As a Windows/PC user, I have been watching from the sidelines as Universal Audio's Apollo series became one of the most established interface and plug-in platforms while garnering lots of positive word of mouth and reviews. But now, Universal Audio has released the Apollo Twin X USB 3.0 interface! There's no fuss or complicated workarounds, just plug it in, configure your hardware, and you are on your way. With two Mic/Line inputs, a front panel DI input, stereo Line and Monitor TRS outputs, and an optical ADAT input, the Apollo Twin X follows the typical connectivity of previous Twin units. First launched in 2019, this Twin X is an update (but in no way a makeover, as the exterior has remained the same) to Universal Audio's Twin Mk II [Tape Op #121], which was Thunderbolt-only. For all the superlatives one encounters regarding Universal Audio interfaces, they do pack incredible workability and features into a case slightly bulkier than a Sony Discman.
The Apollo Twin X comes with access to the Apollo Heritage Edition plug-in bundle, featuring a 1176 limiters, Teletronix LA-2As, Pultec EQs, a Marshall amp, Ampeg SVT Classic, RealVerb Pro, and much more. With the UAD-2 DUO Core Processing and Unison preamps, tracking through these plug-ins can capture the sound and feel of vintage preamps and instrument amplifiers. There was another hidden value built-in with the plug-in bundle; the ability to educate myself on how they function. In the case of each plug-in, we are given dozens of presets, each titled with a name or concept such as "70s Soul Vocals" or "Chicago Blues Strat." Whatever the name may be, observing during both capture and playback I get to see how the settings influence the result. Additionally, as I toggled between presets, I made note as to what was changing on the dials of the virtual faceplates and began to understand why those changes are made, thus helping me understand the devices on a fundamental level.
My plan for the Apollo Twin X was to have it ready to catch ideas in the moment and then flesh them out, as opposed to my current process of using the voice memo function on my phone. It was my assumption that the access to higher quality preamp and compressor plug-ins would offer me a chance to capture the "lightning in a bottle" element of a fresh idea with a higher quality take, leaving me with something I would be comfortable with sharing with collaborators in the future. So, as soon as everything was configured and sending into my DAW, I picked an idea that I had recently come up with and committed to build on it, starting with an open and airy drum loop that fit the general BPM.
Moving to bass, I went direct-in and worked with the preamps and presets until I found a preamp coupled with a compressor that emphasized the pauses and mutes I was using to offset the wide space the drums were occupying. The tone I was able to get was growly and warm but was easily controlled and the exact fit for what I was imagining. Distilled in two sentences this seems quick, but this initial process took many hours to get right; I only learned how to teach myself about presets after spending too many hours manually dialing each element in myself. The advice I would have for a person starting off with an Apollo interface would be to apply presets liberally; they are there to guide us.
Electric guitar surprised me, as I had planned on recording my Orange amp. I started direct in via the neck pickup of my Les Paul, and after finding the base I wanted as the center of my tone, I tried out the Marshall Plexi plug-in. The sonic middle of the rhythm track had a nice texture and shimmery presence to it – not one I had assumed an amp emulation could create.
After learning some basics of the Apollo while tracking guitar and bass, when it came to vocals, I created a plug-in chain with relative ease. It gave me the tone and consistency I was hoping for, repeatedly getting passable vocal takes with enough pliability to be worked later in mixing. The combination of the Apollo Twin X and its plug-in bundle gave me options to produce takes that I was proud of, and I'd developed a way to create a stable workflow for quickly capturing new ideas.
These days, there are so many entry points to the desktop interface world, but there is only one that offers this suite of plug-ins for the Windows/PC user. The Apollo Twin X's Heritage Edition bundle offers $1300 of free software, plus access to other UAD-only plug-ins. If you are taking the step from an entry level interface and want to begin trying out preamps, compressors, and more from companies you have only read about, spending $999 and then adding incremental pieces of software is a smart move.
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