Apogee Ensemble or...

[AudioJunky]

Hi All,

I'm currently using an Apogee Duet and considering moving to an Apogee Ensemble. I like the fact that this unit has the extra channels of conversion and that I'd be able to do drums.... but what other things is this unit typically used for that a Duet 2 can't do? What would be the benefit of one of these if you were not going to be recording drums a ton of the time? People say the Duets are comparable in conversion, but what would put the Ensemble over the duet besides the extra channels.. and I have a hard time believing the Duet conversion is *precisely* the same as the Ensemble.

Thanks for the advice.

[hogfish]

4 mic amps, suitable for ribbons,75 dB of gain. 36 channels of I/O. 8 analog in/out,8 digital I/O via ADAT optical, stereo S/PDIF in/out. Comprehensive routing options via the Maestro software package. Total integation with Apple computers. Abilty to be used in standalone mode,as an 8 in 8 out analog interface, independant of the computer OS. The only problem is using more than one unit, the aggregate device function in the MIDI I/O application starts acting strangely and is very unstable. I get around this by putting one unit in standalone mode and connecting the units via ADAT. This will give you 16 analog in/out. Sample rates up to 192 Khz/24 bit. Been using these for about 4 years. They sound great,and are super reliable. Can be had on ebay used in the 1300 to 1500 dollar range........

[AudioJunky]

In doing some research the UA Apollo looks like a pretty nice option especially when you are adding the UAD plugs. Has anyone had any first-hand use with both of these units?

[dwelle]

i do the exact same thing hogfish does, and have been really hyped on mine. no real issues to speak of, and i get 16 quality I/O via firewire to a mac book pro. works well.

if yer not using a mac, i wouldn't bother...

[AudioJunky]

Dwelle,

I was highly considering one, but I'm a bit thwarted by something like the Apollo (newer with plugs and future thunderbolt capab.) or the RME UFX.

Would you still buy the Apogee ensemble if you were in my shoes with those above units being available?

[Relyet]

If it helps, I use a Duet for just about everything that requires two or less mics, and bought an echo audiofire 12 for drums. It works well for drums, and the difference in sound quality is more subjective than objective.

Just don't try to make the Duet be an aggregate device with other stuff. It will get mad and make an insane sound after a while.

[Mixwell]

I have an Ensemble, as well as some other high end Apogee hardware. I use my Ensemble for Mobile recording, because its packing, mic amps, headphone amplifiers and monitor controller, all in one unit.

Way less stress on sessions, than packing up a bunch of my other hardware, and well, I think the Ensemble's electronics are very good sounding, and I have reached great results with this hardware. The interface works great with my Mac's. I have a Mac Pro 8-core and a First Gen Dual Core Laptop. It is a great option in its league.

The RME UFX is another great option, which I think also sounds awesome. Granted different from the Apogee flavor, but the UFX has a ton of features with an amazing software interface. Plus, it works with both Mac and PC systems, and has a ton of expandability overall.