Includes a premium plug-in bundle with Scuffham S-Gear, Brainworx bx_opto, and Brainworx bx_masterdesk, plus trial versions of Modartt Pianoteq 6, GG Audio Blue 3 Organ, and Gig Performer From what I see, I wouldn't use the Soft Limiter for classical recording, but I haven't spent much time playing with it either. With sensitive headphones like Ultrasone Edition 8, the Duet 2 will play to beyond deafening (hey, it's a professional studio product). As an initial test, I ran the Duet 2 as my iMac's audio I/O and spent some time auditioning both my iTunes library and a hot-rodded CD player through a pair of active monitors. The sound quality of the Duet 2 was very impressive, exhibiting the width, depth and detail that you might expect, given its redesign and pedigree.

Choosing your audio interface is critical, as this is the tool that will connect the instruments and voice with your software DAW.

The Apple of Audio Interfaces: A Review For Beginners

Once opened with Logic Pro 9, it detects for the newly attached duet and then we are ready to adjust the levels and hit record. The functions of Duet are easy to understand. If you use these inputs and set the Duet 2 the right way in the Maestro software for low-latency feedthrough (in the Output tab, set your preferred output to MIXER instead of Out 1-2 or Out 3-4; then in the Mixer tab set the inputs as you like, software return to -48 and Mixer Master to 0), you can use the analog recording inputs as an analog input to your desktop monitors!

AHA! Yes, the response really does fall off above above 96 kHz as expected, and yes, while I was too lazy to fire up an FFT, the Duet 2 most likely is generating some aliases for full-scale inputs above 96 kHz. Audio quality in general, and mic preamp design in particular, have always been big selling points for Apogee. In line mode, the XLR inputs can be switched between +4dBu and ‑10dBV sensitivity levels, while in mic mode, they provide up to 65dB of gain, adjustable in 1dB steps. This is actually a smaller gain range than was available on the Duet 2, but is still wider than you’ll find on most desktop interfaces, and perfectly adequate for most of the Duet 3’s intended applications. You also get the bonus of a switchable soft limiter, polarity reversal and a link button which allows the gain on the two mic preamps to be ganged whilst preserving any existing offset between them. A further button in the input settings area provides access to what is probably the biggest new development in the Duet 3. In Print That said, the Duet has been one of the most popular and best interfaces for songwriters for years. This is partly because songwriters typically do not require more than a 2-in/4 out interface. As we mentioned above, it all depends on what your needs are. Sample Rate, Connectivity, and Sound I needed something portable that yields high quality results. I use this mainly to do product demo videos. I wanted something that would mate perfectly with my MacBook Pro and Logic Pro 9 and the Apogee comes through with flying colors!RME also included a plug-in bundle that comes with Scuffham’s S-Gear, a flexible guitar amp simulator that was created by a former product designer from a legendary British amplifier company (try and guess which one).

Duet’s 2 combination input connectors (XLR and 1/4”) allow you to connect microphones, guitars and keyboards or your favorite external mic preamps, compressors and EQs. 4 Analog OutputsIt has four channels of digital-to-analog converter (DAC) so that the speaker (monitor) outputs and headphone outputs can be playing completely different things at different levels — or running main and subwoofer outputs from software like Pure Music. There are two programmable function buttons above the big knob. I set one to MONO and the other to MUTE SPEAKERS. Another popular setting is to use one button to select which channels are fed to the headphones, for instance, for cueing. The Duet 3 is a 2-in/4-out bus-powered USB-C audio interface that is capable of recording at up to 24-bit/192kHz, and offers built-in compression EQ and saturation processors thanks to onboard DSP. There are two mic preamps offering up 65dB of gain, and the device will also happily accept line-level and instrument sources. A pair of line-level monitor outputs are provided, along with a stereo headphone output. Using the very latest technology and drawing upon the experience of developing Apogee’s new flagship audio interface, Symphony I/O, Apogee engineers rebuilt Duet to achieve a difference you can hear. These, and all other control functions, are accessed via the Maestro 2 software. On the Input tab, you can select line-level (at +4 or -10dB), microphone or instrument inputs individually for each channel, the channel legends and input impedances changing to match your selection. This tab also gives you access to microphone gain, phantom power and phase, plus Soft Limit and the Group switching. Soft Limit is a proprietary process designed to transparently tame transients in the analogue domain, thereby enabling you to maximise level before A-D conversion for best audio performance. The Group function gangs the two mic gains together whilst maintaining any gain offset between them.

Since this is OSX only the only way to use it on a windows program is by using it through Parallels Desktop or VM Fusionware and run Windows on top of OSX with the Apogee running as default audio under WMD drivers.

The Duet 2 comes with a 2-foot cable with connectors, ideal for portable use. If you don't want these connectors on your desk, get the dedicated breakout box, which has a 6-foot (2m) cable that runs to a metal box with connectors. Each is attached with a Hirose edge connector, so you could run the breakout box behind your desk, and pull the Duet 2 when you hit the road for use with the short cable you keep in your gig bag. At first glance, the latest Duet interface is a huge improvement over the last generation. The iconic portable and desktop interface is sleeker than ever. Surely sound quality is the top priority, but a gorgeous design certainly doesn’t go unnoticed. The brand new Duet 3 is thinner now for even more portability, and continues to sport one multipurpose control knob like previous generations. An aluminum chassis and scratch-resistant glass top houses Apogee’s hardware DSP and award-winning converters for the best-of-the-best in streamlined audio interfaces. Apogee If you want to learn more about sample rate and bit depth, you can read our guide What Sample Rate Should You Use? (Myths and Misconceptions)) Software