VO-BB - 20 YEARS OLD!

[sdaeley17]

Curious if anyone's had experience with both of these units? I'm actually quite happy with my SPL Creon as my main unit, but I'd love to have one as a travel interface, and who knows? If it sounds better, I can always sell the Creon.

I've already found some great used prices on the MKii model (They're $700 new, but I've seen them go as low as $440) The 1st-gen models go even lower ($300 for the solo, $500 for the duo.)

So is the upgrade worth the added cost?
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"There's Magic all around us; you just have to see it. And the most wonderful Magic of all, is just bein' alive." -Uncle Montork, He-Man and the Masters of the Universe

[Jason Huggins]

From what I understand, there is not really an internal change other than upgraded converters. I've heard both and I can't tell a difference, but I don't have a highly tuned ear with a pristine listening environment on the best monitors money can buy.

The big difference IMO is going to be the hardware interface (more access to certain features via button instead of software like a talkback button and mute button) and the option of a Quad processor version.

I personally went with the MKI Duo because I found one for $500 new. It's fully capable of producing top quality VO in the right environment. I brought it and my 416 with me when I went on an international trip recently and it was awesome to have access the same mic, preamp, converter combination that I use at home. I use the SSL channel strip and its expander and selectable HPF worked great for keeping my noise floor acceptable.

[DenaliDave]

Well, I can't find anything about the "improved" analog-to-digital converters beyond the fact they are "improved".

I know from my research that the iD22 I have uses Texas Instruments ADC chips that are cousins of the Antelope stand-alone rack mounted AD/DA converter units. Those units run in the thousands for conversion only -- no preamps.

Also, it doesn't appear that the MkII will allow total and complete preamp bypass. Yes, you can plug a mic preamp into the line inputs, but the block diagram (wiring/signal path diagram) shows your external preamp's signal still running through the MKII's internal preamp circuitry. Even if you turn the gain of the MkII's preamps to zero and use only gain from your external preamp, you're still passing your signal through the electronics of the MkII's preamp.

The iD22 does a physical bypass of that electronics and goes straight to the AD converter...avoiding any potential coloration the signal may pick up if it were to run through a built in preamp set to "0".

Nitpicky? Probably. The one awesome thing I really like about the Apollo Twin series are the Unison plugins thought built right in.

Then again, I'm looking at the Softube Console One MKII, which is a physical hardware controller that can run Universal Audio plugins like the Apollo. It has the added benefits of having real knobs/buttons to manipulate the on-screen plugins inside a DAW.
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"The wise ones fashioned speech with their thought, sifting it as grain is sifted through a sieve." - Buddha
www.alaskamic.com

[Jack Daniel]

I think the updated converters are a huge improvement over the old ones. So more depth -- much more 3-dimensional.
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Jack Daniel
Narrator / Man About Town

[sdaeley17]

This is great, guys! Thank you for your input!
_________________
"There's Magic all around us; you just have to see it. And the most wonderful Magic of all, is just bein' alive." -Uncle Montork, He-Man and the Masters of the Universe

[Jason Huggins]

[sdaeley17]

Thanks, Jason, Really appreciate the input. Looks like my best options are to go for a 1st Gen duo, or wait for the MKII prices to drop some more!

I hate that they totally got me with the sexy new "space grey" color!
_________________
"There's Magic all around us; you just have to see it. And the most wonderful Magic of all, is just bein' alive." -Uncle Montork, He-Man and the Masters of the Universe