Neve 88m VS Universal Audio Apollo Twin

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Күн бұрын

Real Neve Preamps VS Universal Audio's Unison Preamps! Direct Monitoring VS Apollo DSP Monitoring. Which audio interface is better? Find out in this video.
🎤 Acoustic Guitar & Vocals performed by Wilf Raby: / wilfrabymusic
🎸 Bass Guitar performed by Luke Stenner: / lukestenner
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🎧 Audio recorded at 24bit/48k.
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#Neve88m #ApolloTwin #NeveVSUniversalAudio
CHAPTERS:
00:00 Neve 88m VS Universal Audio Apollo Twin
01:15 Preamps, DIs, & Unison Preamps
02:35 Acoustic Guitar Audio + Analysis
03:57 Vocal Audio + Analysis
04:56 Bass Guitar Audio + Analysis
06:27 I/O, Monitor Outputs & Control
08:06 Direct Monitoring VS Apollo Monitoring
10:20 Headphone Amp Performance
11:34 Additional Extras
12:32 Who Are These For?

Пікірлер: 232

@EdThorne 11 ай бұрын

WHICH interface do you prefer??? ➡DOWNLOAD the Hi-Resolution audio files (for FREE) HERE: edthorne.com/exclusive-content ➡New Focusrite Scarlett 4th Generation vs 3rd Gen: kzfaq.info/get/bejne/lbJ0d92k3daVkWQ.html

@fredfox3851 11 ай бұрын

As a long time (40yrs) home recordist, I am long done chasing minute variables in my recording chain. People listen to songs/music, NOT microphones, preamps, compressors etc. Any decent interface is capable of making a great recording if the talent and material is up to par. Either of these two would be more than good enough.

@samadhipsysound 11 ай бұрын

absolutley correct -- but some ppl instead to make music cheking gears -- this is another enojoyment -- called GAS if i am correct }

@fredfox3851 11 ай бұрын

@@samadhipsysound While no one, including me, is ever completely cured of GAS, it can be brought down to an acceptable level. : )

@dirtyandnasty9011 11 ай бұрын

I don't even think those are good enough for home recording. The sound quality is probably way too high for what both offer. Would I notice the difference with an Audient ? Probably not. Would I need more than one single DI input ? YES ! Would I need more than just monitor outputs ? YES ! An ID44 has all of that and more with superb audio quality. These brands made interfaces for solo audio snobs. SSL made products that make sense with interfaces for the solo home studist and for the small pro studio (big six).

@MrThecarrott 11 ай бұрын

I think the story has a little more to it. we don't realize that since the "digital era" started, the average musician/creative, which wouldn't own a professional studio, had started the never ending research of "high quality" digital recording which has pretty much ended in the last 3/4 years thanks to technology and things starting to sound pretty decent at every price range. try to record you beautiful song through a cheap audio interface preamp from not even 10 years ago compared to the cheapest Audient or Behringer nowadays... I think your comment is definitely valid today but not during the last 20 years of poor shitty preamps , converters and digital sounding shit. And yes , either of these would be more than enough , but still , the analog preamp wouldn't make you feel like You miss anything. And with prices on great preamps nowadays , it's really odd not to get great ones. So for me the neve88M it's a steal!

@righteousone8454 11 ай бұрын

Yep-yep, if they used Digidesign Digi-002 in multi-millionaire studios, then anything modern sounds better than this and should be just used a tool. As a recording engineer and recording artist, I completely agree. F...chasing gear, get what you like, but make sure it works for you, not for bragging rights. I ran Solid State Logic Alpha channel into Focusrite Saffire Pro 40 for years, and it sounds amazing. With U47 clone mic. My voice sounds as good as 10000 vocal chains, and it works perfect for my voice.

@jamescave7102 11 ай бұрын

Always great videos, thank you.

@EdThorne 11 ай бұрын

Ah, you absolute gentleman! Bless you, thank you!🙏

@DanielGlenTimms 11 ай бұрын

Being able to recall itb is big for me. As of recently, I am only using my console for playing my CD player, turntable and another pair of monitors for occasional reference. My hardware is now just focused with Neve preamps, tube preamps and Bluey compressor for tracking, and an SSL hardware G buss compressor on the mix bus. My workflow for itb mixing is much more efficient, recallable and sounds great. Plus mixing in Dolby Atmos it is essential to mix itb.

@isaquegama7 11 ай бұрын

For vocals I like the apollo. The airness of the high end what I love ❤ But for the guitar, man, I think I prefer the neve... very impressed 😮

@kevinlong4657 11 ай бұрын

Wow, this is the exact video I've been waiting for. Long time Apollo user over here, I do love Apollo but I usually use my outboard preamps with mine. This becomes a lot less portable unfortunately. So I've been thinking about getting the 88m for when I'm on the go and don't want to fuss with all the UAD stuff. So far my ears are liking what I'm hearing with the 88m here, a few other videos had me unimpressed with it but I figured it was quite capable, as you've demonstrated. I love the no-fuss approach.

@EdThorne 11 ай бұрын

Thanks. Wait for part two, which is a full Neve review with further audio examples.

@SunshineStateofMind1981 11 ай бұрын

Great review here. My take is just learn to write better music folks. All this doesn't really matter if your song sucks. You are welcome.

@EdThorne 11 ай бұрын

True that!

@ndavies8 11 ай бұрын

Awesome video as usual. I think the 88M sounds awesome but it's hard to beat the features of the UA. It would make a great second interface

@EdThorne 11 ай бұрын

Exactly this. Thanks.

@danielcollins7960 11 ай бұрын

Great vid Ed! Curious if you could close the gap with a little EQ. Could hear the clarity on the acoustic right away. UA sounds good of course, but that Neve does sound pretty fantastic.

@EdThorne 11 ай бұрын

Thanks, Daniel. I’m not sure it’s an EQ thing, although this may help. It’s an analog versus plugins thing where analog has the depth and spaciousness. The Unison pres are a funny one because they’re in between the two so kind of have the best of both worlds and kinda have worst of both, lol.

@eyesintheskies 6 ай бұрын

Through KZfaq I could only hear the difference on the vocals with the neve sounding more lifelike. Will have to check the hiRes files

@scot_smith 11 ай бұрын

Awesome review! To see if mic position has an impact, would it be beneficial to first compare with same unit to determine a difference in that single variable, if any? Loving the simplicity and sound of the Neve, though slightly disappointing about the headphone amp. Looking forward to any further comparisons you may make!

@EdThorne 11 ай бұрын

You're absolutely right, it would have made sense to record both mics through the two preamps (and maybe even null-tested them) to check the delta, but I didn't think about that at the time... Thanks for the feedback 🙂

@DeadLetterOpener 11 ай бұрын

Love watching your deesser working behind you. Great comparison!

@EdThorne 11 ай бұрын

Haha. Yeh, I was always mesmerised by lights moving in the back of videos 🤣 Thanks.

@CarstenGoeke 11 ай бұрын

Interesting video Ed. The Neve sounds slightly better on bass to my ear. More even too. But the difference does not justify a swap from my x4 to the m88. Maybe someday i will buy a "real" micpre. ✌🏼

@EdThorne 11 ай бұрын

The Neve is a great way to access great-sounding preamps without going down the 500 series route and purchasing all the peripheral gear required for that. If you already have 500 racks, I'd suggest buying the 88Rlb and then you have the best of both worlds!

@scorpion-unitrap5452 11 ай бұрын

Hi, so as far as the NEVE preamps are concerned, nothing to say, it's top from top, I know something about it, insofar as I have a NEVE 1073 DPX, I recognize the sound perfectly and grain NEVE no worries on it. Now, I prefer the UAD Twin X for its versatility, as well as the well-chosen options, to sound like the big Pro studios. There are so many possibilities through this interface, that it becomes insolent, really it's quite difficult to sound bad with it, you can believe it.

@subtonic24 11 ай бұрын

Wooowww such a UA fanboy gosh!!! (Trolling to help your algorithm lol 😂) I was definitely looking forward to this video! The preamps in the Neve 88M sound like my Neve 88RLB preamps which is awesome and the UAD sound less full in the low mids, and not as rolled off of a top end. That said, I still think the UA Apollo Twin is the better buy between the two interfaces. On top of all the flaws with the Neve 88M that you mentioned, the preamps don't have any kind of highpass filter and it doesn't look like they have a phase invert button. For that price, I expect all of those features to be there plus a pad and a better monitoring system. The sound of the preamps is not enough for me to justify sacrificing some important features that can be found on some more affordable interfaces. And either the UAD Neve 88rs plugin or investing in a pair of Neve 88RLB's is the way to go in this price range if you are chasing that Neve 88R sound imo. Great vid man!!!

@EdThorne 11 ай бұрын

Haha. Thanks for trolling responsibly 😝 I think you’ve nailed it on the head there. I’m tempted to get some 88Rlbs for my rack because then I could have the sound AND the Apollo features! Great shout.

@TheOnlineBusker 11 ай бұрын

Great vid as always Ed! Very interesting stuff, not for me I don't think, I'm a crap chord-bashing acoustic "singer" ..... I'd never use even half of these features. Probably gonna get a cheapish interface (have settled on the Volt 276) and another guitar that I likely won't play 😆(Am bartering with a bloke now on a lovely Tanglewood ). Keep up the top work!

@EdThorne 11 ай бұрын

Thanks! You can't go wrong with the Volts!

@checkitout611 11 ай бұрын

Love my Presonus 2626 interface. No color in the preamps (which for me is what I wanted). At $699 the price for what you get to me is outstanding. Using mine on a Windows PC with a ASUS ProArt X570-Creator motherboard (built in Thunderbolt support) and works fantastically. Worth checking out if you have Thunderbolt capability. Having 2 ADAT in AND outs (with word clock) allows me to connect to my Cranborne 500ADAT to have the best of both worlds with tracking and mixing with extremely low latency.

@MarkVO 11 ай бұрын

I'm an Apollo user working in voice over and I frankly gave up on using Unison. I used the 88RS plugin for a long time and after doing several listenings on KZfaq I can conclude to myself that it doesn't sound analog and this video shows it. Similar tonality, yes, but the 88M has more depth and is absolutely clearer. These differences will be more audible after compression and EQ, and I reckon the 88R Pre will create more separation in a mix.

@proseradio865 11 ай бұрын

Exact same here, Mark. I actually prefer the Twin with no Unison. These days, I just use the Apollo with the high pass engaged, the Precision De-esser, and C-vox. I think it’s still worth it to use only those. Looking at the MT-48. But, maybe… also like this Neve here. Between those and the Grace M101 into an Apogee. But, I still like the Apollo setup.

@preciseaudioblog 11 ай бұрын

It’s because UAD is not analog.... is a good tool though...

@proseradio865 11 ай бұрын

@@preciseaudioblog Absolutely.

@harveynkosi6356 4 ай бұрын

It will never be analog bro, I have looked at every unison pre out there and the lower mid ALWAYS sound so fake 🤮 i dont have any other way to put it.. so i have just been using the clean Apollo pre's.. Looking to build an outboard pre this year and maybe that will do

@homestudioacademy 11 ай бұрын

Awesome review! Ever since getting an Apollo Twin X, I have never looked back. The ability to run all the UAD plugins in real time with zero latency continues to be a game changer. Moreover, for those who prefer to record/mix completely in the box, it’s a great choice.

@EdThorne 11 ай бұрын

Thanks. Hopefully it was insightful.

@homestudioacademy 11 ай бұрын

@@EdThorne it really was. Thanks for all you’ve done for our Audio Community!

@FatNorthernBigot 11 ай бұрын

I'm listening with a pair of DT1990 Pro's with an audiophile amp, and the differences are tiny. However, I'm a huge fan of the UA plugins and I believe their 1073 plugin to be incredibly accurate and assume the 88RS to be the same... Great comparison!

@EdThorne 11 ай бұрын

Thanks, Andrew. Yeh, the differences are small, more obvious on the bass I think.

@CoopMusic247 11 ай бұрын

Are your lights on your Apollo really flickering like that? Mine were too and I was about to send it off, but I decided to open it up and there's a ribbon wire that I disconnected, cleaned and reattached and that fixed it. I think it got bumped around during delivery from Reverb.

@antoniogravina723 2 ай бұрын

The Apollo has a lot of great features that you pointed out with monitoring. Although at the end of the day the interface is being used to capture the best sound possible for recording. So I probably go with the Neve. It was quite impressive and full-bodied sounding

@WarrenPostma 10 ай бұрын

What are your thoughts on presonus quantum firewire with everything for monitoring in the daw versus the onboard DSP hosted monitoring with effects as in the UA apollo? Both get you monitoring with effects and latency sub 2 milliseconds but with firewire interfaces like the presonus quantum, you get any plugin you want, up to your computer's cpu limits versus whatever DSP and whatever plugin suite UA provides or sells you.

@EdThorne 10 ай бұрын

Hi, I don’t have any thoughts on the Quantum because I’ve never used one. I’d say FireWire is an out of date connection and slower format though. Good to know it offers similar performance to the UA though. Thanks.

@guitar-trips 10 ай бұрын

Thanks for this comparison - but we can also connect these through ADAT right? Looking at options to expand my Apollo Twin...

@EdThorne 10 ай бұрын

Yes, you could in fact connect the Neve to the UA via ADAT.

@kevinlong4657 11 ай бұрын

I've listened a bunch of times now and I really prefer the 88m on the acoustic guitar. The other sources I'm not as sure about.

@itaifisher355 10 ай бұрын

If you ever speak to a someone verse in electrical engineering you'd realize that 2 "identical" products can sound different. This is due to tolerances in electronics such as electrolytic capacitors, opams, etc. These extend to the power supply as well as the sound processing circuitry. Additionally, some 'vintage modeling' algorithms introduce random variances to try and capture that 'vintage analog' sound - which means that two tracks recorded on the same interface using the same equipment can sound slightly different as well. Your money is going to be better spent at getting your recording and mixing rooms to sound well, getting a better sounding sources, and half decent mics and monitors than the interface or the quality of its preamps. What I would care about in interfaces is the number of input/outputs, ease of operations/daw integration, and stability of drivers.

@EdThorne 10 ай бұрын

I totally agree. For example, the Scarlett Gen 3 and Volt have the same converters but the Volts sound noticeably better due to whatever circuit integration UA have achieved.

@kelvynification 11 ай бұрын

The UAD sounds slightly more brittle than the Neve and less warm on almost every example, especially on the vocals.

@dessiplaer 10 ай бұрын

I preferred the sound of the Neve, but the Apollo might host a lot of options. I guess it depends on one's individual studio needs.

@idreaminstereo7802 11 ай бұрын

What sample rate and bit depth did you track with? I'm curious if 32/192 would have more depth and top end clarity on the UA side of things.

@EdThorne 11 ай бұрын

24/48. Realistic file sizes.

@Preachmusic4u 11 ай бұрын

😮omg that was night and day. the Neve was silky smooth, wide sound stage, clear sheen sound. This make me want to sale my Apollo twin quad 😢

@Legslarsen. 10 ай бұрын

A review-comparison with the PrismSound Lyra 2 would be interesting

@EdThorne 10 ай бұрын

Converter comparisons are really hard to quantify without lab spec gear but I can definitely compare the Neve against my X16 soon (video on the X16 coming soon).

@LesVegasMusic 8 ай бұрын

The pre's on the Neve 88m sound warmer on all examples. Thinner on the Apollo, but I'm use to that from my Twin as well. Totally agree on the monitoring. Can't stand the blend control. I can't believe Neve didn't implement direct monitoring, especially at its price point.

@CreativeSauce 11 ай бұрын

Nice song!

@kingyasofficial 11 ай бұрын

the 88 sounds smooth on those vocals

@maxheadroom7931 11 ай бұрын

Doesn`t really matter if they are that close in single signals, what about more signals stacked? This would be important to know. How often do you have just one signal in a mix? Maybe the difference of this preamps is marginal if just one channel is in use, but huge in a full mix.

@EdThorne 11 ай бұрын

The differences would be extrapolated and the muddy/clarity differences compounded, yeh.

@omerktee9261 17 күн бұрын

I guess Neve will always keeps to itself its special spreadable mid\ high end. The more i get involved with those comparisons the more it gets clearer.

@littlemac844 11 ай бұрын

I'm impressed with myself, understanding all of the language and the nomenclature used in this video. Lol. Looks like my Audio Engineering Certificate from CRAS paid off.

@EdThorne 11 ай бұрын

*Ed Google’s the meaning of ‘nomenclature’…

@tobiaskagstrom 11 ай бұрын

Great made video. And honestly they're probably so close that it doesn't really matter wich one to choose concerning the sound. But to make the comparason more fair you maybe should have used a signalsplitter in every example!? Different performances on the bass and two different mics (even if the same model) and slightly different positioning, like you mentioned, on the guitar and vocal probably makes the same difference that the two interfaces makes?! It's not easy making a fair A/B test =) But thnx anyway!

@EdThorne 11 ай бұрын

Thanks, Tobias. The problem with splitting the signal is you lower the output voltage of each microphone which affects preamp performance, especially with the Unison modelling so it's not an ideal scenario either. Two different bass performances, I agree is not ideal, I agree. Having done this dozens of times on the channel, two mics recording the same performance is the best way to compare in my experience.

@tobiaskagstrom 11 ай бұрын

@@EdThorne Ok, so I don’t think a splitter would actually ”lower the output voltage of the mic”, right!? But of course depending on how you split the signal it could effect the impedance load on the mic wich would effect how the mic/capsule behaves and sounds. And I guess that’s the same thing you ment. However, the ”changed mic response” would be the same to both interfaces making the comparason more ”correct” I think!? Anyway, sorry, I didn’t mean to criticize your content. I think your video is great and thank you for making it - interesting and nice to hear that my Apollo x4 with Neve Unison matches the ”real deal” so close! 😊👌🏻🙏🏼

@EdThorne 11 ай бұрын

Thanks, Tobias. Yeh, I mean it halves the returning voltage, rather than halves the power delivered to the mic. I have some complicated formulas about this somewhere. Whichever technique I use for this (different mics/different performances/splitting signals) there is a compromise.

@pjlira 11 ай бұрын

I would say the NEVE sounds smoother... I have an Apollo 8p and I loved this comparison.

@EdThorne 11 ай бұрын

Glad you liked it. Thanks for watching.

@DJ_PROMO_PR 11 ай бұрын

Hello. I make mostly old school and boombap hip-hop (NOT TRAP). What would be the best 500 Series units to start with? At least 3. Thanks.

@EdThorne 11 ай бұрын

Check out the RND542s for some colour on stuff (especially crunchy drums). The SSL Bus Comp is perfect for the mix bus. And I quite like the HRK CS566 channel strips for multi-purpose processing.

@DJ_PROMO_PR 11 ай бұрын

@@EdThorne Thank you so much for replying! 👍🔥

@TheSakuraGumiLTD 11 ай бұрын

The subtle difference isn't much worth it unless you have to layer that sound a lot and the difference with then mount up over a number off channels. I you make a beat in the computer and sing over it, you will not gain that much to warrant the cost increase. But in that scenario, if you have done many layers to one vocal and many layers to the overdubs, then there will be a substantial difference. A big studio find value in lots of high end equipment through the result over large channel counts. If you are just starting out and just doing experimental things then you will be better off with more features. The NEVE interface is good value for the quality of the conversion. I'm wondering what a alternative would be? SPL Marc One for conversion quality and separate in and out to ad hardware and then a Golden Age Premier PRE-73 Jr MKII as a preamp to be around the same cost, but would be only one preamp. So it is worth it's price weirdly enough. Just doesn't have all the digital technology of the UAD interface. It depends on what it is the work you are doing. It does make a big difference being able to record with compressors, eq's and reverbs and other such effects, you can get a better performance. So the overall difference will be if you are planning to expand on hardware when it comes to a choice between them. As a pick up and go device, the UAD probably wins. As a start to your beautiful sounding outboard setup, the NEVE would be the better choice.

@MartinStrang 10 ай бұрын

The Apollo is more than enough, and a widely used unit for pros all over. Ive been recording with it 7 years now with excellent results. Besides it is not a one trick pony, with all the plugins there is serious customization available. Pair it with UA Sphere mics like I do and you are golden. On top, Luna is available for free. It is important to compare the entire universe the product itself offers.

@EdThorne 10 ай бұрын

Very true. Luna sounds exceptional and the quantising is unbeatable! The monitoring is by far the best out there!

@raal007 10 ай бұрын

On an iPhone I could hear appreciable differences. I would pick the Neve hands down. Thank you sir.

@G-O-N-x 11 ай бұрын

What's your thoughts on using the apollo twin only as a monitor controller with some dsp ? Is it as good as others dedicated monitor controllers ?

@EdThorne 11 ай бұрын

The Apollo is great for this with built in Mono, Alt Speaker selector, Dim and mute functions. I’ve never needed a designated controller.

@G-O-N-x 11 ай бұрын

@@EdThorne Okay, thx 🤝

@1loveMusic2003 11 ай бұрын

It needs a trim knob for sure so you can drive it without clipping converters.

@EdThorne 11 ай бұрын

Yes. Like the 1073s. Or a pad at least.

@martinezdecap 5 ай бұрын

This is may be a silly question but will I need a DAC if I’m running out of my Apollo twin? From my understanding the Apollo twin x is a DAC, therefore will I just need an amplifier running out of the 3/4 line outs of my Apollo twin x? Also, if I buy a DAC/amp and run it out of my Apollo twin x 3/4 line out, will that be an issue? Thank you for your help.

@EdThorne 5 ай бұрын

If you want to use outputs 3&4 to send to a second Cue mix, you will only need a HP amp. The output is already analog (the Apollo has done the conversion).

@martinezdecap 5 ай бұрын

@@EdThorne thank you sir!!!!!!! I appreciate your input. Will I encounter an issue if I still get a combo DAC/amp? I’ve heard that the DAC in the Apollo isn’t the best therefore I was wondering if I would run into an issue if I run it into another DAC and then the amp. Thank you!

@DavidMadeira29 10 ай бұрын

I'd go Universal because I never finished the alloy case for the Roland D/A interface that I had. And especially because my mixer isn't even 48V but something less than 24V~19V. Would you buy a large big truck steering wheel if you're only riding a V8 Sportwagen? I don't know. Namastè.

@frankwalders 11 ай бұрын

Best option the UAD with the preamps of the Neve...

@joeydego2 11 ай бұрын

NEITHER WILL STAND IN THE WAY OF A HIT

@lamasteve6905 11 ай бұрын

Would a mix change everything !

@TheBeeOBee 10 ай бұрын

Every back of these 88m units I see gets scratched up from cables, yeah?

@mmckiver 11 ай бұрын

I'm a longtime Apollo X4 user that recently won a Neve 88M. I was super excited - but there's a loud hiss coming out of my monitors when the same setup works flawlessly with my X4 and Neve customer support isn't responding to me. Anybody else?

@EdThorne 11 ай бұрын

Ah, that’s strange, I’m sorry to hear that. I didn’t have that issue with this unit. Keep trying their support I guess…

@henrikpetersson3463 8 ай бұрын

I preferred the sound of the Neve in most of the recordings. It has a creaminess to it that the Apollo is lacking. However, I much prefer the Apollo as an interface so the minor difference in sound does bother me in contrast to the workflow benefits that the Apollo offer. Plus you can't switch out the preamp character in the Neve. It's really strange that Neve would set an "optimal listening volume" on the knob. As you said, it entirely depends on what you are listening on. Could it be that they suggest that you adjust your speakers to have the optimum level when the volume knob is set to the middle? Thus giving you a quick way to return to the optimal setting. Would make more sense.

@pedroboschibrasil 11 ай бұрын

Sound wise, the Neve is at another level, and sounds analogue, as the UA does not! Maybe you can get close by lots of twicking but when it comes to great recording I would chose the neve!

@ssserotonin1373 10 ай бұрын

Neve is too hyped imo I know that’s controversial

@MarkoMadeIt_ 10 ай бұрын

@@ssserotonin1373nah u right tbh unless you’re buying a refurbished OG piece of gear from neve all the new stuff still ain’t quite the same sound people fell in love with

@ssserotonin1373 10 ай бұрын

Ye I even bought a wa73 eq and it felt muddy and a studio I talked to some engineers at for an interview were saying the wa73 felt thin in comparison to analog beef @@MarkoMadeIt_

@BenvelMusic 10 ай бұрын

You’re wrong we did a blind test of UA Apollo with plugins recording and OG 610 pre amp the difference was barely audible not in a sense that will make you say it doesn’t sound analogue

@brownmoney27 8 ай бұрын

Lol

@gutshisalamanca1191 10 ай бұрын

Nice Video! What 500 Series De-esser do you use?

@EdThorne 10 ай бұрын

Thanks. I’m using the DBX520. Love it!

@Rocksite1 10 ай бұрын

I really couldn't tell much difference between the Neve and the Apollo on the acoustic, even on my HS8s. The Neve sounded much brighter on vocs, whereas the Apollo had the sound of a reference mic - really flat. The Neve was picking up a lot more desirable high end with the bass.

@DocFanzo 11 ай бұрын

Feel like the Neve felt a little congested in the low mids? Maybe that's low-end build up in my room. Would love to know if you disagree especially!

@EdThorne 11 ай бұрын

I would say the Unison sounded more congested in the low mids. They’re remarkably close though.

@arturpolonski6234 11 ай бұрын

Hi why you don’t compare RME interface latency ?

@EdThorne 11 ай бұрын

Because I don’t have one. And they’re not as big a company as UA so less appeal in videos (less views) if I’m honest.

@IndyRockStar 11 ай бұрын

The biggest difference I heard (honestly, the only real difference I heard) was in the vocals. The Neve sounds like its a small bit fuller and warmer. That being said. I'm going buy an Apollo because I need a rack mount system.

@EdThorne 11 ай бұрын

The differences are small so I think this battle comes down to functionality.

@Dibdibber 4 ай бұрын

Weird test ? Digital vs Analog should be tested for accumulated effect across a mix. Latency and drivers are also crazy important :)

@Paulkruz1 11 ай бұрын

Apogee tanks them both

@bobbritches846 5 ай бұрын

That Apollo is like really nice clean cotton but the Neve is silk. And that's after listening with YT compression and a so so good old stereo. If you can't notice a difference, your brain will after listening for a while.

@joeyf808 11 ай бұрын

Does the Twin X have updated pres?

@EdThorne 11 ай бұрын

The Twin X has the same pres I believe.

@StereoAnthony Ай бұрын

I would be willing to bet the slightly better clarity in the Neve comes down to better A/D converters more than anything else. The sound is virtually identical in tone.

@picksalot1 10 ай бұрын

With the high quality of gear these days, I think it's within reach to get outstanding recordings at every price level. Find gear that has the features you need within your budget, and hone your recording skills.

@DOPWELLMUSICPRODUCTIONS Ай бұрын

Neve de not have and ?mixcue???

@theprisonier 11 ай бұрын

The neve 88m sounds a little bit more warmer but it’s because it’s an AB video. Honestly without comparing plugins are more than ok. But still people like me, I can’t stand plugins and all the driver stuff to do, the neve is usb compliant. So iPad, MacBook Pro, iPhone and no needs of power.. so outside it’s a winner

@digitalmarketinghumans 11 ай бұрын

UAD is really on another level..and ever since I moved over to Macs with Apple Silicon ( I am using M1 Pro base 14") to reference my PC (Intel i9 10th gen with RTX 3080) the M1 Pro does laps around my PC with Logic Pro. The Mac has 16gb ram and PC has 64 even..My PC does beat it slightly in gaming and 3d rendering but that's different story. The Apollo Twin X is just soooo intuitive and works VERY well with Logic, I am sure other DAW's too. I am not sure if I will go back to using PC/Windows to mix/master music now. Love the Apollo and M1 Macbook Pro.

@EdThorne 11 ай бұрын

It’s a mighty combination!

@gitarowydominik 11 ай бұрын

Wouldn’t it be best to use UA gear at what they do best, i.e. the Apollo interface, and connect an analog Neve preamp to Apollo, because they make world class preamps? Best of both worlds.

@EdThorne 11 ай бұрын

100%. Using the insert sends on the 88M to send audio from the Neve into an Apollo, bypassing the preamps (X6 models and above), and monitoring through that would be exceptional!

@gitarowydominik 11 ай бұрын

I use X8, so that’s what I would do. But probably I would look into rack Neve preamps rather than paying for extra AD/DA converters and stuff in another interface. 😊

@gitarowydominik 11 ай бұрын

Or, because I do it as a hobby, I’m not a professional, I would go with cheaper Neve preamp clones from Warm Audio, but that’s a controversial topic, I know. 😉

@bertbrause 11 ай бұрын

I hear the Neve shaving off the peaky transients of the A-Gtr and the bass- gtr as well (typical transfer curve of a real transformer) whereas the Apollo is more fizzy (dynamically) in the high mids and highs. And that seem to change the perceived freq-response ED is talking about. For close miking of an acoustic-gtr or cymbals and a bass-gtr. I would take the Neve and for distant sources where the sound is already dampened by the air molecules the Apollo. I think the dynamic behaviour of our nowadays gear gets much too little attention !!!

@EdThorne 11 ай бұрын

Great points.

@olivercarlehed 8 ай бұрын

I value treble richness a lot, which is what reveals a non-manipulated recording, Neve was best sounding for sure.

@PurpleMusicProductions 11 ай бұрын

The big differences were the vocals and the bass with my preference being the Neve. The Neve had more clarity overall. Between the two interfaces the the Neve is the better buy because of sound, features and expandability.

@EdThorne 11 ай бұрын

I’m inclined to agree sonically but the Apollo has far more features than the Neve (if you watched the whole video…)!

@Reggi_Sample 11 ай бұрын

@@EdThorne what about when you consider with spark all of those preamps are available without the need of an Apollo? Thankyou for the comparison by the way

@PurpleMusicProductions 11 ай бұрын

@@Reggi_Sample Yeah that is sort of my point too, since UAD is becoming more native and many people have expressed issues with unison/spark does the Apollo still make sense? I guess if someone's computer is dreadfully old, but that would be akin to the 90s. I am not suggesting the Apollo is bad, but is it the best bang for your buck from where we are now. Me personally I just do not see it and I like UAD especially their hardware.

@PurpleMusicProductions 11 ай бұрын

@@EdThorne I did watch until the end, so you may be able to track that on your end. When I mentioned features I was speaking about the ADAT both ways and the performance of the preamps which I think the Neve was better for my tastes. The Unison is not a selling point for me as I run a hybrid setup with outboard mic preamps and compressors, but do have some channel strips if I want to stay purely in the box. I am running a RME fireface ucx ii and a Clarett OctoPre 8 as they both have ADAT both ways, so that is what I meant by expansion. Still nice video though and good worthy comparisons between the two products.

@aymanibrahim9736 11 ай бұрын

Nve has a fuller, non boomier bottom end, and a sparkly high end, the Apollo is a bit dull on the high end This showed more with vocals, a breathy, yet full sound, while the Apollo sounded bland Same with the Bass, IApollo felt like it was compressed, while the Neve just felt like a bass connected direct with minimal inconsistency I have the Apollo and Kemper, as well as tube amps, and use a lot of UAD plugins, and I think this is the problem with digital, people always compare the high gain stuff, but clean stuff is where the differences are magnified, and vocal/bass/acoustic emphasize that well. Usually it is the same as your test, Bass is either too boomy, or not full enough, and high end is either too sharp or dull, off course you can amend and find middle ground with great tone, and in the mix, it is almost impossible to tell, but from a feel, and a little beyond feel, there are just minute differences that can't be replicated in the digital realm and need a lot of tuning to get a perfectt tone

@keithlane4705 11 ай бұрын

Why use two mics ? why not an XLR splitter cable ?

@EdThorne 11 ай бұрын

Because it halves the voltage hitting the preamps, then you need more gain, raise the noise floor, etc.

@waltervenicio4790 Ай бұрын

The pre-amps on NEVE sounded more musical to me.

@assshakerstudios549 7 ай бұрын

Just as I figured. The UAD is brighter(but not in a good way, more digital bad brightness)and thinner in the lows! This Neve is a steal for just it's preamps. If you buy 2 Neve 88RLB 500 series preamps it's $790 without tax, and also without the 500 series box you need to use them, which tacks on an additional 1000$ for a decent one(buying a cheap one can negate your tone overall which absolutely sucks for buying a box to put shit in!). So it's a steal for just it's preamps alone!

@acslater826 10 ай бұрын

Loving my RME Babyface 😉

@kingadammusic 3 ай бұрын

About to buy it, then came across the Neve 😅 sounds like the Babyface is tried and true but not much user feedback on the Neve

@coldprojectofficial 10 ай бұрын

The UAD requires drivers, which pisses me off. Does the Neve?

@EdThorne 10 ай бұрын

Apollos require a software installation to operate their Console monitoring application which is unbelievably powerful. There is no monitor mixing capability on the Neve so no software is required as it is class compliant.

@WickBeavers 6 ай бұрын

I think the digital sim just needs a tweak on the low end and it would sound better than the analogue.

@danepaulstewart8464 11 ай бұрын

I’m SURPRISED! 😳 I honestly did not expect there to be THIS much difference, and I did not expect it to be in favor of the NEVEs. So… yet again I am still not entered into the UAD world. Looks like I will be spending $1073 in the near future. 😁😁 Nicely done video. Thanks much mate. 😎👍👍

@EdThorne 11 ай бұрын

You’re welcome. I hope it was insightful.

@scorpion-unitrap5452 11 ай бұрын

Salut , alors en ce qui concerne les préamplis de la NEVE, rien à dire c'est top de chez top, j'en sais quelque chose , dans la mesure ou je dispose d'un NEVE 1073 DPX , je reconnais parfaitement le son et grain NEVE pas de soucis la dessus . Maintenant , je préfère la UAD Twin X pour sa versatilité , ainsi que les options bien choisies , pour sonner comme dans les gros studios Pros . Il y a tellement de possibilités au travers de cette interface , que ça devient insolent , vraiment c'est assez difficile de faire du son mauvais avec, vous pouvez le croire .

@newman2374 4 ай бұрын

neve❤❤❤❤

@Ishitoko_Tukoshita 11 ай бұрын

Just the pres? The converters are not in the same level. And yes, the pres are a the difference in home recording. There is a huge difference, the Neve has auxiliary in and out. Adat/Tos link in and out. The Apollo is very short in this comparison. You would have to compare this Neve with the new interface from Neumann and Merging Technologies.

@EdThorne 11 ай бұрын

Did you watch the whole video?!

@jamescave7102 11 ай бұрын

Neve all day long !!!

@EdThorne 11 ай бұрын

It’s got the magic sonically.

@southpau 9 ай бұрын

The Apollo sounded a bit thicker and clearer on vocals. I’ll take that. The Neve sounds really good though. Everything sounds good these days. Losing our panties over these small differences is crazy! Nothing is “better” anymore. Just different

@IntheDAW 11 ай бұрын

gotta say UAD apollos are still my go to even tho I am almost exclusivly on a Pc now

@vladykorleone 4 ай бұрын

I don't need the DSP, I just need record voices with the best quality possible, which do you recommend SSL2 vs Apollo Twin?

@EdThorne 4 ай бұрын

Don’t we all. Twin all day.

@hisroyalsucculence 11 ай бұрын

Virtually indistinguishable on acoustic, and certainly would not make a meaningful difference in a mix. Interesting that differences on bass were more pronounced. Nice that the Neve has balanced inserts. I'm holding out for the next iteration of UAD interfaces, whenever those drop.

@EdThorne 11 ай бұрын

I’ve decided the best combo is the Neve pres into an Apollo via the insert sends. Best of both.

@CharLessMajor7Music 10 ай бұрын

Neve vs Audient please? 😅

@EdThorne 10 ай бұрын

Behringer.

@ChrisAdkins1985 11 ай бұрын

Audient id44 user here. No regrets

@EdThorne 11 ай бұрын

Great interface!

@andrewpolzin8489 3 ай бұрын

The difference is MASSIVE. The neve makes the UA interface sound like a cold imposter.

@nicolasheinemusic 8 ай бұрын

I think it's less about the sound - which is very close to each other anyways, but more about the workflow, which you create with that audio interface. Sound can be adjusted in post anyways...

@bdotvisualz7461 11 ай бұрын

UAD Spark killed the Apollo interfaces for me. So many better options for cheaper.

@EdThorne 11 ай бұрын

Still can’t beat the Apollos for low latency, processed monitoring.

@TheSakuraGumiLTD 11 ай бұрын

They made the price the 1074 but it the preamps are 1088's... seems like a they tried to add some subliminal miss selling lol

@EdThorne 11 ай бұрын

Haha.

@halloweenman6141 10 ай бұрын

At the end of the day the Neve sounds better. That's the most important thing. For all the UA digital monitoring wizardry, it simply doesn't sound as good.

@pauldean3804 11 ай бұрын

Neve much better im hearing digital processing from the Apollo.

@anthonyrock5039 2 ай бұрын

Apollo sounds less accurate but if you like and can afford the expensive UAD plugins that ironically eclipse the price of the neve, you wont be able to tell the difference. A headphone amp will fix tbe monitor difference. Neve sounded better over all. I hated travelling with the apollo(sit in a big park with no power then uad is useless). For the price, the ssl2 or even audient id4 are far better value/quality if you are on the go. I have been looking for something to use away from my Lynx(n) and its sooo hard with sooooo many options that are all great.