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preppyclubguy

macrumors member
Original poster
Jul 31, 2009
36
0
I am a house, tech house minimal producer mainly usuing all software synths. I am curious which interface to purchase though between these two.. I dont records live instruments but I plan on purchasing a motif 6 or an access virus polar. As of right now Im using my pioneer dj mixer hooked up via stereo output on the back of my Imac which then i use the mixer to proccess sound to my 2 yamaha hs80m.(i know its a lil ghetto but pioneer dj mixers are 96khz so it is still good sound quality. Reason I want to purchase an Apogee is to clear up some desk space for the motif or virus. So is the one suitable for my needs or do I need a duet..
 

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pooryou

macrumors 65816
Sep 28, 2007
1,329
63
NorCal
Doesn't the One only have a mono input? Personally I would want at least stereo but it depends how you will use it. Myself I went for an Ensemble that I scored for $13xx on a MF refurb, works great.
 

MezicanGangxtah

macrumors regular
Jul 21, 2007
114
0
Denver,CO
I am a house, tech house minimal producer mainly usuing all software synths. I am curious which interface to purchase though between these two.. I dont records live instruments but I plan on purchasing a motif 6 or an access virus polar. As of right now Im using my pioneer dj mixer hooked up via stereo output on the back of my Imac which then i use the mixer to proccess sound to my 2 yamaha hs80m.(i know its a lil ghetto but pioneer dj mixers are 96khz so it is still good sound quality. Reason I want to purchase an Apogee is to clear up some desk space for the motif or virus. So is the one suitable for my needs or do I need a duet..

go for the duet it would work a lot better since it has stereo capability aswell as the ability to connect to your HS80M's without one of those, split cables, that are just a mess that you would have to use with the one
 

freddieje

macrumors newbie
Feb 1, 2010
3
0
One VS Duet

I recently did a comparison between Apogee's One and Duet. I also asked the question if the One has the same DAC as the Duet. Apogee did not give me the answer I was looking for, but they said that the "sound quality is equal". Under the same conditions, the sound quality was higher on the Duet (in my opinion), but not by much. You can read my full comparison of the two (including pictures) here.

http://onevsduet.blogspot.com

Hope this helps...
 

ChrisA

macrumors G5
Jan 5, 2006
12,599
1,733
Redondo Beach, California
You need stereo. Some of the samples in the motif are stereo (grand pianos) and don't sound good if the sum the two channels into mono

But why not go with mLAN. It will give you a direct digital audio link to the Motif without the analog steps. The quality has to be better than Apogee. The mLAN16E2 is priced in the ballpark too.
 

rabbisound

macrumors newbie
Mar 21, 2010
24
0
I've owned a DUET and it's fabulous I upgraded to an Ensemble and missed the DUET so I skimped a little and bought a ONE, didn't like it at first now I love it as a sketch pad the built in mic is awesome and the inputs are great for either a mic or guitar/bass (one at a time) sound isn't bad it's not DUET/Ensemble preamps but they still sound really nice.
But I do miss two inputs at once like the DUET has. but not for STEREO recording.... what are you intending to record in stereo ? I can tell you the only thing recorded in stereo in your entire iTunes library was the drums and maybe some accoustic guitar - everything else practically is recorded mono - vocals, guitar, bass the dialogue in the movies you watch infact so are the sound effects it's in the mix that everything becomes stereo.. ust wanted to point that out because it's not AM/FM Mono Stereo in recording it's a different situation.
So if you like recording a channel at a time then the ONE is great and you can record your guitar/voice at the same time using it's MONO built in MIC as a first take then overdub the guitar and vocals with your own mic etc one track at a time.
When a DUET comes out with an inbuilt mic like the ONE has which it will I will buy because for me that will be an ENSEMBLE killer.
Also every single album you have in your collection was recorded 24/48 sure they may push them out at 24/96 for an SACD release etc but NO ONE records 24/96 to begin with.
So is the ONE cool - yeah, will the DUET2 be the best thing since sliced bread HELL YEAH !
If you use macs and Logic then stick with APOGEE.
 

Jolly Jimmy

macrumors 65816
Dec 13, 2007
1,357
3
I have the ONE and it sounds great, including the built in mic, but I wish it had more outputs instead of just one mini headphone socket.
 

BSTEboy50

macrumors newbie
Mar 22, 2010
1
0
I've owned a DUET and it's fabulous I upgraded to an Ensemble and missed the DUET so I skimped a little and bought a ONE, didn't like it at first now I love it as a sketch pad the built in mic is awesome and the inputs are great for either a mic or guitar/bass (one at a time) sound isn't bad it's not DUET/Ensemble preamps but they still sound really nice.
But I do miss two inputs at once like the DUET has. but not for STEREO recording.... what are you intending to record in stereo ? I can tell you the only thing recorded in stereo in your entire iTunes library was the drums and maybe some accoustic guitar - everything else practically is recorded mono - vocals, guitar, bass the dialogue in the movies you watch infact so are the sound effects it's in the mix that everything becomes stereo.. ust wanted to point that out because it's not AM/FM Mono Stereo in recording it's a different situation.
So if you like recording a channel at a time then the ONE is great and you can record your guitar/voice at the same time using it's MONO built in MIC as a first take then overdub the guitar and vocals with your own mic etc one track at a time.
.

Is this true about most tracks being recorded as mono? Sorry for the newb question - I'm in the process of deciding between the Apogee Duet and One as well, but I'm leaning towards the Duet because I thought I had to record my MicroKorg in stereo to get the the sound distinctions between the left & right channels? For example, some patches have a delay trails that differ between the left and right channels and I want to be able to capture that dynamic within a track. If this can be done through the mono input of the ONE then this will make my decision much easier...
 

oldskool978

macrumors newbie
Mar 28, 2010
2
0
it all depends

The apogee Duet is great if its your only interface. the ONE has no monitor output's therefor it is not a smart decision to buy one unless you have a dedicated soundcard for your monitors. The DUET has an amazing pre-amp. I find myself bypassing my external pre-amp and adding a few plugins to the signal yet still having the same (if not better) fidelity then with the external pre. the pre in the DUET is transparent and musical. I have not experienced the ONE but I hear that it uses the same pre as the DUET (therefore the same pre as the ensemble.) The duet is worth 5 times what i paid for it. if your looking for something that will last you longer dont skimp, get the duet. if you want something thats (a little more) portable and you dont care about the duets amazing converters, go ONE.
 

synth3tik

macrumors 68040
Oct 11, 2006
3,951
2
Minneapolis, MN
You need stereo. Some of the samples in the motif are stereo (grand pianos) and don't sound good if the sum the two channels into mono

But why not go with mLAN. It will give you a direct digital audio link to the Motif without the analog steps. The quality has to be better than Apogee. The mLAN16E2 is priced in the ballpark too.

The mLAN would not give the OP any output from the computer. All the mLAN could be used for is inputing the audio from the Motif.

When Yamaha came out with mLAN there was a lot of potential, however all it's really come to be is a proprietary digital IO.


If going between the two I would also suggest the duet. Although you should keep your options open. There are a number of other interfaces ranging in the same price with more features. Take a look at some of the interfaces by M-Audio, Presonus, and MOTU.
 

Benguitar

Guest
Jan 30, 2009
1,253
0
From my point of view as a guitarist, The Apogee One is basically only for recording guitar/bass/vocals with ONE input.

For you, I'd personally recommend a Duet, Even I as a guitarist have recorded in stereo with my Duet when I have a friend over or etc.


:)
 

Jolly Jimmy

macrumors 65816
Dec 13, 2007
1,357
3
If I had the cash I would have gone for the Duet over the ONE. That said, the ONE is sufficient for my current needs and the built in mic sounds surprisingly good, and comes in very handy.
 

ChrisA

macrumors G5
Jan 5, 2006
12,599
1,733
Redondo Beach, California
The mLAN would not give the OP any output from the computer. All the mLAN could be used for is inputing the audio from the Motif....

I thought the OP had asked for exactly that, a way to sample his Motif. If he only want s to rip the samples then I can't think of a better way.

If he wants a general purpose recording device by the Duet or something like it
 

hansgordy

macrumors newbie
Oct 3, 2010
1
0
My Take

I've owned both the Duet & the One.

The sound is very, very close. The One is outstanding. For me...the difference is nearly impossible to hear.

IMO...the stereo topic isn't important, unless you are feeding an old cassette deck or something into it.

I record all of my guitars and vocals in mono. They're a part of the mix, so it doesn't matter at all.

Really...the only thing that I don't like about the duet is that it has only one output. I don't get it. A product of this quality with only one stereo-out???

If money isn't a big issue...get the Duet. It has the same converters and technology as the Ensemble...which is strictly pro stuff. The One is one small step below that. A techie at Apogee told me that the firewire feed from the duet is slightly better than the USB feed from the One. Better sound...according to him.

The difference is really, really small.

hansgordy
 

Z3B

macrumors newbie
Dec 12, 2011
3
0
what are you intending to record in stereo ? I can tell you the only thing recorded in stereo in your entire iTunes library was the drums and maybe some accoustic guitar - everything else practically is recorded mono -

What about synthesizers ?? Tons of synths, drum machines, and unconventional instruments should be recorded in stereo, (like the ipad, and the tenori-on ...and the list goes on...)
 
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