Apogee has long provided a range of audio professionals with tailored interface choices, from the portable Duet [Tape Op #150] and Symphony Desktop [#142] to the flagship Symphony I/O Mk II [#140]. Their latest addition, the Symphony Studio series, smartly fills the gap with single rack space interfaces clearly aimed at professional mixing and mastering studios, especially those with immersive monitor systems. Three configurations range from 2 to 8 mic/line inputs with 8 to 16 line outputs. For this review, I tested the 2x12 model in my 7.1.4 mixing room over several weeks.
The Symphony Studio makes an immediate visual statement with Apogee’s signature purple faceplate. The front panel is thoughtfully laid out, featuring a large multifunction control knob, a high-resolution OLED display, and a set of intuitive buttons. Two front panel headphone outputs (one 1/4-inch and one 1/8-inch) provide convenient monitoring options. Around the back, the unit connects to Mac or Windows computers via a locking USB-C port and draws power through a standard IEC connector.
Compared to Apogee’s desktop models, the Studio series offers significantly more analog I/O but omits digital I/O and word clock options. While the Symphony Studio shares its design with the flagship Mk II, it doesn’t use the same analog circuitry as the Mk II SE converters. Still, the conversion quality is exceptional – clean and detailed, whether you're recording, mixing, or routing audio through analog gear.
The two mic/line inputs provide only XLR connectors – no XLR combo or TRS jacks – while the twelve outputs are delivered via two DB-25 connectors. The all-analog inputs and outputs can accommodate professional and consumer signal levels, and the transparent mic preamps generously provide up to 75 dB of gain – enough to handle low output dynamic microphones. Apogee’s analog Soft Limit circuitry, which activates just below full scale at around -4 dBFS, adds a subtle safety net by taming transients without introducing noticeable artifacts.
Users can control all preamp functions – gain, polarity, phantom power, and Soft Limiting – directly from the front panel or through Apogee’s powerful Control 2 [Tape Op #149] software application. Control 2 extends the hardware's functionality, enabling detailed control over routing, metering, DSP effects, and monitor configuration. Any or all analog outputs can be defined as speaker channels or line level. Low latency headphone mixes can be created, and talkback can be routed to any monitor path. The desktop Apogee Control remote unit (available separately) can be added for those who desire dedicated monitor control hardware.
A particularly powerful feature of Control 2 is its ability to insert Apogee’s Symphony ECS Channel Strip plug-in [Tape Op #143] on any input channel for applying EQ, compression, and saturation to incoming signals. Control 2 offers excellent visual tracking of input and output levels and is easy to navigate. The monitoring section of the software allows users to customize monitor workflows for stereo or immersive layouts. These workflows include control over channel routing, level, polarity, and bass management settings, including crossover frequency, slope, and gain.
A room correction tab accesses speaker calibration controls for each speaker channel, including a 16-band parametric EQ, delay control, and trim. For those unfamiliar with speaker calibration, the app allows users to input their room dimensions and some basic construction details. Then, Control 2 will run a simulation that generates basic starting points for corrective room EQ curves. More experienced engineers may choose to measure their room using third-party software to derive and manually enter EQ, delay, and trim settings to tune the room.
I gave the Symphony Studio 2x12 a workout over a variety of typical sessions: Tracking vocals and voiceover, inserting analog gear into DAW sessions and handling monitor control for my 7.1.4 Atmos system. In all cases I was extremely pleased with the performance and features of the interface. The mic preamps sounded full and clean and didn’t break a sweat amplifying my Shure SM7B. I also relied on the interface for analog outboard inserts while mastering a jazz album for Universal Music, and found the conversion quality and detail to be excellent, certainly outperforming the Avid HD interface [Tape Op #81] I compared it to. The Symphony Studio also served as the backbone of my 7.1.4 Atmos monitoring setup, where Control 2’s workflow features and calibration tools streamlined the process of aligning and managing multiple speaker paths. Over several weeks of use, both the interface and Control 2 software performed flawlessly – stable, responsive, and glitch-free.
For studios working in stereo, the Symphony Studio 2x12 provides enough flexibility to handle typical monitoring needs, including main and alternate speakers, bass management, and outboard analog routing. In larger rooms with immersive configurations, the 8x16 version makes more sense, offering ample outputs for layouts up to 9.1.6. Meanwhile, the 8x8 strikes a nice balance for those who need more mic inputs or outboard I/O but don’t require extensive surround monitoring.
The Symphony Studio interfaces offer compelling options for engineers and producers seeking high-quality analog I/O in a compact form factor. While lacking expansion capabilities, their excellent preamps, pristine conversion, and powerful DSP and monitor control features make them serious tools for professional production environments. With Symphony Studio pricing between $2199 and $3999, building a 7.1.4 monitoring system, including speakers (Kali, JBL, IK Multimedia, etc.), for around $7,000 is now possible. The Symphony Studio is a thoughtfully designed and impressively executed interface that deserves serious consideration for any modern studio.