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Review: Apogee Quartet Desktop Audio

01.01.70

Are you a performing songwriter and Apple devotee looking to upgrade your recording setup? Perhaps you have a one or two input recording interface and would like to capture your duo or band in a more organic live setting? Or maybe you simply have outdated gear. If so, make the new Apogee Quartet your command central and don’t look back.

Apogee Digital has been at the forefront of digital recording for the last 25 years, and is always at the top of its game with high-end studio products, from the AD-8000 converter to the Symphony I/O interface. The release of the Duet audio interface in 2007, a small unit with a two-input configuration designed for home and project studios, brought Apogee’s quality and reputation to all budding singer/songwriters at a modest price. Since then, the company has introduced other products geared towards this market, including JAM (electric guitar input) and MiC (condenser mic).

The new Apogee Quartet falls somewhere between the company’s Duet and Ensemble units. It features four XLR or ¼” inputs, six balanced outputs and a stereo headphone output, along with Word clock, USB, Midi and optical connectors.  The high-quality inputs are built using Apogee’s mic preamps and their renowned AD/DA converters. The six outputs work in several different configurations. In addition to a standard L/R mix, you can opt to run three different stereo mixes in a live setting, or compare mixes on three different sets of speakers, or run a full surround mix. The unit is compatible with all Core audio applications, including Pro Tools 9 and up, Garageband, Logic and Ableton Live.

Source: American Songwriter