For the vast majority of us, owning truly professional digital audio converters is a luxury we can’t afford. Analogue to digital (and the reverse) of the standards made by Prism, Lynx, Benchmark and the like have been out of reach of most amateur music recordists and I know of many professionals who make do with converters of lesser quality due to the prohibitive cost of owning the best.

Last week Apogee changed all of this, with the total repricing, and reconfiguration of its flagship Symphony I/O product range.

The Symphony I/O units have been recognised as amongst the best available since their release a couple of years ago. Users have until now configured their own systems using the Symphony I/O base unit (a 2U rack unit) and up to two of the various converter cards designed to run within it. The base unit provides the all-important master clock, power supply and linking options whilst the converter cards host a variety of analogue and digital inputs and outputs.

With the brand new Symphony I/O 2 x 6 system, Apogee has hit a whole new price point, offering their high end conversion for just £1599. The 2 x 6 system offers all of the input and output options needed for the majority of both music producers and post production sound editors. That’s just £1599 for 2 analogue inputs, 6 analogue outputs (perfect for surround mixes or separate monitor mixes) and ADAT and SPDIF digital inputs and outputs. If you have never used converters of this quality you may be surprised at the difference it can make. The increase in clarity, sparkle and dynamics surprises many people who believe their more affordable solutions are of professional standard.

Could the Symphony I/O be the difference between your project sounding like a demo or a commercial release? At £1599 you probably owe it to your music to find out.

The Symphony I/O can be purchased here or contact the Production Room showroom to arrange your demonstration.