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Apollo x8p Hardware Manual

Thunderbolt 3 Audio Interface

www.uaudio.com

Manual Version 180828a

Summary of Contents for apollo x16

Page 1: ...Apollo x8p Hardware Manual Thunderbolt 3 Audio Interface www uaudio com Manual Version 180828a ...

Page 2: ...o X is designed to set new benchmarks in sonic performance Breakthrough fidelity is just the beginning however as Apollo X s onboard HEXA Core processing lets you power the full range of UAD plug ins including classic mic preamps EQs dynamics processors reverbs guitar amps and much more With more than 100 acclaimed UAD plug ins at your fingertips the sonic choices are limitless At UA we are dedica...

Page 3: ...ns 32 Installation Notes 32 Connection Notes 32 Typical Setup 34 Apollo Expanded Multi Unit Thunderbolt 3 Wiring 35 Software Setup 36 Specifications 37 Block Diagram 41 DB25 Wiring 42 Troubleshooting 43 Notices 44 Warranty 44 Repair Service 44 Maintenance 44 Important Safety Information 45 Technical Support 48 Universal Audio Knowledge Base 48 YouTube Support Channel 48 Universal Audio Community F...

Page 4: ...x8p features selectable operating level for compatibility with professional 24 dBu gear as well as integrated monitor controller features and a built in talkback mic Experience elite class A D and D A conversion nearing the widest dynamic range and lowest signal to noise available at any price Track and mix with powerful HEXA Core processing featuring 6 UAD DSP chips for running more award winning...

Page 5: ...nuine 1176 or Fairchild 670 tube compressor on drums your recordings will take a giant leap forward with a rich three dimensional analog sound that UAD plug ins provide Unison Technology The Genuine Sound of Neve API Manley Preamps Perfect for musicians engineers producers and sound designers Apollo x8p features eight Unison enabled mic preamps letting you track through exacting mic preamp emulati...

Page 6: ... up to 7 1 Apollo x8p is a boon for engineers and producers working on audio and music for video games television and the web In addition Apollo x8p offers selectable 24 dBu operation for out of the box compatibility with professional mixing consoles and other high end pro audio equipment Build a Networked Studio System Over Thunderbolt Apollo x8p offers 18 x 22 simultaneous inputs outputs 8 x 8 a...

Page 7: ... for additional mixing horsepower for Pro Tools Logic Cubase Ableton and other major DAWs Combine up to 4 Thunderbolt equipped Apollos and 6 total UAD devices backward compatible with Thunderbolt 1 and 2 via optional adapter Selectable 24 dBu operation for easy compatibility with professional mixing consoles and tape machines Convenient front panel monitoring functions including Alt Speakers Talkb...

Page 8: ... and software control of all preamp parameters Switchable low cut filter 48V phantom power pad polarity inversion and stereo linking Monitoring Stereo monitor outputs independent of the eight line outputs Front panel control of monitor levels and muting Two stereo headphone outputs with independent mix buses Independent front panel volume controls for headphone outputs Front panel pre fader meteri...

Page 9: ... Virtual I O for routing DAW tracks through Console Console Recall plug in Saves Console configurations inside DAW sessions for easy recall Convenient access to Console s monitor controls via DAW plug in VST RTAS AAX 64 and Audio Units plug in formats UAD Meter Control Panel application Configures global UAD settings and monitors system usage Other Easy firmware updates 1U rack mountable form fact...

Page 10: ...ndow and Console Recall plug in Refer to the Apollo Software Manual to learn how to operate the software tools and integrate Apollo s functionality into the DAW environment Note Each Apollo connection protocol Thunderbolt FireWire USB has a unique software manual UAD System Manual The UAD System Manual is the complete operation manual for Apollo s UAD 2 functionality and applies to the entire UAD ...

Page 11: ...r Control Panel application Manuals are also available online at help uaudio com Host DAW Documentation Each host DAW software application has its own particular methods for configuring and using audio interfaces and plug ins Refer to the host DAW s documentation for specific instructions about using audio interface and plug in features within the DAW Additional Resources For additional resources ...

Page 12: ...ower supply is properly connected to the AC outlet and the power input on the rear of the unit and the Power switch 27 is in the up position 2 Talkback Microphone The built in talkback mic is located inside of this hole The talkback function is configured and operated in the included Console software application Caution The talkback microphone is sensitive To avoid equipment damage do not insert a...

Page 13: ...ct Knob This rotary encoder with integrated switch has three functions Rotate Rotating the knob adjusts the preamp gain for the selected input channel Press Pressing the knob selects which preamp channel 1 8 is adjusted by the front panel preamp controls Press Hold When a Unison plug in is active in the channel s dedicated Unison insert within the Console application pressing and holding the knob ...

Page 14: ... Channel Select Pressing the PREAMP knob changes the currently selected preamp channel which determines which input 1 8 is adjusted by the front panel preamp controls A preamp channel is selected for adjustment when its Channel Select Indicator 13 is illuminated Each time the knob is pressed the selected preamp channel increments to the next preamp channel If stereo linking is active the stereo pa...

Page 15: ...e the PREAMP knob clockwise increase gain Green variable The preamp is in default operating mode with variable gain Green fixed at maximum LINE is selected for the channel 6 and LINE INPUT GAIN is set to BYPASS in the Hardware panel within the Console Settings window Orange A UAD Unison plug in is active in Console s dedicated Unison insert for the channel and the PREAMP knob adjusts the first gai...

Page 16: ...ower 48V When enabled 48 volts of phantom power is supplied at the channel s rear panel XLR input Most modern condenser microphones require 48V phantom power to operate This option can only be activated when the Mic Line input switch 6 is set to Mic Caution To avoid potential equipment damage disable 48V phantom power on the channel before connecting or disconnecting its XLR input Depending on the...

Page 17: ...Console Settings window White LINE INPUT GAIN is ON The line input is routed through the preamp so the input gain can be adjusted Green LINE INPUT GAIN is OFF The preamp circuitry is bypassed and the line input is fixed at a reference level of 4 dBu Note that Unison cannot be active on a channel when its LINE INPUT GAIN is OFF Unison Input Indicators The U1 indicator is lit when a Unison UAD plug ...

Page 18: ...own by the METER indicators 17 The dB values of the meter LEDs are indicated between the meters for channels 4 and 5 When digital clipping occurs in input when 0 dBFS is exceeded the red C clip LED illuminates Input Channel Meters When set to INPUT the channel meters display the signal peak input levels for analog channels 1 8 at the input to the A D converters Avoid digital clipping at the channe...

Page 19: ...ternal Clock Apollo x8p can use an external digital clock source from the Word Clock or optical TOSLINK S PDIF and ADAT inputs The EXT indicator has two possible states White When set to external clock and a valid clock signal is detected at the specified port the EXT indicator is illuminated white and Apollo x8p is synchronized to the external clock source Red When set to external clock and a val...

Page 20: ...the signal peak output levels of the rear panel Left Right Monitor outputs at the output of the D A converters These meters are before the Monitor Level control pre fader and reflect the D A converter levels regardless of the current Monitor Level and Headphone Level knob settings The dB values of the monitor meter LEDs are indicated between the left and right channel meters When digital clipping ...

Page 21: ...ee the Apollo Software Manual for details The amber LED within the switch flashes when the monitoring function is active The function is toggled with the switch is pressed again The available functions are ALT 2 Selects the ALT 2 monitor speakers The monitor signals are routed to outputs 3 4 instead of the main monitor outputs and the Monitor Level Indicator ring 24 is amber instead of green when ...

Page 22: ...e the headphone outputs 24 Monitor Level Monitor State Indicator Tip The Monitor Level and Monitor State indications are reflected in the Monitor column within the Console application Monitor Output Level Indicator The relative signal level at the rear panel monitor outputs and ALT monitor outputs if configured is indicated by the illuminated ring surrounding the Monitor Level knob This indicator ...

Page 23: ...nitor outputs When mirroring the monitor outputs the headphone outputs are unaffected by Monitor Mute 23 to facilitate recording tracking with headphones while the monitor speakers are muted Unique mixes can be created for each headphone output using the CUE functions within Console or by assigning mix buses from a DAW to the headphone outputs via the device drivers 27 Power Switch This switch app...

Page 24: ...ate risk of circuit damage connect only the factory supplied power supply Use the Power switch on the front panel to power the unit on and off Important Do not disconnect the power supply while Apollo x8p is in use and confirm the Power switch is in the off position before connecting or disconnecting the power supply MONITOR R L POWER IN 12VDC 9 0A WORD CLOCK 75 Ω TERM LINE OUT 1 8 ALT SURROUND LI...

Page 25: ...n one ADAT port At higher sample rates industry standard S MUX is used to maintain high resolution transfers Important To utilize all eight channels with the optical ports at sample rates of 88 2 kHz and above ADAT ports 1 2 must both be connected to the other device and the other device must also support the ADAT S MUX protocol The following behaviors apply to the ADAT ports At sample rates of 44...

Page 26: ...itch This switch provides internal 75 ohm word clock input signal termination when required Word clock termination is active when the switch is engaged depressed Apollo x8p s termination switch should only be engaged when Apollo x8p is set to sync to external word clock and it is the last device at the receiving end of a word clock cable For example if Apollo x8p is the last slave unit at the end ...

Page 27: ...ddle of a word clock chain is to use a T connector at Apollo x8p s word clock input and leave Apollo x8p s word clock output unconnected the Termination switch should not be engaged in this scenario 32 Thunderbolt 3 Ports Apollo x8p has two Thunderbolt 3 ports One port is used to connect Apollo x8p to a Thunderbolt 3 port on the host computer Thunderbolt 3 peripheral devices may be serially connec...

Page 28: ...ngs window See the Apollo Software Manual for details The Monitor Outputs are completely independent and separately addressable from the eight Line Outputs except when ALT monitoring is configured By default these outputs are labeled MON L and MON R in Apollo s device drivers In the DAW the 1 2 or L R or Main outputs are routed to these outputs these labels vary within each particular DAW Tip The ...

Page 29: ...analog tape machines and similar devices that require higher signal levels For additional details about 24 dBu operation see the Apollo Software Manual Line Output Reference Levels The Line Outputs can be configured in adjacent pairs to use either 10 dBV or 4 dBu reference levels This function is configured in the Hardware panel within the Console Settings window See the Apollo Software Manual for...

Page 30: ... 65 dB of gain DB25 Input Gain Line inputs 1 8 can be individually routed into the channel s preamplifier for variable gain adjustments or the preamp circuitry can be completely bypassed for the purest path directly into the A D converter This option is set with the LINE INPUT GAIN menu in the Hardware panel within the Console Settings window By default line inputs 1 8 are routed into the preamp W...

Page 31: ...connector including Hi Z input must not be connected 36 Mic Line Combo Inputs 1 8 XLR plugs are routed to the channel s microphone input and TRS plugs are routed to the channel s line input Combo jack inputs 1 8 are switched between the XLR and Line connections using the front panel Input switch 6 or the Console application XLR Mic Inputs 1 8 The combo jack balanced Microphone inputs accept XLR pl...

Page 32: ...phones from ears before powering Apollo x8p on or off Connection Notes Thunderbolt Apollo X must be connected via a Thunderbolt 3 cable not included to computers that have Thunderbolt 3 ports Connect only one Thunderbolt 3 cable between Apollo X and the host computer Thunderbolt is a bidirectional protocol Apollo X cannot be bus powered via Thunderbolt The included external power supply must be us...

Page 33: ...USB C is simply a connector type it doesn t determine the type of data used by the connector For example USB C connections can be used for Thunderbolt 3 USB 3 1 and other data protocols so USB C connections are not always interchangeable Does your USB C connector support Thunderbolt 3 To determine if a USB C port or cable connector supports Thunderbolt 3 look for the Thunderbolt icon The Thunderbo...

Page 34: ... POWER OFF HP 1 HP 2 S PDIF ADAT S MUX POWER IN 12VDC 9 0A WORD CLOCK 3 5 6 4 2 1 MONITOR R L 4 6 2 1 3 5 1 2 75 Ω TERM OUTPUT ALT SURROUND 7 LINE INPUT 8 7 4 3 MIC INPUT UNIVERSAL AUDIO INC MONITOR R L POWER IN 12VDC 9 0A WORD CLOCK 75 Ω TERM LINE OUT 1 8 ALT SURROUND LINE IN 1 8 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 MIC LINE INPUT ADAT S MUX UNIVERSAL AUDIO INC Thunderbolt 3 Computer Mic Mic Monitor Speakers Stereo K...

Page 35: ...ollo units and six UAD devices total can be combined within the same system The computer and all Apollo UAD units must be connected to the same Thunderbolt bus Apollo X series units with Thunderbolt 3 can be mixed with older Apollo units with Thunderbolt 2 by using compatible Thunderbolt 3 to Thunderbolt 2 adapters Note On Mac systems only Apollo X can be connected to Thunderbolt 1 and Thunderbolt...

Page 36: ... register Note For optimum results connect and power on Apollo X before installing the software Latest Software To obtain the latest UAD installer after initial registration visit www uaudio com downloads System Configuration Complete details about setting up the Apollo X system including how to integrate with a DAW and related information are included in the Apollo Software Manual Console Applica...

Page 37: ...tor outputs Analog Monitor Outputs DC coupled Two one stereo pair Headphone Outputs Two stereo Digital Input Ports TOSLINK optical Two ADAT or S PDIF selectable Digital Output Ports TOSLINK optical Two ADAT or S PDIF selectable Thunderbolt 3 Ports Two Word Clock One input one output A D D A Conversion Simultaneous A D conversion Eight channels Simultaneous D A conversion 14 channels Supported Samp...

Page 38: ...ponse 20 Hz 20 kHz 0 04 dB Dynamic Range 123 dB A weighted Total Harmonic Distortion Noise Ratio 1 kHz 23 dBu 113 dB 0 00022 Maximum Input Level 24 dBu Input Impedance 10K Ohms Gain Range 10 dB to 65 dB Connector Type 8 Female TRS Balanced Combo XLR TRS 1 Female DB25 Tascam wiring Normalled Line Outputs 1 8 Frequency Response 20 Hz 20 kHz 0 07 dB Dynamic Range 127 dB A weighted Total Harmonic Dist...

Page 39: ...h S MUX Supported Sample Rates kHz 44 1 48 88 2 96 176 4 192 Channel Assignments 44 1 kHz 48 kHz Port 1 Channels 1 8 Port 2 1 8 mirrored Channel Assignments 88 2 kHz 96 kHz Port 1 Channels 1 4 Port 2 Channels 5 8 Channel Assignments 176 4 kHz 192 kHz Port 1 Channels 1 2 Port 2 Channels 3 4 Word Clock Connector Type BNC Lock Range 4 of any supported sample rate Word Clock Input Termination 75 Ohms ...

Page 40: ...º to 104º F 0º to 40º C MECHANICAL Dimensions Width 19 in 48 26 cm Height 1U rack space 1 75 in 4 45 cm Depth Chassis Only 12 125 in 30 80 cm Depth Including Knob Jack Protrusions 13 5 in 34 29 cm Shipping Box Width x Depth x Height 23 5 in x 17 in x 7 5 in 59 69 cm x 43 18 cm x 19 05 cm Weight Shipping Weight with box accessories USA 16 6 lbs 7 52 kg EU UK 16 9 lbs 7 64 kg Weight bare unit 9 lbs ...

Page 41: ... XLR FEMALE LINE IN 1 4 TRS MIC LINE SELECT 48V D A 4dBu 10dBV SELECT PAD LINE OUT MONITOR OUT 1 4 TRS WORD CLOCK I O WC TERM ON OFF 75 Ω BNC BNC Unison IMPEDANCE SWITCHING HI Z Unison IMPEDANCE SWITCHING MIC Pad Works on Stereo Pairs DB25 Inputs are Normalled Through Line In TRS Jacks PGA BYPASS PGA PGA PGA BYPASS Unison IMPEDANCE SWITCHING MIC S PDIF ADAT OUT THUNDERBOLT TM 3 PORTS PGA PROGRAMMA...

Page 42: ...the Apollo x8p rear panel pin 1 is the upper rightmost pin Apollo x8p female DB25 pin numbers DB25 Connector Wiring The signals carried on the female DB25 connector pins are listed in the table below Pinouts are identical for inputs and outputs Apollo x8p DB25 Connector Pinouts Pin Channel Signal Pin Channel Signal Pin Channel Signal 1 8 Hot 9 3 Cold 17 6 Cold 2 8 Ground 10 2 Hot 18 5 Hot 3 7 Cold...

Page 43: ...rol push PREAMP knob to select Preamp controls are not available for non preamp channels Can only adjust preamp input channels Signal levels for all non preamp inputs including digital inputs are adjusted at the device connected to those inputs Audio glitches and or dropouts during playback Increase audio buffer size setting Confirm clocking setups check cable connections and confirm all device cl...

Page 44: ...ervice If you are having trouble with Apollo X first check all system setups connections and operating instructions If that doesn t help contact our technical support team To learn about repair service or for technical support visit help uaudio com Maintenance CAUTION To reduce the risk of electric shock do not open the unit Apollo X does not contain a fuse or any other user replaceable parts The ...

Page 45: ...ent of the obsolete outlet 10 Protect the power cord from being walked on or pinched particularly at plugs conve nience receptacles and the point where they exit from the apparatus 11 Only use with attachments accessories specified by the manufacturer 12 Use only with the cart stand tripod bracket or table specified by the manufacturer or sold with the apparatus When a cart is used use the caution...

Page 46: ...t unless expressly approved by Universal Audio could void the User s authority to operate the equipment Canada Innovation Science and Economic Development Canada Interference Causing Equipment Standard ICES 003 Issue 6 dated January 2016 class A Japan VCCI CISOR 32 2016 Technical Requirements for multimedia equip ment class A EN 55022 2010 Information technology equipment Radio disturbance char ac...

Page 47: ... Series UAD 1 UAD 2 UAD 2 Satellite Powered Plug Ins 1176LN 1176SE Teletronix LA 2A LA 3A LA 610 LA 610MkII 2 1176 2 610 6176 710 Twin Finity 2192 4 710d Cambridge EQ DreamVerb Plate 140 Precision Limiter RealVerb Pro Precision Buss Compressor Precision De Esser Precision Maximizer and Analog Ears Digital Minds are among the trademarks trade names and service marks owned by UA that may appear on t...

Page 48: ...available elsewhere and more UA Knowledge Base YouTube Support Channel The Universal Audio Support Channel at youtube com includes helpful support videos for setting up and using UA products UA YouTube Support Channel Universal Audio Community Forums The unofficial UA discussion forums are a valuable resource for all Universal Audio product users This website is independently owned and operated ww...

Page 49: ...www uaudio com ...

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