Universal Audio Apollo x16 Gen 2 Essentials+
Product information "Universal Audio Apollo x16 Gen 2 Essentials+"
Rackmount 18 x 20 Thunderbolt audio interface with flagship Apollo X Gen 2 elite‑class audio conversion, Apollo Monitor Correction, immersive audio support up to 9.1.6, bass management, HEXA Core DSP plug‑in processing and a premium software suite.
UA's next generation of Apollo x16 interfaces is here for professional studios and music producers who need 16 channels of highest‑resolution audio conversion and HEXA Core DSP processing to hook up to a console and mix large sessions with first‑class UAD plug‑ins from Auto‑Tune, Neve, Manley, Avalon, SSL and hundreds more.
Used in the world’s most renowned studios, the Apollo x16 brings award‑winning UA sound and legendary craftsmanship straight into your rack.
Key benefits:
- Hear the next generation of audio conversion with the greatest dynamic range and lowest distortion of any Apollo model
- Easily connect to professional studio gear with 16 x 16 analogue I/Os via DB‑25 connectors, plus switchable +24 dBu headroom settings
- Access the full library of 200+ UAD DSP and Native plug‑ins, including award‑winners like Capitol Chambers, Sound City Studios, the EL8 Distressor and more
- Record with a fast, natural workflow in LUNA, which offers seamless Apollo integration for big analogue studio sound — in real time
- Mix with confidence in any room with Apollo Monitor Correction powered by Sonarworks®*
- Hear every detail in your mix’s low end by adding a subwoofer to your monitor setup
- Set up low‑latency cue mixes, plug‑in Scenes and immersive audio monitoring in seconds with the UAD Console app
- Receive award‑winning UAD plug‑ins from Auto‑Tune, Fairchild, Teletronix and more worth thousands of Euros with a selection of Essentials+ or Ultimate+ editions
Elite‑class Apollo X sound for your console & outboard
Universal Audio designed the Apollo x16 Gen 2 for professional engineers and producers who demand the highest sound quality for the professional analogue studio. With the greatest dynamic range and lowest distortion available, the Apollo x16 easily integrates with your analogue gear and patchbays via DB‑25 connectors and offers +24 dBu headroom, 16 x 18 A/D and D/A conversion and stereo AES I/O.
Hundreds of analogue tones in one rack unit
Apollo x16D is available in two editions, both shipped with a generous suite of UAD plug‑ins. Build your mix with classic Teletronix LA‑2A and 1176 compressors, Pultec EQs, API and SSL channel strips through to modern favourites like Auto‑Tune and Avalon.
Hear details like never before
The Apollo x16 features UA's highest‑resolution A/D and D/A converters paired with immersive multichannel Apollo Monitor Correction powered by Sonarworks®.® This means you’ll hear the most pristine representation of your recordings and avoid surprises when checking your final mix or master on stereo or surround systems.
Downmix to surround
Apollo x16 supports mixing formats up to 9.1.6, making it straightforward to create 16‑channel immersive audio mixes for Dolby Atmos, Auro‑3D, Sony 360 Reality Audio and others.
Find your flow in the UAD Console app
With Apollo x16’s powerful digital mixing engine you can control plug‑in routing and monitoring. And with modern features like bass management, immersive audio up to Atmos 9.1.6 and plug‑in Scenes, it’s easy to create a flow that meets your needs.
A hybrid system built for your mission
Combine the Apollo x16’s HEXA Core DSP with the native processing of your host computer to handle large sessions with complex plug‑in chains — a powerful hybrid workflow that outperforms purely native recording setups.
Grow your studio as you evolve
Link up to four Apollo x16 units for 64 channels of elite‑class A/D and D/A conversion, perfect for connecting to large‑format recording consoles, or connect an x16 to other Thunderbolt Apollo rackmount devices and control everything from your desktop with an Apollo Twin or x4. Wherever your music takes you, an Apollo will always be within reach.
Main features:
- 18 x 20 Thunderbolt audio interface with HEXA Core DSP plug‑in processing
- Two DB‑25 inputs (Line 1–16), stereo AES I/O (XLR), Wordclock I/O (BNC)
- Two monitor outputs (XLR), two DB‑25 outputs (Line 1–16 or ALT / 9.1.6 Surround)
- Apollo X Gen 2 elite‑class D/A converters with 24‑bit / 192 kHz resolution and dual‑crystal clocking for extremely low jitter at all sample rates
- Flagship D/A for critical monitoring and playback with 133 dB dynamic range and an impressively low distortion of ‑129 dB
- Calibrate your main monitor outputs (stereo or immersive) with Apollo Monitor Correction powered by Sonarworks® (requires Apollo Monitor Correction add‑on and SoundID Reference licences)
- Full‑featured monitor controller with speaker switching and built‑in talkback for easy communication with performers
- ALT monitoring support in all monitor modes (2 x ALT‑mons for stereo, 1 x ALT‑mon for immersive)
- Updated UAD Console app with plug‑in Scenes, subwoofer integration with bass management, immersive audio support and more
- Built‑in DSP supports over 200 UAD plug‑ins in VST, AU and AAX‑64 formats across major DAWs
- Includes up to 100+ UAD plug‑ins with Essentials+ or Ultimate+ editions
- Compatible with LUNA, Logic Pro, Pro Tools, Cubase, Ableton Live and more
- Expandable with Thunderbolt Apollo interfaces or select models over Dante
Plug‑ins included in the Essentials+ edition:
Channel Strips & Preamps (6):
- Century Tube Channel Strip
- CS‑1 Channel Strip
- Helios Type 69 Preamp & EQ
- Precision Channel Strip
- UA 610‑A Preamp & EQ
- UA 610‑B Preamp & EQ
Compressors / Limiters (7):
- Fairchild 670 Legacy
- Teletronix LA‑2A Classic Leveler
- Teletronix LA‑2A Gray Classic Leveler
- Teletronix LA‑2A Silver Classic Leveler
- Teletronix LA‑2A Legacy Leveling Amplifier
- UA 1176LN Legacy
- UA 1176SE Legacy
Equalizers (6):
- Helios Type 69 Legacy EQ
- Pultec EQP‑1A Legacy EQ
- Pultec EQP‑1A Passive EQ
- Pultec HLF‑3C Passive EQ
- Pultec MEQ‑5 Passive EQ
- Pultec Pro Legacy EQ
Special Processing (4):
- Auto‑Tune Realtime Access
- Oxide Tape Recorder
- Precision Enhancer Hz
- Verve Analog Machines Essentials
Instruments (1):
- PolyMAX Polyphonic Synth
Delay & Modulation (3):
- Galaxy Tape Echo
- Precision Delay Mod
- Precision Delay Mod L
Reverbs & Rooms (3):
- Precision Reflection Engine
- Pure Plate Reverb
- RealVerb Pro Custom Room Modeler
Guitar & Bass (3):
- Ampeg SVT‑VR Classic Bass Amplifier
- Marshall Plexi Classic Amplifier
- Raw Distortion
- AES/EBU: yes
- AVB: no
- BNC Word Clock: 1 In / 1 Out
- Dante: no
- Design: Rack Enclosures
- Dimensions: 483 x 308 x 44 mm
- Direct Monitoring: Yes (Software)
- Displays: LEDs
- Dynamic Range: 133 dB
- Headphone Output: no
- Includes: Interface, Power Supply, Software
- Input channels that can be used simultaneously: 18
- Line in: 2x 25-Pin Sub-D (Ch 1-16)
- Line out: 2x XLR
- MADI: no
- Onboard Effects: ja, digital
- Power Supply: External Power Adapter
- Rack mounting: 19"/1U
- Resolution: 24-Bits
- S/PDIF Coaxial I/O: no
- Sampling Rate: 192 kHz
- Subcategory: Thunderbolt Interface
- Supported Operating Systems: macOS and Windows
- Thunderbolt: Thunderbolt 3
- USB: no
- combinable with up to 4 Apollos with Thunderbolt and a total of six UAD-2 devices
- with 6 SHARC DSP for UAD-2 plug-ins (also usable in DAW)
- Plug-in scenes via MIDI
- iEssentials+ Plugin Bundle included
Pioneer in audio recording for more than 50 years
Founded in 1958 by Bill Putnam Sr., Universal Audio has long been synonymous with innovative recording equipment. As the favourite engineer of Frank Sinatra, Nat King Cole, Ray Charles and others, Bill was a passionate innovator who is regarded as the father of modern audio recording. Many of his legendary studio and equipment designs are still in use today. B. Putnam was the inventor of the modern mixing console, the multiband audio equaliser and he was the first engineer to use artificial reverb on commercial recordings. Alongside his friend Les Paul, Bill was also involved in the early development of stereophonic recording.
Putnam, known as a driven entrepreneur, founded three audio product companies during his long career: Universal Audio, Studio Electronics and Urei. All three companies built devices that were widely adopted after their introduction and would shape the studio sound for generations. The boutique compressors LA-2A and 1176 and the 610 tube console are among these legends. Artists such as Sinatra, the Beach Boys and Van Halen recorded their studio albums on the 610 console.
Universal Audio was re-established in 1999 by Bill's sons James Putnam and Bill Putnam Jr. The plan was twofold: on the one hand to faithfully reproduce classic analogue recording gear in their father's tradition; and on the other to bring the sound and spirit of vintage analogue technology into the new digital recording tools .
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