Apogee Introduces Symphony Desktop USB-C Audio Interface

January 22 2020, 00:15
With the new Symphony Desktop, Apogee launched its most affordable Symphony series interface ever. Unveiled at NAMM 2020, the new USB-C compact audio interface combines the flagship sound quality that the Symphony interface range is known for, with vintage mic preamp emulation, Apogee hardware DSP with premium plugins, and an immersive touch screen interface. A powerful, compact recording and music production solution.
 

The Symphony Desktop for Mac, iPad pro and Windows features the sound quality of Apogee’s rack-mount Symphony I/O Mk II into an elegant and powerful 10×14 desktop/portable audio interface, and empowers musicians and producers to record, overdub and mix with the music industry’s most respected AD/DA converters (up to 24-bit/192kHz) and mic preamps.

Connectivity includes one instrument input with variable impedance and colored FET input stage for electric guitar, two analog inputs with XLR-1/4" combi (mic/line) connectors, and one 1/4" (Hi-Z). Outputs include two analog 1/4" monitor connections, plus two assignable headphone outputs: 1 x 1/4" and 1 x 1/8”. Digital I/O includes two Optical Toslink (ADAT,S/PDIF) connectors, plus USB Type C for the computer interface and supporting MIDI over USB. Hardware control is provided via dynamic touch screen display and the Symphony Desktop Control software.

By combining superior performance, with new features like the new Apogee Alloy mic preamp emulation, the Symphony ECS Channel Strip plug-in and ultra low latency recording with hardware DSP and Apogee native FX plugins, the Symphony Desktop was designed to support all project and home studio needs, as well as provide a versatile solution on the go without compromises.

“We listened to our customers and the market about the overwhelming desire for Symphony sound quality and the ability to choose your workflow in one interface. Today we are proud to announce Symphony Desktop. We have combined patented technologies developed over the past three years with new features being introduced today in creating the ultimate interface, Symphony Desktop. At $1299.00 Symphony quality is within your reach,” says Betty Bennett, Apogee CEO and President.

Apogee’s all-new Alloy Mic Preamp (AMP) emulation processing offers the warmth and tone of popular British Solid State and American Tube analog preamps, combining analog circuitry plus DSP processing to create what Apogee claims to be "the richest, most authentic audio modeling available in an audio interface." Critical aspects of each preamp model such as input impedance, transient profile and distortion characteristics are first implemented in the analog domain, followed by precise and accurate refinement in DSP, for a hybrid result that’s greater than the sum of its parts.
 

Included with the new Symphony Desktop interface is the New Symphony ECS Channel Strip - Tuned by Bob Clearmountain. This plug-in includes EQ, Compression and Saturation controls that allow users to create the optimal blend of channel FX for tracking vocals or acoustic instruments.

The Symphony Desktop interface is available for $1299 (MSRP). For just $100 more, the Symphony Desktop FX Complete includes DualPath and native versions of Apogee's EQP-1A, Pultec MEQ-5, ModEQ 6, ModComp and Opto-3A plug-ins (a $499 value).

Apogee Print and Dual Path link modes utilize Symphony Desktop’s hardware DSP processing to provide zero-latency monitoring when tracking. Dual Path Link mode adds unique flexibility to adjust FX applied to the track later in the mix, eliminating the need to commit to printing FX when recording. Thanks to unique hardware-software integration in Logic Pro X, users can also take further advantage of Apogee’s FX Rack and DualPath Monitoring workflows with the Logic Pro X Direct Button and Audio Device Control view, all adjustable from a single window in Logic.
www.apogeedigital.com
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