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Post by Johnkenn on Nov 14, 2017 19:25:03 GMT -6
Just thought I would type this out as it was happening. Just hooked it up. Listening to a mix that I just finished on the Svartbox/Apollo. My first reaction is: where the is the top end? I comparison to the BF Apollo and Svartbox (which I think sounds better than the Apollo) this almost seems rolled off. I do hear more depth, more separation of instruments. Not particularly wider, but the instruments seemed more well-defined and the phantom center seems more 3 dimensional in a way. The mixes I've been doing are translating really, really well. Happy about that. If anything, if the Symphony is a more correct representation of the truth, then they could even use a little more top end. Which is something I felt like I was fighting with the Apollo and SB. That being said, that's not a bad thing...It's almost like the SB is - and I don't use this as a pejorative - an NS-10 that makes you work - the unvarnished truth...Where as the Symphony...well, sounds rolled off. My fear now is that I might go too far with the top end with the Symphony...but I guess we will see! The proof will be mixing with it...
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Post by Johnkenn on Nov 14, 2017 20:28:41 GMT -6
Damnit...Was going to finish some mixes with the Symphony...but I think I'm one thunderbolt cable short. Forgot I need to have the damn Apollo connected for UAD plugs. I have two tbolt cables, two tbolt connections on the Symphony. My monitor is thunderbolt, so I need to go monitor tbolt to Symphony then Symphony tbolt to the computer. If I were to get another tbolt cable, could I plug the Apollo into the Apple display and it work? Seems like I remember that it isn't serial or whatever...just as long as they are connected?
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Post by jeromemason on Nov 14, 2017 20:38:19 GMT -6
TB is a buss just like USB so to my knowledge if they're are available thru connections it'll work like USB.
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ericn
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Post by ericn on Nov 14, 2017 21:40:24 GMT -6
TB is a buss just like USB so to my knowledge if they're are available thru connections it'll work like USB. Yup it should, of course one never knows what may happen in the real world!
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Post by Johnkenn on Nov 14, 2017 21:46:39 GMT -6
Thanks, Jerome
THIS IS WHY I SHOULD NEVER FREAKING CHANGE.
So, dear readers, since I'm lacking another tbolt cable, I thought I would just use Symphony in standalone. Connect the Apollo as I normally would. Then go SPDIF out to the Symphony. Same as I do for the svartbox. I've got everything hooked up correctly...checked 20 times. Followed the instructions for setting up the Symphony in standalone per user manual and multiple videos...and I can't for the life of me get the spdif signal from the Apolli to play out of the analog 1&2 Symphony outputs. Incredibly frustrating.
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Post by Johnkenn on Nov 14, 2017 21:49:31 GMT -6
Anyway, like I said, I can hook up and use the symphony by itself...and the DA is definitely impressive. If nothing else, there's a depth and punch that is pretty undeniable.
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kcatthedog
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Post by kcatthedog on Nov 15, 2017 1:14:10 GMT -6
Glad it got there ok!
in the software mixer there is an i/o and a mixer tab
I wasn’t running anything on spdif but you must have to define its signal path there ?
There are embedded functions in the software GUI so click around if you don’t see what you are looking for?
All these boxes are tools, be interesting to see how you get on with this !
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kcatthedog
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Post by kcatthedog on Nov 15, 2017 1:17:25 GMT -6
I had three cables, 2 from symphony: 1 to computer, the 2nd to my owc chassis/dsp, the third from the chassis to my monitor.
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Post by adamjbrass on Nov 15, 2017 7:22:19 GMT -6
Thanks, Jerome THIS IS WHY I SHOULD NEVER FREAKING CHANGE. So, dear readers, since I'm lacking another tbolt cable, I thought I would just use Symphony in standalone. Connect the Apollo as I normally would. Then go SPDIF out to the Symphony. Same as I do for the svartbox. I've got everything hooked up correctly...checked 20 times. Followed the instructions for setting up the Symphony in standalone per user manual and multiple videos...and I can't for the life of me get the spdif signal from the Apolli to play out of the analog 1&2 Symphony outputs. Incredibly frustrating. The way they setup the SPDIF mirroring is odd duck to the 1000th power. You have to do the hokey pokey and turn yourself around. Its a series of events that always confuses me until I get it,
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Post by Johnkenn on Nov 15, 2017 7:33:43 GMT -6
I find this new software only slightly less confusing than Maestro...
Here's the way it SHOULD work in standalone. If the Thunderbolt isn't utilized, it should know it's in standalone (which I think it does)...Then when a spdif in is detected and the "mirror spdif to analog 1&2" is selected, it should play through freaking analog 1&2...But that doesn't seem to work. Here's what the manual says:
Digital Coaxial RCA S/PDIF ports are also provided. - SPDIF IN replaces a pair of analog or digital audio inputs. Routing of the S/PDIF input is set with the S/PDIF Replaces drop down menu, found in the Apogee Maestroʼs Input tab window. - SPDIF OUT will duplicate any pair of analog or digital audio outputs. Routing of the S/PDIF Output is set with the S/ PDIF Mirrors drop down menu, found in the Apogee Maestroʼs Output tab window.
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kcatthedog
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Post by kcatthedog on Nov 15, 2017 7:35:50 GMT -6
That is describing the old maestro system which you are not running ?
So what worked ?
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Post by adamjbrass on Nov 15, 2017 7:39:04 GMT -6
Are you on Version 3.0 firmware or greater? I think I have seen that problem before, [apogee tech's sorted easily] but you probably verified it already.
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Post by kcatthedog on Nov 15, 2017 7:46:16 GMT -6
^^this^^, yes I have called apogee online support a couple of times and found them super helpful and they remote in too, if you need and presto bingo you are all fixed up !
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Post by svart on Nov 15, 2017 7:56:13 GMT -6
Just thought I would type this out as it was happening. Just hooked it up. Listening to a mix that I just finished on the Svartbox/Apollo. My first reaction is: where the is the top end? I comparison to the BF Apollo and Svartbox (which I think sounds better than the Apollo) this almost seems rolled off. I do hear more depth, more separation of instruments. Not particularly wider, but the instruments seemed more well-defined and the phantom center seems more 3 dimensional in a way. The mixes I've been doing are translating really, really well. Happy about that. If anything, if the Symphony is a more correct representation of the truth, then they could even use a little more top end. Which is something I felt like I was fighting with the Apollo and SB. That being said, that's not a bad thing...It's almost like the SB is - and I don't use this as a pejorative - an NS-10 that makes you work - the unvarnished truth...Where as the Symphony...well, sounds rolled off. My fear now is that I might go too far with the top end with the Symphony...but I guess we will see! The proof will be mixing with it... At least for my box, that was kinda the goal. You hear what you have. It's the greatest attribute it has, while also being the part that some people have found fault with. I guess I don't blame them. You spend years getting used to rolled off sound and figuring out how that translates, and then you hear this has stark difference and it's jarring. The trick is ignoring that difference and changing your work until it doesn't sound "crispy" and then you'll have results with much better top end translation.
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Post by Johnkenn on Nov 15, 2017 8:27:36 GMT -6
Are you on Version 3.0 firmware or greater? I think I have seen that problem before, [apogee tech's sorted easily] but you probably verified it already. I seem to be at the latest firmware, but I'm wondering if there's a problem. Gonna call support today.
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Post by ragan on Nov 15, 2017 9:22:29 GMT -6
Are you on Version 3.0 firmware or greater? I think I have seen that problem before, [apogee tech's sorted easily] but you probably verified it already. I seem to be at the latest firmware, but I'm wondering if there's a problem. Gonna call support today. I really dig Apogee’s chat support. It’s instant. Just open the little window on the site and you’re getting your issue solved within a few minutes.
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Post by swurveman on Nov 15, 2017 9:44:02 GMT -6
Just thought I would type this out as it was happening. Just hooked it up. Listening to a mix that I just finished on the Svartbox/Apollo. My first reaction is: where the is the top end? I comparison to the BF Apollo and Svartbox (which I think sounds better than the Apollo) this almost seems rolled off. I think all Apogee going back to Rosetta lacks high end. It's their sound imo.
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Post by sozocaps on Nov 15, 2017 10:25:23 GMT -6
I think its the way they bias the analog section... Class A and warm vs cold and wide. I am still running 16x AD DA and am fine personally....
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Post by Johnkenn on Nov 15, 2017 10:54:03 GMT -6
OK - got it working. This unit apparently only mirrors to optical SPDIF...not COAX...Mixing my first tune with it.
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Post by cowboycoalminer on Nov 15, 2017 12:37:08 GMT -6
Just thought I would type this out as it was happening. Just hooked it up. Listening to a mix that I just finished on the Svartbox/Apollo. My first reaction is: where the is the top end? I comparison to the BF Apollo and Svartbox (which I think sounds better than the Apollo) this almost seems rolled off. I think all Apogee going back to Rosetta lacks high end. It's their sound imo. My MK1 has always sounded rolled off to me. Part of it's charm. I like it personally.
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Post by swurveman on Nov 15, 2017 14:18:25 GMT -6
I think all Apogee going back to Rosetta lacks high end. It's their sound imo. My MK1 has always sounded rolled off to me. Part of it's charm. I like it personally. Yeah, I like it too. I hope my post wasn't construed as being negative about Apogees' sound.
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Post by cowboycoalminer on Nov 16, 2017 8:01:52 GMT -6
My MK1 has always sounded rolled off to me. Part of it's charm. I like it personally. Yeah, I like it too. I hope my post wasn't construed as being negative about Apogees' sound. It wasn’t by me Swurve. I knew what you meant. And memory serves me, I think the Ensemble was even more so rolled off. Apogees have always handled transients so well because of this I think. In the age of ear bleed digital, it’s a wonderful thing I recon.
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Post by NoFilterChuck on Nov 16, 2017 10:20:36 GMT -6
Johnkenn I'm glad I'm not the only one who could hear the rolled off top end compared to the SvartBox and difference in stereo image too. I don't know, when i gave the SvartBox to Martin John Butler, I immediately missed that crispy top end. the Symphony just sounds good. But i'm pretty sure it is lying when it comes to hearing reverbs and things with tails. I still have a really hard time hearing reverb amounts on the symphony. maybe my ears just suck for that type of thing tho and it's something I'll never hear well lol
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Post by Johnkenn on Nov 16, 2017 10:28:37 GMT -6
I'm going back and forth about it all. BTW - I'm leaving out a tremendous chunk of the equation because I haven't recorded anything yet...(going to today)...but DA wise, I'm really not sure I will mix differently with the Symphony. Of course, that could be totally wrong. I think the DA is objectively more pleasant to listen to...more depth and separation. Smoother in the mids and top...but I'm not totally sure it would be a major step forward for my mixing. Put it this way - unless the AD is an evident revelation, I don't know if I'll keep it.
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Post by Johnkenn on Nov 16, 2017 10:31:05 GMT -6
Also should add - it's incredibly hard to judge...I don't have the two set up where I can switch back and forth easily...I have to get up, change the cables, etc. But I can discern a difference even with that...
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