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OMF*G the sound of the Merging preeeeeeesssss 🤯🤯🤯🤯🤯🤯🤯🤯

The problem with this shootout is that we are comparing the sound of the mic pre along with the AD conversion. A more useful shootout would have been to ascertain the quality of the digital conversion, which in Apogee's case anyway, is their core competency. I would not be choosing either merging or apogee for their preamp performance. There are many dedicated mic preamps that outperform both these units in transparency and/or colour. The tone, details and stereo width is now a function of preamp performance, phase coherence in the preamps channels and a slew of other factors. Using something like a stereo millennia pre, with military grade and de-dented pots for L-R gain settings, would take the pre out of the equation and have the shootout only about AD conversion. I have used both these units and the mission critical channels have always been with dedicated external microphone pres as the front end. The onboard preamps would be used for less critical channels and only if needed. In fact the Symphony had no pres on board, only 24 channels of ADDA. There was a shootout done a few years ago that included boxes by Merging, Apogee, Prism, Burl, Aurora, Mytek, Weiss. That was an interesting blind test in which every flavour of conversion could be evaluated. Anyway, just my opinion and thank you for taking the time to make the video.

This is so weird.. my father's name is Andrew, and my mother's maden name is Erin Currie, but these aren't my parents lol

I bet my setup beats both those interfaces.

I believe you dont really need a $10,000 interface you just need a decent interface around $2,000 -$3,000 but you use the the Lynx Hilo as the final converter to master out your song and you should be good.

There is a significant difference in sound quality between the standard version and the SE version of the Apogee.

Might i ask which Module your using in the symphony ? is this the new 16x16 se module ? I have a symphony mk2 on the way so just a bit curious. I rather the marging in this example.

Did you use the Apogee MKII standard or Special Edition? Because they're different.

What would be more interesting is if a cheap focusrite scarlet was compared as well.

Is this the Special Edition (SE) Apogee Symphony mkII ? ... Or is it the non-SE version (the old mkII converters)

Great Performance/Great Recording⭐️👌🏾

How does the symphony mkii compare to the converters on the Anubis pro?

Whenever I see a so called audio engineer sitting in a high backed chair it immediately indicates incompetence, if I have to explain why? You are beyond clueless, good luck

Thanks for the shoot-out. I probably attended too many concerts in my youth, but I don't hear much difference. They both sound great. Although I did hear some preamp hiss which I don't really care for. Lovely song as well. Thank you for sharing.

Why there is more high end "hiss" on the Merging?

hhhmm both interfaces sound great for sure...cant say either would be a bad choice at all...I can hear a little more hi end with Merging, but the Apogee sounds more natural especially for the song you guys recorded...sounds like it has more warmth and depth...not that the Merging lacks warmth but I feel like Apogee just nailed it spot on for recording acoustic instruments. The end result sounds great for both but tbh...for me to really get a real gauge would be to hear them inside the room you're actually mixing in and see how true the mix transferred from what I'm hearing in the room to what Im hearing from where I am now. if that makes sense to anyone.

This is great thanks for doing this. Merging has more clarity for sure. The Symphony sounds more pleasing, I really like the color. I do pop and hip hop and I think it works better for that. Overall I would choose the Symphony. I can't afford either of these lol but I just did a comparison of 4 top Desktop interfaces on my channel if you care to check it out.

I work at Sweetwater and have personally tested every great converter company. Merging, Apogee, Avid, Dangerous, SPL, Burl, RME, Lynx and the Merging was clear winner on tracking and playback. This demo echoes that result in my ears. By the way, for the money RME conversion is one of the very best you can get. All of these brands sound excellent and different. SPL was a very strong mastering DAC

Prism is above symphony.. weird that you didn’t compare that at all, not a gripe just a weird thing to leave out

Apogee Symphony = BEST !!! Thank you very much for such an important test! (and 96 kHz) !!!

I'm preferring the merging here, though I have an MT48 (Anubis) and I find it has an unnatural extension in the highs that wasn't there before...esp audible on loopback. And bass impact is degraded. Wonder how diff the Horus and Anubis are.

There’s no question that Merging as a converter beats the Symphony every day all night long🤣 But the pre side I would use something else for different tasks. Its known for the conversion - not for the pres😘

Merging easily the winner for me

Apogee is more 3D

The symphony is nauseating. Merging for the win

I love apogee conversion and have made dozens of records on rosetta, duet, ad16x and symphony. I gotta say though, that merging converter really sounds like it gets out of the way. Wow. Well done. And great song!

Merging wins big time. No need more than 30 sec of sound demo. Why not to Rec in high sample rates like DXD or DSD and use way BETTER daw like Pyramix... I'm sure you'll learn a lot than this example.

Maybe a null test just for fun? 🙂

Great video! Also had a Symphony, and how am all Merging. This highlights the differences very well. Mainly that Apogee has that sort of appealing grain that you can never get rid of, and it just compounds on itself the more tracks you add. Merging is the 1st converter that doesn't have that in any way shape or form, and it took a while to get used to. The good news is you can add it back in with post processing VERY easily if you want, but never the other way around. Once I got used to the sound I bailed on external pres as well, the internal ones give so much flexibility with post processing. The other thing that is so amazing is the expandability of network. I started with an Anubis, added a Hapi and just added a Neumann MT48. They can all be wired up 100s of feet away with just a network cable, no patchbays or snakes needed. And the Anubis and MT48 don't even need power cables! (powered by the network switch). I'm guessing you went with the ADA8S cards?

Time to get serious with the Greek statue hairdo

I went with the Apogee for my studio. I was curious about the Burl but I needed 32x32 and the price was prohibitive. I wanted something that didn’t feel like it was limiting my 5088 console. Everything gets installed next month so I haven’t had a chance to hear them yet, but I appreciate this video because it gives me a sense of how things will sound as we seem to have pretty similar setups. Thanks for making the this.

For me Apogee Symphony is the clear winner because of the clarity in the higher registers and openness of the stereo field,

No Prism :(

Okay, what's the clock you used in comparison? Also have you tried to clock Horus with Symphony and the other way around?

Not a fan of the ribbon mic. I have Apogee Symphony. But the comparison shows that the Horus has a more open top and the bottom is not nearly as muddled. You've made me a believer. I'll have to visit the studio one day. Great song and video too!

Symphony sounds cleaner, the other lower end pops more.

96 kHz is too low a sampling rate... switching power supply is a disgrace and digital disaster in both machines. maybe the opamps are different between the two machines... did they use the specific opam for maximum definition sampling developed by TI? the last stage in front of the balanced input of the ADC chip should be an opam with 180 MHz... had it been installed or not? did it cost too much? Both machines have exactly the same ADC chips (in this case too underused) for a more coherent impulse response you should record at 32 bit 384 kHz and multiples. Furthermore, the DAWs always have pre-listening playback quality. for a state-of-the-art analog master the DAW should be exported into a multi-channel file and converted to 1 bit native (DSD) with SRC/DSP settings that are extremely more severe than those performed in real time by the firmware inside the DAC chip. The machine performing the playback must be extremely low noise for minimal stream corruption. Minimal Operating System for liquid playback with Real Time Linux Kernel.

DAD should be in the comparison. It handsomely beats the Symphony, but I am less sure about the Merging. I think it is maybe slightly better than the Merging.

The Horus sucks compared to symphony, most of you don’t produce songs or bands. Horus actually great for actual symphony lol but not so much for practical production. If I had both my application would be Horus for sound design, one instrument one vocalist setup, and maybe give it some mastering trials because the extra information could be useful and not distracting. Symphony everything else probably. Great video by the way. Thanks.

Symphony sounds like it has some phase issues..

merging is more centred and allows the music to express itself naturally Symphony has more stereo and lows and highs which doesn't help to focus on the music but more on the sound. very interesting .

This is video is very well done and helpful. I had apogee for up to 10 years, and last year i ve bought the horus. Its night and day. The horus is the best converter in the world, no comparison. The difference is huge between the both, the horus system is a bit complicated, but is worth it.

The symphony seems louder and noisier in every comparison. I’m going to guess there was something in the setup of the test that was adding noise and not the conversion. The louder part is just not volume matching.

What is your opinion? Which interface better ?) thanks!

Most extreme A/B from the ribbon for me. Symphony is a great sound but the merging is significantly more open. Thanks for putting this together. The song is great too :) I’ve noticed that Eric Valentine shoots things out in short loops reason being a lot can change as a song evolves. A 1 bar loop allows the brain to really reflect on the changes. Might be a cool addendum video since you’ve already done the hard work now.

Really apreciate this shootout, thank you Song is also sweet

See you’ve got a pair of Tesla EVs 🤘🏻respect!

Mmmm interfaces

The handsome boy on guitar in the green shirt is my grandson Ben Bowers III

Omg so cute