This post has been in the works for a while. And I’m excited to finally tell you about an interface I’ve been secretly using for the last 4 months.
This interface is hands down my favorite interface I’ve ever had the pleasure of using.
Today I’d like to tell you about the Symphony Desktop from Apogee. The Symphony Desktop combines pristine audio quality with killer technology. And it has effectively replaced all my other Apogee interfaces!
What makes this interface so special? For me that boils down to 4 things:
- Apogee’s flagship Symphony preamps and outputs now available in a desktop format
- Alloy preamp modeling technology which changes the impedance and sound of the preamps
- Zero-latency monitoring with both print and monitor effects
- Apogee’s ChannelFX plugin, which effectively allows you to access all input control from Logic Pro
Plus – toss in a touch screen and native effects, which makes the Symphony Desktop the most accessible DSP-driven interface around.
I know I’m laying my enthusiasm on pretty thick today. But I really am that pumped about the Symphony Desktop.
And if you’re in the market for a new audio interface, I 100% recommend taking a look at the Symphony Desktop. Check out today’s video above for the full walkthrough.
Learn more about the Symphony Desktop on Apogee’s website:
Click Here to Learn More About the Apogee Symphony Desktop
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Cordial Cables, longtime pals and supporters of WLPR, have put together an incredible e-zine for you to enjoy for free!
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Always interesting to hear about new gear, and especially top end quality.
I have just invested in a new pricey interface, after a very lengthy search, having made do with an entry level PreSonus device for the last year. There’s no doubt that the Apogee company is a quality platform to use in your workflow, but having owned a first generation Ensemble, which cost the earth, I felt short changed when it’s connectivity became redundant. There was no way to utilise the interface out with the firewire domain (Black mark to Apogee), unlike the UA rack series which can be kept alive by swapping out the rear mounted socket panel…….(Gold star awarded to UA for forward thinking!!!)
I vowed NEVER to buy Apogee again………. I rest my case.
So, whilst I’m sure this Symphony ticks lots of boxes for some, I’m delighted with my UA X4 which came with a humungous quantity of plugins to use straight out of the box.
(PS. Anyone out there like to buy an Apogee Ensemble FW door stop?)
Hi Chris, I have Symphony Desktop and I think it is great Interface.
One question: Have you used it standalone when Reamping? Or do you connect a second Interface and go through ADAT?
Thanks, Jens
Thanks Chris! How’s the performance at 128 samples or lower? I’m tempted to get one, but i’m yet to find a single resource that dives into the performance compared other similarly priced USB interfaces USB in the same class (RME, Antelope etc). Forget the DSP and extra features, just performance on the Core Audio driver, on a session with 60 plugins, a dozen instrument tracks and 40 or 50 audio tracks, which is pretty standard, ish! Thanks Again
PS: Does it stand up performance-wise against the ensemble in your rack, and does the Ensemble sound better? (I know it’s thunderbolt, but curious anyway!)
Hi Rexx, thanks for your comment! Can you clarify what you mean by performance? Are you wondering about latency at 128 samples when trying to record in a session the size you specified?
The reported round trip latency in Logic Pro with the Symphony Desktop is 12.9 ms at 128 samples. But honestly, I just leave the Buffer Size set to 1024 and use the direct monitoring from interface. No latency, and maximum buffer for running a heavier session. Plus the onboard DSP fills the need to monitor/print any effects 🙂
The Symphony Desktop, sonically, is noticeably better than the Ensemble. Not just like “I think I hear a difference…?” But “wow – this sounds better!” The DAC in particular sounds amazing.
Again, I’m not exactly what you mean by performance when comparing the 2 interfaces. Thunderbolt is great because latency can be reduced to almost non-existent, eliminating the need for a separate software mixer for direct monitoring. The Symphony Desktop being USB isn’t able to achieve the same round trip latency as the Ensemble. But I prefer the workflow, preamps and DAC of the Symphony Desktop over the Ensemble (though do note I love my Ensemble very much 🙂
I hope this helps!
Excellent info Chris, I appreciate it!
Under load, cheaper interfaces can pop and glitch, get dropouts etc on low buffer settings, solved by cranking up the buffer size of course. Not all drivers are created equal and some perform better than others on bigger 96k sessions. Low latency when recording midi to Kontakt, SSD5 Drums, Arturia, Roland cloud etc, is important, buffer 128 is a good place to set and forget. I don’t direct monitor through my old Fireface UCX when tracking guitars, bass and vocal, but 128 buffer is tight enough.
Thanks again for the reply, i’m keen to check one for sure..