Elite-class AD/DA conversion offers ultra-pristine sound
Apollos have always sounded great, but the Apollo x6s AD/DA conversion takes it to the next level. When they were designing the latest generation of Apollos, UA engineers auditioned the latest leading-edge AD/DA technology, ultimately pairing elite-class 24-bit/192kHz converters with overhauled analog circuitry. The result is an ultra-pristine signal path with 129dB dynamic range and 128dB THD+N. Beyond that, Dual Crystal clocking supplies a low-jitter environment for pure, artifact-free recording and solid stereo imaging. Dive in, and youll hear for it yourself the Apollo x6s AD/DA rivals any high-end standalone converter on the market.
A bevy of pro-level features
You can find Apollos in professional studios worldwide. That said, users have been clamoring for certain pro-level features. Good news Universal Audio has been listening! So whats new? First of all, the Apollo x6 includes 5.1 surround monitoring support, complete with speaker calibration and fold-down. This is great news for engineers working on audio and music for video games, film, television, and the web. Beyond that, the Apollo x6 was tailor-made for your analog console and other high-end gear, courtesy of its selectable +24dBu operation. Thanks to these and other great features, the Apollo x6 makes a great centerpiece for any studio.
Capture the sound of legendary preamps with Unison technology
The Apollo x6s Unison preamp technology goes so far beyond traditional software modeling and emulations that its really in a category all its own. In essence, Unison is a bidirectional communication between the Apollo x6s mic preamp and a Unison-capable plug-in, such as the included 610-B plug-in that re-creates the sound of UAs classic 610 tube preamp.
The plug-in actually adjusts the preamp circuit itself, including parameters such as impedance, analog gain structure, and much more. When you adjust the Apollo x6s preamp gain knob and physical controls, the plug-in adjusts the preamps behavior to match the target preamp. So youre not simply filtering your audio to approximate the character of a famous preamp your microphone is now interacting with the Apollo x6s input the same way it would behave with the modeled preamplifier.
UAD plug-ins astounded the recording world with their incredible ability to sound like analog processors, eliminating the need for large racks of gear in the studio. Unison preamp technology will do the same thing for your mic inputs, eliminating the need to collect and maintain expensive hardware preamps just for sonic variety.
Thunderbolt: ultra-low latency and unrivaled bandwidth
Thunderbolt is one of the most important technologies to impact audio production in years, and UA was one of the first to adopt it. Thanks to its blazing-fast connectivity, Thunderbolt offers lower latency and greater stability than USB or FireWire, clocking in with the speed and ultra-fast performance of a PCI Express system. In fact, the Apollo x6s Thunderbolt 3 connection runs projects with high track counts at latencies of less than 2ms! On top of that, multiple Apollo interfaces can be networked over Thunderbolt to add fast, high-bandwidth I/O and DSP to your studio. You dont even need a brand-new computer the Apollo x6s two built-in Thunderbolt 3 ports are backward-compatible with Thunderbolt 1 and 2 Macs (adapter sold separately).
Compatible with LUNA UAs complete music production environment with ultra-tight hardware/software integration
This Universal Audio Thunderbolt-equipped audio interface is compatible with UAs free LUNA software. LUNA is a complete music production environment for tracking, editing, and mixing. And thanks to its ultra-tight hardware/software integration, you can take control of your interfaces monitoring, talkback, and headphone systems, track and overdub with UAD DSP-accelerated plug-ins in real time, and benefit from full software-based control over Apollos Unison mic preamps, all without leaving your production software. LUNA is the closest youll come to an analog workflow in the software realm. It delivers spot-on analog sound, along with the creative immediacy of real-time processing.
LUNA also includes Accelerated Realtime Monitoring, which supplies fast analog-style tracking and overdubbing using Apollos onboard DSP acceleration. Anyone whos used a high-end DSP-assisted hardware/DAW recording system will appreciate the super-tight integration between LUNA and Universal Audio interfaces. LUNA also supplies you with unlimited track counts, contextual editing and browsing, UAD and AU plug-in compatibility, a session auto-save function, and AAF importing.
LUNA software comes with the Shape Creative Toolkit, a superb virtual instrument with modern and vintage keys, drums/percussion, guitar/bass, orchestral content, and real-time synthesis, plus the Oxide Tape Extension, a killer saturation effect, right out of the box. But to get the most out of this system, youll want UAs LUNACreator Bundle(sold separately). This bundle includes ultra-realistic Neve 80 Series console and Studer A800 multitrack tape extensions, plus two software instruments. The best part about LUNA extensions is that once you install them, their sound is baked right into LUNAs mixer no need to instantiate a bunch of plug-ins.
Features:
- 16-in/22-out Thunderbolt 3 audio interface for Mac or PC, with onboard UAD-2 HEXA Core processing
- 6-core HEXA Core offers 50% more processing power than previous Apollos
- Upgraded elite-class AD/DA conversion supplies an ultra-pristine signal path with 129dB dynamic range and 118dB THD+N
- Dual Crystal clocking supplies a low-jitter environment for pure, artifact-free recording and solid stereo imaging
- Dual Unison preamps allow you to track through models of the industrys most legendary hardware
- 5.1 surround monitoring support for engineers working on video games, film, television, and the web
- Selectable +24dBu operation for easy integration with analog consoles and other high-end studio gear
- Integrated talkback and for easy communication and slating takes
- Ultra-fast Thunderbolt 3 connectivity provides less than 2ms of latency and ample expandability
- Includes a premium plug-in suite of 10 award-winning UAD plug-ins, along with the Realtime Analog Classics Plus plug-in bundle with accurate emulations of vintage analog hardware
- Track and monitor through plug-ins with no latency
- Compatible with UAs LUNA software for ultra-tight hardware/software integration
- Backward-compatible with Thunderbolt 1 and 2 Macs (adapter sold separately)
Specs:
- Computer Connectivity: Thunderbolt 3
- Form Factor: Rackmount
- Simultaneous I/O: 16 x 22
- A/D Resolution: 24-bit/192kHz
- Built In DSP/FX: 6 x UAD DSP Cores
- Number of Preamps: 2 x mic, 2 x instrument
- Phantom Power: Yes
- Analog Inputs: 2 x XLR (mic), 2 x 1/4″ (Hi-Z), 6 x 1/4″ (line)
- Analog Outputs: 2 x 1/4″ (monitor), 6 x 1/4″ (alt/5.1 surround)
- Digital Inputs: 1 x Coax (S/PDIF), 2 x Optical Toslink (ADAT/SMUX)
- Digital Outputs: 1 x Coax (S/PDIF), 2 x Optical Toslink (ADAT/SMUX)
- Headphones: 2 x 1/4″
- Thunderbolt: 2 x USB-C (Thunderbolt 3)
- Clock I/O: In/Out (75 ohm termination switch)
- Software: Unison Preamp Emulations, Realtime Analog Classics Plus plug-ins, 10 Heritage Edition plug-ins (VST3, AAX, AU)
- OS Requirements – Mac: macOS 10.15 or later, Quad Core i7 Processor or higher
- OS Requirements – PC: Windows 10 64-bit Anniversary update or later, Quad Core i7 Processor or higher, Thunderbolt 3 port required
- Rack Spaces: 1U
- Power Supply: 12V DC power supply (included)
- Height: 1.75″
- Width: 19″
- Depth: 12.12″ (chassis only), 13.5″ (including knobs)
- Weight: 9 lbs.
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