Apogee AD-16X User manual

REPRINTED FROM APRIL 2007 WWW.PROAUDIOREVIEW.COM
Copyright 2007 JRS Publishing (USA), Inc. Reprinted with permission.
Apogee Electronics has unveiled the
Symphony System, perfectly timed with the
rollout of ultra-fast, multi-core Intel-based
Apple Mac Pros
and the state of the art Logic Pro 7.2 DAW
update. The Symphony System is a complete
DAW that offers the greatest number of I/O
channels per card of any CoreAudio compati-
ble digital interface. It is actually the only solu-
tion capable of 96 channels of I/O for Mac
without the need for an expansion chassis. The
system maintains a low CPU load, thus con-
serving the computer’s processing power for
plug-ins. Connection between the computer
and the audio hardware is completed via one
high performance balanced cable that is capa-
ble of flawlessly transmitting digital audio
over long distances. And the Symphony
System is a competitively priced package,
regardless of the exact configuration.
| FEATURES
The Symphony System is made up of three
components: first, a combination of X-Series
converters (Rosetta Series converters are
also supported) each
equipped with X-Symphony Cards
($195); second, the Symphony PCI Express
(PCI-e) card ($795); and lastly, a compatible
Apple computer (such as the Mac Pro, price
variant upon configuration) running Logic Pro
($999), or any other CoreAudio-based applica-
tion, and optional Maestro software (included
with the Symphony PCI card). A PCI-X version
of the Symphony card is available for earlier
model Mac G5s not supporting PCI-e.
The AD-16X and the DA-16X ($3,495 each)
are Apogee’s latest and most advanced con-
version systems. They ramp up Apogee’s leg-
endary build quality by incorporating a
redesigned power supply, standard 192 kHz
sampling rates (the C777 clocking technology
found in the Big Ben) and several optional
expansion cards.
The power supply in the AD-16X and the
DA-16X is a specially designed Synchronous
Switching power that works in conjunction
with Apogee’s low jitter clock and filtering
technology. It provides better heat and noise
performance and an improved transient
response, thus creating an ideal power system
for first-rate conversion.
The AD-16X incorporates Apogee’s classic
SoftLimit and UV22HR features. SoftLimit is
an analog peak limiter that enables the cap-
ture of an additional 4-6 dB of level without
any overs. UV22HR is Apogee’s industry
standard bit-reduction/dithering technology
for CD and DVD mastering; UV22HR can also
be used to produce improved Internet and
computer audio content without increased file
sizes or data rates.
The DA-16X incorporates Apogee’s elec-
tronically balanced line drivers, which were
originally designed for the Mini-DAC. These
Apogee Symphony
Recording System
This competitively priced, high-performance
native DAW is a challenge to the industry
pervasiveness of TDM systems.
by Russ Long
APPLICATIONS
Studio, broadcast, audio post
KEY FEATURES
32-channels of I/O per card; 1.6
milliseconds of latency at 96 kHz
(the lowest available in a native
audio system); amazing sound;
flexible configuration; reasonable
price; built-in Big Ben-quality clock
PRICE
Symphony PCI Series card: $795
AD-16X: $3,495
DA-16X: $3,495
X-Symphony Card: $195
Logic Pro: $999
CONTACT
Apogee Electronics Corp. |
☎310-584-9394
➲www.apogeedigital.com

line drivers simulate transformer behavior.
The circuitry is an ultra low output
impedance/high current driver, capable of
running levels up to 26 dBu to the most com-
plex or low impedance loads. This translates
into seamless integration with vintage equip-
ment.
The Symphony PCI card was designed
specifically for the Apple Mac. It is a 24-
bit/192-kHz PCI-e card that provides 32
simultaneous channels of digital I/O. Up to
three Symphony cards can be installed in one
Mac, making it possible to have 96 simultane-
ous inputs and outputs running natively with-
in a single computer. A 192-channel (96 in and
96 out) I/O setup requires six AD-16X boxes
and six DA-16Xs. And configuring the AD-
16X and DA-16X to “Advanced” routing
allows additional hardware (converters, digi-
tal effects, etc.) to be connected via the
AD/DA’s digital I/O.
The heart of the Symphony System is the
Maestro software. This software application,
while not required, provides undeniably valu-
able control of Apogee interfaces by allowing
the user to adjust hardware settings, configure
routing between hardware I/O and audio
software I/O, and to perform low-latency
mixes of hardware I/O paths and software
outputs. Maestro consists of two main win-
dows, the “Settings” window and the
“Routing/Mixer” window. Maestro also
includes functionality for checking Ensemble
software and firmware versions, personaliz-
ing “modifier” keys when setting the mixer,
and saving and recalling routing and mixer
configurations.
The Settings windows allows the user to
toggle between the Apogee interfaces that are
connected to the Symphony PCI card, set the
clock source for the selected unit, configure
the VBus, and configure the Performance
Tuning. The V-Bus feature,
employing Apogee’s ultra-
fast Symphony driver, pro-
vides unlimited routing possi-
bilities across multiple appli-
cations in any Symphony
System. This makes recording
out of QuickTime or Final Cut
Pro directly into your DAW a
breeze. The Maestro Control
Panel allows the virtual chan-
nels to be enabled. The V-Bus channel names
are clearly labeled and the number of addi-
tional V-Bus channels is selectable within
Apple’s Audio Midi Setup. Logic users will
love this feature because it makes it possible to
record bus outputs within Logic Pro. VBus
offers zero latency performance with minimal
processing power on up to 32 buses per
Symphony card, ensuring maximum audio
performance.
Maestro’s Performance Tuning feature pro-
vides the ability to fine tune the performance
of the Symphony driver to allow super low
latency for high performance platforms. This
gives the user the ability to maximize the per-
formance of the Symphony system on all sup-
ported hardware.
The Routing/Mixer Window has three
panes labeled “Input,” “Output” and “Mixer.”
Like the Setting window, each of the
Routing/Mixer panes has a “Unit Select” tab
that allows the user to toggle between the
Apogee interfaces that are connected to the
Symphony PCI card.
The Input routing pane consists of a rout-
ing grid that plots the various connections
between hardware inputs and signal paths to
software applications. These connections
appear as inputs within the software applica-
tions. It is also possible to send one hardware
input simultaneously to several software sig-
nal paths. The hardware inputs are represent-
ed by a row at the top of the grid, while paths
to software are represented by the column to
the left of the grid.
Signal paths to software may be configured
as Mono or Stereo within the “Matrix” column
of drop down menus. The Mono setting allows
for the greatest routing flexibility, but the
Stereo setting offers the convenience of routing
signals a pair at a time. I found that the Stereo
generally worked best for all of my applica-
tions, but it was nice to have the option of con-
figuring the paths as mono if required. The sig-
nal paths can be labeled in the Input column.
The Output routing pane is almost the
same functionally as the Input pane but it is
used to make connections
between signal paths from
software applications and
hardware outputs. Hardware
outputs are represented by a
row at the top of the grid,
while the column to the left of
the grid represents paths
from software. In the Matrix
column of drop down menus,
signal paths from software
may be configured as Mono or Stereo. The
Mono setting, like the Input pane, allows for
the greatest routing flexibility, while the Stereo
setting offers the convenience of routing sig-
nals a pair at a time. A path may be set to Off
in this menu as well. Signal paths may be
labeled in the Output text box. If the AD16X is
set to Standard routing, there will be no paths
listed in the Output pane as there is only one
signal path (analog inputs to all digital out-
puts). When it is set to Advanced routing, the
Input pane is used to route the AD16X’s ana-
log inputs to software inputs and the Output
pane is used to route software app outputs to
the AD16X’s AES and ADAT/SMUX outputs.
There will likewise be no paths listed in the
Input pane if a connected DA16X is set to
“Standard” routing.
The “Maestro” mixer blends the hardware
inputs with the software application playback
and routes the mix directly to hardware out-
puts. The “Mixer Select” (A-B) drop down
menu selects between the two available mix-
ers per hardware interface. The “Input
Channels” provide the ability to control
inputs to the mixer. Hardware inputs of the
selected interface are the source for these
input channels. The mixer always displays 18
inputs; the unused mixer channels are grayed
out if the selected device is equipped with less
than 18 inputs. The mixer inputs each have
“Pan,” “Level,” “Solo” and “Mute” controls.
A bar graph style meter displays the pre-fader
input level.
The “DAW Return” is a stereo input that
provides level control, metering and mute/solo
functions for the DAW Return signal, e.g. the
mix of playback tracks from the software app.
The “Main Output” is a stereo channel that pro-
Copyright 2007 JRS Publishing (USA), Inc. Reprinted with permission. Reprinted from Pro Audio Review
Apogee Symphony Card
| APPLE OF THE REVIEWER’S EYE
The Apple Mac Pro included with my
review setup was, by a large margin, the
best computer that I’ve ever used. It worked
perfectly, was lightning fast and, quite
frankly, made me drool. If I had the money
(or even enough room on my credit card) it
would have found a permanent home in my
studio. The Symphony System, even con-
sidering the Mac Pro’s price tag, is about
half the price of a Pro Tools rig of similar
specifications.
| HERE’S A CLOSER LOOK AT THE
COMPUTER
■Mac Pro w/Dual-Core 3-GHz Intel
Xeon processors
■L2 Cache (per processor): 4 MB
■Memory: 4 GB
■Bus Speed: 1.33 GHz
■465 GB internal drive
■1.36 TB internal raid

vides a level fader, metering, and a routing
selection drop down menu for controlling the
stereo output of the mixer. The Main output
drop down menu selects the hardware output
to which the Main Output is routed.
| IN USE
The system that I reviewed consisted of a
Macintosh dual 3-GHz Mac Pro with a beau-
tiful 23-inch Apple Cinema HD Display, a
Symphony PCI Express card, two Apogee
AD16X interfaces, two DA16X interfaces, the
Maestro software package (included with
the Symphony card) and Logic Pro 7.2.
On the rear of the X-Symphony card are two
self-latching multi-pin connectors labeled
“Main” and “Through.” Communication
between the converter and the Symphony card
is completed via Apogee’s proprietary PC32
digital cable. The AD-16Xs and DA-16Xs have
to be placed in the correct sequence for the rig
to operate properly: first an AD-16X then a DA-
16X, then the second AD-16X, then the second
DA-16X, and so on. A PC32 cable runs from the
Symphony card to the AD-16X’s Main port and
then from that unit’s Through port into the
Main port of the next unit, and so on.
I connected and configured the system
(which took one call to tech support due to
operator error), then launched Apple’s
Audio/MIDI Setup and set the default sys-
tem I/O to the Symphony card, so all appli-
cations that use audio (including QuickTime
and iTunes) played through the Symphony
engine.
Now it was time to dig into Maestro. I
knew the software was powerful, but if it
weren’t intuitive and easy to use it wouldn’t
translate well into the real world. I was
impressed; the software was easy to navigate
and manipulate.
I loaded in a multi-track work in progress
and was ready to record my first Symphony
System track. But first I went to the “Audio
Hardware and Drivers” page and unchecking
the “Software Monitoring,” configuring Logic
Pro so that my overdub track would mute
when Record was engaged, yet would play
back when Record was disengaged (even
though the track was record-enabled). This
would take full advantage of Symphony’s low
latency performance, and make the software
behave like an analog tape-machine in auto-
input.
I used the same configuration in a full
tracking situation (22 tracks) and had flaw-
less operation. Working on native systems in
the past has always reminded me of taking
pictures with a cheap camera. It seems like
every time you try to take a picture there is a
lag before anything happens. This is not the
case with the Symphony System. It responds
to any command instantly, making punching
in or out or any quick adjustments a breeze.
This is the first time ever I have found
myself working on a native-based system
that provides the same quality of perfor-
mance that I’ve only been able to attain with
Pro Tools.
I went on to route a single mic to all 32
inputs, just to see if I would have any prob-
lems recording long audio files: 32 tracks, 96
kHz and 180 minutes and I didn’t have a sin-
gle problem.
I don’t care how powerful or reasonably
priced a recording system is, if it doesn’t
sound good, it’s just not worth attention. I’ve
been using the AD-16X and the DA-16X in
various Nashville studios for years and I’ve
always been a fan of their sound. When
equipped with the X-HD Card instead of the
X-Symphony card they act as seamless
replacement for the Digidesign 192 within a
Pro Tools rig (but they sound much better). If
a studio has Apogee converters I’m confi-
dent enough to leave my DAW at home. This
said, my assumption was that I would be
pleased with the sonic performance of the
Symphony System and I was right. In every
instance the Symphony System sounded
wonderful. The filters are focused, punchy
and transparent, and they have a wonderful
clarity.
I compared the clock in the AD-16X to my
Lucid GENx96 Clock and I wasn’t able to
hear any difference. Wow, an internal clock
that sounds as good as a stand-alone model.
There’s nothing wrong with that! I had great
results using not only Logic Pro, but also
Bias Peak, Nuendo, Garageband and
Ableton Live with the Symphony System.
| SUMMARY
I’m a long time Pro Tools user and, quite
frankly, I haven’t considered switching plat-
forms…until now. Logic Pro 7.2 coupled
with the Symphony System is reasonably
priced for any audio professional and it has
no major faults that I can find.
Apple’s Final Cut Pro has literally swiped
Avid’s golden crown of film and video edit-
ing over the last few years, and now it
appears that Logic Pro teamed with the
Apogee Symphony System could make it a
double play. The Symphony System paired
with with Logic (or Cubase, or Digital
Performer, etc.) matches the performance
and surpasses the audio quality of Pro
Tools|HD, while cutting the price virtually
in half. Anyone in the market for a high-end
DAW should give the Symphony System top
consideration.
Russ Long has done 5.1 DVD mixes for
Allison Moorer and Mercy Me and is an in-
demand engineer for live sound recordings.
Copyright 2007 JRS Publishing (USA), Inc. Reprinted with permission. Reprinted from Pro Audio Review
| SYMPHONY MOBILE: AN ON-THE-
GO OPTION
Apogee Symphony Mobile, based on a
new PCI ExpressCard, is built for on-the-go
engineers using an Apple MacBookPro. The
large number of MacBookPro laptops now
used by professionals in the audio industry
make this product a serious contender. It’s
192 kHz capable and offers 32 channels of
simultaneous I/O with nearly non-existent
latencies at 96 kHz — a mobile symphony,
indeed.
"The challenge was to make it easier for
these professionals to get around and work
at the same level that they could
in a traditional environment,”
said Apogee Director of
Sales Max Gutnik. “We
believe Symphony
Mobile meets
this challenge
exceedingly
well, making it
the ultimate solution for the
professional on the go.”
If the desktop review is any indication,
engineers who can’t sit still may find some
extra grease for the wheels in the
Symphony Mobile system — stay tuned.
— Strother Bullins