This works the same way as it does with Apogee’s other interfaces (One, Duet, Quartet, Ensemble and Symphony I/O), where an Audio Devices row is added to the mixer’s channel strips — this is also available via an Inspector’s channel strip. There is no internal fan, so Ensemble is dead quiet, with only a tiny "click" when switching inputs. On March 12, the LA Philharmonic performed the first of four movements composed by Felix Brenner using Apogee Electronics’ Ensemble FireWire interface. Apogee Symphony Desktop vs UAD Apollo Twin X Specifications. MOTU has done some informal testing on the Mac Pro and they are reporting incredibly low latency performance too. In threads that I read, Max from Apogee said that they also tested on a dual 2.0ghz G5 (which is what i have) and that the latency figures were similar -- a little higher, I think i remember something in the 2.8 range as opposed to 1.6. The mixing and routing aspects of Maestro were covered in the Symphony review, so it's worth referring to that article if you're unfamiliar with this functionality. However, this isn't a big deal, since most native audio applications, such as Logic Pro 8 and Cubase/Nuendo 4.1, are now able to support this style of routing (where audio buses can be used as the inputs to audio tracks) without hardware assistance. I am aware that the conversion quality is supposed to have better numbers in the Symphony. IMO if you want to go above the prosumer level you gotta go with the symphony and a rosetta. One thing to bear in mind, though, is that while Symphony and the Ensemble both make use of the Maestro software, certain Symphony features, such as the V-Bus routing, are not available on the Ensemble. A feature unique to Symphony is the ability to create virtual buses (VBus) within the architecture. The Symphony MkII’s preamp controls as they appear in Logic Pro X. Built-in monitoring capabilities that are surround capable. It's hard to believe that it's been over two years since Apogee first announced their new line of products aimed at desktop musicians and audio engineers. Apogee says that the design of the power regulators borrows custom elements from the flagship Symphony system [Tape Op #87, #99] (more details on that are available on their site). I think I used to be more about the bleeding edge. 10:06. One routing improvement that's been made since our last review is that it's now possible to route one hardware input to multiple software inputs, and, similarly but perhaps more usefully, it's also now possible to route one software output to multiple hardware outputs. The front panel is clearly laid out and features 10 plasma-style meters. Web site designed & maintained by PB Associates & SOS. IMO, well worth it. Everything I read about it (and after having talked with Apogee tech supp) suggests that having a Mac Pro is vital. They'll be good enough to do high quality audio, and you can add the boutique pres later on. Finally, Metric Halo's Mobile I/O 2882 is a bit cheaper, but is the oldest of the interfaces and doesn't support 176.4/192kHz sample rates. I thought sound quality they would be the same. Beginnen wir ausnahmsweise mal mit den Features für Gitarristen. Apogee Ensemble | Full Specifications: Sound Type: Stereo, Analog 3.5mm output: 8, Analogue RCA outputs: 0, Headphone output: yes, If you have […] However, if you exclusively use Macs, this obviously won't be an issue. Logic Pro includes an Apogee Control Panel where you can access and store the Ensemble's settings directly from your Logic Project.Photo: Mike CameronThe supplied Maestro software serves two purposes: firstly, to provide hardware mixing and routing capabilities so that hardware inputs can be routed directly to hardware outputs; and secondly, to allow you to access and configure all of the Ensemble's internal settings. A second point on which the Fireface and Orpheus score is that both offer a MIDI input and output port as well. If I get this thing in here and find out my G5 is holding it back, I'm going to be real pissed off. The only real issue I have with my Ensemble is that I can't use the thing at 88 or 96k without crashing. Also, depending how serious you are, you're probably going to want an outboard mic pre anyways. If you need pres on a budget, get something like the Mackie onyx (the 8pre rackmount one) or something equivalent like the presonus digimax fs. Once successfully connected, you can set the Ensemble to be the default audio input and output for your Mac in either Audio MIDI Setup or the Sound System Preferences Panel. Apogee's Director of Technical Services, Roger Robindoré, replied that "Apogee and Apple are aware of the issue, and have been working together to resolve it.". Also featured on the front panel are two rotary encoders, one for controlling input levels and the other for output, and each show level via a ring of bright white LEDs. The status LED also has the potential to illuminate in red if you're really unlucky, and this can happen if you plug the Ensemble into your computer and a successful connection can't be established. I create my tracks primarily ITB, then add bass/gtr/vox overdubs and will never be recording more than a stereo pair at a time. Good luck!! While this is a somewhat pedantic point in respect of what is a pretty well-designed front panel (especially the colour-coding of the LEDs), I really wish it was possible to configure the Main output encoder to mute on a simple press, rather than a simple press switching the selected output for level adjustment. This is great if you want to create different headphone mixes, for example. S/MUX mode is supported for ADAT operation with the TOSlink connector, which can provide four ins and four outs at 88.2/96kHz. Some people might find the selection behaviour more useful (if they use headphones), but I wish Apogee would provide a quick mute option for those who might prefer it. Having more than one Duet or Quartet connected to a Mac may not be as common as having multiple Symphony I/Os or Ensembles connected, but the ‘Device ID’ buttons are there for each product, just in case. When you adjust the volume using the Mac keyboard or the menu bar extra icon, you're then actually adjusting the Main volume on the Ensemble, and the Ensemble's output-level LED ring on the main output stays in sync with your Mac. Though no stranger to the audiophile community, Apogee is one of the first pro-audio manufacturers to incorporate it into an interface and, in addition to Symphony I/O, it is utilized in Duet 2, Duet for iPad & Mac, Ensemble and Quartet interfaces. I think that reference above was made before the new high performance drivers were available. Now you have me nervous :-). The first eight of these can show either the level of the analogue inputs or outputs, while the last two are labelled D1 and D2, and show the presence of signal in either the coaxial or optical digital I/O respectively. Each preamp has a gain control, and a particularly useful feature is the ability to assign each preamp to one of two groups, enabling gain adjustments to be linked between preamps assigned to the same group. To get started, simply install the Ensemble's software — although, as always, it's probably a good idea to make sure you download the latest version from Apogee's web site, rather than using any supplied versions. The mic preamps are equally impressive. I'd say it all comes down to cash at this point, mon ami. On the Ensemble Thunderbolt and Symphony I/O MkII it is much more important to have Thunderbolt 2, because those units are passing far more channels, up to 64 channels with two Symphony I/O MkII units in multi-unit mode. The Maestro Control window allows you to configure all aspects of the Ensemble's hardware setup, and this is where you have full control over the built-in preamps. Thanks for all the feed back!!! For stereo, the output encoder controls the levels of the first two analogue outputs, whereas in 5.1 or 7.1 mode the encoder sets the level of either outputs 1-6 or 1-8 respectively. I was told that the Ensemble is heads and shoulders above the Duet. Sonic Differences: Apollo 8 TB VS Apogee Symphony MK2 I am trying to get a feel for the discernable audio differences from any folks who have used both. I have a feeling that the low latency performance specs with Symphony and a Mac Pro are mostly due to the Mac Pro, and that a Symphony is needed IF you are recording many multiple tracks at once (as in an orchestra session). For example, headphone port one could be set to the output of analogue outs 1 and 2, while port two is set to 3 and 4. Symphony 32 is only supported up to Mac OS X 10.6.7 (not 10.6.8). Apogee-Produkte wie Duet, Quartet, das erste Ensemble und Symphony I/O sind bei professionellen Toningenieuren weltweit die erste Wahl und kommen daher bei zahlreichen GRAMMY® und OSCAR® prämierten Aufnahmen zum Einsatz: In den letzten zwei Jahrzehnten galten sie als Industrie-Standard für die professionelle Audioaufnahme. Please correct me if I'm wrong -- Ensemble/Mac Pro owners please speak up. Monster Studio Pro 1000 cable pretty much in and out of everything. I hope you're wrong. This changed at the 2006 NAMM show, when Apogee announced Symphony, a PCI-based system for handling a large amount of I/O with low latency via the company's AD16X, DA16X and Rosetta-series converters, and Ensemble, Apogee's entry into the Firewire audio interface market. Two white LEDs to the right of the meters indicate whether the metering represents either the audio input or output of the interface, and it's also possible for the meters to be disabled if they should become distracting. Unless you really really need the portability Firewire provides, gotta go with a pci(e) system. Now I just want things to work. When I was weighing the options, the Ensemble won over Symphony only because Apogee mentioned no plans for an Express card version of Symphony for laptops. Maestro features full Ensemble functionality control, multiple low-latency mixers, hardware control panels and an input/output routing matrix compatible with Rosetta 800, Rosetta 200, AD-16X and DA-16X. You can then plug the Ensemble into your Mac via one of the two Firewire ports found on the back panel. And one of the headphone jacks went, even though I don't use them and plug into a dedicated headphone amp system (they worked during installation). The competition in the Firewire audio interface market is fierce these days, no matter what your budget, and the most obvious competition for the Ensemble is perhaps RME's Fireface 800, Metric Halo's Mobile I/O and Prism's Orpheus. Great care has been taken to ensure accuracy in the preparation of this article but neither Sound On Sound Limited nor the publishers can be held responsible for its contents. As I said before, both devices are very similar when it comes to hardware. 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. There are also two quarter-inch headphone jacks on the front panel, and, as with the input encoder, pressing the output encoder allows you to set whether you're adjusting the level for the Main output, or one of the headphone outputs (as indicated by another set of blue LEDs). This means that you can easily recall whatever mic-pre settings you had for a given Project, by simply clicking the 'Recall Setup from Project' button in the Control Panel once you've loaded up a previous Project. There's also a corresponding set of red LEDs to show whether phantom power is enabled on each of the four mic pres, although the power itself needs to be turned on or off remotely from the host computer. Apogee's helpful manual shows the Ensemble being connected to a Mac prior to being powered up, although it doesn't seem to explicitly warn against doing this the other way around, which is what I would normally do, as I'd leave the Ensemble in stand-alone mode when not connected. 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