Quartet: General

What USB cables can I use with my One/Duet/Quartet?

This is a very common question!

This article applies to these units:  One iPad/Mac/PC, One for Mac/PC (silver), Duet iPad/Mac/PC and Quartet.

Many customers think because the port on the back of these units looks “non standard” that a standard cable cannot be used.  However this is not true in all circumstances.

The port on these units is a variation on USB Mini, which adds two extra leads, the little “humps” on the narrower side.  These pass power to charge iPads and iPhones, and also carry some of the iOS Maestro connection data to the Lightning port.  Thus if you are using a regular Mac or PC computer these are not in use, so a standard USB Mini cable, like this, will work exactly the same.

USB_MINI.jpeg

You only need the “special” Apogee style port for the Apogee iOS Lightning cable, like this.  We build this cable just for these units to work on iOS, so they are proprietary.  Thus if you use a regular USB Mini cable, like above, with a Lightning Adapter it won’t work, because these leads are needed for that iOS compatibility.

iOS_Cable_Check.jpg

In short summary:

Mac or PC full size computer = Regular USB Mini is good!

iPhone or iPad = Requires proprietary Apogee iOS cable.

If you have any questions please Contact Support.

Do Apogee USB products (Groove, ONE, Duet, GiO, MiC, JAM, Quartet) work with the latest MacBook?

Question:

Do Apogee’s current USB products (Groove, ONE for Mac, ONE for iPad & Mac, Duet 2, Duet for iPad & Mac, GiO, MiC, MiC 96k, JAM, JAM 96k, Quartet) work with the 2015/2016 12″ MacBook?

 

Answer:

Yes. The 2015/2016 12″ MacBook includes a USB-C port. Since USB-C uses a different size port and connector than traditional USB ‘Type A’, you will need to use an Apple USB-C to USB adapter to connect any USB device with a traditional ‘Type A’ connection, such as Apogee’s line of USB audio interfaces, to this port.

Apogee’s line of USB audio interfaces are also fully compatible with the 2016 MacBook Pro, as outlined in this post.

 

*It should be noted that Apogee’s Thunderbolt products will NOT work with the 2015/2016 12″ MacBook.

 

Click for information about compatibility with Apogee’s Thunderbolt products and the 2015/2016 12″ MacBook.

Click for information about compatibility with Apogee’s Thunderbolt products and the 2016 MacBook Pro.

Click for more information on the differences between USB-C ports and Thunderbolt 3 ports.

 

 

 

 

Do Apogee USB products (Groove, ONE, Duet, GiO, MiC, JAM, Quartet) work with the 2016 MacBook Pro?

Question:

Do Apogee’s current USB products (Groove, ONE for Mac, ONE for iPad & Mac, Duet 2, Duet for iPad & Mac, GiO, MiC, MiC 96k, JAM, JAM 96k, Quartet) work with the 2016 MacBook Pro?

 

Answer:

Yes. The 2016 MacBook Pro with Touch Bar includes Thunderbolt 3 ports, which can also be used to connect USB devices. Since Thunderbolt 3 and USB-C use the same size ports and cables, you will need to use an Apple USB-C to USB adapter to connect any USB device with a traditional ‘Type A’ connection, such as Apogee’s line of USB audio interfaces, to these ports.

Apogee’s line of USB audio interfaces are also fully compatible with the 2015/2016 12″ MacBook, as outlined in this post.

 

*It should be noted that Apogee’s Thunderbolt products will NOT work with the 2015/2016 12″ MacBook.

 

Click for information about compatibility with Apogee’s Thunderbolt products and the 2016 MacBook Pro.

Click for information about compatibility with Apogee’s Thunderbolt products and the 2015/2016 12″ MacBook.

Click for more information on the differences between USB-C ports and Thunderbolt 3 ports.

Are Apogee’s products compatible with iOS 9?

YES!  The following products have been tested and are fully compatible with iOS 9 (every version of 9) on iPad, iPhone or iPod touch:

  • JAM
  • JAM96k
  • MiC
  • MiC 96k
  • ONE for iPad/Mac
  • Duet for iPad/Mac
  • Quartet for iPad/Mac
  • Apogee MetaRecorder app
  • Apogee Maestro for iOS app
  • Sennheiser ClipMic Digital
  • Sennheiser MKE2 Digital

 

Apogee strongly recommends upgrading the Maestro App when using iOS 9 with the following products:

  • ONE for iPad/Mac
  • Duet for iPad/Mac
  • Quartet for iPad/Mac

To upgrade Maestro, simply tap the “App Store” Icon and go to the “Updates” tab.  If an update is necessary, Maestro will appear on the list of Apps and you will need to tap the Update box to download.

Is my Apogee product compatible with iPad Pro?

YES!  The following products have been tested and are fully compatible with iPad Pro (Lightning port versions only):

  • JAM
  • JAM 96k
  • MiC
  • MiC 96k
  • ONE for iPad/Mac
  • Duet for iPad/Mac
  • Quartet for iPad/Mac

For iPad Pro’s with USB-C port, see this article

Is it ok to leave my Apogee device plugged in and connected to Mac?

Yes, it is perfectly fine for any of our devices to remain plugged in and connected to your Mac (or iOS device). There is no harm in the device remaining powered up while you’re not using it.

Duet, Quartet, and Ensemble Thunderbolt’s 1/4″ and XLR inputs explained

When using Duet2, Duet for iPad & Mac, Quartet, and Ensemble Thunderbolt, it is important to remember that any of the dual XLR-1/4″ combo jacks are set up so when the input is set to ‘Mic’ or ‘Line’ (+4dBu or -10dBV), only the XLR part of the jack will receive signal. This means that you will need to use an XLR cable or a cable with an XLR adapter connected to it.

The same is true in reverse- when the input is set for ‘Instrument’, only the 1/4″ part of the jack will receive signal.  This means that you will need to use a 1/4″ cable.

 

Here are some examples for setting up different types of input sources on Duet, Quartet, and Ensemble Thunderbolt:

 

Mics

Connect your Mic using only an XLR cable (no 1/4″ adapters or cables) to the XLR input jacks on your Apogee device.

Launch ‘Apogee Maestro’ from your Applications folder, go to the ‘Input’ tab and ‘Analog Level’ drop-down menu for whichever input you’re using to ‘Mic’.

If you’re using a condenser mic that requires phantom power, engage the ’48′ button on the input you’re using.

Gradually bring the input level in Maestro up until you get a good level from your input source. Make sure the meter isn’t going into the red.

 

 

Guitars, Basses, Keyboards, Hi-Z Mics that have 1/4″ cables, such as harmonica mics:

Connect your Instrument using only a 1/4″ instrument cable to the 1/4″  input jacks. (be sure that you’re connecting to the 1/4″ inputs on the combo XLR-1/4″ jacks and not the 1/4″ output jacks)

Launch ‘Apogee Maestro’ from your Applications folder, go to the ‘Input’ tab and ‘Analog Level’ drop-down menu for whichever input you’re using to ‘Instrument’.

Gradually bring the input level in Maestro up until you get a good level from your input source. Make sure the meter isn’t going into the red.

 

Sending Line-Level audio to your Apogee device and bypassing it’s mic-pres

Connect the output from your line-level piece of gear (such as a compressor or external mic-pre) to the XLR input jacks. If your Line-Level device only has 1/4″ outputs, you will need to use balanced 1/4″ to male XLR cables. You can’t use the 1/4″ input jacks on your Apogee device, as they are only used for guitars/basses/keyboards.

Launch ‘Apogee Maestro’ from your Applications folder, go to the ‘Input’ tab and ‘Analog Level’ drop-down menu for whichever input you’re using to ‘+4dBu’ (for use with professional audio gear) or ‘-10dBv’ (for use with consumer audio gear).

 

What is the ‘A button’ (device ID) in Maestro for?

Most Apogee products that use the Apogee Maestro 2 control application will include a ‘Device ID’ button that can be found in multiple Maestro tabs under a graphical icon for the connected Apogee device. You will usually see this button as an ‘A’.

Here is an example of what it looks like when you have a Symphony I/O connected:

img-0

 

The purpose of this button is to quickly identify which Apogee device you’re adjusting parameters in Maestro for. When you click on the button, it will light up the front-panel of the corresponding Apogee device so you can see which device you are adjusting parameters in Maestro for. Click the button again and the device will no longer be identified.

Since multiple Apogee devices can be connected and appear in Maestro at the same time, it can sometimes be confusing to know which device you’re adjusting parameters for. Having more than one Duet or Quartet connected to a Mac may not be as common as having multiple Symphony I/Os or Ensembles connected, but the ‘Device ID’ buttons are there for each product, just in case.

 

A typical use-case:

You have 2 Symphony I/Os connected to one Mac and both are showing up in Apogee Maestro. You can go to the ‘Device Settings’ tab in Maestro and change the peripheral prefix of the 2nd Symphony I/O to ‘B’ (or any other letter you want). Now, when you click the ‘B’ button (Device ID) in Maestro, the 2nd Symphony I/O will become identified.  If you click the ‘A’ button, the 1st Symphony I/O will become identified.

 

Not getting sound/no input or output from Quartet

Please go through these steps to ensure that everything is set up properly:

 

 

Setting up Quartet’s inputs:

 

 

Mics

 

Connect your Mic using only an XLR cable (no 1/4″ adapters or cables) to the XLR input jacks 1, 2, 3, or 4 on the rear of Quartet.

Launch ‘Apogee Maestro’ from your Applications folder, go to the ‘Input’ tab and set the ‘Analog Level’ drop-down menu for whichever input you’re using to ‘Mic’.

If you’re using a condenser mic that requires phantom power, engage the ’48’ button on the input you’re using.

Gradually bring the input level in Maestro up until you get a good level from your input source. Make sure the meter isn’t going into the red.

 

 

Guitars, Basses, Keyboards, Hi-Z Mics that have 1/4″ cables, such as harmonica mics:

 

Connect your Instrument using only a 1/4″ instrument cable to the 1/4″  input jacks for input 1, 2, 3, or 4 on the rear of Quartet (the 1/4″ jacks on the XLR combo jacks).

Launch ‘Apogee Maestro’ from your Applications folder, go to the ‘Input’ tab and ‘Analog Level’ drop-down menu for whichever input you’re using to ‘Instrument’.

Gradually bring the input level in Maestro up until you get a good level from your input source. Make sure the meter isn’t going into the red.

 

 

Sending Line-Level audio to Quartet and bypassing Quartett’s mic-pres

 

Connect the output from your line-level piece of gear (such as a compressor or external mic-pre) to the XLR input jacks 1, 2, 3, or 4 on the rear of Quartet. If your device only has 1/4″ outputs, you will need to use balanced 1/4″ to male XLR cables. You can’t use the 1/4″ input jacks on Quartet, as they are only used for guitars/basses/keyboards.

Launch ‘Apogee Maestro’ from your Applications folder, go to the ‘Input’ tab and ‘Analog Level’ drop-down menu for whichever input you’re using to ‘+4dBu’ (for use with professional audio gear) or ‘-10dBv’ (for use with consumer audio gear).

 

 

Setting up Quartet’s outputs:

 

 

Using Quartet with DAW or audio playback software:

 

– Launch ‘Apogee Maestro’ from your Applications folder, go to the ‘Output Routing’ tab click ‘Reset Routing’.

– Confirm that the mute or dim buttons aren’t engaged in Maestro’s output tab.

 

 

Using Quartet without any software- input directly to output:

 

– Launch ‘Apogee Maestro’ from your Applications folder, go to the ‘Output Routing’ tab and route the Hardware Outputs Line 1/2 and the Headphone outputs so that they are both set to ‘Mixer’ in the routing grid. Click on the routing grid markers to move them so that Line 1/2 and Headphones are routed to ‘Mixer’.

– Confirm that the mute or dim buttons aren’t engaged in Maestro’s output tab.

What happens when I receive a call while recording with my Apogee interface?

Monitoring and recording is interrupted in Apple GarageBand and other Audio Apps from the ONE for iPad & Mac, Duet for iPad & Mac, Quartet, JAM, JAM96k, MiC, or MiC96k when a call is received. Once the call has ended or declined monitoring and recording is resumed.

Unless calls are more important than creativity? It is recommended that in the iPhone> Settings Do Not Disturb is turned On. This will prevent a call from interrupting that perfect take or inspired performance.

iPhone Settings