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Apogee Officially Introduces 'Quartet' Desktop Audio Interface for Mac
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I didn't say it was ideal.
I just don't understand them...Have they not seen glade plug-ins before?
People still need their damn outlets!
Worst case scenario, they should at least let an internet connection suffice in the absence of your iLok.
It's like littering the beginning of a movie with anti-piracy propaganda.
They're punishing the people trying consume legitimately...
And it never crosses their mind that maybe they're the problem.
I bought one and like it
I just switched from PC to Mac and was looking for a nice desktop audio interface and always admired the Apogee products. In my searches I found that the Quartet was just released and it fit all my needs and expectations except price. But thanks to the Guitar Center no interest for 6 months plan on my GC credit card I was able to justify the purchase. Now I have to sell some stuff over the next 6 months to pay for what cash I didn't have on hand.
I got it home and was able to get it to work immediately with GarageBand, Audacity and the Mac OS but struggled with Cubase. I spent hours troubleshooting why it showed up and I could select and assign the Quartet to the inputs and outputs but it just didn't work. No meters moving no sound nothing. I took a desperation attempt and I created an aggregate and selected the Apogee as my only selection, as an aggregate device it worked. It doesn't make any sense why this would be the case, I had a PreSonus unit and didn't have to create an aggregate to use it but in the end I don't care since I got it working.
I only got a chance to use it for a few hours yesterday and found it a great desktop tool and excellent interface. It is both physically attractive and great sounding at the same time. I know I could have gotten away for a lot less money but I like it and that is all that counts. It is easy to operate and the meters really help setting up the input volumes. There isn't any unwanted sounds or weird noises like other USB interfaces i have owned.
At any rate I am happy with my purchase but understand the negative comments about value for the buck. But I think as a desktop audio interface it stands up with the best rack mount gear. Four inputs works for me for what I am doing and the large rack unit would be overkill so I think I made the right decision.
I just switched from PC to Mac and was looking for a nice desktop audio interface and always admired the Apogee products. In my searches I found that the Quartet was just released and it fit all my needs and expectations except price. But thanks to the Guitar Center no interest for 6 months plan on my GC credit card I was able to justify the purchase. Now I have to sell some stuff over the next 6 months to pay for what cash I didn't have on hand.
I got it home and was able to get it to work immediately with GarageBand, Audacity and the Mac OS but struggled with Cubase. I spent hours troubleshooting why it showed up and I could select and assign the Quartet to the inputs and outputs but it just didn't work. No meters moving no sound nothing. I took a desperation attempt and I created an aggregate and selected the Apogee as my only selection, as an aggregate device it worked. It doesn't make any sense why this would be the case, I had a PreSonus unit and didn't have to create an aggregate to use it but in the end I don't care since I got it working.
I only got a chance to use it for a few hours yesterday and found it a great desktop tool and excellent interface. It is both physically attractive and great sounding at the same time. I know I could have gotten away for a lot less money but I like it and that is all that counts. It is easy to operate and the meters really help setting up the input volumes. There isn't any unwanted sounds or weird noises like other USB interfaces i have owned.
At any rate I am happy with my purchase but understand the negative comments about value for the buck. But I think as a desktop audio interface it stands up with the best rack mount gear. Four inputs works for me for what I am doing and the large rack unit would be overkill so I think I made the right decision.
You know that fake news clip by The Onion where they poke fun at Apple fanboys who will "buy anything if it's shiny and made by Apple"? The one with that hilarious clickwheel keyboard?
Apogee apparently took that one seriously. I guess it's OK on the Duet... but to operate a $1295 audio interface with a single giant multifunction knob is just retarded. A $1295 audio interface with USB2 is beyond retarded.
If you want a stylish desktop audio interface with USB2 and a handful of input pairs you can get Propellerhead Balance for $300. If you find a single person who can tell it apart from the Quartet in a blind test in terms of preamp and D/A quality, make him or her president of the galaxy.
![propellerhead-balance-640-80.jpg]()
(It's not shiny though, I'll give you that).
Apogee apparently took that one seriously. I guess it's OK on the Duet... but to operate a $1295 audio interface with a single giant multifunction knob is just retarded. A $1295 audio interface with USB2 is beyond retarded.
If you want a stylish desktop audio interface with USB2 and a handful of input pairs you can get Propellerhead Balance for $300. If you find a single person who can tell it apart from the Quartet in a blind test in terms of preamp and D/A quality, make him or her president of the galaxy.
(It's not shiny though, I'll give you that).
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I'm with you on the clickwheel.
but
is nonsense. It would be retarded to use Firewire, given that Apple is clearly out to kill it off (if not in this generation, then the next).
USB2 drivers have got a whole lot better in the last few years. RME is doing awesome things with latency.
but
is nonsense. It would be retarded to use Firewire, given that Apple is clearly out to kill it off (if not in this generation, then the next).
USB2 drivers have got a whole lot better in the last few years. RME is doing awesome things with latency.
Oh, I'm not suggesting Firewire. No new gear should rely on Firewire. But there's this thing called Thunderbolt which predates the release of Quartet. There are a few interfaces w/ Thunderbolt out, from Universal Audio and others.
Yeah, it's not too bad but there's no headroom. One little CPU spike and you get clicks and pops if you're using a small buffer, esp. with 48 or 96 kHz. USB 3 and Thunderbolt run circles around USB 2 and should allow virtually zero latency without breaking a sweat.
C
champ01
Guest
Did you actually tried because I was sceptical too but it runs great.
I've been using USB 2.0 with a lot more i/o than the Quartet has to offer and worked great.
C
champ01
Guest
New One and Duet plus existing Quartet and Symphony now compatible with IOS
Apogee releasing Maestro for iPad,iPhone and iPod
Apogee releasing Maestro for iPad,iPhone and iPod
Yes because professional (and even amateur) musicians record music on their iPads.... (shakes head). All this does is tell me Apogee is selling TOYS. They will never get my business. They've largely been overpriced snake-oil-esque (i.e. more claims than they deliver) for much of their products anyway, a high-end "Bose" if you will.
C
champ01
Guest
Let me guess you're the Pro knowing it all? Ok now lets get real.
Having iOS as option is BIG news for anyone working with Apogee interfaces.
You think the iPad is a joke? If you record on the iPad or a MBP with the same interface do you really think the sound is going to be different?
Some people don't care about plugins they like hardware and want to spent time on software as little as possible.
Is Apogee a joke? Ever used an Apogee product? The symphony i/o is my favourite i/o system ever build!
Or are you telling me a Pro can only make music on a 3k laptop/desktop?
Overpriced? Everything in this world is overpriced. Buy crap like Behringer etc. now thats overpriced. Why? because its build to sell cheap not build for quality. It shouldn't been build in the first place.
Apogee delivers quality so yes this will cost you a little extra.
Have you ever compared the prices of Apple with other companies?
Paying a little extra to get what I want.... no problem.
I don't think I'd ever use the word "Pro", although I have written, performed, recorded, mixed and mastered my own rock album with a Macbook Pro and Logic and it is for sale, so let's say I have at least a little bit of experience in this area and I've been a high-end audio fan for about 18 years now.
I don't really have any issue with Apogee. Their products are nice enough and to each their own if you prefer them (although one wonders why they use USB on many products if they want to be considered high-end; anyone serious about recording music probably ought to consider Firewire over it; it's not that hard to get). But in general, I simply cannot fathom why anyone would want to record with an iPad or iPod. They are limited in both their CPU power and more importantly the amount of storage on them and a 10" iPad is not much smaller than an 11" Macbook Air that can easily accept additional storage if needed. A 13" Macbook Pro starts at around $1100 and that's only a few hundred more than an iPad. You're going to need something more than an iPad to finish any serious project, IMO (i.e. I don't consider Garage Band the best LAW to use when there's Logic, Cubase and Pro Tools out there that can run on a nice portable Macbook.
In any case, if YOU want to record with an iPad, hey more power to you. But it seems to be a case of catering to the masses that THINK they can make music more than serious musicians that actually plan out their recording sessions.
If they like hardware why are they using an iPad?
And what does the Symphony run on? An iPad? No, it requires a Mac Pro to plug in its PCIe card.
No, a Pro could probably make music with rubber bands and tin cans (I've got some tracks by Pink Floyd that did that). That doesn't mean it's desirable to use an iPad over a Macbook Pro in a portable situation. Now I can see using the iPad or even an iPod as a touch-screen remote control in the sound booth or something networked into a larger system. But what's the point of recording with it? You aren't going to make your entire album with an iPad so you're going to NEED more equipment anyway. So why not just do it with one piece and be done with it?
I can envision this scenario where maybe you're on vacation and you have your iPad with you and by golly you realized you just happened to bring your Apogee Quartet with you and you feel inspired to sing a song by the Lincoln Memorial or something? Heck, forget the iPad then. If it's going to be that kind of scenario you need an IPod instead (pocket size), along with a pocket sized Apogee interface and a pocket sized quality microphone. Otherwise, a carrying case with a Macbook and your Quartet, etc. would do just fine.
Crap like Behringer? Personally, I think some of their microphones are freaking out of this world amazing for the price they sell at. I ended up using one quite a bit on my album as it was very directional and didn't pick up the rooms I was recording in, negating the need for a dedicated sound booth and yet the vocals are crystal clear. I can't ask for much more than that. It also had plenty enough range to double recording acoustic guitar. Spending more wouldn't have gotten better results, IMO.