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Apogee Digital Element 88 Thunderbolt Audio Interface  From Apogee

Element 88 offers the best sound quality of any 8 IN x 8 OUT audio interface under $1,500. Ideal for the producer, engineer or musician, Element 88 gives you all the I/O you need to record drums or a full band.

Apogee Digital

What We Think

Apogee is always at the forefront when it comes to sleek user interface aesthetics, and now they've taken it even further. Their new Element line is a foray into what could be a new world of interfaces, ones that are controlled completely from a mixing software! This is actually a pretty great idea: by taking all the controls off of the physical box, they are able to focus on offering their high-quality preamps and converters a very friendly price previously unseen. Whether you're using the Element as the mainframe of your recording system, or as a daisy-chainable expansion unit for more recording channels, you'll be getting Apogee's world-class sonic performance without paying for additional controls you don't need.

Manufacturer's Description from Apogee

The Elements of Excellent Audio

Apogee is recognized by the professional audio industry as an innovator that sets the sound-quality standard in digital recording. Symphony I/O Mk II and Ensemble Thunderbolt are Apogee’s most recent flagship products.The essentials of excellent audio recording technology that make Ensemble Thunderbolt superior are embodied in the Element series. From the AD & DA conversion circuitry to the mic preamps and the clocking, each Element is designed to deliver legendary Apogee sound quality. An essential part of bringing this sound quality to and from your Mac is the interface connectivity. The Element series uses Apogee’s rock solid Thunderbolt driver for 1.41ms round-trip latency when using Logic Pro X. As an added element, the series also features Apogee Groove’s headphone output technology. This design dynamically optimizes sound quality for a wide variety of headphones, regardless of their impedance. you have connected.

Control the Elements

Apogee is also regarded as the company that revolutionized the audio interface user experience. Products like Duet and Ensemble Firewire created new categories in the home studio recording market and have been often imitated by other manufacturers seeking to capitalize on Apogee’s design success. Element evolves Apogee’s user interface approach again by offering broader more customizable options that extend beyond the physical hardware. The highly configurable Element Control software for Mac lets users set up workflows that meet their needs and the Element Control for iOS App lets them control the Elements remotely over wifi. Logic Pro X users can adjust Element I/O settings directly from their Logic Channel strips. And for those wanting more traditional desktop control, there’s the optional Apogee Control hardware, featuring a Duet like form-factor with 8 assignable buttons and a master control knob. Regardless which of these options you prefer, if you are using an Element, everything is under control.

“The Element Series delivers incredible performance at outstanding prices,” says Betty Bennett, Co-founder and CEO of Apogee. “The streamlined physical hardware takes a very direct approach, allowing us to maximize the components that are most important to sound quality. In addition, the Element Control ecosystem takes the audio interface user experience a step forward while giving customers more options. We feel the Element Series is transformative and we know our customers will be amazed by the quality and delighted with the value.”

 

 ♦ Sound quality equal to Apogee Ensemble Thunderbolt

 ♦ AD/DA conversion for recording up to 192kHz/24-bit

 ♦ World-class mic preamps built-in, with selectable 48v phantom power

 ♦ Single port Thunderbolt connectivity to Mac for ultra-low latency performance

             ○ 1.41ms round-trip at 96kHz with a 32 buffer setting

 ♦ New Element Control Software for Mac provides all control of hardware parameters including input gain, output level and low latency monitoring

 ♦ New Element Control Mobile App provides wireless remote control of hardware via iPhone, iPad or iPod touch

 ♦ Works with Apogee Control – Desktop hardware remote control accessory (Sold separately)

 ♦ Multi-Unit Thunderbolt support – Connect any two Element audio I/O boxes directly to Thunderbolt ports on your computer

 

Apogee Digital

About Manufacturer

Apogee was founded in 1985 and initially made its name designing filters. Later, Apogee's complete conversion systems pushed the envelope of digital audio quality and solved many of the early problems with digital audio technology. Apogee converters have become regarded as the reference standard for digital audio conversion. Products such as the award-winning Rosetta 800, AD16x and DA16x  have become the modern benchmark by which digital audio conversion is judged. A new generation of Apogee products including the revolutionary Symphony I/O, with its modular design and flexible connectivity,  promise to extend the Apogee legacy and further advance the art of digital audio.

Specifications

16 IN x 16 OUT Thunderbolt Audio I/O box

AD/DA conversion for recording up to 192kHz/24-bit

8 analog inputs with world-class mic preamps and selectable 48v phantom power for connecting microphones, instruments or line-level devices

○ 4 combination inputs

○ 4 XLR inputs

8 analog outputs

○ 2 balanced L/R XLR outputs

○ 2 balanced 1/4” outputs

○ 2 1/4” stereo headphone outputs

Single port Thunderbolt connectivity to Mac for ultra-low latency performance

○ 1.41ms round-trip at 96kHz with a 32 buffer setting

Optical IN: Supports ADAT, SMUX & S/PDIF

○ ADAT: 8 channels 44.1-48 kHz on 1 Toslink connectors

○ SMUX: 8 channels 88.2-96 kHz on 2 Toslink connectors

○ S/PDIF: 2 channels, up to 192 kHz on 1 Toslink connectors

Optical OUT: Supports ADAT, SMUX & S/PDIF

○ ADAT: 8 channels 44.1-48 kHz on 1 Toslink connectors

○ SMUX: 8 channels 88.2-96 kHz on 2 Toslink connectors

○ S/PDIF: 2 channels, up to 192 kHz on 1 Toslink connectors

Word Clock IN/OUT via BNC connections for syncing with other digital audio gear

Element Control Software for Mac provides all control of hardware parameters including input gain, output level and low latency monitoring

Element Control Mobile App provides wireless remote control of hardware via iPhone, iPad or iPod touch

Works with Apogee Control - Optional desktop hardware remote control (Sold separately) Multi-Unit Thunderbolt support - Connect any two Element audio I/O boxes directly to Thunderbolt ports on your computer

 

Downloads

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Name

Description

Quickstart Guide

Element Series Quickstart Guide

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