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Universal Audio’s next-generation Apollo X interfaces bring several new features that promise to improve monitor accuracy in any studio. The Gen 2 Apollo Twin X DUO, Twin X QUAD, x4, x6, x8, x8p, x16, and x16D all support the following new features:
Already using a first-generation Apollo X interface? You can take advantage of these new monitoring features just by downloading the latest drivers and firmware via UA Connect. However, the new Apollo X Gen 2 interfaces have more to offer than just access to these features. Apollo X Gen 2 models introduce exclusive upgrades—like Auto-Gain and improved A/D conversion—that enhance your workflow and sound quality.
We spoke with Drew Mazurek of Universal Audio for a deep dive into the new Gen 2 monitoring features, how they work, and how they can improve monitoring in studios of all shapes and sizes, from state-of-the-art immersive rooms to the humble home studio and everything in between.
Apollo Monitor Correction (AMC) combines Sonarworks’ advanced acoustic measurement and calibration technology with Universal Audio’s acclaimed DSP architecture, giving you hyper-accurate monitor and headphone correction with extremely low latency and DSP usage.
Because the Sonarworks correction profiles run directly on your Apollo’s DSP, the calibration is always active and there’s no need to bypass anything before you bounce a mix.
Here’s how it works:
“On the measurement side, everything is done in Sonarworks,” says Mazurek. “When you measure your room, you're using the SoundID Reference Measure app to create your profile, and then you just hit one button and it sends that profile into the Apollo. It's Sonarworks’ measurement and Sonarworks’ profile, but it's executed via our algorithms on our DSP.”
For best results, we strongly recommend using a Sonarworks SoundID Reference Measurement Microphone. Each mic is calibrated at the factory and its serial number is matched to a unique calibration file for that specific mic, so all you have to do is enter the serial number in the Measure app and you can be certain that your measurements will be as accurate as possible.
The UAD Console Monitor Controller now sports several new features. The biggest deal is the new Bass Management tab, a long-awaited feature that makes it easier than ever to integrate a subwoofer into your setup. Here's what it includes:
Bass Management Overview
Additionally, the Speaker Utilities tab now provides individual Solo, Mute, and Trim controls for each speaker. These settings are useful for auditioning individual channels in a surround or immersive mix and making fine adjustments to speakers in a multichannel array.
These features might seem insignificant compared to the shiny new AMC technology, but trust us when we say they’ll make your life a lot easier. Whether you’re adding your first subwoofer to your setup or configuring a full-range immersive workstation, it’ll be a breeze to make your setup sound bigger and better than ever.
Small rooms and home studios are often the trickiest acoustical environments to work in, but that’s all about to change. No matter what type of speakers you use or how oddly shaped your room might be, the new Apollo Monitor Correction will optimize your setup for a flatter, more transparent sound you can trust when mixing.
You also now have the freedom to use any subwoofer in your setup—it doesn’t need to match your monitors, it only needs one input, and the built-in crossover settings don’t matter. The Bass Management menu makes it easy to extend the low-end of your system with smooth, unhyped bass response for optimal performance in your room.
For those mixing in headphones, the Sonarworks headphone correction will improve your monitoring the moment you turn it on. The list of compatible headphones includes more than 500 models, so pretty much anyone with a pair of cans can benefit from this feature.
Accurate monitoring is a must-have in professional studios, and AMC eliminates the guesswork and hassle of achieving a flat sound in almost any room.
In 5.1 and 7.1-equipped studios, setting up a subwoofer to handle LFE and bass management duties used to involve a lot of complicated routing and manual EQ, but not anymore. Just configure your preferred crossover settings and UAD Console will take care of the rest.
“When you turn on bass management, the driver knows to take the LFE info and bass-managed low-end and send them both to the sub,” Mazurek explains. “It doesn't do anything to the LFE track; it's only filtering the bass management side.”
Additionally, the Apollo x6, x8, and x16 benefit from Sonarworks headphone correction on both headphone outputs, so you and the talent can both hear accurately. You can even load two separate profiles for different pairs of headphones.
Larger facilities, including immersive studios, are now easier than ever to set up with the new Apollo x16 and x16D Gen 2 interfaces. The largest and most powerful of the Gen 2 lineup, these interfaces pack all the outputs you need to set up immersive monitor systems as large as 9.1.6—plus plenty of DSP to run all your UAD plugins.
Calibrating an immersive setup with AMC follows the same process as a stereo or surround setup; it just takes a bit longer due to the greater amount of speakers to measure and the importance of multi-point measurements in immersive rooms.
“It takes about an hour to shoot your room in 7.1.4,” Mazurek says. “It's a 37-point measurement, but Sonarworks' software is very good and walks you right through it. It's kind of fun the first time or two you do it.”
An hour really isn’t much when you consider everything Sonarworks is doing under the hood. All you need to do is move the mic around while it measures each speaker from multiple positions, creates a customized EQ curve to correct the sound, and adjusts speaker delays for optimal phase coherence. If you’ve ever gone through that process manually, AMC will make it feel like a walk in the park.
To get started, check out the new Apollo X Gen 2 interfaces or reach out to a VK Audio Consultant to help you find the one that meets your needs. And if you already own an Apollo X Gen 1 interface, all you have to do is make sure you’re running the latest drivers. Either way, you’ll soon be hearing your mixes more clearly than ever.
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