Meet Symphony I/O Mk II

Intuitive touchscreen. Future-proof modularity. Flagship sound quality.

 

Symphony I/O Mk II is a multi-channel audio interface featuring Apogee’s newest flagship AD/DA conversion, modular I/O (up to 32 inputs and outputs), intuitive touchscreen display and optional world-class microphone preamps. Designed to deliver professional sound quality for audio recording, mixing and mastering, Symphony I/O Mk II is the ultimate music production centerpiece for any modern studio.

 

The new Symphony I/O Mk II comes with direct connectivity to one of 4 different platforms- Thunderbolt™, Pro Tools® HD, Dante™+ Pro Tools® HD, or Waves SoundGrid network.

 

Best AD/DA conversion of any Thunderbolt™ audio interface

Up to 32 channels of modular analog I/O with optional mic preamps

Best per-channel value of any interface in its category

Choice of Thunderbolt™ (Mac), Pro Tools® HD (Mac/PC), Dante™+ Pro Tools® HD (Mac/PC, or Waves SoundGrid (Mac/PC) connectivity.

Ultra-low latency performance – 1.35 ms with Thunderbolt and Logic Pro X

All new, highly customizable Symphony Control software provides easy access to all I/O parameters

Intuitive touchscreen display and front panel control

Designed in California, Built in the U.S.A.

Input and Output Flexibility

There is a Symphony I/O Mk II solution for everyone; the home studio, project studio, commercial recording studio and scoring stage. Choose from four base I/O configurations, 2×6, 8×8, 16×16, or 8×8 with 8 mic preamps and easily expand as your studio grows. With two module slots and the capacity for up to 32 inputs and outputs of A/D & D/A conversion per unit, Symphony I/O Mk II offers the best per-channel value of any interface in its category.

 

Legendary Sound Quality

Apogee engineers have made it their passion to improve every new flagship product by using the latest in electrical components and designing optimized circuitry that often exceeds the expectations of the component manufacturer. This is the Apogee Advantage. Symphony I/O Mk II is the culmination of this 30 year commitment and raises the bar on all Apogee products before it with even better audio clarity and sonic transparency. In fact, when equipped with either the new 8×8 or 16×16 Mk II I/O modules, Symphony I/O Mk II outperforms all other multi-channel audio interfaces available for Pro Tools HD or Thunderbolt based systems, making it the flagship audio interface for the entire professional audio industry and the obvious choice for countless GRAMMY winning artists, producers, songwriters and engineers.

Thunderbolt

For connecting to a Thunderbolt equipped Mac running Logic Pro X or any other Core Audio compatible DAW. Up to 32 simultaneous inputs and outputs per unit and up to 2 units per system for a maximum of 64 channels of I/O with latency as low as 1.35 ms in Logic Pro X (96kHz / 32 buffer).

 

Pro Tools HD

For connecting to an existing Pro Tools HD Accel, HD Native or HDX system. Up to 1 Symphony I/O Mk II unit connected to each HD port (max. 32×32 per unit).

 

Waves SoundGrid Network

Connect to the Waves SoundGrid System for studio, live and post production audio networking with real-time DSP for Waves and SoundGrid compatible third-party plugins.

 

The Magic is in the Modules

The I/O Modules are the sound and soul of Symphony I/O Mk II, and represent over 30 years of Apogee R&D and design excellence. These powerful Modules deliver Apogee’s core competency: superior sounding digital audio recording. With multiple I/O and Mic Preamp modules available, you can choose from base configurations or expand to grow your studio’s capabilities.

Option Card Slot for Future Connectivity Options

Symphony I/O Mk II’s new option card feature will future proof your investment and your studio. Working in Pro Tools HD now? Thinking about going Native with Thunderbolt or setting up an audio over ethernet network, such as Dante™ or Waves SoundGrid®? The Option card slot offers flexibility for the present and the future, as new platforms develop and audio recording workflows evolve.

 

Front Panel Touchscreen with Comprehensive Control

All of Symphony I/O Mk II’s essential input and output settings can be accessed from the front panel touchscreen. Change your input selection, monitoring levels, mic pre gain or calibrate your Symphony I/O Mk II to match the levels of the other analog gear in your system.

 

A high-resolution TFT display delivers all the visual feedback critical for recording and monitoring. Without looking at your computer, Symphony I/O Mk II lets you see metering for up to 64 channels of I/O, 32 IN x 32 OUT – signal levels, polarity, muting, phantom power and Soft Limit.

Dynamic Temperature Control

Symphony I/O Mk II features advanced controls to keep the unit running at an ideal temperature, ensuring the highest level of performance and reliability. The new temperature controls are complemented by an improved fan and chassis ventilation design, which allows adequate component cooling to occur quietly.

Introducing the all new

Symphony Control

Symphony Control Software

Symphony Control software for Mac, is designed specifically for Symphony I/O Mk II audio interfaces. Symphony Control has been built from the ground up and replaces Apogee’s Maestro software for Symphony I/O Mk II users. Symphony Control delivers all the functionality of Maestro in a new, highly customizable user interface along with innovative new features like Talkback functionality, the simplified ‚ÄúEssentials‚Äù control window and an FX Send mixer feature, recently introduced as part of the Element Control software.

 

Symphony Control software is now available. Download here.

 

Apogee Control Hardware Remote Accessory

Symphony Control also provides compatibility between Symphony I/O Mk II audio interfaces and the Apogee Control hardware remote accessory. Apogee Control gives you instant access to input and output levels using the large Symphony-inspired Control knob and 3 control knob focus buttons, plus direct access to a wide range of software functions using the 8 user-configurable hardware buttons. Apogee Control hardware remote connects directly to your Mac using the included USB cable. Apogee Control is $195 USD and is sold as a separate accessory by authorized Apogee dealers worldwide. US customers can purchase Apogee Control in the Apogee web store.

Multi-unit support for up to 64 channels of I/O

With the introduction of Symphony Control, customers can now use 2 Symphony I/O Mk IIs  simultaneously for up to 64 channels of I/O over a Thunderbolt connection to their Mac. Symphony I/O Mk II combined with Logic Pro on a Mac delivers the most advanced native workstation available with superior quality high-channel count recording at incredibly low latency.

Standalone Routing lets you setup and use Symphony I/O Mk II without a computer. From the front panel touch screen you can set up Symphony I/O Mk II for use in these situations and more:

 

Hi-Fi Systems

Connect Symphony I/O MkII to a Blu/Ray, CD Player or Power Amp for high end speakers. Symphony I/O Mk II is also an ideal high-end headphone amp.

 

Windows Workstations

Use Symphony I/O mkII on a Windows computer with Dante™, Pro Tools® HD, Waves SoundGrid®, or as a Standalone converter with a third party ADAT/AES PCI interfacing card.

 

Standalone Converter

Standalone AD/DA converters can be used alongside other digital gear: To expand other interfaces, to connect to live or studio digital consoles, to connect to broadcast equipment. With Standalone mode you can also bypass the converters of your existing gear.

Why do I need a good AD/DA converter?

Whether you record with a vintage Neve console, the best Neumann microphones or colorful mic preamps, a high quality AD converter is imperative to capture every nuance of your analog gear into your DAW. Without this, you will miss many of the subtleties and details that simply cannot be added back later with plugins. Similarly, the DA stage is essential to your perception of the recorded audio tracks. When mixing, regardless of what speakers you are using, if the converter is masking or having any effect on your audio, you could end up overcompensating with EQ, compression or other effects and failing to address other problematic details.

 

With Symphony I/O Mk II, you will hear more definition in each track and instrument of the mix, making it easier for you to make intelligent adjustments and achieve the ideal balance. Tracks will blend more harmoniously and mixing will simply be easier. The high end will be clear and not as brittle while the low end will be tighter than ever and more defined. This sort of unmatched audio quality can be noticed and appreciated by any listener.

 

Apogee Engineering Advantage

For over 30 years, Apogee has consistently

redefined the state of the art in digital audio hardware design. We never rest on the laurels of our previous award-winning products – we’re constantly evaluating the latest technological developments in analog and digital components, platform connectivity and user interface advances to design better performing, intuitive products that meet the needs of any audio professional.

 

As an example of the Apogee Advantage, Symphony I/O Mk II uniquely employs a fully differential op-amp as a fundamental building block throughout its analog circuits. The very latest iterations of this technology offer astounding performance – vanishingly low noise and distortion, lightning-fast slew rate and out-sized current output capability, all in a power efficient and small package. These components offer performance that’s orders of magnitude superior to what’s found in most competitive audio interfaces, and are an important factor in Symphony I/O Mk II’s ability to offer up to 32 channels of state-of-the-art conversion in one 2U package at an incredible price per channel value.