Universal Audio Apollo x4 £1,500

Universal Audio’s Apollo range of interfaces gains a new member. Jono Buchanan looks for signs of sibling rivalry

- Jono Buchanan

CONTACT

WHO: Universal Audio

WEB: uaudio.com

KEY FEATURES Desktop 12 x 18 Thunderbolt 3 audio interface, Mac/Windows compatible, 4 Unison mic preamps, UAD-2 QUAD Core Processing, 2 Unison-enabled Hi-Z instrument inputs, 2 headphone outputs, built-in Talkback mic, up to 8 channels of digital input via Optical ADAT/SPDIF input, ‘Realtime Analog Classics Plus’ UAD bundle

Universal Audio’s range of audio interfaces has always provided a twin approach to sound recording and processing. In addition to the high-end preamps and I/O you’d expect of a top-end audio interface, they’ve also provided access to UAD’s extensive effects collection. They use native processing to reduce load from your computer’s CPU and provide near-zero latency in the process. 18 months ago, the rackmount range of Apollo interfaces was updated with improved audio specifications and Thunderbolt 3 connectivity. At that time, the desktop Apollo Twin interface remained untouched by the upgrades afforded to its brothers, but it now gains many of the new specs offered by the rackmount Apollo units. More intriguingly, a new desktop module enters the Apollo family – the Apollo x4.