Joined in 2023 
82 
63 About this deal
With its built-in DSP, similar I/O configuration, and a similarly uncompromising approach to AD and DA conversion, Symphony Desktop is clearly aimed at the market segment currently dominated by Universal Audio’s desktop format Apollo interfaces. Right now, the maturity of UA’s platform makes Symphony Desktop a difficult sell in comparison.
To fully test the Symphony Desktop sound I went to record a concert grand piano in a large space. I used to stereo pair of Line Audio omnis, placed 30 centimetres apart, around 40 centimetres out from the, curve the piano, at head height, looking into the frame. I wanted to get close enough to capture the intricacy of the piano, but far enough out just to catch a little bit of reverb. Advantages: Simplest way to get a sound and not print FX in your recording Commit and Print While you Record
Intuitive Touch Screen Control
A/D CONVERSION – Like Symphony I/O Mk II, Symphony Desktop’s analog-to-digital converter stage features ultra-low distortion, high-slew rate, fully differential analog op-amps plus a cutting edge A/D converter in a performance-enhancing dual-sum configuration. Create with the confidence that every nuance of your analog input is faithfully reproduced in the digital domain. The Apogee Alloy Mic Preamp (AMP) emulation offers analog circuitry plus DSP processing to create the richest, most authentic audio modelling available in an audio interface. Critical aspects of the model such as input impedance, transient profile and distortion characteristics are first implemented in the analog domain, followed by precise and accurate refinement in DSP, for a hybrid result that’s greater than the sum of its parts. British Solid State - Class A console sound
The second thing that I like about the Symphony desktop is the TFT screen, the touch screen interface and the large rotary encoder worked really well, so you've got a touch and twist type thing where you touch the interface and then make the adjustment on the hardware itself. D/A CONVERSION - A widescreen window into your mix Symphony Desktop’s digital-to-analog stage employs brand new technology to provide uncompromising Symphony DAC performance in a portable product, including a robust ultra-low distortion, high-current output driver. Regardless of downstream connections, Symphony Desktop provides a transparent, widescreen window into the sonic landscape of your mix.
Cookie control
Symphony ECS Channel Strip plugin running in the Apogee Channel FX (ACFX) plugin wrapper, and fully controllable from:
The two combo inputs can be configured to bypass the pre for true line-in. This is a pro feature that often gets priced out- owners of external gear should like this. Both the mic amp selection, and the ECS strip can be controlled on the hardware running on the Symphony Desktop’s own DSP. The latter can then be printed using the “Print FX” button. The DSP mic pre is always printed. Like every product in the Symphony line, Symphony Desktop benefits from Apogee’s core mission to design the finest performing audio interfaces using cutting edge analog and digital components, carefully selected by ear. While others cut costs and rely on conventional design approaches, we use innovative components and circuit optimization to consistently improve the performance of our products A/D Conversion - Faithfully capture every nuance NOTE:When installing the the Symphony Mk II 3.10 driver you will be prompted to update firmware. This firmware update does not apply and should be ignored. Do NOT run the firmware updater if prompted. Symphony Desktop houses the same converter technology under the hood that you’d find inside the Symphony I/O. Apogee converters are known for their accuracy and clarity, allowing you to capture all the subtle details of a performance in digital format without imparting any audible distortion or noise artifacts associated with lower quality converters. One of the big features that sets Symphony Desktop apart from other interfaces is its clever integration of DSP to run plugins and emulate mic preamps.
Sound Technology LinkedIn
Advantages: Zero-latency monitoring, permanently capture the FX sound you are recording with and speed up your process Link for Lowest Latency, Commit Later when you Mix The Symphony Desktop’s DSP resources are finite, and a percentage readout informs you how much capacity is used at any given time. My tests suggest that it would be difficult if not impossible to max it out using only the two analogue inputs; however, Print FX and Monitor FX are also available for the digital inputs, and some DSP economy is probably advisable if you want to use them across eight or 10 channels simultaneously. It’s not possible to use the Symphony Desktop’s DSP at mixdown within your DAW, as you can with Universal Audio’s UAD plug‑ins for example.
Additional Apogee plugins running in the Apogee Channel FX plugin wrapper with full functionality and all 3 workflows (Print, Monitor and DualPath):Whereas the Duet 3’s DSP is limited to a simple but effective channel strip which can be placed only in the record path, the Symphony Desktop’s implementation is vastly more ambitious, both in its scope and its flexibility. Apogee have coded an entire suite of plug‑ins, both in all the usual native formats and as DSP processes that can run within the Symphony Desktop’s own mixer. On top of this, they’ve developed something called Apogee Channel FX. This looks to the host program like a conventional native plug‑in, but is in fact a specially designed ‘container’ plug‑in that can communicate with the Symphony Desktop. The idea is to allow the creation of a single chain of processes that is simultaneously accessible from the DAW, from Apogee Control 2 and from the front panel of the Symphony Desktop. One of the main goals of a hybrid system is to make it unnecessary to leave the DAW environment to make changes in the input and monitor paths. Many attempts to implement such a system fall down on this very point, but the Symphony Desktop’s touchscreen makes all the difference. It’s not often you can say that an audio interface is a pleasure to use, but I think the Symphony Desktop absolutely deserves that compliment".
Great Deal 
New Comment