 analog I/O via DB-25 connections. Two Apollo 16 units can be cascaded over MADI for an expanded system with eight UAD processors and 32×32 simultaneous analog I/O, capable of handling large professional mixes. Dedicated XLR monitor outputs and stereo AES/EBU digital I/O round out the Apollo 16’s rear panel audio connections.
Apollo 16’s routing capabilities include four stereo cue mixes with individually assignable outputs, and a new “Virtual I/O” feature that allows for Realtime UAD Processing of DAW tracks and virtual instruments.
Apollo 16 also offers compatibility with Intel’s high-bandwidth Thunderbolt technology on Macs via a user-installable dual-port Thunderbolt Option Card (sold separately). Thunderbolt provides greater UAD plug-in instances, improved performance at high sample rates, and reduced UAD plug-in latency in the DAW versus Apollo’s standard FireWire connection.
Apollo’s Thunderbolt Option Card is now available for an estimated street price of $499.
