Universal Audio: Apollo x8p Gen 2

Universal Audio recently released an update to all five of their flagship Apollo audio interfaces, so we got our hands on the new Apollo x8p Gen 2 for testing. The Apollo range has now been in the market for over a decade, with fully matured hardware/software integration and specs that rival the best of the best in the industry. For example, the Apollo x8p Gen 2 Thunderbolt 3 boasts a claimed total harmonic distortion (plus noise) of -127 dB (the "Gen 1" models had -119 dB), and a modest improvement in dynamic range from previous generations at 130 dB. Although there are across-the-board improvements to the D/A conversion and the Console software experience (we'll get to those shortly), the physical I/O is unchanged from the previous generation of Apollo x8p [Tape Op #130]. It has eight XLR combo jacks (all with Unison preamps), two front panel hi-Z instrument inputs, a TRS main monitor pair of outputs, and two discrete headphone jacks. It's worth noting that the headphone amps on the Gen 2 are a big improvement over the previous generation, with higher gain and an improved signal-to-noise ratio. The x8p Gen 2 also features two optical jacks for up to eight channels of digital I/O in ADAT standard or S/MUX protocols. BNC word clock I/O, and two DB-25 connectors (eight line inputs and outputs), allow for easy D-sub patchbay integration or surround sound setups. The refreshed faceplate design is slick, with a brushed silver look and new metal knobs, but the underlying layout hasn't changed. One note: I wish the headphone output knobs had a bit more space between them for my beastly bass-player fingers.

Connectivity with the host computer is still facilitated via Thunderbolt 3, and the internal onboard DSP plug-in processing uses the same "HEXA" (6) Core SHARC-based silicon technology. As with the previous generation of Apollo X rack-mount units, I had no trouble running complex LUNA [Tape Op #138], Ableton Live [#160], or Pro Tools multitrack sessions with many instances of UAD plug-ins. Side note: UADx plug-ins rock! I'm feeling less of a need for my UAD Satellite [#136] these days, partly due to UA's efforts to port many of the UAD DSP plug-ins to their new Spark/UADx (Native DSP) platform. In my spot-check, using just the x8p Gen 2 (with no extra UAD hardware attached), I was able to run an 88.2 kHz mix session with more than 48 instances of UA plug-ins (split evenly across UAD and UADx) using a Mac Studio M1 Max with no hiccups and at a relatively modest DAW buffer size of 1024 samples. The modern Apple Silicon M-based machines have a ton of processing “headroom,” so I heartily welcome UA's continued march towards a native plug-in suite.

I'm totally burying the lede here. The genuinely significant improvements that the Apollo X Gen 2 interfaces have to offer are in two distinct and workflow-critical areas: Gain staging and monitor correction. The updated UAD Console app has several new features, including Auto-Gain, Plug-In Scenes, subwoofer integration, and immersive audio support (surround up to 5.1 with Apollo x6, up to 7.1 with Apollo x8/x8p, up to 9.1.6 with Apollo x16. Dolby Atmos is supported, but our tests were 2-channel only). UAD Console v1.2.1 also offers direct integration with Sonarworks' SoundID Reference real-time monitor and headphone correction technology. "Apollo Monitor Correction by Sonarworks" is a paid software add-on: You're required to own a SoundID Reference software license (varies from $99 to $499) and an additional Apollo Monitor Correction Add-on license for $79; however, the good news is that this feature works with the entire previous generation of Apollo X interfaces! I can't overstate how valuable I find the Sonarworks monitor correction software to be for my home studio and various headphones. With minimal setup, it allows me to retain confidence that my room and headphones are as flat as possible, correcting for nodes, resonances, or imbalances in my monitoring acoustics. I now have it baked into my interface as a set-and-forget feature. After applying a calibration profile via the SoundID Reference app, Apollo Monitor Correction always remains active unless it is bypassed or disabled in the UAD Console. You don't have to have Sonarworks Reference running in the background once this step has been taken, as the correction profile is running from Apollo DSP! Note that Monitor Correction is not applied to Apollo ALT monitor outputs or any of the digital mirror outputs, cues, or cue mirrors. This feature is totally transformative for my workflow, and I love to see that the onboard UAD processing continues to unlock new workflow features like this.

Auto-Gain is available on all Apollo X Gen 2 preamp channels, including rack and desktop models (not available for any previous generations). It automatically adjusts gain on Apollo's preamp inputs (mic, line, and instrument) according to detected input levels. It's dead simple to use: Play audio sources at their loudest volume levels while running Auto-Gain in UAD Console, and the Apollo preamps are automatically adjusted. A good chunk of UA's most popular Unison plug-in inserts work with the feature, and I believe UA is working on updating the remaining Unison preamp plug-ins (like the beloved Helios Type 69).

Many other workflow improvements, not exclusive to the new Gen 2 hardware, have been implemented throughout this version of the UAD Console app. One example is Plug-In Scenes: A settings management tool that allows you to rapidly change plug-in settings across all of your UAD Console channels. Once again, my ears are happy, my clients' ears are delighted, and my wallet is in crisis mode. The new base level Apollo x8p Gen 2 rack-mount comes with the Essentials+ bundle and is priced at $500 more than its predecessor. But to be fair, it includes a comprehensive suite of UAD plug-ins, with must-haves such as the Fairchild 670 Legacy Compressor, the Pultec EQP-1A and MEQ-5 Passive EQs, the Teletronix LA-2A, the previously mentioned Helios™ Type 69 Preamp and EQ, and the recently released Verve Analog Machines [#162] Essentials, plus many others. The Studio+ bundle offers even more plug-ins. The value of the software bundles alone can be well over $2000. So, for folks new to the UA ecosystem, the pricing structure represents significant value.