APOGEE ENSEMBLE

APOGEE ENSEMBLE

Superior Sound Quality. Powerful Plugin Performance. Lowest Latency.

Ensemble Thunderbolt™ is the best sounding all-in-one audio recording interface for Mac. With ultra-low latency performance, comprehensive studio functionality and legendary Apogee quality, Ensemble is the ideal choice to meet the diverse demands of the professional home or commercial studio. Ensemble features premium Apogee AD/DA conversion, 8 Advanced Stepped Gain™ mic preamps, monitor controller functionality including talkback, front panel Guitar I/O, two headphone outputs and digital connectivity for a total of 30 x 34 I/O.

Ensemble Thunderbolt Highlights

  • 8 Mic preamps with up to 75 dB of gain and Advanced Stepped Gain circuit
  • Legendary Apogee AD/DA conversion
  • Thunderbolt connectivity for ultra-low latency (1.1ms round trip with Logic Pro X)
  • Front panel Guitar I/O with Class A JFET inputs, dual mode re-amp outputs
  • Talkback functionality with built-in mic and control button
  • 2 PurePower headphone outputs
  • 10 separately assignable analog inputs
  • 16 analog outputs of premium Apogee conversion
  • Core Audio optimized DMA engine frees up Mac CPU for plugins and software instruments
  • Apogee Control software offers highly customizable workflow and Essentials Control Strip window
  • Compatible with Apogee Control hardware remote studio controller
  • Connect two Ensembles to your Mac and double your analog inputs and outputs
  • Connect any Apogee Element series interface to Ensemble for additional Ensemble quality inputs and outputs

True Thunderbolt Performance

Ensemble delivers the full potential of Thunderbolt 2 performance with the lowest latency, unmatched CPU efficiency, 2 ports for expanding your system and a revolutionary 32-bit playback signal path.

The Lowest Latency of any Audio Interface

Ensemble’s proprietary Thunderbolt driver has been written from the ground up for Mac OS X Mavericks, resulting in unmatched performance and efficiency. Latency has been reduced to an astounding 1.1ms round-trip*, allowing you to monitor through your DAW, plug-ins included, simplifying your workflow and leveraging the power of your Mac. Even when your session’s DSP demands require a higher buffer setting, Ensemble’s ultra-low latency means no longer having to choose between power and speed.

To accommodate different workflow preferences, Ensemble features optional direct hardware monitoring through Apogee’s Control Software with 0.6ms of latency.

* Logic Pro X at 96kHz / 32 buffer setting

Devours Bits, Sips CPU

Ensemble’s custom driver includes two innovative features to maximize the performance of the software-hardware interface: a full 32-bit signal path from the output of your DAW straight to the high-performance ESS DAC, and a revolutionary Direct Memory Access (DMA) engine to more efficiently read and write data directly to Mac memory independent of the Mac CPU.

The DMA engine, running on Ensemble’s hardware logic chip, reads digital audio data directly from your Mac’s memory in a 32-bit format, increasing the driver’s efficiency and providing the highest resolution signal possible to the DAC stage. This implementation allows the driver to crunch an enormous amount of data at an amazing speed, while making a very light demand on your Mac CPU. You benefit with lower latency, more plug-in power, and a transparent and encompassing
listening experience.

Ensemble Thunderbolt Ports

Multi-unit Support for Ensemble and Element Series

Expand your studio with two Ensembles or connect any Apogee Element Series interface to an Ensemble

Intel’s Thunderbolt™ technology was made for connecting multiple high bandwidth peripherals to your Mac. Ensemble includes two Thunderbolt™ 2 ports, allowing you to connect  hard drive arrays, video capture devices, Thunderbolt monitors with up to 4k resolution, a second Ensemble or an Apogee Element.

Connect a second Ensemble Thunderbolt or an Element Series interface to your Ensemble Thunderbolt and expand your studio. Element series interfaces feature Ensemble sound quality at unprecedented prices.

System Requirements

Mac OS:

  • Computer: Thunderbolt-equipped Mac (iMac, Macbook Pro, Macbook Air, Mac Pro)
  • Memory: 4 GB RAM minimum, 8 GB recommended
  • OS: 10.9.3 or greater
  • Connection: Any available Thunderbolt port on a Mac

Compatible Software:

  • Any Mac Core Audio compatible application
  • Recommended apps: Logic Pro, Pro Tools, GarageBand, MainStage, Final Cut, Ableton Live, Digital Performer, Studio One, Cubase, and Nuendo

In the box:

  • Ensemble
  • 3-pin IEC power cable
  • Rubber feet
  • Quick Start Guide
  • Warranty Booklet

Features:

  • Thunderbolt 2 Mac audio interface
  • Analog-to-digital conversion (ADC) for recording up to 24-bit/192kHz
  • Proprietary Thunderbolt audio driver and ESS Sabre32 DAC offer full 32-bit playback
    • Groundbreaking low latency performance
    • Core Audio-optimized hardware engine frees your Mac CPU
  • 2 high-resolution OLED displays show levels and settings
  • Input select buttons and controller knob for convenient selection of parameters and settings
  • 4 assignable buttons to control:
    • Talkback mic (built-in or external)
    • Output settings such as speaker set selection, mute, dim, sum to mono Complete input/output control with Apogee Control software
  • Works with Pro Tools, Logic, Ableton and any Core Audio compliant app on Mac
  • Designed in California – Assembled in the U.S.A.

General Info:

  • Dimensions: 19” X 12.125” X 1.73”
  • Weight: 11.15 lbs.
  • AC IN 100-240V, 50-60 HZ, 65W MAX

Analog Inputs:

  • 4 Combi mic/line/instrument inputs
    • 2 1/4″ balanced analog inserts
  • 4 XLR mic/line inputs
  • 2 1/4″ hi-z guitar/instrument inputs with Class-A JFET input stage

Digital Inputs:

  • Optical IN: Supports ADAT, SMUX & S/PDIF
    • ADAT: 16 channels 44.1-48 kHz on 2 Toslink connectors
    • SMUX: 8 channels 88.2-96 kHz on 2 Toslink connectors
    • S/PDIF: 4 channels, up to 96 kHz on 2 Toslink connectors
  • Coax IN: 2 channels of S/PDIF, up to 192 kHz on 1 RCA connector
  • Word clock input on BNC connector

Built-in Microphone:

  • Mono omnidirectional condensor capsule on front panel

Mic Preamps:

  • 8 Mic preamps
  • Gain: Up to 75 dB and advanced stepped gain circuit design
  • Selectable 48v phantom power, hi-pass filter, Soft Limit ̈ and polarity invert
  • EIN: 129dB (un-weighted) @ 60dB, 150Ohm input
  • Max input level: +20dBu
  • Input impedance: 3K Ohm

Hi-Z:

  • Max input level 14 dBu
  • Input impedance: >2MOhm

Analog Outputs:

  • 2 1/4″ balanced monitor outputs
  • 8 balanced outputs on 1 DSUB 25-pin connector
  • 2 independent 1/4″ stereo headphone outputs
  • 2 1/4″ dual-mode guitar/instrument outputs

Digital Outputs:

  • Optical OUT: Supports ADAT, SMUX & S/PDIF
    • ADAT: 16 channels 44.1-48 kHz on 2 Toslink connectors
    • SMUX: 8 channels 88.2-96 kHz on 2 Toslink connectors
    • S/PDIF: 4 channels, up to 96 kHz on 2 Toslink connectors
  • Coax OUT: 2 channels of S/PDIF, up to 192 kHz on 1 RCA connector
  • Word clock output on BNC connector

A/D conversion:

  • Max input level (+4dBu ref/Mic): +20dBu
  • Max input level (-10dBV ref): +6dBV
  • Input impedance: 5KOhm
  • Freq resp 10 Hz -20Khz: > +/-0.2dB (@44.1Khz)
  • Rel. THD + N: -110dB (@ 96Khz)
  • Dyn. Range: 119dB (A-weighted)

D/A conversion:

  • Max output level (+4dBu ref): +20dBu
  • Max output level (-10dBV ref): +6dBV
  • Line output impedance: 90 Ohm
  • Freq resp 10Hz -20 Khz: > +/- 0.05dB (@44.1Khz)
  • Rel. THD+N : -114dB (@96Khz)
  • Dyn Range: 123dB (A-weighted)
  • Front panel Guitar Output: impedance balanced/max level 14 dBu
  • Headphone Max output level: 19dBu
  • Headphone Rel THD + N into 600 Ohm: -109dB
  • Headphone Dyn Range: 120dB (A-weighted)
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