Universal Audio Apollo x16D [Essentials Edition]

Track and mix with powerful HEXA Core processing

There are times when your computer doesn’t have enough power and speed to run all the plug-ins your recording session requires. That’s where UA’s powerful 6-core HEXA Core processor comes in. This processor yields 50% more power than the previous generation. This means that you can track in real time with Neve, Manley, or API channel strips, or run large UAD plug-in counts while mixing in your DAW.

Elite-class AD/DA conversion offers ultra-pristine sound

Apollos have always sounded great, but the Apollo x16D’s AD/DA conversion takes it to the next level. When they were designing the latest generation of Apollos, UA engineers auditioned the latest leading-edge AD/DA technology, ultimately pairing elite-class 24-bit/192kHz converters with overhauled analog circuitry. The result is an ultra-pristine signal path with 133dB dynamic range and –129dB THD+N. Beyond that, Dual Crystal clocking supplies a low-jitter environment for pure, artifact-free recording and solid stereo imaging. Dive in, and you’ll hear for it yourself — the Apollo x16D’s AD/DA rivals any high-end standalone converter on the market.

A bevy of pro-level features

You can find Apollos in professional studios worldwide. That said, users have been clamoring for certain pro-level features. Good news — Universal Audio has been listening! So what’s new? First of all, the Apollo x16D includes 7.1 surround monitoring support, complete with speaker calibration and fold-down. This is great news for engineers working on audio and music for video games, film, television, and the web. Beyond that, the Apollo x16D was tailor-made for your analog console and other high-end gear, courtesy of its selectable +24dBu operation. Thanks to these and other great features, the Apollo x16D makes a great centerpiece for any studio.

Thunderbolt: ultra-low latency and unrivaled bandwidth

Thunderbolt is one of the most important technologies to impact audio production in years, and UA was one of the first to adopt it. Thanks to its blazing-fast connectivity, Thunderbolt offers lower latency and greater stability than USB or FireWire, clocking in with the speed and ultra-fast performance of a PCI Express system. In fact, the Apollo x16D’s Thunderbolt 3 connection runs projects with high track counts at latencies of less than 2ms! On top of that, multiple Apollo interfaces can be networked over Thunderbolt to add fast, high-bandwidth I/O and DSP to your studio. You don’t even need a brand-new computer — the Apollo x16D’s two built-in Thunderbolt 3 ports are backward-compatible with Thunderbolt 1 and 2 Macs (adapter sold separately).

Expand your setup over Dante

The Apollo x16D houses 16 channels of bidirectional Dante I/O, providing you with a staggering level of expandability. You can link up to four Apollo x16D interfaces, enabling you to build a 64-channel Dante system with network redundancy. You can also expand your current Thunderbolt-based Apollo studio over Dante, which is among the most low-latency and scalable audio network protocols available. Thanks to the Apollo x16D, you won’t have to start from scratch to build a networked recording studio or to grow to a multiroom setup.

Sensational plug-in bundle included!

UAD Powered Plug-ins have earned their reputation for being some of the most accurate emulations of analog audio equipment ever created. The astonishing processing power of the UAD platform is what makes these plug-ins sound so great. You simply can’t get the depth, color, and character these plug-ins have without devoting huge CPU resources to them. Best of all, Apollo x16D lets you record your audio through UAD plug-ins in real time with sub-2ms latency. When you buy Apollo x16D Essentials+, you’ll receive a premium suite of 28 award-winning plug-in titles.

Plugins Included with Essentials edition 

Channel Strips & Preamps

• Century Tube Channel Strip
• CS-1 Channel Strip
• Helios Type 69 Preamp & EQ
• Helios Type 69 Preamp & EQ Legacy
• Precision Channel Strip
• UA 610-A Preamp & EQ
• UA 610-B Preamp & EQ

Compressors/Limiters

• Fairchild 670 Legacy
• Teletronix LA-2A Classic Leveler
• Teletronix LA-2A Gray Classic Leveler
• Teletronix LA-2A Legacy Leveling Amplifier
• Teletronix LA-2A Silver Classic Leveler
• UA 1176LN Legacy
• UA 1176SE Legacy

Special Processing

• Auto-Tune Realtime Access
• Precision Enhancer Hz

Instruments

• PolyMAX Synth

Delay & Modulation

• Galaxy Tape Echo
• Oxide Tape Recorder
• Precision Delay Mod
• Precision Delay Mod L

Reverbs & Rooms

• Precision Reflection Engine
• Pure Plate Reverb
• RealVerb Pro

Equalizers

• Pultec EQP-1A Legacy EQ
• Pultec EQP-1A Passive EQ
• Pultec HLF-3C Passive EQ
• Pultec MEQ-5 Passive EQ
• Pultec-Pro Legacy EQ

Guitar & Bass

• Raw Distortion
• Ampeg SVT-VR Bass Amplifier
• Marshall Plexi Classic Amplifier

Native immersive audio support

Right out of the box, the Apollo x16D supports monitoring in immersive audio formats up to 9.1.6. This enables you to easily create 16-channel immersive audio mixes of live sets or studio recordings for Dolby Atmos, Auro 3D, Sony 360 Reality Audio, and others. Moreover, the Apollo x16D gives you access to monitor, calibration, and metering windows in the UAD Console application, enabling you to mix and monitor in a wide range of immersive and multichannel surround formats.

Compatible with LUNA

This Universal Audio Thunderbolt-equipped audio interface is compatible with UA’s free LUNA software. LUNA is a complete music production environment for tracking, editing, and mixing. And thanks to its ultra-tight hardware/software integration, you can take control of your interface’s monitoring, talkback, and headphone systems, track and overdub with UAD DSP-accelerated plug-ins in real time, and benefit from full software-based control over Apollo’s Unison mic preamps, all without leaving your production software. LUNA is the closest you’ll come to an analog workflow in the software realm. It delivers spot-on analog sound, along with the creative immediacy of real-time processing.

LUNA also includes Accelerated Realtime Monitoring, which supplies fast analog-style tracking and overdubbing using Apollo’s onboard DSP acceleration. Anyone who’s used a high-end DSP-assisted hardware/DAW recording system will appreciate the super-tight integration between LUNA and Universal Audio interfaces. LUNA also supplies you with unlimited track counts, contextual editing and browsing, UAD and AU plug-in compatibility, a session auto-save function, and AAF importing.

LUNA software comes with the Shape Creative Toolkit, a superb virtual instrument with modern and vintage keys, drums/percussion, guitar/bass, orchestral content, and real-time synthesis, plus the Oxide Tape Extension, a killer saturation effect, right out of the box. But to get the most out of this system, you’ll want UA’s LUNA Creator Bundle (sold separately). This bundle includes ultra-realistic Neve 80 Series console and Studer A800 multitrack tape extensions, plus two software instruments. The best part about LUNA extensions is that once you install them, their sound is baked right into LUNA’s mixer — no need to instantiate a bunch of plug-ins.

• Universal Audio Apollo x16D Essentials+ Features:
  • 18-in/20-out Thunderbolt 3 audio interface for Mac or PC, with Dante I/O and onboard UAD-2 HEXA Core processing
  • 16-in/16-out Dante I/O (supports AES67 mode at 48kHz)
  • 6-core HEXA Core offers 50% more processing power than previous Apollos
  • Upgraded elite-class AD/DA conversion supplies an ultra-pristine signal path with 133dB dynamic range and –129dB THD+N
  • Dual Crystal clocking supplies a low-jitter environment for pure, artifact-free recording and solid stereo imaging
  • Native 7.1 surround and 9.1.6 immersive audio support for engineers working on video games, film, television, and the web
  • Selectable +24dBu operation for easy integration with analog consoles and other high-end studio gear
  • Integrated talkback for easy communication and slating takes
  • Ultra-fast Thunderbolt 3 connectivity provides less than 2ms of latency and ample expandability
  • Includes a premium plug-in suite of 28 award-winning UAD plug-ins with accurate emulations of vintage analog hardware
  • Track and monitor through plug-ins with no latency
  • Compatible with UA’s LUNA software for ultra-tight hardware/software integration
  • Backward-compatible with Thunderbolt 1 and 2 Macs (adapter sold separately)