The Universal Audio Apollo x8 is an extremely versatile 16-in/22-out audio interface with great sound quality that is compatible with Mac and Windows via Thunderbolt 3. Compared to the more modest Apollo X8, the X8p has a full eight internal Unison preamps, which form an ideal foundation for advanced professional recording and can be scaled up by cascading it with other Apollo units. The integrated 24-bit/192kHz converter technology combined with dual crystal clocking is one of the best on the market. With six SHARC processors, the Apollo x8p allows extensive use of UAD plugins, whose quality is widely recognised. The Real Time Analog Classic Plus bundle provided, as well as the STAN Luna (only for Mac), enable immediate access to the world of music production with DSP.
The Apollo x8p is a modern studio interface with excellent sound and 24-bit/192kHz converters. Unison technology allows UAD plugins to work seamlessly with the interface's preamp mics, providing a convincing, realistic recreation of legendary vintage preamps. The list of famous musicians and producers whose work is powered by UAD plugins is endless. Astonishingly, the list includes several seasoned sound engineers who earned their stripes with analogue equipment but admire the realistic sound of Unison preamps and UAD plugins. Users who want to bring analogue charm to their production with legendary consoles like the Neve or SLL, iconic vintage compressors, reverbs steeped in history and classic amps, need look no further!
This rack-mounted interface is well-stocked with eight Unison mic preamps, a whole host of other analogue and digital inputs and outputs, and the hexacore SHARC DSP, making it an excellent choice for anyone wanting to make extended professional recordings, without compromising on sound quality. In addition to the monitoring section with integrated talkback microphone, multi-monitor switching feature, surround capability and switchable function at +24dBu, the Universal Audio Apollo x8p becomes the nerve centre of the studio, bringing together inputs and outputs and DSP Farm. For situations necessitating additional channels, users can cascade the Apollo x8p with three other Thunderbolt units from the Apollo series, multiplying the inputs and outputs and processing resources.
Few manufacturers can draw upon a wealth of audio engineering experience comparable to that of Universal Audio. The company's founding father Bill Putnam, along with his friend Les Paul, have an admirable reputation as trend-setting music producers and developers of legendary analogue studio technology. Putnam recorded Chuck Berry, Muddy Waters, and Sarah Vaughan, and was Duke Ellington's favourite sound engineer. He developed the famous 1176 Peak Limiter and distributed the Teletronix LA-2A level amplifier. This earned him a posthumous “Technical Grammy Award” in 2000. In 1999, Putnam's sons, Bill Putnam Jr. and James Putnam, re-founded Universal Audio, transferring their father's analogue vision and craftsmanship to the digital music world. Their product range includes audio interfaces, dedicated DSP farms, and a variety of plug-ins, as well as analogue hardware devices.
UAD plugins only work with SHARC DSP UAD equipment, however they can of course be opened in a STAN, like any other plugin. In some cases, it makes more sense to start them off on UAD's own virtual mixing console. With a Unison plugin, the Apollo mic preamp becomes an integral part of the sound system, allowing users to modify its physical input impedance, for example. According to Universal Audio, this creates a sound which is extremely faithful to tube or transistor circuits, whether through mic preamps, bass or guitar amps, or even pedals, so users can make the most of the sound of legendary mixers, like Neve or SSL or classic mixers. As the tone and sound quality is generated by the combination of interface equipment and plugins, it is laid directly onto a track in the STAN straight after processing.
Each Apollo interface features one or multiple SHARC processors for computing the "Console" mixer software and the UAD plugins. Each plug-in consumes a fraction of the DSP chip' processing power (between one and sixty percent), depending on its complexity. A small percentage goes to the mixer software for internal signal processing and routing. The number of SHARC DSPs that are used in a Universal Audio device is indicated by the product description: There is one DSP chip in a SOLO unit, two in a DUO, four in a QUAD, six in a HEXA, and eight in an OCTO unit.