Universal Audio Apollo Twin DUO Review
10x6 USB Audio Interface with UAD DSP
- 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
Highlighted Customer Reviews
Showing 1 to 20 of 28 Reviews
The things no one ever mentions about the Apollo twin USB
Universal Audio Apollo Twin USB with Realtime UAD Processing
Reviewed by Charles on Guitar Center
UAD plugins are nice works well like any other audio interface. How ever the drivers are not signed so beware in order to use this you have to remove secure boot in your bios and you have to run Windows in test mode so the driver verification is shut off. If you are unaware of this it could take some time to figure out. A lot of price are mad because they feel as though they are compromising their system in a way you are. It's not cool anytime you have to shutdown security features. I also have no better latency with this USB 3.0 over my Roland Super UA which is USB 2.0. They are both equally faster so if you are buying this trying to shave off some milliseconds you Will Not. The Fairchild UAD plug in does bring some life to a mix. That is the only one so far I am really impressed with . I just received this this past week and It is a good unit though it does get quite warm. I hope that is not a near future issue. I am writing this review so others will know what to expect. ... More
Excellent Interface w/ DSP!
Universal Audio Apollo Twin DUO USB Audio Interface
Reviewed by Jay F. on Reverb
If you are not familiar with UA, you should google them right now! They have been in the business of supplying high end gear for music production and engineering since the 1950s. Present day UA has brought us these amazing Apollo interfaces, from rack mount versions to these desktop models like the Twin, while they still produce hardware like LA2A, 1176, Mic Pres and more. These Apollo Twins have become a mainstay in the current age of home studio and DIY music production. This particular model, long awaited up until its release in early 2016, is specifically for Windows and uses USB3. This was a godsend for me being a PC user and not wanting to switch to mac at the time. The interface has great convertors in it, and for the money, what you get is hard to beat in my opinion. But the icing on the cake is the built in DSP! So you can run plugins on the interface itself without introducing additional latency into your signal chain! This makes it possible to run plugins on your inputs while recording. Want to run your mic into a 1073 pre?.. just insert it into the unison slot of the UA mixer and you are off and running. Want to plug your guitar directly into the interface and record without micing an amp? Just insert the Fender Tweed Plugin into the Unison slot and you have classic tweed tone at your disposal, all without additional latency! That all said, my favorite part about this sweet little device is definitely the UA plugins. They just sound great. Its that simple. As a Waves user for years, these are definitely a cut above in my opinion. The plugins are all very easy to use, which I have come to love, but they all just sound better. There is this extra "Something" going on there. This extra layer of "mojo". I cant quite place it, its just there, and I've done shootouts comparing Waves/IK/UA LA2a and 1176s for myself on the same source material. UA always wins out for me. And the best part is less CPU usage on my system! Overall, I am definitely a fan of Universal Audio, and the Apollo Twin is an great way to get into the game, and certainly worth the money in my opinion. ... More
Very Clean, Very Versatile...
Universal Audio Apollo Twin USB Heritage Edition Desktop 10x6 USB Audio Interface with Real-Time UAD Processing for Windows
Reviewed by Alex on B&H Photo Video
Realtime tracking via USB 3.0, with any UAD effect, on a Windows laptop or Desktop is a dream come true. I have long awaited the day when this dream was going to become a reality as a Veteran UAD card user since the original PCI ver 1. Being familiar with mixing with UAD2 Duo I guess gave me an edge in knowing what to do with this machine. It records and outputs very clean audio i.e no coloration, no audible sound degradation. Stereo linking, High Pass filter, Preamp etc all work well. Very Stable on Windows 10 and Sonar X3. I have not tried it with Pro Tools. A few things I would have loved for Universal audio to improve on are: 1. The Mic/Line input combo will only allow XLR input cable for microphone mode and 1/4 inch input cable for line. There are instances when the incoming signal could be an XLR line input and not necessarily a microphone. This unit forces you to use a 1/4 input for line input and not XLR. 2. There is no way of inserting a hardware unit like a compressor during tracking. As a tracking/recording unit, there is always a time when an engineer on the road would like to patch in a portable hardware compressor versus using a plug to track, be it for dynamic control in a particular way or for coloring the signal. UAD compressors are good but do not behave/handle incoming signal like my hardware compressors that I prefer to use for tracking vocals. Other than these two reasons above, the unit is a must have for mobile or even studio recording, mixing and mastering. ... More
Have fun recording. Don't let a bad interface bring you down.
Universal Audio Apollo Twin DUO USB Audio Interface
Reviewed by Trevor U. on Reverb
I expect pretty high quality stuff from the Apollo as I do all of the higher end gear I buy so I wasn't blown away frankly. But this is high end gear and meets my expectations from UA and the price tag. The quality you will get is absolutely a GIANT upgrade from the smaller brands. I've worked with friends with cheap scarlettes and I started on a mbox years ago. You can lie to yourself until your blue in the face that they sound great, but it's not the quality I find this to be. This is the real deal if you want to record something that people don't laugh at when you show them. The unison technology is a must have for this. It completely transforms the preamp to a beautiful "musical" piece with EQ on most unison pres. It makes it was less digital, and I've found great results from it. Once you start the trial the additional price won't feel so steep because of the amount of quality that it goes up by. I'm extremely happy with my purchase. I'm FINALLY able to do what I've wanted to in the recording area. This will not make you a better producer or mixer, but grabbing audio that doesn't sound like garbage makes the mixing phase way more fun rather than a daunting task to save your sounds. If you start digitally augmenting a bad signal it's just going to bring out more issues rather than fix them. I would recommend this to anyone I meet who is willing to actually take sound quality seriously. UA is a fantastic reputable brand that's made classic and classic. I don't think I'll stop recording soon because of how fun and good this thing sounds. ... More
Poor Quality
Universal Audio Apollo Twin USB with Realtime UAD Processing
Reviewed by Irritated Customer on Guitar Center
Where to begin... First off Guitar Center doesn't even back this product, no return policy. I have had this for two weeks and it's burnt out. Probably because it overheats within minutes to the point where it burns to touch. How is this not a safety concern? After two weeks, I started getting crackles, odd pitch shift distortion. This is in protools, system sounds and internet browsers. Oh yea and when you plug it in, it slows down all media so it's playing in slow motion. As soon as you turn off the power everything works. Tech Supports a joke. Want to blame everything except their product. Save your time and money. ... More
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Better quality, but my workflow has slowed down a
Universal Audio Apollo Twin DUO USB Audio Interface
Reviewed by Pedro M. on Reverb
I upgraded my scarlett 2i2 with an Apollo twin. I was interested in Apollo because I work on music using a surface pro tablet. It's an i5 with 8gb of ran, so it does the trick, but it's really easy to overwhelm my CPU. With the Apollo, I don't have to worry about my CPU as much anymore. It's awesome. Also, the quality is fantastic. I place a preamp in the unison slot for guitar, bass and vocals. It certainly gives my music that nice, warm, slightly fuzzy analog sound. I have two complaints. The plug-ins are way too expensive. Like, $200 for a single amp sim. Or like $300 for a a compressor. They are of high quality. But it's still bonkers. Using this has slowed down my productive. My workflow is more complicated now, and sometimes involves more steps. I hope that this is just part of the learning curve, and I hope that I will get a better handle on it and be more fluent with this interface soon. ... More
Worth the hype!
Universal Audio Apollo Twin DUO USB Audio Interface
Reviewed by Robert B. on Reverb
I upgrade from a Scarlett 1st Gen to the UAD Apollo Twin USB. Getting to record with UA plugins makes a difference for me! I can track getting a great sound in my headphones immediately, and one that I can trust will translate in the bigger picture. Yes, there is a learning curve (and a buying curve), and I don't like that I can't use the plugins on my cpu, but I'm treating these really like outboard gear instead of as plugins. Coming at it from that point of view, it works really well and gives you a lot of both versatility and quality. ... More
Best for real-time tracking with plugins
Universal Audio Apollo Twin USB with Realtime UAD Processing
Reviewed by Captain Dan on Guitar Center
I have had tons of audio interfaces over the years. In terms of quality of the sound this one is on par with everything else, but where it really shines is the Mic Pre-amp section and the "Unison" functionality that changes impedance. The plugins are pretty expensive and to my ears, outside of unison preamps like Avalon and Neve you're probaby better getting similar plugin emulations from Arturia or Softube for much less $$$.
A huge step up
Universal Audio Apollo Twin DUO USB Audio Interface
Reviewed by Bonnie R. on Reverb
From having a focusrite 2i2 I was scurrying which step up to take: pre-amps or new interface? This is everything all in one. As a windows user, its a little more difficult to finangle, and UA needs to streamline that a bit better. No matter my settings, I still have been having issues like other apps not being able to use the mic, constantly having to reset my inputs, etc. But otherwise, it works beautifully, my recordings have improved exponentially, and for $700, truly not a bad value.
Worth the price, though I'm fussed about UA's support.....
Universal Audio Apollo Twin USB with Realtime UAD Processing
Reviewed by Riku on Guitar Center
I am a voice actor, so this interface was a MUCH needed upgrade. I love that it has multiple microphone inputs, as well as options to have each mic have their own specific gain and use. Overall very happy with my purchase. My only real problem is the interface took a lot of work to get functioning with the new set up. (Not on the interface itself's fault, more that Universal Audio apparently doesn't have a lot of support for PCs despite making a PC specific interface model.)
Works perfectly
Universal Audio Apollo Twin DUO USB Audio Interface
Reviewed by Ruby C. on Reverb
Sounds phenomenal, best possible option for this price range. Incredibly intuitive software and the extremely high fidelity UAD plugins are available with purchase or a 14 day trial for every one (I think one at a time but holy crap, they're so good)
top teir
Universal Audio Apollo Twin DUO USB Audio Interface
Reviewed by Joseph V. on Reverb
dosent get much better than this. solved the ear-bleeding distorition i was putting up with using the Scarlette 2i2. Should of made the switch earlier. Definately makes my C214 sound better then i knew it could. Guitar is sounding great too.
A real upgrade
Universal Audio Apollo Twin DUO USB Audio Interface
Reviewed by Mike M. on Reverb
I've loved my previous interfaces over the years (mostly Focusrite Scarlett series) but this thing is on another level. I didn't know what I was missing! Easy to use, great implementation, wonderful support. Their plugins are also fantastic.
Excellent product!
Universal Audio Apollo Twin USB Heritage Edition Desktop Interface With Realtime UAD-2 DUO Processing (Windows Only)
Reviewed by Carlos on Guitar Center
No issues with AMD laptop and PC. Very easy to setup and use. I'm on windows 10. No issues at all. Major improvement from the Volt which I previously owned. Rebate plugins make this a great deal. Marshall Plexi and Neve are professional grade plugins. Highly recommended!
Best Interface in the Game
Universal Audio Apollo Twin DUO USB Audio Interface
Reviewed by Superhuman O. on Reverb
The UAD Apollo is hands down the best portable interface in the music industry. I've worked in several million dollar SSL studios and have seen the UAD Apollo conquer sessions better and faster than $500,000 SSL consoles with outboard gear. Buy once and cry once.
I like it, not for everyone though
Universal Audio Apollo Twin DUO USB Audio Interface
Reviewed by Sequoyah F. on Reverb
It's a great interface, the plugins are overpriced compared to other companies though IMO. Here's a video review I did comparing the UAD Unison technology to regular plugin technology if anyone is interested: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vDwnUY3Lg5M
This Box Rocks!
Universal Audio Apollo Twin USB with Realtime UAD Processing
Reviewed by John on Guitar Center
This box replaced a Steinberg audio interface on a large multi computer scoring rig. I record just one mic when I do record analogue. The converters on the UAD interface are amazing. The headphone amp is stellar! Best $$ I've spent in years.
Finally hearing the music.
Universal Audio Apollo Twin DUO USB Audio Interface
Reviewed by Cameron B. on Reverb
I came from a PreSonus Audiobox 44VSL and I was blown away by the Apollo Twin. The clarity in the music is fantastic, and the ease of use is beautiful. The customer support is also top-notch!
Universal Audio Apollo Twin DUO USB Audio Interface
Reviewed by James W. on Reverb
The Apollo twin USB works perfectly! Amazing sound quality!
Perfect customer service item exactly as described
Universal Audio Apollo Twin DUO USB Audio Interface
Reviewed by Christopher C. on Reverb
Interface came exactly as described, was having having difficulty transferring everything at first but was I helped out step to get everything situated!
