ProAudio Review - August 2008 - (Page 30)

STUDIO | REVIEW a DC power source when being operated in the field. Additionally, it includes an external AC to DC power supply with a regular IEC connector for use when AC power is readily available. Ensemble Mobile will operate with any DC power source with voltage between 11 and 16 volts. The power requirement is 20 Watts maximum or 1.7 Amps at 12 Volts, giving Ensemble Mobile an average of four hours of run time from a 7AH battery. | IN USE Getting the Ensemble up and running was quick and easy. I installed the software on a MacBook Pro 2.33 GHz Intel Core 2 Duo running OS 10.4 and a Macintosh 2 x 2.8 GHz Quad-Core Intel Xeon running OS 10.5. I had to update the Ensemble’s firmware before I could connect it to the computer running OS 10.5; my fear was that with the new firmware the unit would no longer connect to the computer running 10.4, but this wasn’t the case. Once I successfully connected the Ensemble, I set it to be the default audio input and output for my Mac in the Sound System Preferences panel. This allows the Ensemble to be used for all of my audio applications, including iTunes, DVD Player, QuickTime, etc. When connected, the volume setting on my computer keyboard now adjusts the output volume of the Ensemble. The Maestro software is highly intuitive and makes Ensemble adjustments simple and quick. Logic incorporates an Apogee Control Panel that allows all Ensemble settings — including everything from mic pre and output gain to sample and bit rate selection — to be controlled from within Logic’s Apogee Control Panel. This is a seamless and wonderful integration. Logic’s Apogee Control Panel settings are stored with the Project, making mic pre settings for a specific project instantly recallable. So, the Ensemble works like a charm … but more importantly, how does it sound? I spent a lot of time listening to the Ensemble’s converters while recording and mixing as well as listening to previously recorded material. I found the converters to have solid imaging with a defined bottom end and smooth highs that don’t get brittle or harsh. The box is very much in the tradition of other Apogee converters that I’ve used and as is always the case, the UV22HR algorithm sounds fantastic. I like the sound of the “soft limit” as long as it is barely engaged. I was confident that the Ensemble’s converters would sound good but Apogee isn’t known for its preamps, so I was anxious to see how well they would perform. I found the pres to sound quite good. They are relatively neutral and amazingly versatile. I recorded a small drum kit using an AKG D112 on kick, a Shure SM-57 on snare and a Royer SF-12 overhead through the Ensemble’s four mic pres and had nice results. I recorded vocals (with a Sony C-800G), electric guitars (with a Royer R-122) and acoustic guitar (with an AKG C28) and, in every instance, was more than happy with my results. Setting up cue mixes on the Ensemble is a cakewalk since the headphone outputs are completely independent (per which pair of the Ensemble’s outputs they are assigned to and with regards to level). It’s nice to know that it is easy to conduct a session with multiple musicians, each with completely independent cue mixes, without any additional hardware. | SUMMARY The Ensemble is an easy-to-use FireWire interface that perfectly integrates a host of high-quality audio components with Mac OS X while offering flexible routing via APOGEE continues on page 32 ® APOGEE Continued From Page 28 groups that enable gain adjustments to be linked between preamps assigned to the same group. This is extremely useful when working with stereo miking. The Maestro mixer blends the hardware inputs with the software application playback and routes the mix directly to hardware outputs. The Mixer Select (A-B) drop-down menu selects between the two available mixers per hardware interface. The Input Channels provide the ability to control inputs to the mixer. Hardware inputs of the selected interface are the source for these input channels. The mixer inputs each have Pan, Level, Solo and Mute controls. A bar-graphstyle meter displays the pre-fader input level. The Ensemble was originally released with a built-in power supply and a standard IEC connector. Last fall, Apogee introduced the Ensemble Mobile. It is visually and functionally identical to the original Ensemble except that, instead of an internal AC power supply, it has an XLR4 port; it can easily be connected to MEET ENSEMBLE’S COOL LITTLE BROTHER — APOGEE DUET Featuring the same converters, pre-amplifiers (with 48V phantom power and phase reverse), and great-sounding headphone amp of Apogee Ensemble, the two-channel Duet FireWire audio interface is a dream come true for many Mac-based audio folks — from on-the-go pros to budget-restricted Apple recordists who would love to have two channels of Apogee-grade signal paths at their disposal. Duet is a completely bus-powered I/O module with exactly one means of adjustment, its Encoder Knob. A complete Duet package ($499 list) includes the Duet unit; a breakout cable featuring two XLR inputs (each accepting balanced mic, +4dBu line, or -10 dBu line signals), two quarter-inch unbalanced inputs (instrument or -10dBv line level), and two quarterinch monitor outputs; a FireWire cable; the Apogee software CD with Apogee Maestro control software; and a user’s guide. Duet’s Maestro software works so well with Logic Express that, to me, it just felt like part of the DAW. Maestro’s Encoder Pop-Ups — informing you of input, output, monitor and headphone levels and mute status without obstructing Logic’s single-window workspace – appear subtly on screen. Meanwhile, Duet’s hardware LEDs are just above the Encoder Knob … and your fingers. Thanks to its sleek, simple physicality and the same control software used by its big brother, Duet is so intuitive that I didn’t even look at the manual before recording a stereo guitar overdub straight to Apple Logic Express on my 2GHz Intel Core 2 Duo Mac Mini via a Shure KSM141 matched pair. In no time, I found myself intimately attached to the Duet; my right hand felt most comfortable with its fingers resting on the Encoder Knob, whether recording or listening via DAW. Try a Duet for yourself, and you’ll know exactly how I feel about it; it’s a treat to use, a bargain considering the high-quality of its components, and a no-brainer for Logic-based recordists. — Strother Bullins 30 | ProAudio Review | August 2008 www.proaudioreview.com http://www.proaudioreview.com

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ProAudio Review - August 2008 Contents Publisher's Page Broadcast News and New Products Yamaha Pocketrak 2G Olympus LS-10 Linear PCM Recorder Bench Test Marantz PMD620 Flash Recorder TASCAM DR-1 Portable Digital Recorder Tips From The Pros: Location/Production Audio Prosumer Portables in a Pro World Studio News and New Products Apogee Ensemble Solid State Logic Duende Mini FireWire DSP Live News and New Products Avril Lavigne's The Best Damn Thing World Tour Behringer Eurolive B412DSP and B415DSP Active Loudspeakers Gear for FOH Engineers — A PAR Contributors’ Wish List Contracting News and New Products Buyer's Guide Single Slice

ProAudio Review - August 2008

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