Next-gen Conversion, Thunderbolt Connectivity, and the Power of UAD with Apollo Twin MkII DUO
Universal Audio's Apollo Twin MkII DUO improves on the acclaimed Apollo Twin interface with next-generation AD/DA converters for astonishingly wide dynamic range and ultra-low THD. And with expanded monitoring controls, the Apollo Twin MkII DUO packs console functionality into a desktop interface for Mac and PC. With built-in UAD processing, the Apollo Twin DUO lets you take advantage of the rich, warm, analog sound of UAD Powered Plug-ins during mixdown — and even in real time during tracking. Speaking of tracking, the Apollo Twin's astounding Unison mic preamp technology lets you re-create the sound of classic mic preamps in a way that software processing simply can't match. The Apollo Twin MkII DUO Heritage Edition comes with a premium suite of five award-winning plug-in titles, along with the Realtime Analog Classics bundle, arming you with accurate emulations of vintage analog hardware. The Apollo Twin MkII DUO also boasts compatibility with UA’s LUNA software, giving you a tightly integrated recording, editing, and mixing environment, with full software-based control over your interface’s parameters, global console and tape emulations, and advanced real-time tracking.
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The Apollo Twin MkII DUO captures the sound of legendary preamps with Unison Technology
The Apollo Twin MkII's Unison preamp technology goes so far beyond traditional software modeling and emulations that it's really in a category all its own. In essence, Unison is a bi-directional communication between the Apollo Twin's mic preamp and a Unison-capable plug-in, such as the included 610-B plug-in that re-creates the sound of Universal Audio's classic 610 tube preamp.
The plug-in actually adjusts the preamp circuit itself, including parameters such as impedance, analog gain structure, and much more. When you adjust the Apollo Twin MkII's preamp gain knob and physical controls, the plug-in adjusts the preamp's behavior to match the target preamp. So you're not simply filtering your audio to approximate the character of a famous preamp — your microphone is now interacting with the Apollo Twin MkII's input the same way it would behave with the "modeled" preamplifier.
UAD plug-ins astounded the recording world with their incredible ability to sound like analog processors, eliminating the need for large racks of gear in the studio. The Apollo Twin DUO’s Unison preamp technology will do the same thing for your microphone inputs, eliminating the need to collect and maintain expensive hardware preamps just for sonic variety.
Sensational plug-in bundle included with your Apollo Twin!
UAD Powered Plug-ins have earned their reputation for being some of the most accurate emulations of analog audio equipment ever created. The astonishing processing power of the UAD platform is what makes these plug-ins sound so great. You simply can't get the depth, color, and character these plug-ins have without devoting huge CPU resources to them. Best of all, Apollo Twin MkII lets you record your audio through UAD plug-ins in real time with sub-2ms latency. When you buy the Apollo Twin DUO Heritage Edition, you’ll receive a premium suite of five award-winning plug-in titles:
- UA 1176 Collection with three unique versions: Rev A, Rev E, and AE
- Teletronix LA‑2A Classic Leveler Collection of three historic versions of the revered electro-optical tube processor
- Pultec Passive EQ Collection provides access to three historical and highly coveted Pultecs
- UA 610 Tube Preamp & EQ Collection including the storied Wally Heider "Green Board," used to record Neil Young, Ray Charles, Elvis Presley and Jimi Hendrix
- UA Pure Plate Reverb that delivers a shimmering, authentic plate reverb sound with a minimum of fuss
You'll also receive the Realtime Analog Classics bundle:
- UA 610‐B
- Marshall Plexi Classic Amplifier
- Teletronix LA‐2A Legacy
- UA 1176LN Legacy
- UA 1176SE Legacy
- Pultec EQP‐1A Legacy
- Pultec Pro Legacy
- Precision Channel Strip
- Precision Reflection Engine
- Precision Delay Modulation
- Precision Delay Modulation L
- Raw Distortion
- Ampeg SVT-VR
- RealVerb‐Pro
Thunderbolt: ultra-low latency and unrivaled bandwidth
Thunderbolt is one of the most important technologies to impact audio production in years, and Universal Audio was one of the first to adopt it. Thanks to its blazing-fast connectivity, Thunderbolt offers lower latency and greater stability than USB or FireWire, clocking in with the speed and ultra-fast performance of a PCI Express system — but with the convenience of a single cable. Apollo Twin MkII's Thunderbolt connection lets you run projects with high track counts at incredibly low latency. In fact, you can even record through UAD plug-ins in real time with less than 2ms latency!
A gift from Sweetwater — free Thunderbolt cable included
To ensure you're equipped for recording right out of the box, Sweetwater is including a free Thunderbolt cable with this interface. Plug into a Thunderbolt-equipped desktop or laptop computer and enjoy ultra-fast performance with incredibly low latency.
The Apollo Twin DUO features UAD-2 processing power built in
There are times when your computer just doesn't have the power and speed to run all the plug-ins your recording session needs. With UAD Powered Plug-ins, the processing load is taken off your computer and borne by UAD's super-powerful Analog Devices SHARC processors. Universal Audio's Apollo Twin MkII interface has these SHARC processors built in and is available in SOLO (one SHARC), DUO (two SHARCs), and QUAD (four SHARCs) configurations.
Digitally controlled outputs and advanced monitor controls with Apollo Twin DUO
Many audio interfaces have a volume control that reduces digital bit depth as you lower the volume — so unless you're listening at the maximum volume level, you're not really hearing your mix as you should be. The Apollo Twin MkII is equipped with digitally controlled analog monitor outputs, where your audio passes through at its full resolution and is attenuated in the analog realm. Even at low volume levels, the Apollo Twin MkII lets you accurately determine if your mix has the punch, impact, and detail that it needs. Handy controls for Mute, Dim, Mono, and Alt speaker switching offer console-like control over your monitoring experience. And to top it all off, a built-in talkback mic provides easy studio communication.
Smart I/O selection for a desktop interface
For smaller studios and mobile producers, the Apollo Twin MkII zeros in on what you need for productive sessions. You've got a pair of Unison mic/line inputs with Burr-Brown PGA2500 preamps, which sound detailed and transparent. If you need more inputs, an optical input lets you add up to eight more via ADAT. Four analog outputs and a high-quality headphone output give you enough outputs for most small tracking sessions.
It's just the right setup for producers on the go, for engineers who need to mix with powerful UAD plug-ins outside of their studio, and even for DJs who want the best possible live sound they can get. If you're not sure how you would integrate the Apollo Twin MkII into your existing setup, just give your Sweetwater Sales Engineer a call!
Bridging the gap between your UAD-equipped studio and everywhere else with the Apollo Twin MkII DUO
If you mix with UAD plug-ins in your studio, but also like to record and mix outside your studio, the Apollo Twin MkII is the missing link you've been waiting for. With just your laptop and the Apollo Twin MkII, you can easily take powerful UAD processing anywhere you go.
And the live sound possibilities are awesome: use the Apollo Twin MkII as a real-time processor for your bass or guitar and take your studio sound onstage. If you're an electronic music producer that also DJs, using the Apollo Twin MkII as your live performance interface will give you huge, detailed sound that will make other DJs jealous.
So, while the Apollo Twin MkII is a great entry point for new UAD users, it's also the perfect way to take your existing UAD-powered projects on the road.
Cascade up to four Apollo interfaces
Thanks to the combined power and flexibility of Thunderbolt connectivity and UA Console 2.0 management software, it’s incredibly easy to combine up to four Apollo interfaces (plus two additional Satellites) into a single powerhouse production system. Cascaded Apollos share DSP and I/O, and you can easily manage it all via a single Console window.
Compatible with LUNA — UA’s complete music production environment with ultra-tight hardware/software integration
This Universal Audio Thunderbolt-equipped audio interface is compatible with UA’s free LUNA software. LUNA is a complete music production environment for tracking, editing, and mixing. And thanks to its ultra-tight hardware/software integration, you can take control of your interface’s monitoring, talkback, and headphone systems, track and overdub with UAD DSP-accelerated plug-ins in real time, and benefit from full software-based control over Apollo’s Unison mic preamps, all without leaving your production software. LUNA is the closest you’ll come to an analog workflow in the software realm. It delivers spot-on analog sound, along with the creative immediacy of real-time processing.
LUNA also includes Accelerated Realtime Monitoring, which supplies fast analog-style tracking and overdubbing using Apollo’s onboard DSP acceleration. Anyone who’s used a high-end DSP-assisted hardware/DAW recording system will appreciate the super-tight integration between LUNA and Universal Audio interfaces. LUNA also supplies you with unlimited track counts, contextual editing and browsing, UAD and AU plug-in compatibility, a session auto-save function, and AAF importing.
LUNA software comes with the Shape Creative Toolkit, a superb virtual instrument with modern and vintage keys, drums/percussion, guitar/bass, orchestral content, and real-time synthesis, plus the Oxide Tape Extension, a killer saturation effect, right out of the box. But to get the most out of this system, you’ll want UA’s LUNA Creator Bundle (sold separately). This bundle includes ultra-realistic Neve 80 Series console and Studer A800 multitrack tape extensions, plus two software instruments. The best part about LUNA extensions is that once you install them, their sound is baked right into LUNA’s mixer — no need to instantiate a bunch of plug-ins.
Note: the Universal Audio LUNA requires a Thunderbolt-equipped Apollo or Arrow interface. It’s also Mac only — Windows is not supported at the present time. Call your Sweetwater Sales Engineer for more details.
Universal Audio Apollo Twin MKII DUO Heritage Edition Audio Interface Features:
- Thunderbolt audio interface for Mac with 2 analog inputs, 4 analog outputs, and 8 channels of ADAT input
- Sounds amazing, with next-generation AD/DA for maximum fidelity
- Use outstanding UAD Powered Plug-ins for tracking and mixdown
- Preamps sound pristine, and Unison technology gives you spot-on emulations of classic preamps
- Includes a premium plug-in suite of 5 award-winning UAD plug-ins, along with the Realtime Analog Classics plug-in bundle with accurate emulations of vintage analog hardware
- Thunderbolt gives you ultra-low latency and huge bandwidth for higher sample rates and track counts
- Compact design makes it perfect for mobile recording, mixing outside of your studio, and even performing live
- Hands-on control over your monitor outputs
- Cascade up to 4 Thunderbolt-equipped Apollo interfaces and 6 total UAD devices
- Free Thunderbolt cable included
- Compatible with UA’s LUNA software for ultra-tight hardware/software integration
