All user reviews for the Apogee Duet

What motivated my choice? the brand awareness, value for money and the size of the machine ... oh and also the fact that this map was created spécialmenet for Apple. I use it to record guitars, bass, sax, percussion, and the dijeridoo make hip-hop/electro prod.
My config: MacBook Pro unibody 15 "(4GB RAM) KRK Rokit 6, Berhinger preamp (no top), guitar fender telecaster custom 70, line 6 amp valvotronix ...

UTILIZATION

drivers? I'm Mac! Mac RAM! no drivers, just a software "Maestro" that works to hell.
The software I use is Logic Audio, and it goes very well with Maestro.
On the Duet can not save a lot of tracks simultaneously (2) but I preferred to take an interface that focused on quality rather than quantity but it is only my opinion.
The latency is almost zero, see zero (FireWire 800 requires) great lover!

GETTING STARTED

Installation? Apart from installing the software "Maestro", the rest is plug and play! And frankly it easy as always Mac! neededTo not man, frankly it's easy ...

OVERALL OPINION

I'm using it for only two months, I have used no other but I heard from some friends of other interfaces and I find that there are no pictures! quality Apogee is the appointment ...
The price / quality ratio is excellent, plus it has a sturdy brushed aluminum shell as my Macbook ... of the ball!
What I like most: all the big button controller (very handy), the cables that allow flexibility in the recordings are very practical and well thought out, the Maestro software controller that allows all your gear direct your computer and especially the sound quality! pfffff terrible. besides all this coupled with my KRK, it kills!
What I like least: going to say sth, I would say two more things coming into top would be too much but hey, for what I did (recording instrument 1 to 1) the fact that serious.
I would do the same choice without hesitation

I need a card with very good converters and preamps good, the reputation of apogee not to the point of convertos, I cracked ... Indeed on this point it does not disappoint.
No noon, two inputs simultaneously ... I return below.
I'm on MacBook Pro / iMac in firewire.

UTILIZATION

The drivers are very stable with Logic (the platform for which this map was made), but once you want to change software, ouch ... Especially with Live (I use a lot), we can practically do not catch line or mic because of a bunch of small Artefac (cracking, etc.) that come from drivers of entry. What makes the card almost useless for anyone not using (or little) logic.
There is (that) two inputs simultaneously (if not all four in, two line inputs and two microphone). The entrance is through a kind of intrigue cable super cheap and very poorly insulated (we hear noises when you move the joints) which tends to add a lot of buzz when you plug a guitar in, for example (I even managed to capture the buzz with double coils). The solution is the Duet breakout, a connection box (very expensive) cobbled together by a band of American Electronics resolving all these problems. Anyway, the solution to 300 euros, that's a price to pay. Otherwise, if you're handy, you can always make your own. Me is not my case.
Of course, not noon, it would have been too good.
Most converters = high quality (apogee anyway) and preamps as I've never seen in any other card, very transparent, powerful, much better than any card in the same range prices. good but the "less" are too disabling to really enjoy it.

GETTING STARTED

Very simple installation, configuration childish way to handle the volume very intuitive and well done, nothing wrong with that side.
Incompatibilities ... Um, see above.
Manual is very clear.

OVERALL OPINION

I use it for two years. I bought it because a friend had the version above (the one with eight inputs and outputs) and I was really amazed by the quality of the machine. Now it serves me more than listening system hi-fi, task indeed I think it falls very very good.
In short:
- You need a card easy to carry, strong, you're on mac, YOU DO THAT LOGIC: Yeah, it can go, but it's still a bit expensive for a card that does not even manage MIDI (not not tell me about USB noon, all the people who use this stuff every day you say we get much lower latency with MIDI input directly into the card, firewire requires).
- You use Live, Nuendo, DP, in short any other software that logic: go your way.
- You are looking for an audiophile and high-end card to play your CDs or MP3s on your system, super high-end lamps (some do) look no further, you've found (plus it's nice).
For my part (I'm computer music all day) I bought a MOTU ultralite mk3 and, even if the preamp is far below, frankly, plenty of inputs / outputs, the south is stable for not much more expensive ... A word ...
Balance 400 for a card frankly very good on some points but downright mean, even super poor on lots of other, well do as you like, eh, it's your money! But hey it's true she is super pretty with her look 70's amp Silverface.

2 inputs and 2 outputs, big volume knob selectable for input 1/input 2/output from software/output from hardware/selectable midi function.
Level LEDs switchable for input and or output.


UTILIZATION

Use it on my Mac Book pro as my interface when I travel. And more importantly to interface rental amps with efx via Apple Main Stage 2. More on that below...
As a recording interface I use it on Logic 9, or Pro Tools 9. And when dual booting the laptop into windows to use Samplitude/Sequoia via Parallels Desktop.

It's limited to record two tracks at a time, but for recording guitar on the go it's great. The inputs are switchable between instrument/line level and/or mic inputs. Works well for dynamic mics like the Shure SM57 or the Sennheiser 609, etc...
Downside is that it doesn't have phantom power for condenser mics which require it.

GETTING STARTED

The set-up is a breeze install the drivers and Apogess Maestro control panel that lets you select levels, inputs, routing, whether audio will be send straight to the hardware outs or from the recording software.
And you're ready to record.
Since this is OSX only the only way to use it on a windows program is by using it through Parallels Desktop or VM Fusionware and run Windows on top of OSX with the Apogee running as default audio under WMD drivers.

OVERALL OPINION

The best part of this interface is using it with Apple Maisnstage, Apple's stand alone software-instrument/amp-sim/AU plug-ins rack.

You run your guitar into the front of your amp, run the efx send into input 1 on the Apogee, and output 1 back to your amp's efx return.
Then open Main Stage and select the Apogee Duet as the interface, choose input 1 as your in, and out 1 as your output (switch to mono).

And then you can add whatever plug-ins you like...delays, filters, reverb, etc...
The latency is pretty good in a serial loop and of no concern in a parallel loop. The best part is that the computer pretty much pulls all resources into running Main Stage at a higher priority than anything else so it's just about as solid as a hardware processor. Downside is that in order to switch stuff on or off you still will have to carry a midi controller. But hey it beats paying cargo for a fridge sized rack.

I needed something portable that yields high quality results. I use this mainly to do product demo videos. I wanted something that would mate perfectly with my MacBook Pro and Logic Pro 9 and the Apogee comes through with flying colors!

I use a 17" MacBook Pro with a 2.4 Core2Duo Intel CPU, 4 gigs of ram, a 500 gig 7200 rpm internal HDD and 750 gig external FW800 HDD for audio. My MBP runs Snow Leopard and Logic Pro 9.

The Duet features a firewire powered bus that is connected via a standard FW cable (2 FW cables included a regular 400 and a 400 to 800). It has a audio breakout cable snake that has two unbalanced instrument level IN's (1/4"), 2 XLR Balanced IN's and two 1/4" OUT's (RCA adapter incl. if you need it). The Mic IN's also have software assignable phantom power (48v).

The control functions are midi assignable.

The Duet has highly visible LED meters that monitor your choice of IN's or Out's. It features a large data wheel that controls the I/O. A push down click of the wheel chooses the functions...very simple.



UTILIZATION

When I bought the unit I downloaded the lastest drivers. They are very stable and feature very low latency. Included is Maestro, a slick little interface for the Duet when using any Mac OS X Core Audio application. Garageband, Logic, Logic Express and Final Cut Studio have a built in Duet control panel and support. I have not noticed any updates for the drivers.

You can only record 2 tracks at a time with the Duet, but plays back as many as your system can handle.
The Duet can record/playback at 24bit/96khz.



GETTING STARTED

The Duet only works with Apple so no PC support. The unit is very simple to use and setup and the manual is clear and concise. The folks at Apogee provide free online support chat if you run into any issues.

OVERALL OPINION

This is a simple to use, high quality interface. I was first hesitant at the price but now realize it is more than worth the money. It's physical size has to bearing on it's huge quality results...brillliant!

I was running a Digi003 and a rack of decent mic preamps. With the Duet I don't miss that at all.

The breakout cable seems a little flimsy, but I have had no issues with it, so the point is really moot anyway. You can buy upgraded breakout cables.

I am very pleased with this purchase.

My sound card M Audio Ozonic dropped like me, I turned towards the boss because I APOGEE DUET on Imac 24 'and Logic studio.Je wanted something that would be perfectly compatible with my configuration.J I found!
Ok no noon ... But frankly we can work around the problem without too much pain!
The sound is crystal clean, the preamp is far better than my M audio, there's no picture!

UTILIZATION

Driver hyper stable Imac + Logic Studio (normal is designed for!)
Very easy to use.

GETTING STARTED

Installation OK, again very simple.
Incompatibility? no friends go there with confidence!

OVERALL OPINION

For 3 weeks!
I've known about 4.5 sound card is different with the latter the Ozonic M Audio, I can tell you that I never experienced integration réussi.ça also fits perfectly with Logic, the sound is sweet potato, preamps excellent!
What I like most: his look that blends perfectly with the IMAC (brushed aluminum)
Of course I would do this choice!
Very good value for money
Unhesitatingly

Motivation: The brand, value for money, the perfect integration in LOGIC PRO, Firewire, number of I / O enough for my config.

MacBook Pro 2.8 GHz 4GB DDR3 15 "screen 500GB HDD

UTILIZATION

Drivers exemplary stability.
Firewire plugged in in Logic Pro. But also works perfectly with iTunes, and any software (Skype, VLC, Final Cut, ...)

I do not use it in extreme conditions, so I do not use the maximum number of tracks, but with a couple of MIDI tracks with big synths + effects plug-ins above, there is no plant.

For cons, the few times I wanted to record a voice in a project "components" and there was a lag rather unpleasant. So I bounce all tracks instrument, and there is good. But I saw there was little he can do a "freeze" the instrument tracks, to get a small latency ... I will try it soon. However, I was very pleasantly surprised by the quality of converters (Apogee is the specialty, do not forget!): Made with a very basic condenser microphone (AT2020), the voice quality of decision-m has truly blown away!

GETTING STARTED

Installation, if I remember correctly, requires only a few seconds.
on the other hand must spend 2 minutes on preferences Supp native software "Maestro" to properly configure the behavior of buttons (Mute Headset + Monitor, or mute the Monitor, etc. ...).
Otherwise plain one branch and it works, in any application (provided of course you select the Duet as output card in each application).

OVERALL OPINION

So since I use a little less than a year, and I'm absolutely delighted.

I worked long on ProTools, so with a DIGI002R, and aside from the number of I / O, Duet has nothing to envy (Logic, for that matter!).

+ What I like: its size / performance, the large rotary knob used to everything, especially the sound quality (Apogee).
What I like least: the non ability to manage and monitor headphone volume separately (the big button control while at the same time).

Value for money excellent, and yes of course I would do this choice.

it motivated my choice, quality converters, the format and stability.

UTILIZATION

I use it mainly with Live 8 and no worries. Latency of 4 ms .... The sound is very good especially in low or really hear the difference with my Konnekt tc-24 that I had before, for the treble is much less obvious. In any case it sounds good.

GETTING STARTED

childishly simple to set, I also wonder how there can be compatibility problems with this carte.En any case it works very well with my Cubase 5, Live 8, reaktor5.5, reason. The object is to finish and solid copy.

OVERALL OPINION

A very good buy, just a pity there is not a small MIDI but ... not very serious.
its strength and stability converters.
its weak point, for the price I would have liked an additional stereo output and an afternoon to be really comfortable for my live electronica.

Digital audio interface with 2 inputs (XLR Jack), 2 outputs (Jack), a good knob aluminum to control the input gain and master volume.

I use a MacBook Pro in a home studio use. A console is used before the interface. Connecting via the MBP is via a FW400 cable.

It's simple and it works. There is just the "breakout cable", the cable assembly, which is a little less "pro" that the interface itself. I would have preferred a separate aluminum box with all the connections that insulated cables. But the key is there, it is compact and lightweight.

UTILIZATION

Drivers ... No drivers needed with this interface (CoreAudio). It only works with a Mac on the other hand. And I can understand that it may put off some people.

I mainly use Logic Pro with the Duet. 9 but ProTools and GarageBand. No compatibility problems, everything works perfectly.

Since there are only 2 entries, well ... that's the limit is given. Latency, yes ... there are always a little bit, but it hardly feels it.

I love the fact that we can control the overall volume with the main volume pot.

GETTING STARTED

No problem installing. No need for manual non-plus. You just install Maestro, the software controls for the Duet and go.

OVERALL OPINION

I bought almost a year ago, but did that was released in late 2010. I've had for some years an M-Audio ProFire 2626, an interface with up to 26 simultaneous inputs. Yes, it's convenient ... but concretely, with keyboards, home studio, I almost never use more than 2 tracks at a time (recording). There were 3 or 4 occasions (when I recorded a live band) where I used 16 tracks at once. But here also I needed an interface to a friend there (a MOTU).

What I like most: sound quality. Compared with the M-Audio ProFire 2626, is the day and night. Both preamps (with 75 dB gain) or converters are of excellent quality. But they are only number two as well ...
What I like least: there are only 2 entries ...

The quality / price is very good. This is perfectly in line Less is More: 2 inputs and outputs, but really excellent quality.

My next interface: an Apogee Ensemble or Metric Halo. Once you have tasted this audio quality, we would like nothing else.

This is a really small, compact audio interface made by Apogee. This brand is known for their high quality products. While this looks more like style over substance, rest assured that it's a quality interface. Granted, it's small and has two channels so it's not cut out for anything huge. But for people just looking to get good sounds on really small projects at home, this could be perfectly fine.
I would say that this is probably a great choice for people who use logic as this interface has surface controls that work for Logic. It's a firewire interface so it's fast enough. It has two channels that have XLR and 1/4" inputs. It has a 1/4" output, either for headphones or monitoring. The channels have phantom power support so you could even use a condenser mic if you wanted to.

UTILIZATION

This product has limited functions, so it's not like you can really go crazy with it. Using it is simple but limited, if all you want to do is plug in an acoustic, and mic the guitar and your vocals, this is perfect and will sound great, but if you are looking to record more of a band, than this will probably not work for you. I perused the manual and it allows you to set up the interface and install it with ease as this is a pretty basic piece of gear to work with. There is a little bit of latency depending on what computer you are using but Logic has a feature that deals with this quite effectively.

GETTING STARTED

I haven't had any compatibility issues with this interface as I've only used it with Logic for basic vocal and guitar tracking. Those were simple setups, less then 15 minutes. The functions are handled pretty easily with this device. The setup is pretty easy overall. You'll be recording in no time.

OVERALL OPINION

I like this mainly because it is so easy to use. For being so small it sure has a nice pre-amp in both channels. It's pretty expensive but I guess it's got nice pre's in it and works pretty well overall. It has a chic kind of look to it, as well, which I guess is how they get away with making it more expensive. I've used a few interfaces, most of which had more than just this. This one is however more conducive to using Logic, and I might recommend for Logic users who really only need one or two mic channels.

Apogee Electronics Duet is a simple, two channel firewire based audio interface. Duet is designed for the user who is looking to put together a simple home studio to get down basic recordings or who have needs that won't exceed only having a two channel interface. It has 1/4" inputs as well as XLR connections, so this will support both microphones and instruments. The interface has a 1/4" output for your headphones/monitoring. It doesn't have too much to work with beyond its basic features...

UTILIZATION

Everything from setting up the Apogee Electronics Duet to using it on a day to day basis is pretty simple. It doesn't get much more basic than this, so even those without experience with studios or interfaces will be able to use this with ease. I haven't seen a manual for Duet, but I don't think that one is necessary as it is easy enough to use on its own.

GETTING STARTED

The Apogee Electronics Duet offers a mix of high quality conversion and basic audio interface features. While certainly not extensive in versatility, the mic pres and 1/4" connections that it does offer do sound quite good. Of course this doesn't sound as good as a full Apogee audio interface or one of their A/D/A converters, but it does offer up the same kind of quality in a more compact setting. Since most of the people interested in this interface will be looking for something simple anyway, the sound that this has to offer should surely exceed their expectations.

OVERALL OPINION

For a two channel interface, Apogee Electronics Duet isn't the cheapest out there on the market by a long shot, but it definitely makes up for this in the high quality sound that you have with Duet. It is the perfect in between for the user who wants to a good sounding interface, but doesn't need a big set up and also doesn't mind paying a bit more for quality. As far as simple audio interfaces go, Duet is absolutely something that you should be checking out if you're in the market for one.

(Originally written by llessor/translated from Audiofanzine FR)
First of all I want to emphasize that the following review bluntly contradicts the previews opinions.

I just spent two days testing the product without a single problem, and the sound quality is great!

In the beginning I was a bit skeptical because the product seemed odd. But the competent shop assistant convinced me.

I use an iMac 24" with 4 GB Ram and a MacBook Pro 17" also with 4 GB Ram. I installed Logic pro 8 on both computers.

I use hardware synths and also many Logic virtual synths. I also play bass guitar, which I usually connect to the interface via a Line6 Bass POD.

UTILIZATION

No installation problems (it's Mac not Windows!!)

Everything was installed pretty quickly and worked fine immediately.

GETTING STARTED

I think the drivers are reliable.

They are not updated 20 times a day like with some Windows applications!

I tested it with Logic pro and the latency is almost nonexistent The sound

is HUGE! But I miss an integrated MIDI interface.

OVERALL OPINION

I've been using it for one week.

I like its look but I need three additional inputs.

I previously tested two other interfaces (Motu and M-Audio, which are also very good).

The price is very low considering the sound quality, even if the connections

are via cables.