Come on UAD, where are the new Apollo's!?
- Thread starter bugscoe
- Start date
bugscoe
Active Member
Steve Jobs said, "A lot of times, people don't know what they want until you show it to them."
kcatthedog2
Active Member
The headphone amps could be improved .
Playtimer
Established Member
That's textbook marketing 101
Alexxon
Established Member
If they would enhance their DSP chip I'll immediately buy more than one UAD Satellites. It's just now they are using the same technology 10 years ago. It's stable and reliable indeed, but don't you think we need some performance boost to fits in modern efficiency...? Apollos are good enough now but I'd still love to see the next generation(and they'll take my money again lmao
easyrider
Venerated Member
kcatthedog2
Active Member
Clbraddock
Established Member
I don’t think dsp chips have evolved the was cpus have. I think you would see some performance gains between 2008 and 2024, but nothing even slightly close to the increase in power cpus have had in that time.
To get those performance gains though, I don’t think you could just drop a new dsp chip in and go along with your day. The code would have to be reworked. If UA is going to go to the trouble of reworking the code, then might as well just rework it for native. (At least that seems to be the thought process)
Sharcs are still being used by other manufacturers besides UA. Pretty sure (but not positive) they are in HDX and carbon interfaces.
So, I don’t think replacing the current sharcs with newer dsp chips is very likely. MAYBE they could switch to an ARM cpu (not sure how porting the Apple silicon code to that would work or not), but none of the UAD2 plugins would work on it. Everything would have to be recoded.
To get those performance gains though, I don’t think you could just drop a new dsp chip in and go along with your day. The code would have to be reworked. If UA is going to go to the trouble of reworking the code, then might as well just rework it for native. (At least that seems to be the thought process)
Sharcs are still being used by other manufacturers besides UA. Pretty sure (but not positive) they are in HDX and carbon interfaces.
So, I don’t think replacing the current sharcs with newer dsp chips is very likely. MAYBE they could switch to an ARM cpu (not sure how porting the Apple silicon code to that would work or not), but none of the UAD2 plugins would work on it. Everything would have to be recoded.
kcatthedog2
Active Member
Valid points , but which gen of sharc chips, ones from so long ago.
There are current higher performance sharc chips but my understanding is that utilizing them requires a redesign of the card and software.
Seens to me there are two choices, either drop the price of the current cards a lot 50-75% or start using current dsp chips.
Running older classic hardware is one thing, running the older cards just seems complacent at best?
There are current higher performance sharc chips but my understanding is that utilizing them requires a redesign of the card and software.
Seens to me there are two choices, either drop the price of the current cards a lot 50-75% or start using current dsp chips.
Running older classic hardware is one thing, running the older cards just seems complacent at best?
Alexxon
Established Member
Hope there be some breakthrough so we all benefit from it
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kcatthedog2
Active Member
And so an even older design, how excited do you really get with 15-20 year old tech?
i get the it ain’t broke argument but only, what about 20% of UA plugs are native so uad2 users are a somewhat captive audience, has UA really been addressing their processing needs relative to the market, by not updating the dsp cards and system?
i get the it ain’t broke argument but only, what about 20% of UA plugs are native so uad2 users are a somewhat captive audience, has UA really been addressing their processing needs relative to the market, by not updating the dsp cards and system?
Neotrope
Hall of Fame Member
most of us do just fine with our UAD systems and are busy making music vs waiting for the bigger better deal
gotmerocking
Member
In my view, a psychological factor also plays a role here. The X generation certainly offers everything you need for production, but do I want to spend that kind of money on a new X16 (and its „dated“ chips) when it has been on the market for several years and we can see clear that something has changed with the native porting at UA? I'd rather buy it "used" and save a lot of money if I need something from the X-Line now for production reasons.
I think there are reasons why Apollos are offered with additional accessories (Sphere Mics, Satalities) from time to time. You wouldn't have to do that if the demand was high enough alone on Apollos. But I have no concrete insight or technical understanding of what or why has not yet developed the Apollo series further. I am very pleased with my Twin X and X6, came back from Avid Carbon and would love to see new Apollos and get them in a heartbeat.
Maybe they are at an impasse and it will take a while until there are enough native plugins to open up a new era. Maybe they are already developing a new DSP-format while porting UAD2 to native in the background.
And I think there is room for improvement, as some have already mentioned here.
Whether it has to be the converters...(hard to believe that this would be the main selling point for a new Apollo line)
Room Correction like Audient is currently doing in co-operation with Sonarworks or an own UA variant is in my opinion a missing link in UA-Unisverse. (But please don't forget that option for the headphone outputs)
Dante/MADI would be great for at least 32io per device (preferably as an optional card)
Last but not least, console update for bus routing and hardware fader controller (possibly also iPad) without using limited 3rd party options. Orientated to the SSL 360 would be nice.
I know - Luna has all this and it's great what has been created in such a short time, but I don't think you should ignore all the other DAW users who would like to use Console as a front-end.
I think there are reasons why Apollos are offered with additional accessories (Sphere Mics, Satalities) from time to time. You wouldn't have to do that if the demand was high enough alone on Apollos. But I have no concrete insight or technical understanding of what or why has not yet developed the Apollo series further. I am very pleased with my Twin X and X6, came back from Avid Carbon and would love to see new Apollos and get them in a heartbeat.
Maybe they are at an impasse and it will take a while until there are enough native plugins to open up a new era. Maybe they are already developing a new DSP-format while porting UAD2 to native in the background.
And I think there is room for improvement, as some have already mentioned here.
Whether it has to be the converters...(hard to believe that this would be the main selling point for a new Apollo line)
Room Correction like Audient is currently doing in co-operation with Sonarworks or an own UA variant is in my opinion a missing link in UA-Unisverse. (But please don't forget that option for the headphone outputs)
Dante/MADI would be great for at least 32io per device (preferably as an optional card)
Last but not least, console update for bus routing and hardware fader controller (possibly also iPad) without using limited 3rd party options. Orientated to the SSL 360 would be nice.
I know - Luna has all this and it's great what has been created in such a short time, but I don't think you should ignore all the other DAW users who would like to use Console as a front-end.
kcatthedog2
Active Member
Nice, as I said above I get the ain’t broke argument, but the op was was asking about new Apollos and possible changes, running a 15-20 year old dsp system and continuing to pay a premium for that, seems to me something that should be addressed, especially now as uadX grows.
Apple have to be the worst example of churn. Where people upgrade their phone for absolutely no reason, just because the manufacturer has persuaded them owning the two year old phone is uncool. It makes money for Apple but it's terrible for the planet.
I am running a five-year old Apollo and have absolutely no need to update it.
bugscoe
Active Member
Bingo!
I currently do not own an Apollo. I had to upgrade my Mac which forced me to ditch my old MOTU interfaces. I could easily buy a new Apollo and carry on but if I’m going to spend over $2000. I would prefer it be spent a new line of Apollo’s rather than see that happen after I buy into their old line.
Also, the current line wasn’t just released last year so I’m guessing and hoping UA is close to putting out a new release.