Customer Reviews

Apogee Duet 2 USB Interface Regular (Standard)

5 star:		(22)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

I bought the Duet to use with my Aluminum iMac and Logic Studio 8 and have had zero problems with the unit. The interface is very streamlined so you have to get used to using a single, multi-function knob for everything. The quality of conversion between analog and digital is head and shoulders above anything else near this price level. It sounds as good as units costing 3 times as much due to the designers' emphasis on quality sound. To get the high quality conversion at this price you are limited to the line outputs and headphone output levels being permanently linked. Some people find this a drawback, so be aware before you buy if this feature is something that is a deal breaker for you.

The small form factor is nice because as anyone with a home studio can attest to, space is not a luxury we have. I didn't pick this for its portability but as it is the size of a paperback book I can imagine it being very easy to tote around with a macbook/pro.

The included Maestro management software is straightforward and lets you set the unit up in seconds with a very easy to understand user interface. Configuring my iMac to use this as the audio input and output took less than a minute from reading the instructions. Making Logic label its mixer to match is equally simple. One thing I found convenient is how OSX lets you still use the iMac's built in speakers for the system alerts so that an error message gong sound isn't sent out through your 100watt studio monitors. You can set the output level of the system alerts separate from the duet's outputs.

The breakout cable is securely attached and the plugs are labeled with big, clear markings so changing hook-ups is easy. It has phantom power if your mics require it, which is set using Maestro.

Most audio interfaces in this price range try to win you over with more I/O channels or other add-ons instead of making the best sound conversion. They trade quality for quantity with predictable results. Apogee decided on doing a simple 2 channel interface, a single physical control and top shelf A/D/A converters so the result is the best 2 channels you can get. When you want more channels without sacrificing quality then you can step up to their Ensemble line.

I use the Duet for connecting a pair of Neumann TLM-103 mics to my MacBook Pro for home and on-the-go recording and I couldn't be happier. Set-up is a breeze and takes only a few moments. The Duet has only a FireWire 400 port, but they now include a FireWire 400-800 cable for connecting to newer Macs. The sound quality is excellent: clear and lifelike with amazing detail and no hiss. The Duet itself is built very solidly, yet "simply," and I can easily imagine this will hold up to years of use. The unit does warm up a bit after it's been on for a while, but mine never got truly "hot" -- even after hours of use. Although Apogee seems to be marketing this as a headphone amp, I wouldn't buy it for that purpose alone: it does do an excellent job, but there are plenty of other headphone amps offering comparable quality for a fraction oft he cost (I have a Total BitHead from HeadRoom that powers my Sennheiser HD-595s every bit as well for 300 bucks less). If you're looking for just a better listening experience from your Mac, you may want to look elsewhere and save yourself some money, but if you need a rugged, high quality microphone or audio input interface, look no further! I've had my Duet for a month now and I'm extremely happy with it.

Wow, I've used alot of firewire interfaces (breakout boxes) and nothing came close to this, I have to start by saying that good preamps make the world of difference to your sound and I found that the ones in Maudio gear tend to be pretty noisy, but the Duet is really quiet and really loud, I put a telecaster into this and a tele is a noisy guitar but it's loud with this but there is no noise (hiss) the same with vocals, I don't have any hiss anymore.
24/96 that's pretty future proof because I don't imagine anybody recording any higher, sure they'll master higher for sacd dvd-audio etc.
Great build and I love the breakout cable, great idea !
With Logic 8 which is the greatest DAW of all time this works superb.
Lastly this was Born In The USA, yup this was made in the USA by a human being with rights.
Great Product, Future Proof and Fantastic Value For Money, don't hesitate buy one of these now.

This is a great sounding and versatile interface in a small, convenient and beautiful package. I enjoy this little bugger in the following capacities:

- As an A/D converter to record my vinyl collection to digital format. Connecting the line level inputs to a good phono stage allows for great sounding digital recordings.
- As a D/A converter and pre-amp to powered monitors. I'm using Blue Sky MediaDesk setup as an affordable yet accurate small desk-based monitoring system.
- As a D/A converter and headphone amp. Hooking up a Sennheiser HD650 makes for great iTunes listening.
- As an A/D converter and mic pre-amp. Since it provides phantom power, it's easy to connect condenser microphones such as the Audio Technica 2020 to capture voice.
- As an A/D converter and guitar interface. Plug in a guitar, fire up Garageband and good to go.

Is the Apogee Duet the best solution in each of these individual categories? I'm sure one can come up with specific products that work better in specific areas, but as a package, this is tough to beat.

I've been doing pro audio in various forms for twenty years. Never have I heard sound so good... so rich... so clean... so crystal clear at this price point (or even at two or three times this price, to be honest). The only, and I do mean only, downside of the Apogee Duet is that it's Firewire 400 instead of Firewire 800, meaning that you'll need a 9 pin to 6 pin firewire cable to connect it to a new Mac (my new Mini came with Firewire 800).

Seriously - the Apogee Duet is superb. I've owned mine for nine months. Even if the thing were ugly as the sort of sin one would never admit to, I'd STILL recommend it because the D/A converters are so so so good and the functionality of the device is so slick... but the Duet isn't ugly at all. In fact, it's as sexy as a piece of audio gear can be.

I can't recommend it highly enough.

I have been trying different audio interfaces for years. I always tried to get by with as cheap as possible. The results were definitely related to the expense.

Pay more for this beauty and you'll get amazing, pristine audio quality. Out of the box it worked perfectly with Logic Studio and was EASY to setup.

I had forgotten I had even purchased it. And isn't that what an audio interface should do? Get itself out of mind with its simplicity and audio quality. I concentrate on my music rather than trying to make my interface work or cleaning up its results.

Buy this and stop wasting money on the cheap stuff.

I've had my Duet for 6-9 months now, and I absolutely love it. It is a small, highly portable unit that interfaces easily with my Mac. I'm a business consultant and keynote speaker, and I take the Duet on the road with me, so I can easily record podcasts and do voice overs for my videos.

The preamps in the Duet are especially nice. I've compared the Duet with two preamps by other manufacturers. (Both preamps cost more than twice what the Duet cost).

In blind taste tests with family and friends, people consistently chose the audio clip recorded through the Duet over the other two preamps as more pleasing to the ear.

Seriously.

If you own a Mac and you are recording any kind of audio, I'd highly recommend the Apogee Duet.

Okay, so I spend a LOT of time before making a big purchase like this. Every decision is painfully processed with research, and then more research. (Okay, it's not painful, and is mostly fun... cuz I'm a nerd...)

What I am saying is that I spend MONTHS looking at all the audio interfaces out there- weighing this feature v. that option, etc, and ad nauseum.

Look this thing has no bells and whistles. It doesn't do your taxes. But what it does, it does well- Apogee duet has the highest quality mic pres that you are going to find out there. Period. Amen. End of story.

For those of you that are more seasoned, skip this next paragraph. For those of you, who like me, recently started poking around the daunting world of home recording, listen up: The quality of the recording you end up with is only as good as each component you have... cheapo microphone or audio interface= low quality recording.

That is why I love this thing. The Duet gives me pristine recordings every time, and I am always amazed, as are my friends, at how good it sounds. I am thrilled with the Apogee Duet, and I think anyone interested in aiming towards more of a studio quality in their recordings should just bite the bullet... Get the Apogee Duet! (wish someone had kicked my arse into gear... just think of all the time I could have saved!)

I bought this unit for recording which it does really well, but I was not expecting the huge leap in sound quality when you hook it up as your system output. The quality of this versus the computer sound card is quite amazing.

I've been using the unit for three months now, everyday, and it works perfectly. I particularly like the phantom power for XLR mics and the unit being powered through the firewire. I was worried the single knob might be a problem to control both inputs and the output, but I got used to it very quickly and don't even think about it now.

I put up a few pictures and longer review at [...]

I have used many other interfaces, most recently a Presonus Firebox and this is the best! You have to spend a little more but if you are on the fence (just get it) or short of the money (I would wait and save up for this). All others are amateur devices.