Today, we have the high-end flagship Discrete 8 Pro audio interface with Synergy Core FX from Antelope Audio for review. Let's take a look at what this "antelope" is capable of and and talk about all of this device's features. The Discrete line of Antelope audio interfaces is more advanced and expensive than the Zen line. It is distinguished, first of all, by its preamplifiers, which are based on discrete elements. The manufacturer markets them as console-quality preamps that operate in Class A with a gain of 65 dB. The Thunderbolt 3 connector allows you to work with minimal latency on Macs and PCs. The interfaces also have a USB connector, ensuring compatibility with computers and laptops.
Our readers are already familiar with Antelope Audio interfaces, as we reviewed the younger Discrete 4 Pro model. At that time, we concluded that it is valuable even without hardware processing, thanks to its excellent hardware components, which provides high-quality professional sound. The value is much higher when you add Synergy Core's proprietary hardware effects.
The Antelope Discrete 8 Pro is a new product that replaces the previous model of the same name (without the "Pro" prefix), offering improved hardware. Additional DSPs for hardware effects have been added to the digital part. You can now load up to 80 plug-ins simultaneously. The converter part also saw improvements in passport parameters by a substantial 6 dB. The drivers have improved signal routing, adding features of top Galaxy models. The Discrete 8 Pro has the same number of physical inputs and outputs: 26 inputs and 32 outputs, including eight microphone inputs, two guitar inputs, two reamp outputs, 16 ADAT channels, two SPDIF channels, one word clock (WC) input, and three WC outputs. We'll talk about all features a little later in our Antelope Audio Discrete 8 Pro review, first let's familiarize ourselves with the device specifications, as usual.
|
Best Price on Antelope Discrete 8 Pro Interface
The Antelope Audio Discrete 8 Pro Synergy Core is a powerhouse interface for serious studios, session engineers, and producers who demand exceptional sound & full routing control. |
Classic Package
|
The Antelope Discrete 8 Pro is an all-metal, rack-mountable enclosure. Its front panel is made of thick aluminum sheet metal. All of the control knobs are metal, too. The color IPS screen catches your eye. The audio interface is perfectly assembled; there is nothing to fault in the tradition of premium devices. The Discrete 8 Pro weighs 6.61 lbs (3.1 kg) and is best used with a cabinet or desktop studio rack for easier operation.
The specifications provided by the manufacturer only include ADC and DAC chips. Unfortunately, the actual characteristics of the inputs and outputs are not specified. However, our own testing shows that the measured parameters are at the level of competitors' flagship models.
The Discrete 8 Pro has two headphone outputs and a talkback feature for communicating with artists. The junior audio interface model Discrete 4 Pro has four headphone outputs, but lacks a Talkback feature. The IPS screen is brightness adjustable and quite useful. In addition to the small peak meters, a settings menu appears when you hold down the top button. You can change the peak meter mode; there are several options to choose from. While coarsely rotating the knob, the current value is displayed. The level adjustment step is 1 dB. The digital control is easy to use and the settings are clearly labeled. Ideally, the manufacturer would respond to the rotation speed so that users do not have to turn the knob for a long time to reach the desired value.
Forward outputs 1 and 2 are characterized by the possibility of connection to the TRS jack of the guitar. Next to them are the digital gain knobs. The knobs are metal and stylish. We would also like to see a notch or rubber pads.
The Antelope Discrete 8 Pro's back panel contains digital and analog inputs and outputs. There is an 18V power connector with nut locking on the edge. The WorldClock connectors have one input and three outputs, which allow the clock signal to be shared with other devices in the studio. ADAT connectors enable expansion of the system by adding 16 channels for recording and playback.
Discrete interfaces have the distinctive feature of being able to connect to a computer via USB and Thunderbolt 3. With both connectors present simultaneously, the separation of models by connection is a thing of the past.
Our Windows computer only had Thunderbolt 4 connectors. Unfortunately, this interface is not yet supported by drivers. We need Thunderbolt 3 or Thunderbolt 2 connectors via an adapter. Another disadvantage of the Thunderbolt connection on the Windows platform is that there is no sound device for standard applications; only ASIO will work. However, with a USB connection, any USB 2.0 or 3.0 connector works without limitations. Drivers install normally, and latency remains extremely low.
The combination inputs have explanatory labels: TRS 1/4" connectors are for line inputs only and XLR connectors are for microphone inputs only.
Of course, our Antelope Audio Discrete 8 Pro review can't do without taking a look inside the device. Let's take a closer look at the internal electronics.
Antelope traditionally uses FPGA and ARM chips for hardware effects. The manufacturer is also proud of its proprietary digital clocking scheme based on 64-bit AFC technology with optimized clocks for audio equipment.
On the monitor output is a two-channel CS43198 DAC with characteristics of 130dB, Kg+noise: 115dB. For the other outputs two 8-channel DAC chips Analog Devices ADAU1966 with passport parameters 118dB, Kg+noise -100dB are used. Further, high quality OPA1662 and OPA1612A DACs are used.
For digitization are used one of the best today 4-channel chip models ESS ES9842QPRO, with parameters 122dBA dynamic range, Kg+noise -116dB.
The manufacturer's pride is the discrete preamplifier circuit with six transistors in each channel. Two-channel analog level controllers with digital control, THAT 5263, are used for gain control. Gain adjustments are made in 1 dB increments ranging from 0 to 65dB. This allows you to successfully connect any condenser or dynamic microphone to the interface.
The drivers and control panel have evolved significantly over time, and currently, their stability under Windows is much improved.
Four mixers allow you to create separate sub-mixes for different physical channels, a feature that is in high demand for professional work. The panel is easy to understand. We have one complaint about the panel from last time: it takes too long to load. The Autorun Control Panel option is helpful because it saves us from having to look for the panel launch button in Antelope Launcher.
Compared to the standard ZEN series panel, there are additional tabs.
For example, the ADVANCED ROUTING window shows advanced signal routing.
The ROUTING MATRIX tab allows you to fine-tune channel rerouting between physical and virtual channels.
The AFX tab allows you to select effects from the 37 available in the kit. If you want more options, you can expand on the Antelope website, where the kits are sold at a 90% discount. The full list of bundled plug-ins includes EQs, compressors, reverbs, and guitar cabinets. It looks like this: VMEQ-5 (3-band tube mid-range EQ), VEQ-1A (2-band tube EQ), VEQ-HLF (tube 2-band high-pass filter/low-pass filter), Clear Q (parametric EQ), VCA160 (VCA compressor/limiter), X903 (VCA compressor/limiter), Stay-Levin (vari-mu tube compressor), FET-A76 (FET compressor/limiting amplifier), PowerEX (expander), PowerGate (noise gate), PowerFFC (feed-forward compressor), BA-31 (germanium mic preamp), Gyraf Gyratec IX (dual tube mic preamp with high-pass filter), Auraverb (reverb), A-Tuner (guitar tuner), and 11 shred guitar amps and 11 shred guitar cabinets.
New buyers now receive free access to over 90 hardware effects and 60 software effects for one year, followed by an annual subscription for €10. These prices are quite reasonable and favorable. Best of all, we didn't see any restrictions on the user's region.
In order to use hardware effects in your DAW, you will need to install a special afx2daw plugin. This will unload the CPU entirely, allowing even the least modern laptop to be used for creativity.
The RTL latency is a record low! It's only 4.6 ms with a 64-sample buffer and a frequency of 44 kHz. The output latency will be even lower.
The standard ASIO driver panel has a tab for adjusting the buffer size in samples.
After running some diagnostics, we determined that the interface can operate in any mode up to 192 kHz, as specified by the manufacturer. The operating system recognizes standard devices with four stereo inputs and four stereo outputs, each with channel numbers from 1/2 to 7/8.
We tested the capabilities of the microphone preamplifiers using a Neumann TLM102 condenser microphone. We directly compared the recording quality of the MOTU M2, which has a THAT 6263 preamp, with that of a more expensive, separate, discrete studio preamp.
We were pleased with the recording results of the Discrete 8 Pro interface because we heard a natural, detailed sound of a very high studio quality. We also noticed that the infrasound below 20 Hz was already cut during digitization, which is not a problem for microphone or guitar inputs since these components require a low-cut filter. Does the sound have its own character? We didn't hear any coloration or emphasis of ranges; timbres were transmitted neutrally, which is ideal for further processing.
Regarding the outputs, the monitor output on our ADAM Audio active monitors sounded excellent. The manufacturer made the correct decision to allocate the output on the 43198 chip for the main monitors. The signal is loud enough in headphones to feed an audio track to an artist or sound engineer. We liked the separate knobs for headphones and monitors on the Discrete 8 Pro because the younger model, the Discrete 4 Pro, has only one knob for all inputs and outputs.
Finally, we've reached the end of our Antelope Audio Discrete 8 Pro review, it's time to summarize the results. Based on our testing, we found the Discrete 8 Pro to be an interesting option for recording studios. Manufacturer Antelope Audio sets the bar high for technological leadership. It has advanced electronic components and a wide range of connectivity options. The proprietary Synergy Core hardware processing provides up to 80 effects simultaneously without placing any load on the CPU. Thunderbolt 3 connectivity enables sound processing without audible lag. However, USB connectivity has also demonstrated record-low overhead and applicability for the most demanding applications.
We hope you enjoyed our review of the Antelope Audio Discrete 8 Pro Synergy Core audio interface. Please feel free to leave your comments, questions, and suggestions in the section below. We will be happy to answer them all as soon as possible. If you already own Discrete 8 Pro and have used it for a while, don't forget to share your impressions and tell us what you liked or disliked about this audio interface.
Pros
|
Cons
|
9.6
/10
Our Score
|
