Universal Audio Apollo 8 Interface with DUO Processing

Universal Audio Apollo 8 Interface with DUO Processing

Next-Generation Audio Conversion with Classic Analog Sound.

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, Manleyand more using Unison technology

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

Apollo 8 features four Unison-enabled mic preamps, letting you track through exacting mic preamp emulations from Neve, SSL, 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.

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.

Included Plug-Ins:

Realtime Analog Classics Plus Bundle

With the Realtime Analog Classics Plus plug-in bundle, you not only get legendary compressors such as the Fairchild 670 and EQs like the Pultec EQP-1A, but also stunning guitar and bass amp emulations from Softube, and UA’s landmark 610-B Tube Preamp and EQ plug-in.

UA 610-B Tube Preamp and EQ

Impart your tracks with the iconic warmth and character of the classic hardware used to track everyone from Duke Ellington to Coldplay. By emulating the entire signal path, including tube amplifiers, transformers, and circuit nonlinearities, the 610-B Tube Preamp and EQ plug-in injects organic detail and saturation to any signal — whether you’re re-amping or tracking through the 610-B via Universal Audio’s Unison technology.

Fairchild 670 (Legacy)

The world’s most coveted compressor, the classic Fairchild 670 tube limiter will give your tracks and mixes unmistakable tube warmth and character. Whether you’re looking for subtle compression on a lead vocal, or grittier textures that can work on guitars, bass, or a drum bus, the Fairchild 670 plug-in adds a classic “glow” to anything you run through it.

Teletronix LA-2A Classic Leveling Amplifier (Legacy)

With its gentle, program dependent optical compression and meticulously designed tube amplifier, the LA-2A is the go-to compressor for professional mixers around the world — especially for vocals. Incredibly easy-to-use Peak Reduction and Gain controls gives you the ideal optical compression sound for guitar, bass, drums, and more.

1176SE/LN Classic Limiting Amplifiers (Legacy)

Get classic, ultra-fast FET compression from the world’s most recognized compressor. The 1176 will impart punch, presence, and character as well as its signature distortion overtones on drums, vocals, guitars, and bass. The 1176LN has graced countless recordings, from Led Zeppelin, to the White Stripes and Michael Jackson.

Pultec Pro Equalizers (Legacy)

Mix with two of the most sought-after hardware EQs ever made — the MEQ-5 Midrange Equalizer and the EQP-1A Program Equalizer. Both of these tube-based icons deliver offer smooth and silky EQ curves with an abundance of warm analog character.

Precision Mix Rack Collection

Featuring the Precision Channel Strip, Precision Reflection Engine, and Precision Delay Modulation plug-ins, the Precision Mix Rack Collection offers four modern, high-fidelity plug-ins for recording and mixing. Powerful and intuitive, Precision Mix Rack Collection gives you an impressive tool set — perfect for beginners and seasoned professionals alike.

UA Precision Enhancer Hz

Expertly dial-in your music’s low-end frequencies with the Precision Enhancer Hz plug-in. Able to yield exacting results with minimal adjustment, the Precision Enhancer Hz can add weight to kick drum samples, fatten up a synth bass, or simply make the low-end of your tracks more audible on smaller speakers.

Raw Distortion

Modeled from a vintage early-’80s Pro Co Rat, Raw Distortion delivers all the gritty dynamic raunch of the legendary stompbox. And with Unison technology, you can plug in to Apollo Twin, 8, or 8p’s front-panel Hi-Z instrument jack and experience the same circuit interaction, gain range, and clip points for the true tone, feel, and response of the original hardware.

Softube Amp Room Essentials

Featuring two plug-ins — the Amp Room Half-Stack and the Bass Amp Room 8×10 — Amp Room Essentials gives you guitar and bass tones that can deliver the goods in any genre. Amp Room Half-Stack yields slabs of molten British distortion, while Bass Amp Room sports powerful features like a blend-able DI. Both plug-ins tout adjustable mic placement for fine tuning.

RealVerb Pro

RealVerb Pro is a flexible, natural sounding reverb based on UA’s own unique set of algorithms. Allowing you to design the room just as you hear it, the RealVerb Pro goes beyond simply big/small or dark/bright, giving your sources distortion-free, smoothing diffusion control and ultra-long reverb tail.

Features:

– 18 x 24 Thunderbolt audio interface for Mac and Windows* with powerful Console 2.0 software control
– 4 Unison-enabled mic preamps for recording through exacting preamp emulations from Neve, API, Manley, and Universal Audio
– Built-in UAD-2 QUAD or DUO Core allows Realtime UAD Processing — tracking through DSP-assisted UAD plug-ins with near-zero latency, without draining CPU
– Includes “Realtime Analog Classics Plus” UAD plug-in bundle featuring authentic LA-2A, 1176, and Fairchild compressors, Pultec EQs, UA 610 tube preamp, and more
– Next-generation 24-bit/192 kHz Apollo A/D and D/A conversion as heard on hundreds of hit records
– Cascade up to 4 Apollo interfaces and 6 UAD devices total over Thunderbolt*
– Convenient front panel monitoring functions including Alt Speakers, and assignable Dim or Mono
– World-class UA analog design, superior components, and premium build quality
– Free, industry-leading technical support — on the phone and online — from knowledgeable audio engineers