Universal Audio Apollo x6 Thunderbolt 3 Audio Interface

I purchased an Apollo X6, along with a UAD accelerator and about $1000 worth of plugins. I was hoping it would be a great way to upgrade my recording setup and offload processing to the Apollo, freeing up the computer's CPU- NOPE. Since I purchased this and have been using the plugins in Luna and Pro Tools it's been nothing but CONSTANT troubleshooting. I've been nearly in tears on several occasions because of the frustration after spending so much money and having a setup that simply doesn't work. I've expressed this to Brandon at customer service and have been met with indifferent technical responses asking for more system information, which I'd then provide, and would then be met with more technical questions. I don't feel heard as a customer or that they acknowledged how incredibly disheartening and frustrating this has been as someone new to their company. I got the feeling my responses were being glanced at, and was asked questions like "did you uninstall it?" and asked to repeat information I'd already provided. Oh, and don't expect to reach them on their phone support line and talk to a human - it's closed. The lackluster, robotic customer service was disheartening and I didn't get the impression they really cared. After spending thousands of dollars on their ecosystem that really hurts. I would recommend this unit ONLY if you have a newer computer - my MacBook Pro (quad-core 2.6ghz, 16gb ram) is older but exceeds the system requirements by a longshot. I even installed a brand new system drive with a fresh install of OSX, UA and Luna and then encountered other issues, so I purchased a new computer just to be able to use the software and hardware I already purchased. The whole point was to avoid having to purchase a new computer. This is a shame because UA products are high quality and plugins sound great, but if you're looking to get a few more years out of your computer by having the Apollo do your plugin processing, don't count on it.

Recording and tracking

I was previously using the Scarlett 2i4 for most of my recordings, and felt that it was finally time to upgrade my interface. I wanted to go all in, but was fighting between the apollo twin mkii and the apollo x6. due to the price differential and the specs I would need for my recording workflow. The Apollo x6 did not let me down. Hexacore (6 DSP chips) processing, thunderbolt connectivity (which was a big upgrade for me, if you have a newer macbook, iMac or PC with thunderbolt 2-3 you can get even faster transfer speeds) 2 Hi-z inputs, 2 unison microphone preamps, and 6 line inputs... The sound quality from the start was notably better, and the unison preamp technology was incredible. The way the UAD plugins emulate vintage preamps by mimicking the impedance of the original hardware and taking over the apollos physical preamp is pretty amazing. The UAD monitor/controller digital console is very intuitive, and although I had some issues setting it up, once it connected I have had zero issues. Now for some cons. Well, there are not many cons besides some that are pretty obvious. If you buy it brand new it is very expensive, but I would also say that the quality of sound provided from this interface is worth pretty dang close to every penny I spent. The thunderbolt connectivity was a bit annoying to set up, simply because you cannot plug it in right out of the box if you do not already have a thunderbolt 3 to 2 transfer cable, which is roughly $45, but that is a very small inconvenience. If you have a newer model PC or Apple computer (mine is a late 2013 iMac) then the conversion cable should not be an issue anyway. The knobs on the interface are a bit cheap feeling, but the rest of the unit is built like a strong sturdy piece of gear. All in all I am very pleased with my purchase and have zero regrets about buying this interface. The rest of the recording is up to you and your capabilities. If you put the money down for this gear you will not be disappointed.