I'm thinking of getting an Apogee One and using it mainly for its D/A conversion. Two questions:

Are the One's D/A converters the same as the Duet's?

Will the One work happily as part of an aggregate device in my Mac/Logic system?

Anyone know?

Bump. Any answers to either question?

Don't think it's the same circuit, the duet goes up 75db vs 45db. Duets has a higher sample rate.

From the demo videos it look like a great portable solution.

Last I checked Apogee didn't officially support aggregate devices.
The Duet2 has new Maestro software, so that may have changed.



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G-Dub
Studio G-fx 15inch quad-core i7 Macbook Pro Logic913

Quote Evie McCreevie:

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I'm thinking of getting an Apogee One and using it mainly for its D/A conversion. Two questions:

Are the One's D/A converters the same as the Duet's?

Will the One work happily as part of an aggregate device in my Mac/Logic system?

Anyone know?

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If you search Gearslutz you will find an Apogee One thread where the guy aggregated two Ones to make a stereo recording of a Boesendorfer Piano. I must confess I have not tried to aggregate my Mini Me with my One.

Reg

Noticed there's an Apogee Mini DAC in the Readers Adds - which is probably exactly what you're looking for. I've no idea if Apogee's budget devices have the same quality of conversion as their dedicated units. Might be worth checking.

Bob

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www.bickerton.co.nz

Evie McCreevie was looking for the cheapest excellent Apogee D/A solution - £729.00 (new) for that one Bob.
Maybe it's going bargain basement on the SoS Ads. Check it out Evie! U never know.
It would be more than nice to think you could get the best Apogee stereo D/A in the ONE for £160.
I'm very interested in the expert replys as to the specs. If so , i'll have one too. Wouldn't we all?

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.. is this thing on?

Edited by Stan (24/04/11 04:15 AM)

Given the launch of the Duet 2, maybe the "Cheapest route to Apogee D/A conversion" is getting a second hand Duet "1" from someone trading-up.

Quote Stan:

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Evie McCreevie was looking for the cheapest excellent Apogee D/A solution - £729.00 (new) for that one Bob.
Maybe it's going bargain basement on the SoS Ads. Check it out Evie! U never know.
It would be more than nice to think you could get the best Apogee stereo D/A in the ONE for £160.
I'm very interested in the expert replys as to the specs. If so , i'll have one too. Wouldn't we all?

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What I'm wondering, probably quite incorrectly, is Evie is looking to use the Apogee as an esoteric D/A device to supplement her existing set up? If so, it begs the question, are the cheaper Apogee units up to the task relative to dedicated Apogee D/A devices? That's a question I can't answer, but someone round here might.

Bob

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www.bickerton.co.nz

New Duet withstanding, none of the Apogee "budget" range is on par with, say, the Rosetta systems. I've owned the Duet Mk1 and am now using the Ensemble. Great pre-amps, great convertors, couldn't be happier. But I also work with the Rosetta regularly and its different. Whether that difference is worth the extra £1000+ is another story.

Evie, if the One is as good as the Duet, it really is good value for money. Though I would go with the poster who suggested getting a secondhand Duet Mk1.

Mini DACs, Rosetta 200s, and the legacy range can be found for cheaper than that one in the reader's ads though.

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I'm All Ears.

Quote Evie McCreevie:

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I'm thinking of getting an Apogee One and using it mainly for its D/A conversion. Two questions:

Are the One's D/A converters the same as the Duet's?

Will the One work happily as part of an aggregate device in my Mac/Logic system?

Anyone know?

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Obviously you will have to listen to this through your current system, but some general indications of the quality available using the Apogee One can be found in the Audio examples I posted in this thread.

Reg

Thanks guys. To clarify:

1. I've used a Duet - The D/A is plenty good enough for my purposes... (there may well be 'better' stuff etc etc - but for a lot more £££).

2. Much as I like the Duet's D/A conversion, the limited i/o, no S/PDIF and the breakout cable do not appeal. The Duet would never be a complete solution for me (and the Duet 2 is even more limited input-wise).

3. My A/D options are good right now - either my Mico or Tampa going S/PDIF into any old interface. So I just need some good D/A to be sorted.

4. For my plan to work, the One (or a s/h Duet) has to work as part of an aggregate device, providing final monitor output.

Point 4 is where it may all fall apart!

Quote Evie McCreevie:

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Thanks guys. To clarify:

2. (and the Duet 2 is even more limited input-wise).

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I'm a little confused by this statement. It still boasts two combi-Mic/Line/Instrument inputs that can now be broken out into mike/line and instrument inputs.

Reg

Quote RegressiveRock:

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Quote Evie McCreevie:

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Thanks guys. To clarify:

2. (and the Duet 2 is even more limited input-wise).

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I'm a little confused by this statement. It still boasts two combi-Mic/Line/Instrument inputs that can now be broken out into mike/line and instrument inputs.

Reg

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The Mk1 had 2 x XLR and 2 X 1/4" line ins. So you could have two mics and two line ins permanently plugged in ready to go - reasonably efficient and tidy.

The Mk2 has 2 x Combi sockets. Now you have to physically unplug/plug whenever switching from mic to line. And you'll always have 2 x leads (either mic or line) lying around when not in use. Neither efficient nor tidy.

A truly terrible design decision.

Quote Evie McCreevie:

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A truly terrible design decision.

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Wow Evie!? When did the perspective wagon go racing by?

Reg

Quote RegressiveRock:

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Quote Evie McCreevie:

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A truly terrible design decision.

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Wow Evie!? When did the perspective wagon go racing by?

Reg

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A long time ago as regards the Duet! I hate that breakout cable with a vengeance, and as explained above, the new one is even worse.

Quote Evie McCreevie:

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A long time ago as regards the Duet! I hate that breakout cable with a vengeance, and as explained above, the new one is even worse.

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I've been told off too for suggesting that designing an interface in a box too small to support the necessary sockets is silly... :-)

Quote Exalted Wombat:

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Quote Evie McCreevie:

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A long time ago as regards the Duet! I hate that breakout cable with a vengeance, and as explained above, the new one is even worse.

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I've been told off too for suggesting that designing an interface in a box too small to support the necessary sockets is silly... :-)

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Totally agree. Breakouts are fine if the unit is racked. But totally stupid with a little desktop thingy like the Duet.

Quote Exalted Wombat:

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Quote Evie McCreevie:

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A long time ago as regards the Duet! I hate that breakout cable with a vengeance, and as explained above, the new one is even worse.

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I've been told off too for suggesting that designing an interface in a box too small to support the necessary sockets is silly... :-)

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Wasn't telling anybody off, I don't like breakout cables either!

Every audio design no matter how high end is a compromise.

Reg

Yes, all design decisions involve compromise, and many of them spark off tirades from those whose own ideas don't correspond with the designer's. Just look at the torrent of abuse shovelled on the Duet 2 for having USB2 instead of Firewire - a decision I personally thought was the only sensible way to go - Gearslutz was deluged with half-baked criticisms in what seemed liked seconds.

Although I probably wouldn't design the Duet the way it has been, the Duet2 in particular will be ideal for what I want and the combi sockets won't matter to me when all I'll ever plug in is a pair of mics. I'm really fed up with carting heaps of gear around to make multi-track live recordings when 9.5 times out of ten I can get as good a result with a pair of mics. The other .5 times I'll have to mix down into two channels going into the Duet (bugger, that'll mean unplugging the mics from the combi socket). Isn't life a sod? Or is it? When I turn up to do a classical recording with two ear-candy mics and a Duet plugged into a Mac, the only clunky thing in the whole rig will be the mic stand. Still at least it'll be K&M ...