Name: Universal Audio APX6-HE Apollo x6 Heritage Edition (Rack/Mac/Win/TB3)
Brand: Universal Audio
SKU: APX6-HE-U
Price: 1999.99 USD
Availability: InStock

Elite-class AD/DA conversion offers ultra-pristine sound

Apollos have always sounded great, but the Apollo x6’s 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 you’ll hear for it yourself — the Apollo x6’s 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 what’s 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 x6’s Unison preamp technology goes so far beyond traditional software modeling and emulations that it’s really in a category all its own. In essence, Unison is a bidirectional communication between the Apollo x6’s mic preamp and a Unison-capable plug-in, such as the included 610-B plug-in that re-creates the sound of UA’s 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 x6’s preamp gain knob and physical controls, the plug-in adjusts the preamp’s behavior to match the target preamp. So you’re not simply filtering your audio to approximate the character of a famous preamp — your microphone is now interacting with the Apollo x6’s 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 x6’s 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 don’t even need a brand-new computer — the Apollo x6’s two built-in Thunderbolt 3 ports are backward-compatible with Thunderbolt 1 and 2 Macs (adapter sold separately).

Compatible with LUNA — UA’s complete music production environment with ultra-tight hardware/software integration

This Universal Audio Thunderbolt-equipped audio interface is compatible with UA’s 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 interface’s 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 Apollo’s Unison mic preamps, all without leaving your production software. LUNA is the closest you’ll 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 Apollo’s onboard DSP acceleration. Anyone who’s 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, you’ll want UA’s LUNA Creator 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 LUNA’s 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 industry’s 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 UA’s 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.

Universal Audio APX6-HE Apollo x6 Heritage Edition (Rack/Mac/Win/TB3)