Audiobus: Use your music apps together.

What is Audiobus?Audiobus is an award-winning music app for iPhone and iPad which lets you use your other music apps together. Chain effects on your favourite synth, run the output of apps or Audio Units into an app like GarageBand or Loopy, or select a different audio interface output for each app. Route MIDI between apps — drive a synth from a MIDI sequencer, or add an arpeggiator to your MIDI keyboard — or sync with your external MIDI gear. And control your entire setup from a MIDI controller.

Download on the App Store

Audiobus is the app that makes the rest of your setup better.

Apogee Symphony Desktop...Finally a Pro iOS interface?

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Comments

  • @ltf3 well said :+1:
    I have an Audient ID22 which features additional return pathes fed directly to the converters (entirely bypassing the peamp section).
    On one of them I run a Telefunken V676a preamp, so I can compare both internal and external preamps simultanously through the same conversion stage.
    The difference is negligible, considering the difference in price (an overhauled V676a single channel sells for about $1k).

    That‘s why I regard the Audient preamps so high... and while they „only“ have a useful maximum gain of 57dB (specs say 60dB, but noise is overproportional at the end of the dial path), but the Audient’s noise floor is so low that you can digitally boost it to 75dB without problems. The added digital gain of 18dB still leaves a proper 21bit signal.
    (at 80dB the V676a will overshoot if you talk (!) into an SM57 from a 10“ distance)

  • edited October 2020

    @ipadbeatmaking said:

    @echoopera said:
    I think i just watched too many RME BabyFace Pro FS videos this evening. That TotalMixFX app on iPad looks stellar.

    Man....the quest continues 🤪

    I’ll be honest here, I personally wouldn’t buy equipment at these higher prices (above $600) that I can see isn’t good enough to fulfill my core needs and quality expectations for a very very long time. I tend to like to buy core items such as interfaces once a decade, maybe twice, At most. I bought the M4 and Scarlett 2i2gen3 as a travel rig for the iPad, after being ousted by the apogee duet on iPad Pro 2018. RME is battle tested. It stands tall. It is very much a pro audio situation. I'd also maybe consider a second hand apogee symphony I/O. I say all this because I remember you using the word 'investment' not the word 'spend,' which tells me you are all in on best quality you can reach, something that will hold value better than the norm, and something stable (in design, price, models, usage etc) . Something not needing constant redesigns etc says something to me about it being properly figured out.

    That said, all in all I don't think you'll go wrong with any choice, we are talking about final inches of quality, in a 40 yard dash here. Every interface in the race is well qualified and can hold their own, but those inches are where the race is won or lost. lol. Thank goodness for participation trophies 🏆😂

    Yeah i totally hear you. I will probably go the AudioFuse or similar 8Pre route. I just need to do a little more research to see what gives me biggest bang for buck while being a good investment for the next 5-10 years.

    I think i will need to replace the Scarlett at some point cause it’s always giving me Noise in the signal path. I have to reconnect everything this weekend to see if it’s a grounding issue.

    Thank you everyone for chiming in with knowledge and advice and feedback from the reel world. It’s invaluable for me and others following this thread 👊🏼™️

    Found this pretty good:

  • @echoopera
    One feature that I like about the audio fuse 8pre is the individual gain knob on the front panel, but if that is not a deal breaker and you can purchase another unit for comparison give the 828es a try. Routing is easy I can record iTunes , system output etc to any app for sampling. Also multiple customizable interface presets so I don’t have to connect to computer. I have an option where it can be an audio interface and mixer so I can use ipad and connect external gear for monitoring. Mixer only 2 headphone jacks thunderbolt and usb ( I have to use an adapter for usb-c)
    Great level metering shows all I/O on screen.
    Audio fuse 8pre is also on my short list after watching this last review you posted, can use it as AD expansion to the 828ES.

  • Probably go out on a limb here and say micpre might be better on audiofuse ( based on marketing info ). I also forgot inserts are always a nice touch. MOTU has send but you lose an input for each send used.
    I think most conversion at this price point will match Apogee Symphony desktop quality though MOTU I feel is probably same level as Apogee. MOTU drivers rock solid.

  • edited October 2020

    hahaha...I know right....once your M+ is back in hand, you'll be good sir. :)

    Just breathe...breathe....breathe.....

  • I don’t have an issue with the price per se.... I ‘m sure it sounds fantastic. I’ve used other high end Apogee products over the years and they’re great. But... the issue I have with most interfaces in relationship to iOS is they don’t take into account the reality of the music making on an ipad... LACK OF CONNECTIVITY. When I spend $1300 and still have to cobble together a mish mash of usb hubs and dongles to get audio AND midi working, then I’m not OK with the price. Of course this isn’t entirely Apogee’s fault. A large part of the blame rests on Apple for putting only ONE JACK on their devices. I really like how Arturia put a little usb hub on their new interfaces. Solves a few problem inherent to iOS.

  • Curious how clear and deep the bass is, and channel seperation, with that external 30w wall wart.

  • @Apex said:
    I don’t have an issue with the price per se.... I ‘m sure it sounds fantastic. I’ve used other high end Apogee products over the years and they’re great. But... the issue I have with most interfaces in relationship to iOS is they don’t take into account the reality of the music making on an ipad... LACK OF CONNECTIVITY. When I spend $1300 and still have to cobble together a mish mash of usb hubs and dongles to get audio AND midi working, then I’m not OK with the price. Of course this isn’t entirely Apogee’s fault. A large part of the blame rests on Apple for putting only ONE JACK on their devices. I really like how Arturia put a little usb hub on their new interfaces. Solves a few problem inherent to iOS.

    I concur.

    Do you have an AudioFuse by chance?

  • @echoopera said:

    @Apex said:
    I don’t have an issue with the price per se.... I ‘m sure it sounds fantastic. I’ve used other high end Apogee products over the years and they’re great. But... the issue I have with most interfaces in relationship to iOS is they don’t take into account the reality of the music making on an ipad... LACK OF CONNECTIVITY. When I spend $1300 and still have to cobble together a mish mash of usb hubs and dongles to get audio AND midi working, then I’m not OK with the price. Of course this isn’t entirely Apogee’s fault. A large part of the blame rests on Apple for putting only ONE JACK on their devices. I really like how Arturia put a little usb hub on their new interfaces. Solves a few problem inherent to iOS.

    I concur.

    Do you have an AudioFuse by chance?

    You got me curious too 😎

  • Apogee has been pretty awful with support IMO. The Mic+ is still pretty much useless with Garageband with no sign of a fix in sight.

  • shipping notification just received, it should arrive on thursday

  • @Sam23 said:
    shipping notification just received, it should arrive on thursday

    You mean yesterday? Shheesshh that must feel like an eon for you right now! Congrats on grabbing one, what will you be recording through it?

  • @echoopera I have an Audiofuse and it's been great. The 3 port USB hub is seriously helpful. I haven't used the unit to it's full capacity yet, but the ease of use straight out of the box has been great. Very clean sounding. The mic gains are great too (I'm able to use my SM7 with it without issues). I can also be in 192k if my iPad app allows it. That's kind of nice. 2 x monitor outs and 2 X headphone outs have been useful as well. There is a reamp output as well which I haven't explored properly as yet. It does seem to run a little warm, but I think that's part of the design (using the shell as part of the heat sink) as my laptops run even warmer most of the time. I'm yet to use the ADAT ins and outs because I'm still deciding on what I connect to the laptop end, but all and all it's been reliable and easy to use.

  • @arktek said:
    @echoopera I have an Audiofuse and it's been great. The 3 port USB hub is seriously helpful. I haven't used the unit to it's full capacity yet, but the ease of use straight out of the box has been great. Very clean sounding. The mic gains are great too (I'm able to use my SM7 with it without issues). I can also be in 192k if my iPad app allows it. That's kind of nice. 2 x monitor outs and 2 X headphone outs have been useful as well. There is a reamp output as well which I haven't explored properly as yet. It does seem to run a little warm, but I think that's part of the design (using the shell as part of the heat sink) as my laptops run even warmer most of the time. I'm yet to use the ADAT ins and outs because I'm still deciding on what I connect to the laptop end, but all and all it's been reliable and easy to use.

    Great review! Thanks for that! Amplifying an SM7b from scratch is no small feat, I'm running an EV RE20 through a cloud lifter right now.

  • @ipadbeatmaking It was one of my motivating reasons to purchase it. There aren't too many interfaces out there that will do 70db+ for gain. I look forward to the day when I acquire a second interface for the other end with ADATs in and out. That will make things really interesting. Just taking my time in deciding which one would add the best value. I really like the look of the RME Babyface Pro for the possibilities as it almost provides as much as the Audiofuse and it has some good software that looks as if it can be used on the iPad as well the laptop. Originally I wanted the Audiofuse because it can be used on all of the systems...iOS, OSX, Windows and Linux so that kind of flexibility was really important to me, now I have that I can be a little more flexible in my choices for a second one. I know I could just get a second Audiofuse, but it's nice to have a little variety.

  • The user and all related content has been deleted.
  • @ehehehe said:

    @Apex said:
    I don’t have an issue with the price per se.... I ‘m sure it sounds fantastic. I’ve used other high end Apogee products over the years and they’re great. But... the issue I have with most interfaces in relationship to iOS is they don’t take into account the reality of the music making on an ipad... LACK OF CONNECTIVITY. When I spend $1300 and still have to cobble together a mish mash of usb hubs and dongles to get audio AND midi working, then I’m not OK with the price. Of course this isn’t entirely Apogee’s fault. A large part of the blame rests on Apple for putting only ONE JACK on their devices. I really like how Arturia put a little usb hub on their new interfaces. Solves a few problem inherent to iOS.

    Buying a 1300 USD interface and running it through a minijack. Some people (not you personally, god forbid) have alot of money and little sense... Get something class compliant that will work for years, Apogee abandons their stuff after a while. Nice and shiny, but any converters made in the last ten years would be inseperable in a blind test unless you have supernatural hearing. Terrible business model IMHO.

    The $1300 Apogee Symphony Desktop is class compliant. They're more than just converters, it's also a 2 preamp offering, with multiple vintage emulations on board. When you have a decent mic locker, and want to forgo needing to use external (EXPENSIVE) preamp 'flavors', this matters. It's expensive, so is a Benz. Some don't mind, some do. Some need the best available, some can do without the final 10% in quality. Some make a living with equipment, some hobby it. Everyone's scenario is different. Apogee Symphony conversion has a sonic footprint, that some of us like, a lot.

    Everything is running thru a 'minijack' of some sort these days. I don't know what relevance that has towards a products viability, or cost. Usb-c is the wave. Will be for the next few years.

    I think Arturia really did a great job with Audiofuse and thought of everything. Great bang for the buck on offer there. Arturia ain't Apogee at the symphony level, and vice versa. If I were going Apogee Quartet/Duet vs AudioFuse I'd pick AudioFuse without thinking twice. If I need a lot of channels of input and had hard cap of $1000 to spend, Apogee on iPad is a no go. AudioFuse serves great a purpose and priced at a very sweet spot between the budget and high end interfaces. I think they're great. If you can't make an audiofuse sound good, its not because of the audiofuse.

    Nearly every company in nearly every product category abandons their stuff after a while. Thats business, there are Apple devices that can't run the latest software. The Duet is going on 8 years old. 8 YEARS!! I think we had a pretty good run, and it still runs fine on everything except usb-c iPads, which it was never intended for.

    I disagree with, and was affected by Apogee's decision to not update their product line firmware for the new iPad's, but I can't be mad if I bought 'product a' to use with 'product b', if 'product b' wasn't even INVENTED when 'product a' was released. As a customer, that's on me. But I'm happy with it's 8 years of service. It's paid for itself many times over.

  • edited October 2020

    @ipadbeatmaking said:

    @ehehehe said:

    @Apex said:
    I don’t have an issue with the price per se.... I ‘m sure it sounds fantastic. I’ve used other high end Apogee products over the years and they’re great. But... the issue I have with most interfaces in relationship to iOS is they don’t take into account the reality of the music making on an ipad... LACK OF CONNECTIVITY. When I spend $1300 and still have to cobble together a mish mash of usb hubs and dongles to get audio AND midi working, then I’m not OK with the price. Of course this isn’t entirely Apogee’s fault. A large part of the blame rests on Apple for putting only ONE JACK on their devices. I really like how Arturia put a little usb hub on their new interfaces. Solves a few problem inherent to iOS.

    Buying a 1300 USD interface and running it through a minijack. Some people (not you personally, god forbid) have alot of money and little sense... Get something class compliant that will work for years, Apogee abandons their stuff after a while. Nice and shiny, but any converters made in the last ten years would be inseperable in a blind test unless you have supernatural hearing. Terrible business model IMHO.

    The $1300 Apogee Symphony Desktop is class compliant. They're more than just converters, it's also a 2 preamp offering, with multiple vintage emulations on board. When you have a decent mic locker, and want to forgo needing to use external (EXPENSIVE) preamp 'flavors', this matters. It's expensive, so is a Benz. Some don't mind, some do. Some need the best available, some can do without the final 10% in quality. Some make a living with equipment, some hobby it. Everyone's scenario is different. Apogee Symphony conversion has a sonic footprint, that some of us like, a lot.

    Everything is running thru a 'minijack' of some sort these days. I don't know what relevance that has towards a products viability, or cost. Usb-c is the wave. Will be for the next few years.

    I think Arturia really did a great job with Audiofuse and thought of everything. Great bang for the buck on offer there. Arturia ain't Apogee at the symphony level, and vice versa. If I were going Apogee Quartet/Duet vs AudioFuse I'd pick AudioFuse without thinking twice. If I need a lot of channels of input and had hard cap of $1000 to spend, Apogee on iPad is a no go. AudioFuse serves great a purpose and priced at a very sweet spot between the budget and high end interfaces. I think they're great. If you can't make an audiofuse sound good, its not because of the audiofuse.

    Nearly every company in nearly every product category abandons their stuff after a while. Thats business, there are Apple devices that can't run the latest software. The Duet is going on 8 years old. 8 YEARS!! I think we had a pretty good run, and it still runs fine on everything except usb-c iPads, which it was never intended for.

    I disagree with, and was affected by Apogee's decision to not update their product line firmware for the new iPad's, but I can't be mad if I bought 'product a' to use with 'product b', if 'product b' wasn't even INVENTED when 'product a' was released. As a customer, that's on me. But I'm happy with it's 8 years of service. It's paid for itself many times over.

    As someone who is shopping for an audio interface, I would love some clarification: are y’all talking about the Audiofuse, Audiofuse Rev 2, or Audiofuse Studio?

    I would have to assume that in this particular scaling there’s nothing better out there today than the new Apogee release. I’ve had two of their interfaces before and the sound is pristine. I think it comes down to “do you need it”, because most can get by with a Motu M2/M4 or something else on that scale that features an almost comparable audio quality to the Apogee. And if you don’t know what you will need in 5 years but plan to expand, a Motu is still the “safe” choice, financially speaking. But if you do know what you need now, is there even anything out there besides the new Apogee, Babyface, Apollo, and possibly Audiofuse? It makes the price point kind of moot, if your needs are satisfied...

  • The Audient ID44 is definitely in the same ballpark, at a very affordable rate ($500 range), 4 excellent preamps, 2x8 Adat channels and a great monitor section.

    General note: Specs don‘t reveal real life clock quality and phase accuracy... Apogee has some reputation in this domain, but I wouldn‘t trust them until I heard a unit myself.
    They now support Windoze, too... a highly suspective move o:)

  • The user and all related content has been deleted.
  • Hi Folks
    This my first post here so thanks for having me.Ive learned a lot from your posts. I received my Symphony desktop on Saturday and this morning hooked it up with my 2018 iPad Pro just to give it a whirl. I used an re20 and the guitar line input. The sound is absolutely fantastic.Im coming from an apogee element 24 which is great but not compatible with iPad Pro. Headphone output is stellar. I'm not a good guitar player, im a drummer by trade and usually only record audio and am sold on the two or sometimes one mic approach to recording drums. Im pretty sure you don't get as many options with the iPad recording but the beauty of that was the simplicity of tracking in Garageband. Literally plug and play. The preamp is big and gooey. i bought this to record drums, perc and vocals and keep it simple. Im giddy over the prospects with this unit. I highly recommend the Symphony desktop. When I think about what you had to spend and deal with to get this type of high end sound, I just shake my head.
    Pete

  • edited November 2020

    @Matthew said:
    Apogee has been pretty awful with support IMO. The Mic+ is still pretty much useless with Garageband with no sign of a fix in sight.

    I think I'm done with Apogee. Man, they make sexy gear, but it's nearly unsupported after that. I have a Duet USB, Jam Plus, and an Ensemble. Software updates are nearly nonexistent, and the Ensemble driver pieces frequently consume an inordinate amount of CPU on my Macs. The Maestro app on iOS hasn't been updated in forever and you can no longer manage the Duet from iOS. I have to connect it to a Mac if I want to modify the configuration.

    I actually stopped using the Ensemble as my primary audio interface because it had a weird issue that if I was listening to headphones, had any DAW open, and the DAW wasn't in the foreground after a few minutes the audio would break up until I refocused on the DAW. Really weird bug, 100% reproducible on two different Macs, but their support just shrugged and said they hadn't heard of it.

    I would encounter this regularly using Live or Logic to load up a virtual guitar stack while watching Youtube videos to practice along with, and I've only had this issue with the Ensemble. The Duet doesn't do it, and now I use a Wing as my Mac audio interface.

    [Edit] D'oh! While I was multitasking and typing up my TED talk, @dogboy posted. I didn't mean to rain on your parade. The Symphony looks absolutely beautiful, and Apogee gear feels amazing. They make amazing hardware.

  • My vote is for the Apogee. I use a apogee duet 2 on High Siera running Logic Pro X 10.4.8 and I have found nothing that sounds better IMO. Apogee has math that I have not found in any other interface and the fact that it's integrated into logic is even better. Control the pre amps and dsp all within Logic no loading other software or mix plugins like UAD which take up more CPU and RAM. That being said yes Apogee support is the worst, few updates, and sometimes finicky maestro drivers. It's still the best to me. Just my 2cents.

  • edited November 2020

    @X3LA said:
    ... all within Logic no loading other software or mix plugins like UAD which take up more CPU and RAM.

    Sorry, but that‘s right the opposite of what a UAD system does: their plugins are loaded to dedicated Sharc DSP chips with their own memory on the interface board.
    The CPU sees zero part of the processing but simply receives the results.
    An equivalent in Logic with native processing would be a tough challenge. ;)
    Those modern Sharcs are real power horses... and they are added to the CPU.
    (but you have to buy into their eco-system - not cheapo...)

  • @CapnWillie said:
    @ipadbeatmaking did you grab one?

    Henny just dropped a video review that has my finger on the button 😩. I’m over my Element. Need that touch screen accessibility and processing power.

    I planned to grab it for Christmas, then New Years, but I’ve been on the move, so getting it shipped is like hitting a moving target 😂 so unfortunately not yet.

    I’ve also noticed that they didn’t have their software/firmware all the way in order, after a 6 month+ product release delay, so I decided to let the smoke clear a little bit.

    Also, while I was on board for $1299, a recent price jump to $1499, (probably reflecting whatever supply chain issues occurred), just feels wrong to pass along to the customer.

    So these things, and a few other factors, has left me reluctant to go all in right now. I’ll probably still grab it, but I’m not in the rush that I was before.

    And if I’m being honest, the Motu M4 and my mic locker has held it down and been undefeated in battle. I’ve also been trying an ultra light setup with only the Lewitt DGT 650 usb microphone and have been pleasantly surprised. It’s as good as other xlr mics more than twice it’s price! It let’s me skip an interface entirely (since it acts as one), is a x/y stereo mic, or mono cardioid and has a 1/4 input and even a full-size midi input in a tiny package. I’ve been outclassing people with UAD setups and $800-$1500 mics.

    I used to feel like the mic was too clean for my vocal needs, but all that changed with @ikmultimedia Mixbox CS! I can now pour on as much flavor as I need, and this setup has been incredible for song making. I literally want for nothing and have zero complaints with it. It’s also pretty cool to control mic gain directly from the software.

    And finally, I’m really looking forward to the Black Lion Audio Revolution 2x2 interface. It’s dropping late feb, and gonna be priced at $399 and these guys have been modding audio equipment since at least the digi 002 days, and this is their first official interface outing. I spoke with them briefly, and it’ll be class compliant and they are committed to squeezing every bit of audio quality possible, not cheap part sourcing for profit margins. Clean power, great clocking, colorful pres, etc, it sounds like a powerhouse at the price, and it’s shipped ‘pre-modded’ according to them, which will hopefully max out the sonic fidelity possible with this sum of parts.

    So due to reasons cited in that extensive essay above 😂, I’ve currently backed away from the Apogee Symphony Desktop. But of course, That could change tomorrow, or later today 😉

  • @ipadbeatmaking said:

    @CapnWillie said:
    @ipadbeatmaking did you grab one?

    Henny just dropped a video review that has my finger on the button 😩. I’m over my Element. Need that touch screen accessibility and processing power.

    I planned to grab it for Christmas, then New Years, but I’ve been on the move, so getting it shipped is like hitting a moving target 😂 so unfortunately not yet.

    I’ve also noticed that they didn’t have their software/firmware all the way in order, after a 6 month+ product release delay, so I decided to let the smoke clear a little bit.

    Also, while I was on board for $1299, a recent price jump to $1499, (probably reflecting whatever supply chain issues occurred), just feels wrong to pass along to the customer.

    So these things, and a few other factors, has left me reluctant to go all in right now. I’ll probably still grab it, but I’m not in the rush that I was before.

    And if I’m being honest, the Motu M4 and my mic locker has held it down and been undefeated in battle. I’ve also been trying an ultra light setup with only the Lewitt DGT 650 usb microphone and have been pleasantly surprised. It’s as good as other xlr mics more than twice it’s price! It let’s me skip an interface entirely (since it acts as one), is a x/y stereo mic, or mono cardioid and has a 1/4 input and even a full-size midi input in a tiny package. I’ve been outclassing people with UAD setups and $800-$1500 mics.

    I used to feel like the mic was too clean for my vocal needs, but all that changed with @ikmultimedia Mixbox CS! I can now pour on as much flavor as I need, and this setup has been incredible for song making. I literally want for nothing and have zero complaints with it. It’s also pretty cool to control mic gain directly from the software.

    And finally, I’m really looking forward to the Black Lion Audio Revolution 2x2 interface. It’s dropping late feb, and gonna be priced at $399 and these guys have been modding audio equipment since at least the digi 002 days, and this is their first official interface outing. I spoke with them briefly, and it’ll be class compliant and they are committed to squeezing every bit of audio quality possible, not cheap part sourcing for profit margins. Clean power, great clocking, colorful pres, etc, it sounds like a powerhouse at the price, and it’s shipped ‘pre-modded’ according to them, which will hopefully max out the sonic fidelity possible with this sum of parts.

    So due to reasons cited in that extensive essay above 😂, I’ve currently backed away from the Apogee Symphony Desktop. But of course, That could change tomorrow, or later today 😉

    @ipadbeatmaking perfectly expressed. Not a fan of the price hike on the symphony either. Still really appealing and tempting with the onboard preamp emulations and dsp, max gain and so much more top shelf spec, but definitely a “let others try it out first” kind of situation.

    Considering that Black Lion is a 2x2 that’s almost twice the price of the M4, that mono button and spdif and modded flavor better add up. Good specs on it, looks like Black Lion has more headroom on the ins but M4 has more on the outs.

    And yes MixBox slathered in every corner!

    Cheers!

  • edited February 2021

    @JoyceRoadStudios said:

    @ipadbeatmaking said:

    @CapnWillie said:
    @ipadbeatmaking did you grab one?

    Henny just dropped a video review that has my finger on the button 😩. I’m over my Element. Need that touch screen accessibility and processing power.

    I planned to grab it for Christmas, then New Years, but I’ve been on the move, so getting it shipped is like hitting a moving target 😂 so unfortunately not yet.

    I’ve also noticed that they didn’t have their software/firmware all the way in order, after a 6 month+ product release delay, so I decided to let the smoke clear a little bit.

    Also, while I was on board for $1299, a recent price jump to $1499, (probably reflecting whatever supply chain issues occurred), just feels wrong to pass along to the customer.

    So these things, and a few other factors, has left me reluctant to go all in right now. I’ll probably still grab it, but I’m not in the rush that I was before.

    And if I’m being honest, the Motu M4 and my mic locker has held it down and been undefeated in battle. I’ve also been trying an ultra light setup with only the Lewitt DGT 650 usb microphone and have been pleasantly surprised. It’s as good as other xlr mics more than twice it’s price! It let’s me skip an interface entirely (since it acts as one), is a x/y stereo mic, or mono cardioid and has a 1/4 input and even a full-size midi input in a tiny package. I’ve been outclassing people with UAD setups and $800-$1500 mics.

    I used to feel like the mic was too clean for my vocal needs, but all that changed with @ikmultimedia Mixbox CS! I can now pour on as much flavor as I need, and this setup has been incredible for song making. I literally want for nothing and have zero complaints with it. It’s also pretty cool to control mic gain directly from the software.

    And finally, I’m really looking forward to the Black Lion Audio Revolution 2x2 interface. It’s dropping late feb, and gonna be priced at $399 and these guys have been modding audio equipment since at least the digi 002 days, and this is their first official interface outing. I spoke with them briefly, and it’ll be class compliant and they are committed to squeezing every bit of audio quality possible, not cheap part sourcing for profit margins. Clean power, great clocking, colorful pres, etc, it sounds like a powerhouse at the price, and it’s shipped ‘pre-modded’ according to them, which will hopefully max out the sonic fidelity possible with this sum of parts.

    So due to reasons cited in that extensive essay above 😂, I’ve currently backed away from the Apogee Symphony Desktop. But of course, That could change tomorrow, or later today 😉

    @ipadbeatmaking perfectly expressed. Not a fan of the price hike on the symphony either. Still really appealing and tempting with the onboard preamp emulations and dsp, max gain and so much more top shelf spec, but definitely a “let others try it out first” kind of situation.

    Considering that Black Lion is a 2x2 that’s almost twice the price of the M4, that mono button and spdif and modded flavor better add up. Good specs on it, looks like Black Lion has more headroom on the ins but M4 has more on the outs.

    And yes MixBox slathered in every corner!

    Cheers!

    I agree, definitely a ‘let others try it out first’ scenario for me too. Prior to the @ikmultimedia mixbox cs release this would’ve been must have no questions asked for the flavored preamp section alone, but a $40 app just shut all those needs down for the time being for me, incredibly.
    All the same, it’s still a tempting purchase that I’m never more than a thought away from making lol.

    @dogboy are you still loving your Symphony Desktop? Please share more of your experiences!!

    I hope the Black Lion interface delivers. If it can be the best sounding interface between its price point and the symphony desktop’s, that would be incredible. I’m probably setting the bar to high, but their experience with modding etc is too high for me not to. They even mod the Apogee Symphony (full size) so it’d be nice if we could get a $1400 sound for $400. What’s your thoughts on the M4 headroom differences?

  • @ipadbeatmaking said:

    @JoyceRoadStudios said:

    @ipadbeatmaking said:

    @CapnWillie said:
    @ipadbeatmaking did you grab one?

    Henny just dropped a video review that has my finger on the button 😩. I’m over my Element. Need that touch screen accessibility and processing power.

    I planned to grab it for Christmas, then New Years, but I’ve been on the move, so getting it shipped is like hitting a moving target 😂 so unfortunately not yet.

    I’ve also noticed that they didn’t have their software/firmware all the way in order, after a 6 month+ product release delay, so I decided to let the smoke clear a little bit.

    Also, while I was on board for $1299, a recent price jump to $1499, (probably reflecting whatever supply chain issues occurred), just feels wrong to pass along to the customer.

    So these things, and a few other factors, has left me reluctant to go all in right now. I’ll probably still grab it, but I’m not in the rush that I was before.

    And if I’m being honest, the Motu M4 and my mic locker has held it down and been undefeated in battle. I’ve also been trying an ultra light setup with only the Lewitt DGT 650 usb microphone and have been pleasantly surprised. It’s as good as other xlr mics more than twice it’s price! It let’s me skip an interface entirely (since it acts as one), is a x/y stereo mic, or mono cardioid and has a 1/4 input and even a full-size midi input in a tiny package. I’ve been outclassing people with UAD setups and $800-$1500 mics.

    I used to feel like the mic was too clean for my vocal needs, but all that changed with @ikmultimedia Mixbox CS! I can now pour on as much flavor as I need, and this setup has been incredible for song making. I literally want for nothing and have zero complaints with it. It’s also pretty cool to control mic gain directly from the software.

    And finally, I’m really looking forward to the Black Lion Audio Revolution 2x2 interface. It’s dropping late feb, and gonna be priced at $399 and these guys have been modding audio equipment since at least the digi 002 days, and this is their first official interface outing. I spoke with them briefly, and it’ll be class compliant and they are committed to squeezing every bit of audio quality possible, not cheap part sourcing for profit margins. Clean power, great clocking, colorful pres, etc, it sounds like a powerhouse at the price, and it’s shipped ‘pre-modded’ according to them, which will hopefully max out the sonic fidelity possible with this sum of parts.

    So due to reasons cited in that extensive essay above 😂, I’ve currently backed away from the Apogee Symphony Desktop. But of course, That could change tomorrow, or later today 😉

    @ipadbeatmaking perfectly expressed. Not a fan of the price hike on the symphony either. Still really appealing and tempting with the onboard preamp emulations and dsp, max gain and so much more top shelf spec, but definitely a “let others try it out first” kind of situation.

    Considering that Black Lion is a 2x2 that’s almost twice the price of the M4, that mono button and spdif and modded flavor better add up. Good specs on it, looks like Black Lion has more headroom on the ins but M4 has more on the outs.

    And yes MixBox slathered in every corner!

    Cheers!

    I agree, definitely a ‘let others try it out first’ scenario for me too. Prior to the @ikmultimedia mixbox cs release this would’ve been must have no questions asked for the flavored preamp section alone, but a $40 app just shut all those needs down for the time being for me, incredibly.
    All the same, it’s still a tempting purchase that I’m never more than a thought away from making lol.

    @dogboy are you still loving your Symphony Desktop? Please share more of your experiences!!

    I hope the Black Lion interface delivers. If it can be the best sounding interface between its price point and the symphony desktop’s, that would be incredible. I’m probably setting the bar to high, but their experience with modding etc is too high for me not to. They even mod the Apogee Symphony (full size) so it’d be nice if we could get a $1400 sound for $400. What’s your thoughts on the M4 headroom differences?

    I’m sure someone much more knowledgeable could weigh in on the particular importance of max input vs max output, but from what I’ve been reading Black Lion specs seem deliberate rather than trying to be the best at everything. So that’s actually an interesting marketing angle for an interface that’s “tuned” and “modded”. I love my M4 and it does deliver in every way, and there’s so much competition in that tier of interfaces with minuscule spec differences. So the next wave could still be about features and specs for the price, but it should be about the flavor. Black Lion delivering a hit is good for all of us. looking forward to hearing more about it.

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