Symphony Desktop

Flagship Sound Quality. Vintage Preamp Emulation. Hardware DSP with
Premium Native Plugins. Immersive Touch Screen Interface.

Put the Sound of a Symphony on Your Desk

Symphony Desktop for Mac, iPad Pro and Windows packs the legendary sound quality of Apogee’s rack-mount Symphony I/O Mk II into an elegant and inspiring 10×10 audio interface that sits on your desk and fits in your bag. With Symphony Desktop, musicians and producers are empowered to record, overdub and mix with the music industry’s most respected AD/DA converters and mic preamps. By combining superior performance, with new features like mic preamp emulation, the Symphony ECS Channel Strip and Clearmountain’s Spaces reverb plugins, ultra low latency recording with hardware DSP and Apogee native FX plugins, Symphony Desktop will amplify your creativity in your studio or on the go and give your recordings the Apogee sound quality Advantage.

Symphony Desktop - Video Overview

Flagship Sound Quality

Cutting-edge Analog and Digital Components Selected by Curious and Critical Ears

Faithfully Capture Every Nuance

A/D CONVERSION – Like Symphony I/O Mk II, Symphony Desktop’s analog-to-digital converter stage features ultra-low distortion, high-slew rate, fully differential analog op-amps plus a cutting edge A/D converter in a performance-enhancing dual-sum configuration. Create with the confidence that every nuance of your analog input is faithfully reproduced in the digital domain.

A Widescreen Window Into Your Mix

D/A CONVERSION – The digital-to-analog stage of Symphony Desktop features brand new technology that provides uncompromising Symphony DAC performance in a portable product, including a robust ultra-low distortion, high-current, fully balanced output driver. Regardless of downstream connections, Symphony Desktop delivers a transparent, widescreen window into the sonic landscape of your mix.

Superior Performance + Vintage Emulations

PREAMPS – At the core of the input stage, are Symphony Desktop’s mic preamps offering up to 75dB of gain. The preamp design features Apogee’s unique Advanced Stepped Gain Architecture which ensures ultra-low noise and distortion regardless of the source, from pounding kick drum to delicate fingerpicking on an acoustic guitar. With variable impedance settings on both mic and instrument inputs, Symphony Desktop optimizes the input stage to better match your specific devices, for deep lows and clear highs. Selectable Apogee Alloy preamp emulations add character, attitude and maybe a bit of grit to your recordings.

Two High Powered Headphone Outputs

Symphony Desktop has two completely independent ultra low impedance headphone outputs, individually routable, both equipped with dual-sum ESS DACs. Output power range is tailored to the expected type of headphones: the front panel output can drive virtually any headphones, while the rear panel output is specifically tailored for high-efficiency headphones

Apogee Alloy Preamps

Dial in the Warmth and Tone of Iconic Analog Preamps

Apogee Alloy Preamp emulation combines analog circuitry and DSP processing to create the richest, most authentic preamp modeling available in an audio interface. Critical aspects of the model such as input impedance, transient profile and distortion characteristics are first implemented in the analog domain, followed by precise and accurate refinement in DSP, for a hybrid result that’s greater than the sum of its parts.

British Solid State – Class A Console Sound

Inspired by the Marinar “Round can” input transformer and discrete transistor design of our Class A Neve 1066 mic preamp, this emulation gives you the sonic weight and smooth transient response of the hardware. Push the level for increased width and punch.

American Tube – Lush, 50s Tone

Symphony Desktop’s AX-601 mic preamp gives you the lush, larger-than-life sounds of a 50s era Ampex 601 preamp, carefully restored and modded for lower noise and greater dynamic range. We’ve captured the harmonic warmth, richness and high-end sheen of the hardware, plus the “gently overcooked” sound of the overloading circuit.

Premium Native and Hardware DSP Plugins

Obsessively crafted by the same team that designs all Apogee hardware and software products, Apogee FX and FX Rack plugins offer superior sound quality, and full bandwidth performance (44.1 to 192.kHz) for all DAWs on your Mac. From visually modern interfaces that allow you to precisely shape and contour your sound to meticulously modeled vintage hardware that is so accurate it has been endorsed by the hardware manufacturer, Apogee plugins will quickly find their way into your daily recording tool kit.

Symphony ECS Channel Strip - Tuned by Clearmountain

Tuned by Bob Clearmountain, the Symphony ECS Channel Strip plugin includes EQ, Compression and Saturation controls that let you create the optimal blend of channel FX for tracking vocals or acoustic instruments. You can use the ECS Channel strip with Symphony Desktop hardware DSP for zero latency recording or as a native plugin in your DAW.

Native + DualPath DSP version

Clearmountain's Spaces Reverb

Clearmountain’s Spaces reverb plugin reproduces Bob Clearmountain’s personalized workflow for creating the distinctive, rich spaces where his mixes live. With the very same echo chamber profiles and processing he’s used on countless hit records, Clearmountain’s Spaces lets you envelope your tracks in unique and cohesive atmospheres that set your mixes apart.

Native version

Also Included with Symphony Desktop*

Pultec EQP-1A & Pultec MEQ-5

Native + DualPath DSP version

Opto 3-A

Native + DualPath DSP version

Mod EQ-6

Native + DualPath DSP version

Mod Comp

Native + DualPath DSP version

*Applies to purchases made after January 1st, 2021

Flexible Recording Workflows

Work the way you want to with Symphony Desktop and Apogee FX Plugins

DualPath Link FX Monitoring*

Monitor and control input features and plugin settings directly from your DAW

The most powerful and streamlined Symphony Desktop workflow option is Monitor FX with DualPath Link™. Simply open the Apogee Channel FX plugin on the track you’re recording to and link to the corresponding Symphony Desktop input to control all settings directly from your DAW, no other software required. DualPath Link technology sends your audio through the plugin on the hardware DSP in Symphony Desktop while you are recording and seamlessly switches to run the plugin in the DAW on your computer when you are playing your track back. The result is the most flexible, efficient and inspiring plugin recording workflow available.

DualPath Link - Video Overview

Virtually Zero Latency
Single-window Operation from your DAW
Maximum CPU potential

Print FX*

Monitor with Zero Latency and Print with Plugins while you Record

With Print FX active you can record Apogee FX Plugins directly from the hardware DSP in Symphony Desktop to the corresponding channel in your DAW with zero latency while tracking.

Pultec EQP-1A plugin sold separately

Monitor FX*

Monitor with Zero Latency While you Record
and Print Plugins Later

With Monitor FX active, you have ultimate flexibility with Apogee FX plugins. You can monitor with zero latency and dial in an inspiring sound when you are tracking without printing FX

* Apogee Channel FX Plugin, DualPath Link FX Monitoring, Print FX and Monitor FX features coming soon in Release 1.2

Complete Control from Device to DAW

Intuitive and Powerful Touch Screen and Desktop Control Applications

Touch Screen Control

Access every critical setting from the intuitive and immersive touch screen

Symphony Desktop’s Touch Screen Control application gives you complete access to all essential hardware and software features. From mic pre gain to mixer, to monitor output volume and plugins you can dial it in without touching your mouse. Touch Screen Control also gives Symphony Desktop more independence and stability across all platforms – macOS, iPad OS and Windows 10.

Desktop Control Software*

The complete control console for dialing it in from your computer

Desktop Control is the comprehensive console application for all Symphony Desktop hardware and software functions. From preamp selection to input and output routing to workflow setup, monitor control and more, Desktop Control provides a flexible and intuitive interface for setting up you sessions and staying in your creative groove.

* Desktop Control Software coming soon in Release 1.2

Gallery

Features & Specs

Features

Most affordable Symphony series interface ever
Cutting edge components and circuit design deliver flagship sound quality
2 Advanced Stepped Gain mic preamps
FET instrument input with electric guitar tube amp characteristics
Apogee Alloy Mic Preamp emulation (Analog processing + DSP modeling)
Built-in hardware DSP processing of Apogee FX plugins
Flexible, zero latency plugin workflows: Print, Monitor and DualPath Link workflows
Dynamic touch screen display for comprehensive hardware control
2 fully balanced 1/4″ outputs
2 assignable headphone outputs: 1 x 1/4″, 1 x 1/8”
10 IN x 14 OUT simultaneous channels of audio
MIDI over USB
Digital I/O: 2 x Optical Toslink (ADAT,S/PDIF)
USB 2.0 over USB Type C connector

Compatibility

Included Plugins

Included Preamp Emulations

A/D Conversion

Max input level (+4dBu ref/Mic): +20dBu
Max input level (-10dBV ref): +6dBV
Input impedance: 4KOhm
Freq resp 10 Hz -20Khz: > +/-0.2dB (@44.1Khz)
Rel. THD + N: -113dB
Dyn. Range: 123dB (A-weighted)

Preamps

Gain: Up to 75 dB and advanced stepped gain circuit design
Selectable 48v phantom power, Soft Limit and polarity invert
EIN: 129dB (un-weighted) @ 60dB, 150 Ohm input
Max input level: +20dBu
Input impedance: 150 – 4K Ohm (default)
Max Hi-Z input level: 14dBu
Hi-Z input impedance: 220k/470k/>20M Ohm

D/A Conversion

Max output level (+4dBu ref): +20dBu
Max output level (-10dBV ref): +6dBV
Line output impedance: 50 Ohm
Freq resp 10Hz -20 Khz: > +/- 0.05dB (@44.1Khz)
Rel. THD+N : -114dB
Dyn Range: 129dB (A-weighted)
Headphone Max output level:— 520mW into 30 Ohm — 90mW into 600 Ohm
Headphone Rel THD+N: -111 dB with 600 Ohm load
Headphone Dyn Range: 128dB (A-weighted)

Price

Symphony Desktop: $1499

Symphony Desktop + Apogee FX Bundle: $1599 (Promo ends December 31st, 2020)

Feature Release Schedule

Release 1.0 - Complete

Analog and digital input and output functionality
Touch Screen Control software
macOS compatibility via Touch Screen Control
Windows 10 Compatibility via Touch Screen Control
iPadOS Compatibility via Touch Screen Control
AP-66 Preamp emulation via Touch Screen Control
AP-57 Preamp emulation via Touch Screen Control
ECS Channel Strip plugin included
Clearmountain’s Spaces plugin included

Release 1.1 Features
Now Available

Symphony ECS Channel Strip Plugin Control and Print FX via Touch Screen Control
Apogee FX Rack Plugins – Windows 10 Compatibility
macOS Big Sur + M1 Processor Compatibility

Release 1.2 Features*

Apogee Channel FX plugin
Desktop Control app for macOS
Desktop Control app for Windows 10
Print FX workflow
Monitor FX workflow
DualPath workflow

Release 1.3 Features*

Additional plugin parameter controls via Touch Screen Control
MIDI over USB

*Schedule and features subject to change.