Apogee has announced the new Ensemble Thunderbolt, a full-featured audio interface with Thunderbolt connectivity for Macintosh. The new interface offers a total of 30 inputs and 34 outputs:
- 2 guitar inputs with pass through for reamping or amp monitoring
- 4 1/4″-XLR combi inputs
- 4 XLR mic/line inputs
- 16 ADAT optical inputs
- stereo S/PDIF input
- 2 balanced insert inputs
- Stereo monitor outputs
- 8 balanced line outputs
- 16 ADAT optical outputs
- stereo S/PDIF output
- two stereo headphone outputs
- 2 balanced insert outputs
The Ensemble Thunderbolt features Apogee’s Advanced Step Gain Architecture preamps, using a dynamically optimized circuit for superior bandwidth, ultra-low noise, and super-low distortion, with up to 75dB of gain on tap. Apogee’s latest converter technologiy, featuring Soft Limit to prevent digital clipping, provides the input and output paths, with astonishingly low THD+N specs and wide dynamic range for ultra-clean recordings.
With the Ensemble Thunderbolt’s use of Thunderbolt 2 comes ultra-low latency and high CPU efficiency — as low as 1.1ms round trip at 96kHz with a 32-sample buffer. This allows for real-time monitoring through the DAW, even with plug-ins. At higher buffer settings, Apogee’s Maestro app provides latency-free monitoring and flexible routing and configuration capabilities.
Apogee Ensemble Thunderbolt is loaded with useful features, including a built-in talkback mic, easy front panel navigation, four assignable “hot” buttons, and much more!
