Review: Universal Audio Apollo x4 2nd Generation
Gen 2 keeps the Apollo legacy alive, current, and relevant in a multi-channel studio world.
By Greg Walker
9 October 2024
It’s been six years since the release of Universal Audio’s Apollo X range of interfaces. The improvement in the performance of these popular units over the original silver-face Apollos was significant but, to horribly miss-quote Bob Dylan, ‘those not busy giving birth to upgrades and enhancements are busy dying in the music technology marketplace’. So it’s time for UA to once again up the stakes and push the technological boundaries of what is now an extensive and mature Apollo line of interfaces.
NEXT GEN
The new range of Apollo units are badged as X 2nd Generation rather than as a wholly new line. The physical formats of the various units in the range remain largely unchanged (the rackmount x6, x8, x8p and x16 are still complemented by the desktop X Duo, X Quad and x4), but they have received a stylish new silver makeover which distinguishes them from the first gen units. Beneath the fresh exterior there’s plenty to get excited about, making the release of the X 2nd Gen range more than some tweaked performance specs.
The headline items here are new integrated DSP room correction and bass management systems, scaleable surround mixing speaker array control, a Dante I/O option on the x16 unit and an assistive Auto-Gain preamp setup. Coming from the design boffins at Universal Audio it almost goes without saying the new units also boast improved converter, monitoring and headphone performance specs, while the flagship rackmount units come equipped with extremely powerful Hex Core processing engines to drive the ever-growing range of UAD2 plug-ins.
FOUR ON THE FLOOR
I was able to spend some quality time with an Apollo x4 2nd Gen demo unit prior to the worldwide launch. I’m a long-time Apollo user but I hadn’t previously worked with a desktop unit so I was curious on a number of fronts. Straight out of the box I liked the new ‘industrial design’ silver look – it echoes the aesthetics of the original Apollos, only sleeker. The layout and build quality are impressive and the entire 2nd Gen range is easy on the eye. The x4 maximises the utility of a simple array of buttons, a large dial and a cleverly comprehensive metering/status screen and I quickly became accustomed to its functionality. Uploading the new software was easy and trouble free, and, of course, the four processing cores onboard were never going to be a bad thing when it came to extra UAD2 plug-in count!
In use, the first thing I noticed was a subtle but audible improvement in the quality of the converters. UA has worked hard to deliver improved dynamic range and distortion specs in the 2nd Gen models. For example, the Line In A/D converters in a 2nd Gen x8p deliver a THD figure of -115dB. This is equivalent to 0.00018%, down from 0.00020% in the 1st Gen unit. These kind of subtle improvements have been achieved right through the entire range. An area where they have really lifted the ceiling is in the headphone output amp’s performance. A bigger dynamic range of 126dB (A weighted) and a lower THD figure of -117dB (0.00014% down from 0.00080% in the 1st Gen) deliver a noticeably enhanced headphone monitoring experience. This is important not just for artist’s foldback during tracking, but for the many users who use headphones as an adjunct to their speakers when mixing (the incorporated Sonarworks software allows matching of specific headphone models to optimise sonic presentation, but more on that later).
I used the unit on a variety of projects and I was impressed by the Apollo X 2nd Gen sound in both tracking and mixing applications while working on a number of different music genres and at a variety of sample rates. The sonics are spacious, clear and musical, with plenty of oomph. There’s no doubting there’ll be a lot of great-sounding music made with these new Apollo units.
Having initially plugged and played with the Apollo x4 2nd Gen in a fairly streamlined way during a busy few weeks with clients in the studio, the next step was to dive under the bonnet and explore some of the new add-ons and enhancements at greater length.
NEED TO KNOW
Universal Audio Apollo x4 2nd Generation
Audio Interface
SPEAKER TWEAKERS
Room correction is becoming more and more common in DSP-enhanced recording devices these days and Universal Audio took a long look at the state of play in the market before joining forces with leading developers Sonarworks. I have reviewed Sonarworks’ impressive SoundID Reference platform previously in AudioTechnology and also seen and heard its implementation in external hardware units such as the Adam A7V monitors. SoundID integration comes built into the latest UAD software but there is an additional cost to activate it. Existing SoundID users will need to spend a little more to buy the Apollo Monitor Controller add-on while new users of the Sonarworks software will have to purchase the SoundID Reference package and Apollo add-on to unlock this extremely powerful feature. You will also need to beg, borrow or purchase a measurement microphone (ideally the SoundID Reference Microphone) to get the best results from the room analysis process.
UA claims that its integration with the SoundID Reference software is the most complete anywhere, allowing users to comprehensively analyse their room and adaptively correct for stereo, stereo plus subwoofer, and larger surround monitoring arrays. The new Apollo software allows SoundID profiles to be imported and integrated at a deep level without the need for instancing plug-ins. SoundID Reference also incorporates preset modes for working with a wide variety of studio monitor and headphone models delivering even tighter integration. Universal Audio emphasises that its implementation of the SoundID correction curves incorporates over 20 precision filters and alignment delays, many more than any other comparable platform. The combination of Sonarworks’ class-leading software and the UAD system architecture really does create a powerful set of tools for optimising, integrating and seamlessly controlling multiple monitoring setups including instancing precise time-delays in bigger arrays, fine-tuning subwoofer management and easily switching between surround and stereo system profiles.
THAT’S CORRECT
Speaking of which, in my view, the most significant new feature in the Apollo X 2nd Gen package is the integration of the SoundID room correction system with the new subwoofer and surround speaker management upgrade. The Apollo Monitor Correction software allows users to run a pro-level immersive audio mix setup without needing to splash the cash on expensive third-party controllers and complex extra hardware and/or software solutions. It includes bass management via adjustable crossover points and curves, a +10dB boost option for film alignment as well as individual monitor trim, mute and solo on surround arrays up to 9.1.6.
It will be backwards compatible with 1st Gen Apollo X units which is great news for existing users. While the x6 will handle 5.1 mixing and the x8 models can run 7.1 setups, you’ll need an x16 unit for (up to) 9.1.6 mixing. All Apollo surround systems benefit from the addition of a desktop unit which brings volume and mute control to your fingertips. The addition of a Dante I/O option in the x16 also gives users improved networking access.
If you’ve got the speakers and the bigger output count provided by a larger Apollo setup, your immersive mixing needs can be comfortably covered by an X 2nd Gen system, including all the major platforms such as Dolby Atmos, Auro‑3D and Sony 360 Reality Audio. The deep integration with SoundID Reference and Apollo’s comprehensive tools in the Speaker Utilities Panel for the control of large monitor arrays should definitely turn the heads of those looking to enter the world of immersive audio mixing or simply futureproof their next interface purchase.
The Apollo Monitor Correction feature won’t quite be ready for the October launch of the new X 2nd Gen range, but will be supplied as a software update later in the fourth quarter of 2024. There may be extra bonuses in the pipeline for early adopters too, so keep an eye on the UA website for more updates.
in my view, the most significant new feature in the Apollo X 2nd Gen package is the integration of the SoundID room correction system with the new subwoofer and surround speaker management upgrade
AUTOMATIC FOR THE PEOPLE
Another noteworthy new feature is the Auto-Gain preamp level optimiser. When activated, this intelligent piece of software quickly sets preamp gain to an optimised level during a short ‘training time’ input signal assessment.
The idea here is to effectively nullify the risk of over or under cooking your signal, especially early on in the recording process where a magic first take could easily be ruined by bad gain staging (we’ve all been there). In larger tracking situations Auto-Gain also greatly reduces setup time when recording drums, orchestras, choirs or anything that requires larger mic counts. While the purist in me initially baulked at this one, I quickly warmed to the idea of help in this area. Anything that speeds up the setup phase of a big recording session should be welcomed by even the most seasoned pro, while newcomers will avoid schoolboy/girl errors during their fledgeling recording sessions.
The Auto-Gain settings can be happily used straight out of the box for tracking, or as helpful starting points for further tweaking. Headroom in the Auto-Gain algorithm can be adjusted and preset to the user’s liking and, of course, the feature can be disabled when not required.
Notable, too, is the bundled Auto-Tune UAD2 software. This is, of course, the industry standard vocal and instrument tuning software and does its thing flawlessly. Having it included is a nice bonus given it is viewed as a production necessity by most in today’s recording industry. The standard bundled software package is the Essentials+ package but you can also order Studio+ or Ultimate+ Edition packages (depending on the hardware unit) to score some major initial savings.
If you’re considering buying an Apollo X 2nd Gen unit definitely do your research and consider spending a little more to take advantage of these offers. The UAD2 plugs are, to my ears, the best out there in many applications but the cost really does add up if you buy them one at a time, so any bundle discounts are definitely worth considering.
CONSOLE & LUNA
It would be remiss of me to not mention the latest iterations of both the Console mixing/routing software and UA’s dedicated Luna recording and mixing DAW software.
The latest version of Console includes several enhancements while staying with the primarily grey colour scheme of previous versions. The layout has been subtly refined, now offering more menu bar options with track inserts and sends laid out a little more clearly and the cue outputs window incorporating some helpful colour coding. Upgraded too are the Console settings and Control Panel windows, notably in the aforementioned speaker management and multi-system Profile configuration areas.
Luna, too, has had a fresh coat of paint with its seamless integration of UAD2 plug-ins further enhanced by features such as multi-output plug-in support and a workflow that only UA’s own DAW system can offer. Again, the Luna software is now a more mature and fully fleshed-out production system well worth exploring for those not already committed to other DAW platforms.
SOLID FOUNDATIONS
While there’s been expansions, innovations and improvements galore, it’s testament to the original Apollo that the ‘bone structure’ and central concepts haven’t had to change too much over 12 years of development. UA’s original design was a game changer and the Apollo X range is a powerful and successful follow-up. The new Apollo X Gen 2 range builds on these firm foundations with aplomb and offers a frankly mouth-watering combination of cutting-edge conversion, extremely powerful and deeply musical built-in processing tools as well as comprehensive multi-speaker control and the option of fully integrated room correction. With the extra carrots of Auto-Gain processing, Auto-Tune and the attractively packaged plug-in discounts, the Apollo range will undoubtedly be a mainstay in both private and commercial studios for many years to come.
The Essentials+ bundle now includes Auto-Tune.
RESPONSES