Description
Symphony Desktop | Pure Apogee Sound Made Portable
Symphony Desktop for Mac and Windows packs the legendary sound quality of Apogee’s rack-mount Symphony I/O Mk II into an elegant and inspiring 10×14 audio interface that sits on your desk and fits in your bag. With Symphony Desktop, musicians and producers are empowered to record, overdub and mix with the music industry’s most respected AD/DA converters and mic preamps.
By combining superior performance, with new features like mic preamp emulation, the Symphony ECS Channel Strip plugin and ultra-low latency recording with hardware DSP and Apogee native FX plugins, Symphony Desktop will amplify your creativity in your studio or on the go and give your recordings the Apogee sound quality Advantage.
Apogee Symphony Desktop in one take
- 10 IN x 14 OUT simultaneous channels of audio
- Cutting edge components and circuit design deliver detailed and pristine sound quality
- A/D & D/A Resolution up to 24bit/192kHz
- 2 Advanced Stepped Gain mic preamps, up to 75dB of gain, variable impedance
- 1 Instrument input with variable impedance
- Built-in hardware DSP processing of Apogee FX Rack plugins
- Flexible, zero-latency plugin workflows: Print, Monitor and DualPath Link
- Apogee Alloy Mic Preamp emulation (Analog processing + DSP modeling)
- Analog Inputs: 2 x XLR-1/4″ combi (mic/line), 1 x 1/4″ (Hi-Z)
- Analog Outputs: 2 x 1/4″ (monitor)
- 2 assignable headphone outputs: 1 x 1/4″, 1 x 1/8”
- Digital I/O: 2 x Optical Toslink (ADAT,S/PDIF)
- Computer connectivity: USB over type C Connector
- Dynamic touch screen display
- Software control: Symphony Desktop Control application
- Included Apogee FX plug-ins:
- Symphony ECS Channel Strip (Native and Hardware DSP)
- EQ, Compressor, Saturation
- Symphony Reverb – Native
- Symphony ECS Channel Strip (Native and Hardware DSP)
- Preamp Emulations:
- British Solid State, American Tube
Legendary Sound Quality
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.
Apogee AD/DA conversion in the palm of your hand
Similar to Symphony I/O MkII, Symphony Desktop’s analog-to-digital convertor stage features ultra-low distortion, high slew rate, fully differential analog op-amps plus a cutting edge A/D convertor 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.
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.
Pristine Preamps with 75dB of Gain
At the core of the input stage, are Symphony Desktop’s mic preamps offering up to 75dB of gain. The preamp design features Apogee’s unique Advanced Stepped Gain Architecture which ensures ultra-low noise and distortion regardless of the source, from pounding kick drum to delicate fingerpicking on an acoustic guitar. With variable impedance settings on both mic and instrument inputs, Symphony Desktop optimizes the input stage to better match your specific devices, for deep lows and clear highs. Selectable mic preamp emulation adds character, attitude and maybe a bit of grit to your recordings.
Alloy Mic Preamp Emulation for Character and Color
The Apogee Alloy Mic Preamp (AMP) emulation offers analog circuitry plus DSP processing to create the rich, authentic audio modeling of legendary microphone preamps. 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
Inspired by the Marinar “Round can” input transformer and discrete transistor design of our Class A Neve 1066 mic preamp, this emulation gives you the sonic weight and smooth transient response of the hardware. Push the level for increased width and punch.
American Tube – Lush, 50s tone
This emulation offers the lush, larger-than-life sounds of our 50s era Ampex 601 preamp, carefully restored and modded for lower noise and greater dynamic range. Apogee has captured the harmonic warmth, richness and high-end sheen of the hardware, plus the “gently overcooked” sound of the overloading circuit.
HARDWARE DSP AND NATIVE PLUGIN FX
Run Apogee’s premium plugins on Symphony Desktop and in your DAW, No Hardware Required.
Obsessively crafted by the same team that designs all Apogee hardware and software products, Apogee FX are premium plugins that run on the hardware DSP in Symphony Desktop or as native plugins on your computer.
From visually modern interfaces that allow you to precisely shape and contour your sound to meticulously modeled vintage hardware so accurate it has been endorsed by the hardware manufacturer, Apogee plugins will quickly find their way into your daily recording tool kit.
Symphony ECS Channel Strip Plugin – Tuned by Bob Clearmountain
Included with Symphony Desktop is the Symphony ECS Channel Strip plugin. Tuned by Bob Clearmountain, Symphony ECS includes EQ, Compression and Saturation controls that let you create the optimal blend of channel FX for tracking vocals or acoustic instruments.
Match to Your Mic Pre Selection
With Symphony ECS you have 3 characters to choose from. Symphony, American Tube and British Solid State. The profile of each is matched to the built-in mic pre and mic pre emulations. You can also mix and match to your sonic sensibilities.
Print, DualPath Link and Native workflow:
Symphony ECS gives you the full range of Apogee workflow options. For zero-latency tracking, you can print through it as you record or set up a DualPath Link for monitoring and print later when you mix. Or simply use Symphony ECS as a native plugin in your DAW, no Apogee hardware required.