Apollo Twin MkII
Customer Reviews
Apollo Twin MkII
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C. Vincent
Amazing!!
I recently picked up the Apollo Twin Quad and I have been blown away by the quality in sound and functionality. I’ve never had better sounding recordings from my home studio. I couldn’t be happier!
c. adelmann
Finally Switched and Thrilled
I have been putting off for about 2 years to finally make the switch to the mmii Solo and can't believe I waited this long. Easy to install, better clarity and sound than my focus rite 2i2 (which I really liked). Easy to use, I have added at Xmas time to the stock plug ins-which are great by the way with SPL transient designer and Vibraktor and EMT 140 verb. I am still getting into using the console which is my next step. Very pleased.
y. kamimatsuse
nice unison effect!!
sound is very good.
S. Sifri
UAD Twin Duo (Thunderbolt)
Excellent Audio Interface and Plug-ins! Best Plug-ins in the market! Highly recommended if Audio Production is your profession.
C. Kyle
UA Plugin "Offerings" - More than Disappointing
The UA interfaces are obviously among the best, but when when you spend thousands on the "comprehensive" plugins package and it really does not include some of the more critical plugins, it leaves you feeling a bit dissatisfied. It is even worse when the plugins offered for new equipment purchases are the same tired plugins, you already have... The Apollow Twin MKII is what you should expect given its hefty price tag, but the "added plugins are nothing more than an annoyance when I keep getting email asking me to "choose my free plugins". Yippee.
UA really needs to get their act together and develop a "loyal customer friendly" program that allows for a reduced cost for plugins you really need, as an option.
V. Zizkuns
Pricey, but good for tracking vocals
Got the Duo version about 6 months ago. Tested it in and out. Here are some points that I like and don't like about this interface.
The good:
* Desktop form factor (replaced my TC Konnekt 6).
* Worked straight out of the box on Windows 10 and the system reliability has improved since May 2017, when I bought it (I had some Console application crashes back then, when I was removing/disabling all plugins at the same time, but this has been fixed since).
* About 1 ms round-trip latency (@96k), if no upsampled plugins are used, which is great for tracking vocals.
* Console application is intuitive and easy to use.
* Versatile preamps
* Plugins sound great. Have not used the real Manley VOXBOX, Neve 1073 and SSL E channel strip, but I like what those Unison enabled plugins do to the sound.
* Auto-Tune real-time is available as an extra purchase. However, it has not been on sale so far and no vouchers work on it, but at the moment you can get it as a "3+1 bundle" holiday deal, which you can actually apply the vouchers on, if you have any.
The bad:
* Had to get a TB3 to TB2 converter and a TB cable, which created extra expenses.
* The interface sometimes gets really hot. Had to slightly lift it up above the desk surface by making custom "legs" to get more air flowing around it. And had to use a fan to cool it down in the summer, when the days were hot.
* SHARC processors are not very powerful - you can very quickly run out of the DSP power, if you use the newer, more DSP hungry plugins.
* Most of the new (upsampled) plugins add some extra latency. This is not an issue, when you are mixing/mastering, but, if you want to track live with plugins and you stack 4-5 of them in a chain (if you don't run out of the DSP power, of course), then you get some extra latency (basically, you go from 1 ms to 3-4 ms or more depending on the used plugins). And there are other good quality interfaces (with more I/O) on the market, that easily get you in the 3-5 ms round-trip latency range, while tracking through the computer + you are not limited to UA's plugins in this case.
* Not a lot of I/O's - 2 more line inputs and 2 more line outputs would have been very welcome, especially in this price range.
Final thoughts:
This interface is by no means perfect, but it does, what it has been advertised to do. If you are like me and most of the time you don't really need more than 2 inputs and 4 outputs (+ 1 headphone output), then this interface is worth considering. Preamps are very versatile and you can create custom low round-trip latency (about 1 ms @96k) signal chains for tracking vocals (and other instruments) with plugins, that sound great. However, I wish UA would have done a better job with the heat dissipation, because the interface is always warm and sometimes it does get abnormally hot, which makes me worry about the longevity of this interface.
P. Tomety
Best Interface ever!
Amazing converters and awesome plugins! Excellent sound!
D. McHardy
Absolutely Incredible
I recently purchased an Apollo Twin Quad. I am fairly new to digital recording but I got this unit up and running effortlessly in ten to fifteen minutes. The design is beautiful, the console is very cool and the sound I can achieve with all of the amazing plug-ins is absolutely incredible. I am now a huge fan of UA.
I. Papanikolaou
Top notch hardware and software!
Very nice design, amazing converters, audible difference than the previous ones and the best sounding plug-ins is a combinations that excels the competition. The Quad version is nice addition in the series, it lets you focus more on the results than the DSP usage.
I use the Apollo Twin MKII on Windows 10 x64 with an i7 7700k CPU and Gigabyte z270 motherboard with integrated firewire controller and works just fine!
S. Lucas Monty
Game changer
Love my new apollo twin. Tracking through uad plugins makes you learn what to do and what not to fast. It's invaluable
d. venteu
apollo UAD 2
apollo TWIN THE BEST
j. medina
amazing sound
This little machine its amazing !!! very happy whit the Apollo Twin MkII
A. Bennett
Warm, Clear Sound, Simple to Learn, Great Customer Service!
I, recently, upgraded my interface from the Apogee Duet 2 to the Apollo Twin MkII (Thunderbolt), and I could not be more pleased! I have enjoyed the Apogee interface, for many years, and I was not expecting to be so blown away by the Universal Audio Apollo interface. On top of the improved clarity and warmth that was instantly-noticeable, the plug-ins are unbeatable. I called UA's customer service line number for some help with using Console and purchasing add-on plug-ins, and Dave spent just short of an hour on the phone helping me to map out everything. Best experience ever. My home studio has taken a MAJOR step up, and I am ready to do my best work!
C. Daley
Apollo Twin MkII
Quality!!!!
A. Mtz
Most amazing audio interface
Since i put the headphones for the first time , clicked play BOOM!! that analog color and flavor filled everything . The best
E. Caberra
Piece of crab
I don't know for what computers this is made for but I have an amazing Mac with Sierra. Everything works but after 15 min of working the device keeps disconnecting. I tried different cables I tried different DAW. Nothing works its useless
J. North
Amazing Small Interface
I'm using an Apollo 16, 8 and Twin for my studio. The Twin stands up and the DI and pre-amps work interchangeably with my real Neve/API pre-amps that I have. Runs a bit hot, but it's doing a lot!
F. Biagetti
Great little box
It replaced a motu 828 mk3, I'm mostly recording bass, guitars and vocal.
Being able to record with Unison plugins is great and tracking with a bit of compression and reverb does make the recording process easier and more comfortable.
I haven't fully mixed tracks with the UAD plugins yet, but the quick n' dirty mixes I did already sound better than final mixes I did before...
One point of concern (1 star less) with the unit is that it runs really hot quickly, not sure about longevity... I will try using a small USB fan to cool it down.
J. Angell
Apollo Twin MkII (DUO)
The power and clarity in comparison to my first gen Scarlett 2i2 was just sublime. My favourite function is the ‘Mono’ button, which, allows the user to seemlessky toggle between stereo and mono output. This function is perfect for me in order to deliver a timeless jump between the two so I can understand the dynamics of my mix much more clearly.
One note I will point out is to do with the plugin library in my DAW. Inconveniently so, rather than only displaying the plugins I have licences for, it will display all UAD plugins and so I’m unsure and it is unclear which plugins I may use.
Other than that the product is beautiful and has a stunning design. I was battling my ego between the DUO and QUAD, however, if you’re like me and want the best, choose the DUO unless you have an industry standard recording studio as the power from the QUAD will NOT be nessesary or used.
A. Andrade
Expectations exceeded
I ussually don't write reviews, but do read them. So, I honestly hope to help someone making the right decision regarding a high-end portable audio interface.
I've been following tha Apollo Twin since its first release and remained on the top of my wishlist until recently.
My studio setup has been totally reconfigured , putting a Quad Core MKII at the center of all I/O operations. Not only the sound quality is astonishing, the ease of use and integration of the device, Universal Audio plugins and learning resources has been outstanding for a first time user.
I've been rediscovering old recordings and music with an unknown fidelity and sound character.
Universal Audio's history and promise have been significantly exceeded and I look forward to having a long lasting relationship with them.
Thank you!