APOLLO 8

 

 

 

 

 

Apollo 8 is the world’s most acclaimed professional recording interface for Mac and Windows, giving project and commercial studios superior A/D and D/A conversion with the tone, feel, and realtime workflow of classic analog recording.

Built upon UA’s 60-year heritage of audio craftsmanship, Apollo 8 distinguishes itself with four Unison™-enabled mic preamps, UAD-2 QUAD or DUO Core processing, and an included bundle of award-winning UAD plug-ins — which you can track through with near-zero latency, shaping sounds like a classic analog studio — without taxing your host Mac or PC.

 

Record with world-class Apollo A/D and D/A conversion — as heard on hundreds of hit records

Cascade up to 4 Apollo interfaces and 6 UAD-2 devices over Thunderbolt, adding DSP and I/O as your studio grows

Produce music with UAD plug-ins like the included Teletronix® LA-2A, 1176, and Fairchild® compressors, Pultec® EQs, and 610-B Preamp

Track with near-zero latency through preamp emulations from Neve®, API®, Manley®and more using Unison technology

 

 

Unison Technology: The Genuine Sound of Neve, API & Manley Preamps

Apollo 8 features four Unison-enabled mic preamps, letting you track through exacting mic preamp emulations from Neve, API, Manley, and Universal Audio. An Apollo exclusive, Unison technology nails the tone of these sought-after tube and solid state mic pres — including their input impedance, gain stage “sweet spots,” and the component-level circuit behaviors of the original hardware.

The secret to Unison is its hardware-software integration between Apollo’s mic preamps and its onboard UAD-2 QUAD or DUO Core DSP Acceleration. Simply place a Unison preamp plug-in on your mic input, and tap into the classic sounds of the world’s most recorded mic preamps.

 

A Full Suite of Classic Analog Processing Onboard

Right out of the box, Apollo 8 provides a suite of incredible analog emulation plug-ins including the world’s only authentic Teletronix LA-2A, 1176LN, and Fairchild compressors, the legendary Pultec EQs, and the Unison-enabled UA 610-B Tube Preamp. Developed by UA’s world-renowned team of algorithm engineers, these Realtime Analog Classics plug-ins set the standard by which all other hardware emulation plug-ins are judged.

From the tube warmth of the Pultec EQ on guitars, to the gentle limiting of the LA-2A on vocals, or the pump of a genuine Fairchild 670 compressor on drums, your recordings will take a giant leap forward in rich, sonically complex analog sound.

 

Access the World of UAD Powered Plug-Ins

 

Beyond the included Realtime Analog Classics plug-ins, you can tap into the full library award-winning UAD Powered Plug-Ins — including vintage EQs, Compressors, Reverbs, Tape Machines and more — at near-zero latency, regardless of your audio software’s buffer size and without taxing your computer’s CPU.

With exclusive emulations from Neve, Studer, Manley, API, Ampex, Lexicon, Fender, and more,† it’s like having an endless analog studio, in a single rack space. And unlike competing interfaces, these DSP-powered plug-ins are also available in your DAW for mixing.

 

 

Next-Generation A/D and D/A Conversion

Of course, the heart of any audio interface is the quality of its conversion. In designing the next-generation Apollo range, UA engineers started with an obsessive auditioning of the latest A/D and D/A converters, ultimately pairing the selected 24-bit/192kHz converters with all-new analog circuitry for the optimal signal path. Apollo 8 provides increased dynamic range and lower THD versus other interfaces — rivaling dedicated converters costing thousands more.

 

 

 

The Apollo Story

Watch UA’s Lev Perrey explain the innovative thinking behind the next-generations Apollos.

 

 

Apollo: The Choice of New-School Professionals

Apollo is the confirmed choice of hit-making professionals, used to record records by Kendrick Lamar (To Pimp A Butterfly), Coldplay (A Head Full of Dreams), Dr. Dre (Compton), Brad Paisley(Wheelhouse), and many more. The Apollo range of interfaces has earned numerous industry awards from Sound on Sound, Future Music and Electronic Musician — as well as the prestigious 2016 TEC Award for computer audio hardware.

 

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“Apollo is a platform that grows more powerful with every innovation – the UAD plug-in processing onboard has changed the way I work forever.” 
– Tony Platt(AC/DC, Bob Marley, Buddy Guy)

“I'm really impressed with the new Apollos. I hear more detail in the several sets of monitors I use, and I'm getting that little bit extra out of the Unison mic pre emulations – and they were already extremely close.” 
– Jacquire King(James Bay, Kings of Leon, Tom Waits)

“I knew about the ingredients of Apollo, but this is truly a special dish. The Apollo just set a new standard of excellence for audio interfaces, in terms of both its sound and its feature set.” 
– Fab Dupont(Shakira, Santigold, Jennifer Lopez)

“The Apollo's ability to do low latency – I mean that's the whole ballgame right there.” 
– Joey Waronker(Atoms for Peace, Beck, Other Lives)

“With the Apollo 8 in the studio and an Apollo Twin on the go, I've know I've got the best sound quality and an incredible arsenal of plug-ins — wherever I'm working.” 
– Jeremy Ruzumna(Fitz And The Tantrums)

“UAD plug-ins are amazing...I’ve used them on all my projects for the last few years.” 
– Dan AuerbachThe Black Keys

“Overall, Apollo 8 sounds smooth and sweet, revealing subtle details with superior phase response and lower distortion than the original Apollo... UA has certainly improved on an already excellent device.” 
– Mick Guzauski(Daft Punk, Mariah Carey, Eric Clapton)

“My Apollos are my sound. Where I go, they go.” 
– Trevor Lawrence Jr.(Dr. Dre, Herbie Hancock, Eminem)

“Having the Apollo with UAD plug-ins at my disposal is like carrying a giant studio with outboard racks at all times. Minus the tech fees, down time, and electricity bill!” 
– Andrew Dawson(Kanye West, Jay-Z, Fun.)

“Apollo's next-gen A/D and D/A conversion sounds incredibly detailed, with great clarity and tighter, punchier low end. And with the Console 2.0 app, I have all of the routing and monitoring options I need.” 
– Dave Pensado(Justin Timberlake, Beyoncé, Maroon 5)

 

 

 

 

Creating a Multi-Unit Apollo Setup

Watch producer/engineer Fab Dupont (Jennifer Lopez, Mark Ronson) install a powerful studio system by combining multiple Apollo interfaces over Thunderbolt.

 

 

Build a Networked Studio System Over Thunderbolt

Apollo 8 offers 18 x 24 simultaneous inputs/outputs, with two built-in Thunderbolt ports. Thanks to Apollo Expanded software, users of any Thunderbolt-equipped Apollo Twin, Apollo 8, Apollo 8p, and Apollo 16 audio interfaces can combine up to four Apollos and six total UAD-2 devices* — adding I/O and DSP as your studio grows. Apollo 8 also provides seamless integration with previous generation Apollos over Thunderbolt.

 

 

A Sleek, Low-latency App

With Apollo 8’s Console 2.0 application — a complete re-imagining of Apollo’s original Console software — you can take advantage of over 25 new user-requested features such as Channel Strip presets, Drag & Drop functionality, dynamically resizable windows, and more.

 

 

Now with Vintage Amps and Stompboxes

New for Apollo 8 is Unison technology on the front panel instrument inputs, giving you dead-on, impedance-matched emulations of guitar and bass amps like the Fender '55 Tweed Deluxe, Marshall Plexi Super Lead 1959, and Ampeg B-15N Bass Amplifier, as well as iconic stompboxes like the Ibanez Tube Screamer.

 

 

 

Apollo Artist Sessions

Mick Guzauski & Big Data “New Body”

 

†Apollo includes the “Realtime Analog Classics Plus” UAD plug-in bundle. Other UAD plug-ins sold separately.
*Apollo multi-unit for Windows 10 Thunderbolt coming in 2017.