Guide: UAD Apollo + Source Connect Standard 3.8 + Windows (and Zoom) + Mic

[brdly]

I had struggled with finding clear, succinct support to get my setup working properly. Special thanks to Frank Verderosa (hire him) for helping solve this puzzle.
This might not be succinct, but it works, and it doesn't involve messing with your core system settings.

What I'm connecting:

• UAD Apollo X6
• PC Win 11 Pro w/ a Thunderbolt slot (be sure you have one)
• Source Connect Standard 3.8
• Zoom (optional)

Software you'll need for this setup:

• UAD Console and drivers
• Source Connect (this guide is for Source Connect Standard 3.8 Win - but may also fix Source Connect Now for Win/Chrome)
• VoiceMeeter Potato X64 - it's free to use, donation encouraged

###

First - Get your standard setup assembled and test to be certain you're starting from a functional place. Be sure your UAD console is set up the way you want, that your mic is working, and that you're able to get a quality recording on whichever DAW you're using. If the mic doesn't work at the baseline, it won't work in the steps that follow.

Now is a really good time to be sure your Sample Rates match across your system - this caused issues early on when the rate was 44.1kHz in one place and 48 kHz in another.

Look at the bottom-left corner of your UAD Console Session to check that you've set your RATE where you want it (ala 44.1 or 48kHz).

Then, in Windows, press START+S and type Sound Settings, then select Input > Microphone and be sure you see the same rate in the Input settings section. Sorry for not including an image, I can only add five pics to a post.

###

Now that you're moving from a place where things work, download VoiceMeeter Potato (link above) and install it. You can use this for free, but if this solution works, consider that people who write applications also enjoy things like food and electricity.

When you start VM Potato, you must run the x64 version. Try doing so by pressing START+S and then typing Voicemeeter Potato X64
If that doesn't work, you can open a Windows File Explorer and go to Local Disk > Program Files (x86) > VB > Voicemeeter > voicemeter8x64.exe
Consider bookmarking it for future use.

###

Configuring Voicemeeter Potato Credit where it is due, I first learned this from Black Ghost Audio, but please note that his setup is incomplete for getting Source Connect 3.8 to work as it should. I will cover his steps and the additional steps necessary for this case. I'm limited on uploads in a post, so please use this diagram for the VMP section:

1. Open VM Potato and look at the top-left corner 1 to ensure you're running the x64 version. If you don't see "x64" up there, see the file path info above or check your installation.
2. Now click on A1 at the top 2 and select your ASIO: Universal Audio Thunderbolt as your input - If you do not see it, you may need to backtrack and be sure UAD is installed correctly.
3. Next, click on Menu at the top-right corner 3 and select System Settings / Options ...
4. Adjust your settings to match what's below - the key being in OUT A1 Main Device. Be sure your sample rate and buffer match your Win and UAD settings. Then set Patch ASIO inputs to IN 1 (1 on both since your mic is likely a mono signal). I have a second mic on my desk, so that goes to IN 2.
   
   
   (click to enlarge)
   
   
5. Close the System Settings window and return to the main VM Potato mixer. Next to the Hardware Input faders 5, turn everything off except B1 on each...AND
6. Under the Virtual Inputs fader 6 , turn on A1 and A2 on the left-most fader, and turn off all the others (this is the part where Frank saved the day)
7. Don't lose your work - Go back to Menu 3 and select Save Settings, then open Menu again and select Load Settings on Startup

If you've gotten this far, you are ready to proceed.

###

Install Source-Connect Standard - this whole guide is for Windows 3.8, and I sincerely hope that someday all these systems will love each other a little more and make this setup unnecessary.

Installing and setting up Source-Connect is its own whole deal and there are a LOT of guides out there for how to do it. Source Elements themselves provide excellent documentation on how to go through it but the biggest snag for most people is making sure the ports on your internet router are open. Before you proceed, you need to be sure SC is running properly and you see "port: open" below the receive meter in the SC interface. If you don't see that, nothing that follows will work.

###

Connect Source-Connect to UAD Apollo via Voicemeeter - the reason this is necessary is because SC won't connect to UAD directly, so you have to use Voicemeeter to translate. SC also doesn't allow you to set different interfaces for input/output, so VM has to translate both the in and out - that's why there's the extra step above.

By default, you will see multiple options for VM - but you want Voicemeeter Virtual ASIO.


(click to enlarge)

Once that's selected, change the settings below the ASIO Driver
input: VM-VAIO 1
output: VM-VAIO 1 and 2
sample rate: [the sample rate you've been using since the start]
channels: mono

Make a test connection via a mono echo channel that matches your sample rate, and good luck!


###

Bonus: Zoom, Discord, and Others

Now that you've got this set up, any program on your Windows machine that didn't previously see your UAD Apollo directly should also see VM-ASIO. Set your apps up so you can use your gear wherever you want.

I sincerely hope this might have saved you some time and anxiety. Good luck!

###

Update 4/25/25

• Updates to Voicemeeter may cause you to see several more input options. You need to cycle through them to find the correct one for the program you're using.
• Remember that any time you're using this setup, you MUST start Voicemeeter before any of the other apps. The only exception is the Apollo Console app.

 

[mmclenithan]

bless you. blood pressure back to normal. sooo many thanks!!!

 

[Shatners_Comma]

Thank you for this, it's worked masterfully for me over the past 18 months, on my old Apollo Twin USB.

Now, however, since upgrading to the x6, Zoom isn't recognizing the mic on VM-VAIO A1; the only input I can get audio from in Zoom is the Universal Audio Thunderbolt WDM, and it's very crackly. I've gone back, check settings for sample rates, etc., but while everything matches up and looks good, nothing is doing the trick.

I've got a directed session coming up (over Zoom) and I'd love for the director to not hear all the crackling.

Thanks in advance for any assistance! Cheers!

 

[brdly]

UPDATE:
Various updates for Win and others have created some different settings and options.
Mainly, VoiceMeeter shows up in software with many many in/out options. For Zoom, I set the mic input on "Voicemeeter Out B1 (VB-Audio Voicemeeter VAIO)" and it works just fine.

My settings for SourceConnect have not changed from the above, and it continues to work without issue.

^^ Shatners...comma
The crackling/underwater sound problem is why I started this journey. In my tests, that absolutely points to a mismatch of sampling rates. I can't see your system, so I can't know what it is precisely. If everything is matching up with the above, I'll make a guess, and this is something I should have added to the above post:

When you're starting up your system in preparation, you MUST start Voicemeeter before any other programs (Zoom, SourceConnect, etc). The only exception is the Console app for your Apollo.

If you start one of the other programs without Voicemeeter running, the system will treat the input/output like a missing device. The result at minimum is that it may not work. At worst, it might change your in/out settings, and you'll need to recheck them.