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Average Price: $435
Standard/Professional
$150
$501+
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Budget
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Description
The Universal Audio Apollo Twin is a powerhouse in the world of audio interfaces, designed to elevate your recording experience with unmatched clarity and versatility. Perfectly suited for both budding home studio enthusiasts and seasoned professionals, this compact yet formidable device brings studio-quality sound to your desktop. At its heart lies the UAD-2 DUO Core processing, a feature that allows you to run Universal Audio’s extensive library of UAD Powered Plug-Ins with ease, offering real-time analog emulation that captures the essence of classic gear.
The Apollo Twin’s Unison technology sets it apart, enabling you to recreate the tonal characteristics of legendary preamps with remarkable accuracy. This feature breathes life into your recordings, providing a warmth and depth that’s hard to match. With its seamless Thunderbolt connection, you’re guaranteed ultra-fast data transfer and low latency, ensuring that your workflow remains smooth and efficient.
Housed in a sleek and durable desktop design, the Apollo Twin is as intuitive as it is powerful. The interface integrates effortlessly with both Mac and Windows systems, offering a comprehensive suite of analog effects and plug-ins that cover all your creative needs. Whether you’re tracking vocals, guitars, or any other instrument, the Apollo Twin promises pristine audio fidelity and professional-grade results.
Key Features:
- UAD-2 DUO Core processing for real-time plug-in performance
- Unison technology for authentic preamp emulation
- 2x6 Thunderbolt audio interface with super-fast connectivity
- High-resolution audio conversion for superior sound quality
- Compact desktop design with intuitive controls
- Seamless compatibility with Mac and Windows platforms
Product specs
| Brand | Universal Audio |
| Model | Apollo Twin DUO Thunderbolt Audio Interface |
| Year | 2010s |
| Made In | United States |
| Categories | Audio Interfaces |
| Bit Depth | 24-bit |
| Bus-Powered | No |
| Compatibility | Windows, macOS |
| Computer Connectivity | Thunderbolt |
| Digital Input Format | ADAT/Optical |
| Electronics | Analog, Digital, Solid State |
| Format | Desktop Standalone |
| Number of Analog Inputs | 2 |
| Number of Analog Outputs | 4 |
| Number of Channels | 14 |
| Number of Digital Inputs | 8 |
| Number of Digital Outputs | 0 |
| Number of Headphone Outputs | 1 |
| Number of MIDI Inputs | 0 |
| Number of MIDI Outputs | 0 |
| Number of Mic Preamps | 2 |
| Sample Rate | 192 khz |
| Simultaneous I/O | 10 x 6 |
FAQs
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What connectivity options does the Universal Audio Apollo Twin offer?
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The Universal Audio Apollo Twin connects to your computer via Thunderbolt and features two analog inputs, four analog outputs, and an ADAT/Optical digital input for expanded I/O capabilities.
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Is the Universal Audio Apollo Twin compatible with both macOS and Windows?
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Yes, the Universal Audio Apollo Twin is compatible with both macOS and Windows operating systems, allowing seamless integration with various DAWs.
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Can I use the Universal Audio Apollo Twin for real-time recording with plugins?
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Yes, the Apollo Twin features onboard UAD DSP processing, enabling real-time recording and monitoring with UAD plugins with near-zero latency.
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Does the Universal Audio Apollo Twin require an external power source?
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Yes, the Apollo Twin is not bus-powered and requires an external power source for operation.
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How many mic preamps are included in the Universal Audio Apollo Twin?
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The Apollo Twin includes two high-quality mic preamps, providing excellent sound quality for recording vocals and instruments.
Videos
Universal Audio
UAD-2 Apollo Twin Getting Started Video
Reviews
PROS
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Solid build quality feels premium
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DSP feature enhances plugin performance, reducing CPU load
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Comes with high-quality UAD plugins; critical for productions
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Exceptional AD/DA converters for superior sound quality
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Preamps offer best-in-class audio clarity for home studios
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Integration with Luna DAW offers seamless recording experience
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Unison preamp technology delivers warm, deep, and fat synth sounds
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Easy setup and operation, enhancing workflow efficiency
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Enables studio-quality recording and mixing with minimal gear
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Portable despite requiring external power supply
CONS
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Requires external power supply, affecting portability
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Learning curve for channel strip plugins can be steep
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Dependency on hardware for plugin use may inconvenience some users
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Single-core version limits DSP plugin usage
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Plugins, though exceptional, come at a high cost
Owner Insights
We analyzed real musician discussions from forums and Reddit to find what players love, question, and tweak about Universal Audio Apollo Twin.
Build quality
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Users highlight the Apollo Twin's "big silky smooth knob" and ease of switching inputs/outputs as standout features for daily use.
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Features and functionality
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The Apollo Twin allows for monitoring with plugins at near-zero latency, which some users find crucial for live tracking.
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The Apollo Solo and Twin share identical internal components, ensuring consistent sound quality; differences lie in processing power and connectivity options.
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The Apollo Solo allows external preamps to be used by connecting to the jack of the combo inputs, bypassing the built-in pres.
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Comparisons
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RME Babyface Pro is often praised for low-latency performance and sound quality, especially if Unison technology isn't a priority.
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Apollo Twin offers additional line outs and ADAT connectivity for expanding input options, making it more suitable for recording real drums with multiple microphones.
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Software and compatibility
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Some users report macOS kernel panic issues when Apollo interfaces wake from sleep, suggesting sleep mode should be disabled.
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Apollo interfaces have been noted to cause issues when plugged into USB-C on Windows systems due to lack of native Thunderbolt support.
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The Solo can handle Neve preamp, auto-tune, and plate reverb plugins simultaneously, but requires careful DSP management due to its single DSP chip.
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User experience
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Owners switching from Scarlett Solo to Apollo Twin notice significant improvements in sound clarity and ease of mixing.
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Use cases and applications
Critic Reviews
5.0 out of 5
Based on 24 Reviews and 122 Ratings
88
Good plugins
Device is pretty to look at and feels like a solid brick of quality through and through. The thing i enjoy the most about it is actually the DSP part. The plugins sound way better than those i have tried from other companies emulating hardware. As goes for the GUI. One thing i discovered is that its very beneficial to create a separate folder in your DAW with the Universal Audio Plugins that you have actually purchased. Because even the demo versions of the plugins you have not purchased of their entire library will show up in your list over AUs/VSTs if you do not seperate them from each other. This might just be me, but i found it to be very distracting while getting to know what everything does when i first bought it.
Clumsy external power supply is another minus on an otherwise very portable device. I bought it for its quality but i keep it for the plugins which i have come to make a cornerstone of my productions. If it were not for them i would probably go for an interface with more I/O and/or firewire/usb/thunderbolt power supply.
When reading this, one thing should be remembered: the outboard equipment i use is mainly digital, i do not use a lot of microphones so chances are i am not the typical target group for the Apollo Twin.
278
Definition of Pro Home
great build, great features, best physical preamps of the whole "home studio recording bunch", UAD plugins are heaven sent, the ones bundled are above average, but the ones you buy are unique and one of kind, they are expensive though, but the ease of using this and recording, mixing is unprecedented.
Never buy the single core though, either this or the quad, as some of the best plugins are heavy on the DSP, and sometimes you will only be able to use two only at a time, which in most cases will be pre-amp and amp model, but combined with a good DAW, you can add whatever you need in there, and share the load between your PC CPU and the Apollo DSP, which works on so many levels, to give studio quality recording and absolutely stunning tones (marshal blues breaker 1962 is the best digital emulation of a tube amp i have heard. period)
I wish 3.5 Stars were an option...
It does everything I need, and more which is great, but I just don't love it. It seems slightly over-hyped. The UAD plugins are amazing and all, however, I hate being tethered down to a piece of hardware to use my plugins when I travel. It sounds really good, and has awesome conversion, and Preamps, but I feel like It's just not the interface for me when all is said and done.
52
It's a great interface but tricky for newcomers
Had since 2014 but just really started using it because of their new Luna DAW (which they say isn't a DAW) I'm a songwriter and the console and Logic Pro was just a little too tricky for me to ever get a good sound but with Luna it rocks.
214
326
Bought this after owning an Apogee duet and never looked back
I had a rack mount Rosetta 800 in my studio but when I moved out and downsized to a home rig I made the mistake of buying an Apogee Duet believing the reviewers that state they sound just like all Apogee gear. They don't. The Apollo however DOES sound like UA's more expensive gear. If you don't need multitrack recording (honestly who does nowadays?) don't get a duet. Get this!
41029
want
41029
I keep thinking of dropping the money on one of these rather than try to setup my whole homestudio (sold my 70s console anyway) in a house with a toddler running around.... the twin's worth it? I had some experience with the APogee duet in various version and was kinda underwhelmed, but this guy seems better.
99
yeah i'm in a home studio too, a good one but still a home studio. its powerfull, easy to take with you + the fact that its connected via a thunderbolt cable is very nice because its stable and it saves up an extra usb slot which is nice for extra gear since a macbook only has 2 slots (I use a usb hub to use all my gear though)
Artist usage
Add artist
In this photo of John Mayer's songwriting session, his audio interface can be seen to the left of his MacBook, a Universal Audio Apollo Twin. This was posted to his Instagram Dec 2014. Mayer captioned the photo, "Morning songwriting session. Heart on full."
In the third episode of ''Being Like Mike'', the items he use can be seen at (2:34), (7:51) and (8:20).
In this video posted by Mix with the Masters, you can the UAD interface in the top right. At the timecode 0:15.
At the right to this image, and next to the MIDI Keyboard Controller, we can clearly see that an Apollo Twin Audio Interface is being used for the Studio Setup of Showtek, as it shows this Twitter image, recently uploaded on 16th January, 2017
Album Usage
The Universal Audio Apollo Twin has been featured on the following albums:
I Love My Computer
Ninajirachi (2025)
Promises
Neon Vines (2025)
King tonka
Yeat (2024)
GO AGAIN (feat. Superheaven)
Yeat (2024)
VOID
Melanie Martinez (2023)
bigger thën everything
Yeat (2023)
Knock on the Orange Door
Amber Navran (2023)
Paintings of Me
Gabi DeMartino (2022)
Time to Melt
Sam Evian (2021)
Order In Decline
Sum 41 (2019)
The Search
NF (2019)
Head Over Heels b/w Essentially
Japanese Breakfast (2019)
Lay Low
Neon Vines (2018)
Avanti
Alessandro Cortini (2017)
Sober
Cat Dealers (2017)
Maps and Trails
Sergey Golovin (2016)
What They Want
Russ (2016)
Another Country
Rod Stewart (2015)
Genre Usage
Based on how artists on Equipboard use this gear, it is most commonly found in the following genres.
Used With
Based on how musicians on Equipboard use Universal Audio Apollo Twin, it is most commonly used with the following gear.
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