I was a happy RME user for nearly ten years (Multiface) -- my experience was excellent and RME exceeded every expectation I ever had.
RME's driver updates were frequent and brilliant. Yet, when it came time to update my interface I confronted the lack of Thunderbolt connectivity with RME's offerings so, not wanting to just waste the TB port on my Mac, I decided to look around at what else was available.
After a lot of research, it came down to Apogee or Universal Audio.
I had an Apogee Duet for several years and it was a solid piece of kit, no doubt about it. The Duet sounded great and was trouble free. Yet, the plugin platform surrounding UA left me intrigued.
Well, I did end up with the UA Apollo Quad and, I gotta say, I have no regrets.
RME's USB 3 and the Apogee Ensemble would have been great, you really cannot go wrong with any of these units, but I'm having an absolute blast with the Apollo.
True, UA plugins are overpriced, however, if you manage your coupons and if you're patient, you can get some good deals through UA's online store. Plus, I bought this unit at the end of its lifecycle and it came with a ton of free plugins that all sound and work great. On top of that, UA threw in a free Helios EQ and a voucher for $200 toward another plug.
The Console program is just brilliant -- I'm getting more done, now, and having more fun, than I ever did with either my Multiface or the Duet.
RME's driver updates were frequent and brilliant. Yet, when it came time to update my interface I confronted the lack of Thunderbolt connectivity with RME's offerings so, not wanting to just waste the TB port on my Mac, I decided to look around at what else was available.
After a lot of research, it came down to Apogee or Universal Audio.
I had an Apogee Duet for several years and it was a solid piece of kit, no doubt about it. The Duet sounded great and was trouble free. Yet, the plugin platform surrounding UA left me intrigued.
Well, I did end up with the UA Apollo Quad and, I gotta say, I have no regrets.
RME's USB 3 and the Apogee Ensemble would have been great, you really cannot go wrong with any of these units, but I'm having an absolute blast with the Apollo.
True, UA plugins are overpriced, however, if you manage your coupons and if you're patient, you can get some good deals through UA's online store. Plus, I bought this unit at the end of its lifecycle and it came with a ton of free plugins that all sound and work great. On top of that, UA threw in a free Helios EQ and a voucher for $200 toward another plug.
The Console program is just brilliant -- I'm getting more done, now, and having more fun, than I ever did with either my Multiface or the Duet.