Universal Audio Apollo X8

Apollo x8 equips music producers and post-production studios with new, world-leading A/D and D/A converters, HEXA Core UAD plug-in processing and 7.1 surround sound monitoring* - all in one elegant Thunderbolt 3 audio interface for Mac** or PC. This 18 x 24 interface is based on UA's 60 years of experience in developing and manufacturing professional audio equipment. It features four Unison™ microphone preamps that enable authentic preamp emulations from Neve, API, Manley, Helios, SSL, and others. The completely new HEXA Core Plug-In Processing means 50% more DSP performance for real-time use of UAD Powered Plug-Ins. With thousands of chart recorded songs and hundreds of Grammy-awarded albums in their trophy cabinets, Apollo Interfaces have already proven their first-class suitability for recording fantastic-sounding records. In order to improve the first-class audio conversion of the previous generation Apollo interfaces, UA engineers meticulously listened to and evaluated the latest A/D and D/A converters, finally merging the selected 24-bit/192 kHz converters with a completely new analog circuit to create an optimally unaltered signal path. Thanks to a dynamic range of 129 dB and -119 dB THD+N, it picks up the open, natural sound quality of the Apollo x8 with every dedicated high-end converter on the market and is the perfect starting point for further sound enhancement with the award-winning UAD plug-ins. Apollo x8 features the new HEXA Core Processing, with six DSPs and 50% more processing power for UAD plug-ins than previous Apollos. In this way, you can use additional UAD plug-ins at the same time, regardless of whether you're working with Neve, Manley or API channel strips in real time or want to use many UAD plug-ins in your DAW when mixing. From the warm tube sound of the Pultec EQ on guitars to the musical limiting of the LA-2A on vocals to the original pumping of an original 1176 or Fairchild 670 tube compressor on drums, your recordings with the UAD plug-ins sound more powerful and three-dimensional. These typical properties of analog sounds can't be achieved with any other plug-ins. Ideal for musicians, sound engineers, producers, and sound designers, Apollo x8 features four Unison-enabled microphone preamps that allow you to record using detailed microphone preamp emulations from Neve, API, Manley, SSL, and Universal Audio.** Exclusive to Apollo interfaces, Unison technology reproduces the tones of these coveted tube and transistor mic preamps in 100% detail - including input impedance, gain sweet spots, and component level switching of the original hardware. The secret of Unison lies in the hardware-software integration between Apollo´s microphone preamps and the integrated UAD real-time processing. Simply load a Unison preamp plug-in into the microphone input channel of the Apollo Console software. The plug-in physically reconfigures the impedance and input gain of the Apollo. This allows you to use the classic sounds of the world's most recorded microphone preamps. An outstanding feature of Apollo is the UAD real-time processing, with which you can use the entire UAD Plug-Ins library almost latency-free. The Apollo x8 comes with the Realtime Analog Classics Plus plug-in bundle - including the world's only true to original emulations of Teletronix LA-2A, 1176LN and Fairchild compressors, the Unison UA 610-B Tube Preamp & EQ as well as guitar and bass amps from Marshall and Ampeg. Apollo x8 goes far beyond the capabilities of the included Realtime Analog Classics Plus Plug-Ins and gives you access to the complete UAD Powered Plug-In Library from renowned manufacturers with vintage EQs, compressors, reverbs, tape machines, channel strips and more. The processing is almost latency-free, independent of the buffer size of your audio software and without loading the CPU of your computer. With exclusive emulations from Neve, Studer, Manley, API, Ampex, Lexicon, Fender and anderen†, it's like owning a coveted studio full of legendary analog equipment in a single 19" rack unit. Unlike competing interfaces, these DSP-based plug-ins are also available for mixing in the DAW. Apollo x8 offers 18 x 24 simultaneous inputs/outputs (6 x 6 analog I/O) and two integrated Thunderbolt 3 ports This allows any Thunderbolt equipped Apollo Twin Desktop or Apollo Rack interface (up to four Apollos) and a total of six UAD-2 devices to be easily combined with each other - and to expand the system with additional fast I/Os and DSPs with high bandwidth as studio demand grows.

features

• Record via the outstanding A/D and D/A conversion - with the widest dynamic range and lowest noise on the market
• Thanks to integrated Unison™ technology via pre-amp emulations from Neve, API, Manley, Fender, and others, it's virtually latency-free aufnehmen†
• Mix with powerful HEXA Core signal processing - offering 6 UAD DSP chips for real-time use of additional award-winning UAD Powered Plug-Ins
• Easily integrate the interface into high-end systems with 7.1 surround sound monitoring and selectable +24 dBu headroom
• 18 x 24 Thunderbolt 3 audio interface with premium 24-bit / 192 kHz audio conversion (backward compatible with Thunderbolt 1 and 2 on Mac)
• Realtime UAD HEXA Core Processing for virtually latency-free recording via UAD plug-ins, independent of buffer setting
• Record over four Unison-enabled microphone/line preamps - for fully authentic Neve, API, Manley, SSL, and other preamp emulations
• Includes "Realtime Analog Classics Plus" UAD plug-in bundle with UA 610-B Tube Preamp, Legacy Pultec EQ, LA-2A and 1176 compressors, Marshall Plexi Classic, Ampeg SVT-VR Classic and more
• Integrated UAD HEXA Core Processing for additional mixing power in Pro Tools, Logic, Cubase, Ableton and other major DAWs
• Combine up to four Thunderbolt equipped Apollos and a total of six UAD-2 units
• Selectable +24 dBu operation for easy compatibility with professional mixers and tape machines
• Convenient front panel monitoring features including alto speakers, talkback microphone and selectable Dim or Mono
• Line inputs 8 x balanced 6.3 mm jack (TRS)
• Microphone inputs 4 x balanced XLR
• Instrument (Hi-Z) Inputs 2 x unbalanced 6.3 mm jack (TS)
• Digital inputs (optical TOSLINK) ADAT: 8 channels @ 44.1 to 96 kHz
• ADAT: 4 channels @ 176.4 to 192 kHz
• Digital inputs (RCA) S/PDIF: 2 channels @ 44.1 to 192 kHz
• Microphone preamplifier: dynamic range: 122 dB (A-weighted)
• THD+N: -115 dB (0.00019 %)
• Frequency response: 20 Hz to 20 kHz, ±0.05 dB
• Line inputs: Dynamic range: 123 dB (A-weighted)
• THD+N: -113 dB (0.00022%)
• Frequency response: 20 Hz to 20 kHz, ±0.04 dB
• Line outputs: 8 x balanced 6.3 mm jack (TRS)
• Monitor outputs: 2 x balanced 6.3 mm jack (TRS)
• Headphone jacks: 2 x 6.3 mm stereo jacks
• Digital outputs (optical TOSLINK) ADAT: 8 channels @ 44.1 to 96 kHz
• ADAT: 4 channels @ 176.4 to 192 kHz
• Digital outputs (RCA) S/PDIF: 2 channels @ 44.1 to 192 kHz
• Line Outputs: Dynamic Range: 127 dB (A-weighted)
• THD+N: -118 dB (0.00011%)
• Frequency response: 20 Hz to 20 kHz, ±0.07 dB
• Monitor outputs: Dynamic range: 129 dB (A-weighted)
• THD+N: -118 dB (0.00012%)
• Frequency response: 20 Hz to 20 kHz, ±0.06 dB
• Headphone outputs: Dynamic range: 125 dB (A-weighted)
• THD+N: -102 dB (0.00080%)
• Frequency response: 20 Hz to 20 kHz, ±0.05 dB

Specs:

• Color: Black
• Rack Mountable: yes
• Line Inputs: 8
• Line Outputs: 8
• Mic Inputs: 4
• Phono Inputs: 0
• Instrument Inputs: 2
• digital Output: ADAT / S/PDIF
• digital Input: ADAT / S/PDIF
• Headphone Out: yes
• MIDI Inputs: 0 Ports
• MIDI Outputs: 0 Ports
• Host Port: Thunderbolt
• Number of headphone outputs: 2
• Type: Audio Interface
• Theme: Recording and Studio

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