Apogee Quartet Ultimate Desktop Studio Interface and Control Center for Mac

The ultimate desktop studio interface and control center for Mac.
Apogee Quartet is a professional USB audio interface designed to deliver the ultimate desktop recording experience to the Mac-based studio. Featuring 4 inputs and 8 outputs of Apogee’s industry-leading AD/DA conversion technology as well as 4 world-class mic preamps, Quartet bridges the gap between the 2-channel Apogee Duet and the 8-channel Apogee Ensemble.

All the I/O you need with room to grow.
Connect up to 4 microphones, instruments, keyboards or line inputs. Plug in your MIDI controller or keyboard. Expand with up to 8 digital inputs. Monitor and mix it all in stereo, with up to 3 sets of speakers or in 5.1 surround. Quartet is the center of the modern studio and will help you take the performance and sound quality of your projects to the next level.

Simple, powerful and easy to work with.
With its ergonomic, angular design and intuitive user interface, Quartet is inspiring, easy to use and in perfect harmony with your workspace. Dual full-color screens for critical input and output details, QuickTouch pads for easy I/O selection, and a single controller knob to conduct it all, make Quartet the perfect studio control center for your Mac.

Why Apogee Quartet is the best choice for your studio.
Apogee is an award-winning industry leader in digital recording technology with over 25 years of experience. Preferred by recording pros around the world, Apogee products like Duet, Ensemble and Symphony I/O have been instrumental in creating countless GRAMMY and OSCAR winning recordings and have set the industry standard in professional recording for over two decades. Quartet is built solidly on this reputation.

From the mic preamps to the AD/DA converters and the clocking, Quartet is best-in-class and cutting-edge Apogee technology. With components carefully selected in critical listening tests and a highly efficient circuit design, Quartet was built by Apogee engineers to make a difference you can hear.

Much like the mic preamps, Quartet’s AD/DA converters are designed to deliver the purest recordings and best listening experience possible. Quartet’s efficient circuitry and state-of-the-art components provide a simplified signal path resulting in incredibly transparent recordings.

Quartet’s mic preamps feature the latest components and offer seamless click-free transitions as the gain increases and decreases throughout the incredible range of 0-75dB. This unprecedented feature allows you to dial in the perfect level, either with the controller knob or from within software, while delivering ultra-low noise and smooth, crisp detail. Quartet’s mic pres are suitable for all dynamic, condenser or ribbon microphones, allowing you to capture any sound without compromise.

Quartet is equipped with 4 combination input connectors (XLR and 1/4”) for connecting microphones, guitars and keyboards or your favorite external mic preamps, compressors and EQs.

Quartet also includes 8 channels of digital input via 2 optical connections (ADAT/SMUX) for connecting an additional analog-to-digital converter such as Apogee’s Ensemble.

Quartet’s 6 balanced 1/4” TRS outputs offer an impressive range of possibilities. Listen and compare stereo mixes on up to three sets of speakers. Mix your audio or Final Cut video project in 5.1 surround. You can also take Quartet on the road and use all three stereo sets on stage, sending signal to the performer, monitor mixer and front-of-house. Quartet also features a studio-quality 1/4” headphone output allowing you to independently adjust your headphone level separate from the main outputs.

Quartet provides Word Clock OUT for synching an external A/D converter to Apogee’s superior clocking technology.

Quartet provides a single USB MIDI connection for your CoreMIDI compatible keyboard, synth, or DJ controller. This leaves an extra USB port available on your Mac for external hard-drives and other devices, eliminating the need for an external MIDI interface.

For Ensemble users that need more inputs, Quartet’s digital input connection allows you to use the premium analog inputs and preamps of both devices simultaneously. Enjoy a combined total of 12 analog inputs (8 with mic pres) along with Quartet’s 8 analog outputs, assignable Touchpads, and advanced control capabilities. Quartet’s USB connection lets you continue enjoying Ensemble’s high-quality Mic Pres and AD conversion with the latest Mac Models and lower latency than ever possible with Firewire 400.
Connections:
Quartet: USB to Mac
Ensemble: ADAT/Optical (standalone mode) to Quartet
Total Analog Inputs: 12
Total Mic Pres: 8
Total Analog Outputs: 8

Duet 2 users can add more channels of high-quality Apogee conversion to their existing setups by adding Quartet. Connect both Quartet and Duet 2 to your Mac's USB ports and aggregate the two devices for a combined total of 6 analog inputs and 12 analog outputs of premium Apogee AD/DA conversion.
Connections:
Quartet USB to Mac
Duet: USB to Mac
Total Analog Inputs: 6
Total Mic Pres: 6
Total Analog Outputs: 12

Quartet features USB 2.0 High-speed connectivity. Advances in the Mac’s Core Audio driver have made USB faster than FireWire 400 with incredible latency performance. And there’s a USB port on every Mac.
...and as fast as USB 3.0
While USB 3.0 offers approximately 10x the bandwidth of USB 2.0, USB 2.0 far exceeds the bandwidth Quartet requires for its 12 inputs and 8 outputs, thus delivering exceptional audio performance without compromise.

Dual, high-resolution displays show all input and output details
Quartet features twice the display you came to love with Duet 2. Two high-resolution OLEDs deliver all the visual feedback critical for recording and monitoring. Without looking at your computer, Quartet lets you see metering, levels, grouping and phase, muting, phantom power and Soft Limit for all inputs and outputs.

Quartet makes it easy to access all important recording and monitoring functions. Simply tap a QuickTouch pad on Quartet’s top panel to select an input or output and easily adjust your level with the controller knob. All input and output touchpads feature an LED highlight ring. The highlight ring of the active touchpad is brighter so you can see at a glance which input or output is selected.

Three additional configurable touchpads (labeled A, B, C) allow you to quickly access output functions such as “Mute Outputs”, “Dim Outputs”, “Sum to Mono”, “Clear Meters” or “Engage Speaker Set” selection. Each function can be assigned to a touchpad using a drop-down menu within Apogee’s Maestro 2 application.

The A, B, C selectors above the controller knob can be configured in Apogee's Maestro software to switch between up to 3 pairs of speakers allowing you to use Quartet just like a standard monitor controller. Simply connect 1, 2 or 3 pairs of studio monitors and tap to select which pair you would like to listen to.

Apogee’s Duet started an audio interface revolution with its single controller knob design. Quartet continues this tradition. A single machined aluminum knob completes Quartet’s control center. With a tap to the touchpad you can select the desired input or output and precisely dial in your level.

Access Quartet’s advanced settings with Maestro 2, Apogee’s comprehensive software control application. Maestro 2 features a single window interface with quick access to all device and system settings. Select your input type, enable Soft Limit on mic and instrument inputs, use the mixer for low latency monitoring and assign speaker sets to touchpads. Maestro 2 lets you easily configure Quartet to fit your workflow.

An Apogee technology first introduced in 1992 on Apogee’s AD-500 converter, Soft Limit can be heard on countless platinum selling records around the world. Once a technology exclusively reserved for Apogee’s most advanced audio converters, Soft Limit is included in Quartet and can be enabled in Apogee Maestro software.
This superior analog design prevents the digital clipping that causes distortion by instantaneously rounding off transient peaks before they hit the analog-to-digital converter. Soft Limit allows several more decibels of apparent level to be recorded while subtly providing an analog-like warmth to the sound.

Built with die-cast aluminum, steel and a scratch-resistant display panel hardened by UV processing, Quartet is solid, compact and perfectly integrated into the desktop studio environment.

Like all Apogee products, Quartet is designed for the Mac and Apple's OS X. From the Core Audio compatible high performance USB connection to the way it looks next to your iMac, MacBook Pro or MacBook Air, Quartet is made for Mac.

Apogee Quartet Overview w/ Miles Walker- PRESS PLAY

• Best-in-class sound quality with Apogee AD/DA converters
• 4 Analog Inputs with world-class mic preamps
• Monitor control - up to 3 speaker sets
• USB 2.0 High-speed Mac audio interface
• ADAT/SMUX digital Inputs
• MIDI input (USB-A type connector)
• 8 Analog Outputs:
  6 Balanced line outputs, +20 dBu maximum output level
  1 Independent 1/4” stereo headphone output
• 2 top panel high-resolution OLED displays
• Controller knob
• 6 touchpads for direct selection of inputs and outputs
• 3 assignable touchpads
• Quartet works with any Core Audio compatible application including: Logic, Pro Tools 9 and 10, Final Cut. Ableton Live
• Made in the U.S.A.

(1) Apogee Quartet

(1) USA Power Plug

(1) Manual