Universal Audio Apollo x16D (Dante)
Universal Audio·Model Apollo x16D Gen 2·ua-apollo-x16d
Photos
Manufacturer product photography — the drawn faceplate above stays true to panel layout; these show the hardware itself.
About the Universal Audio Apollo x16D Gen 2
The Apollo x16D swaps the x16's analog-only rear for DanteThe most common audio-over-network standard: dozens of channels of uncompressed digital audio down one ordinary Ethernet cable between Dante boxes. network I/O, putting UAD conversion and DSPDigital Signal Processing — the number-crunching that does EQ, compression, and effects inside a box. More DSP means more processing at once. directly on the audio network a modern monitor or playback rig already runs. Thunderbolt to the computer, redundantA second copy of anything critical — supply, computer, network path — already running so one failure can’t stop the show. Dante to the rig, and the same HEXA Core processing as the flagship. For Dante-backbone rigs it removes a format-conversion box from the chain. Found missing by the gear-fit auditor.
The Apollo x16D is Universal Audio's answer to a specific problem: you're running a DanteThe most common audio-over-network standard: dozens of channels of uncompressed digital audio down one ordinary Ethernet cable between Dante boxes. backbone across your rig, and you need high-quality conversion and UAD DSPDigital Signal Processing — the number-crunching that does EQ, compression, and effects inside a box. More DSP means more processing at once. processing without bolting a separate format-conversion box into the chain. One rack unitThe standard slice of rack height: 1U = 1.75″. A 3U box takes three slices; half-rack gear pairs two units side by side in one., Thunderbolt 3 to the host computer, and two EtherConAn Ethernet plug inside a rugged XLR-style locking shell — tour-grade network connections that can’t be yanked loose. ports for primary and redundantA second copy of anything critical — supply, computer, network path — already running so one failure can’t stop the show. Dante — that's the architecture. It fits the role of central conversion hub in a monitor rig or playback rack where the rest of your network gear is already speaking Dante, and it brings HEXA Core UAD processing along for the ride so your host machine isn't carrying that load alone.
At 30 watts idle and a 72-watt ceiling, it's well-behaved on a conditioned circuit and won't stress a standard rack power budget. The 305mm depth is typical for a 1UThe standard slice of rack height: 1U = 1.75″. A 3U box takes three slices; half-rack gear pairs two units side by side in one. pro interface — measure your shallower touring racks before assuming it fits. The redundantA second copy of anything critical — supply, computer, network path — already running so one failure can’t stop the show. DanteThe most common audio-over-network standard: dozens of channels of uncompressed digital audio down one ordinary Ethernet cable between Dante boxes. ports matter at show time: primary goes down, secondary keeps audio moving without a console tap or a panic reboot. Word clockThe shared heartbeat keeping every digital box sampling in lockstep. One device leads, the rest follow — or you get clicks and pops. in and out via BNCThe twist-lock coax connector used for word clock and antenna runs — it locks, so it can’t be pulled out mid-show. means you can slot this into an existing house sync topology or drive downstream gear from it. What it is not is a standalone stageboxThe I/O endpoint on stage: mics plug in there and one digital line (AES50, Dante) carries everything to the console. The snake, digitized. — there are no local analog inputs or outputs on the Dante-equipped rear, so everything comes and goes over the network.
This box belongs in the rack of an engineer who has already committed to a DanteThe most common audio-over-network standard: dozens of channels of uncompressed digital audio down one ordinary Ethernet cable between Dante boxes. infrastructure and wants UA conversion quality plus UAD plug-in DSPDigital Signal Processing — the number-crunching that does EQ, compression, and effects inside a box. More DSP means more processing at once. without a redundantA second copy of anything critical — supply, computer, network path — already running so one failure can’t stop the show. conversion stage eating headroomThe margin between your normal level and where things clip — headroom is what absorbs the snare hit you didn’t see coming. and rack space. If your rig is MADIA pro digital format carrying 64 channels on one coax or optical cable. Point-to-point — one sender, one receiver, no network required.-based, or if you need local analog I/O at the rack itself, the x16D is the wrong tool — look at the standard Apollo x16 or an interface with hybrid connectivity. And if you're not on a Mac with Thunderbolt 3, the TB connection to the host machine simply won't work, so verify your playback computer before this goes on the shortlist.
In the rack
- Patch DanteThe most common audio-over-network standard: dozens of channels of uncompressed digital audio down one ordinary Ethernet cable between Dante boxes. Secondary to a physically separate switch from Primary — the redundancyA second copy of anything critical — supply, computer, network path — already running so one failure can’t stop the show. is meaningless if both ports share the same failure point.
- If you're driving the rest of your DanteThe most common audio-over-network standard: dozens of channels of uncompressed digital audio down one ordinary Ethernet cable between Dante boxes. network from this box, use the BNCThe twist-lock coax connector used for word clock and antenna runs — it locks, so it can’t be pulled out mid-show. Word ClockThe shared heartbeat keeping every digital box sampling in lockstep. One device leads, the rest follow — or you get clicks and pops. Out to sync downstream devices and make the x16D your clock master; chasing Dante PTP with a separate master clock can introduce jitterTiny timing wobble in a digital clock. Enough of it smears detail and stereo image — why serious rigs care about clocking. in some gear.
- Use the second Thunderbolt 3 port to daisy-chain other TB3 devices rather than splitting off a hub — the x16D passes bandwidth downstream cleanly and keeps your TB busA path where multiple channels sum into one signal — mixes, groups, and mains are all buses. A 25-bus console can build 25 blends at once. tidy.
- Account for the full 72-watt draw when calculating rack power, not the idle figure — UAD HEXA Core under heavy plug-in load will push the supply toward that ceiling.
Apollo x16 with DanteThe most common audio-over-network standard: dozens of channels of uncompressed digital audio down one ordinary Ethernet cable between Dante boxes. I/O — the network-native Apollo for live rigs.
I/O Ports (7)
| Port | Connector | Direction | Signal | Channels |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dante Primary | ETHERCON | bidirectional | digital audio | 16 |
| Dante Secondary | ETHERCON | bidirectional | digital audio | 16 |
| Thunderbolt 3 (1) | THUNDERBOLT | bidirectional | data | — |
| Thunderbolt 3 (2) | THUNDERBOLT | bidirectional | data | — |
| Word Clock Out | BNC | output | digital audio | — |
| Word Clock In | BNC | input | digital audio | — |
- Power (IEC C14)
Deciding between two?
Rack space, watts, weight and every connector, side by side.
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