In 2009 Apogee released a USB powered single‑channel audio interface in a fingerprint magnet plastic enclosure. It featured a mono input, stereo output and built‑in microphone, as well as a multi‑function encoder knob. In 2021 it barely works with macOS and don’t even think about using it with Windows 10. Let’s find out if it knows how to Linux.
Where to buy:
eBay (used)
Apogee One Single-channel USB Audio Interface for Mac Features at a Glance:
- Single channel input using 1 of the following 3 options: Internal condenser microphone, Balanced XLR microphone preamp input with +10 to 63dB of gain, Unbalanced 1/4″ high-impedance instrument input, 0 to 45dB of gain
- Software-selectable 48V phantom power
- Line-level, 1/8″ stereo output for headphones or unbalanced powered monitors
- A/D and D/A conversion at 44.1/48kHz, 24-bit
- Multifunction encoder knob for input gain control and output level control
- 4-encoder function LED indicators
- 3-segment LED input and output metering
- Dimensions: 2.25″ W x 4.75″ L x 1″ H
Jackbox: Testing setup
| CPU | AMD Ryzen 7 1700 | ||
| RAM | Corsair Vengeance LPX 16GB | ||
| Motherboard | MSI B350 Tomahawk | ||
| GPU | Nvidia NVS 300 | ||
| SSD | Samsung 840 | ||
| PSU: | EVGA 600 B1 | ||
| Firewire: | Syba SY-PEX30016 | ||
| Network: | Intel i350-T4 | ||
| OS: | Debian Buster | ||
| Kernel: | 5.11-rt-amd64 | ||
| Desktop: | NA | ||
ALSA: You can control the Apogee ONE directly with alsamixer.
QasMixer: If you’re looking for a GUI.
JACK: Jack setup is straightforward but keep in mind it’s limited to 44.1/48K.
Pulseaudio: It’s not a sound card but you’re going to use it as one anyway.
LATENCY: While many kinds of audio latency metrics exist, one useful and well-understood metric is round-trip latency; the time it takes for an audio signal to enter the input of a device, get processed, and exit the output.
The Apogee ONE is a USB 1 device so don’t expect wicked-low latency. That said, it’s still serviceable for monitoring with a 128 buffer.
Apogee ONE: Round-trip latency @44100 Hz
Apogee ONE: Round-trip latency @4800HZ
Verdict:
If you are looking for an interface that can drive a SM7B, PR40, or Golden Age D2 on the cheap it’s a no brainer. There is absolutely nothing wrong with the original Apogee preamp as long as you can live with 48K limitation.
Where to buy:
eBay (used)
Check out our Amazon idea list, and take a look at our studio gear.
Apogee ONE 2009
Pros
Cheap!
63dB gain.
Phantom power.
Apogee preamp.
Cons
Limited to 48K
Single input.
No MIDI.
Requires ALSA mixer.
