Applying calibration on UA Apollo X devices (profile integration)

Apollo Monitor Correction Add-on: Universal Audio integration with SoundID Reference explained. 

In this article:

• Universal Audio integration with SoundID Reference
• System requirements
  
  • Apollo X hardware and UA software requirements
  • SoundID Reference license and Add-on requirements
• Setting up with the Apollo X integration
  
  • Install and activate
  • Apply calibration profiles to Apollo X
  • Using the Monitor Correction section in UAD Console
• Frequently asked questions
  • Is there a free trial available?
  • What's included in the applied calibration profile?
  • How many outputs/calibration profiles can be used simultaneously?
  • Is the subwoofer calibrated (also for stereo setups)?
  • Are Individual Headphone Calibration profiles supported?
  • What are the latency and performance figures?
  • Can I quit SoundID Reference once the profile is applied?

Universal Audio integration with SoundID Reference

With the release of the Apollo Monitor Correction Add-on (AMC), SoundID Reference brings a new integration to Universal Audio's existing Apollo X Gen 1 and new Apollo X Gen 2 audio interfaces.

The integration applies your SoundID Reference speaker and headphone calibration profiles directly onto your Apollo X hardware DSP using the UAD Console app with near-zero latency performance. The API-based solution provides seamless communication between the SoundID Reference and UAD Console applications for effortless loading and switching between calibration profiles. 

The integration also allows calibrating multiple outputs/profiles simultaneously (depending on the Apollo X model, see below), and Bass Management is available to both stereo and multichannel setups. Learn more in the FAQ section below.

System requirements

Apollo X hardware and UA software requirements

A supported Apollo X device is needed to take advantage of the integration, with UAD Console v1.2.1 (or later) and UAD-2 Software v11.5.1 (or later) installed. Here is a full list of supported devices:

SoundID Reference license and Add-on requirements

The integration requires the Apollo Monitor Correction Add-on (AMC) and a SoundID Reference license. All calibration profile types are supported with AMC, and the availability depends on your SoundID Reference license:

• Apollo Monitor Correction Add-on product license
• SoundID Reference product license
  • SoundID Reference for Headphones: apply headphone profiles
  • SoundID Reference for Speakers and Headphones: apply headphone and speaker profiles (stereo) including calibrated bass management for subwoofer setups
  • SoundID Reference for Multichannel: apply headphone and speaker profiles (stereo/multichannel)

For existing SoundID Reference license owners, AMC is available in the Sonarworks Store separately. For new users, license bundle options with AMC included are available here.

Note: The Apollo Monitor Correction Add-on license is included with all Apollo X Gen 2 purchases for a limited launch offer. Register your Gen 2 device at my.uaudio.com, until December 31, 2024, and your AMC activation key will be delivered by email.

Important: To use AMC, a permanent SoundID Reference license is required as shown above. A free trial is available, learn more in the FAQ section below.

System requirements for SoundID Reference

The Apollo Monitor Correction Add-on requires SoundID Reference v5.12.1 (or later) update installed, compatible with these operating systems:

• macOS 11 Big Sur, 12 Monterey, 13 Ventura, 14 Sonoma 
• Windows 10, 11
• Stable internet connection (offline use not supported)

View detailed system requirements for SoundID Reference here: System and hardware requirements for SoundID Reference.

Setting up with the Apollo X integration

Install and activate

1. Install the latest version of SoundID Reference - download here
2. Download and install the latest UAD Console & Software using the UA Connect app
3. Log in to your Sonarworks Account, or create a new account
4. Click on Register a new license and enter your license activation key(s)
5. Click on Activate on this device

Step-by-step instructions for trial and activation are available here: How to trial and activate Apollo Monitor Correction Add-on

Note: Launching a free trial for AMC will also launch a fully-featured Multichannel trial for SoundID Reference (even if you have an existing license for Headphones or Speakers & Headphones). This will unlock 2.1-9.1.6 multichannel speaker measurements, which will require a permanent Multichannel license to run after the trial expires.

Apply calibration profiles to Apollo X

Calibration profiles are applied to Apollo X via the Integration Mode in SoundID Refernece, which can be recognized by the "🔗" symbol in the Output Panel.

The Integration Mode is added automatically once a compatible Apollo X device is detected, and the available Monitor Correction outputs will be displayed. 

1. Click on Headphones or Speakers outputs in the Integration Mode
2. Click on Select your calibration profile
   • Add a new headphone profile
   • Open an existing speaker profile
   • Create a new speaker profile
3. Adjust your DSP settings  (Target Mode, Dry/Wet, etc.)
4. Click on Apply profile to Apollo X

Tip: If you haven't created a speaker profile before, follow this guide: Setting up on Speakers. 

Important to know

• Once a profile is applied to Apollo X, it cannot be disabled from within the SoundID Reference app. It will remain active unless disabled in the UAD Console app.
• To make changes to your profile (Target Mode, Limit Controls, Dry/Wet, etc.), return to SoundID Reference, make the adjustments, and click on 'Apply the profile to Apollo X' again. Learn more about what's included in the profile in the FAQ section below.
• It is recommended to remove the non-integrated Apollo device and presets to avoid unexpected sample rate changes. Click on the “⋯” menu > Remove device.
• Users can still apply regular (non-integrated) calibration to the Apollo X device via the SoundID Reference app: click 'Add new output' to create a regular output preset. Note: Applying a regular output preset via SoundID Reference doesn't automatically remove any profiles already applied to Apollo X in the Integration Mode (this will result in double correction unless one of the profiles is disabled).

Using the Monitor Correction section in UAD Console

Once the profile is applied in the Integration Mode, it can be viewed in the Monitor Correction section in UAD Console, offering some calibration controls too: 

• ENABLE: enables calibration on Apollo X DSP
• BYPASS: bypasses the correction
• SAFE HEADROOM: prevents clipping (recommended), learn more here: Safe Headroom
• OPEN SoundID: quick access to the SoundID Reference app for making DSP settings adjustments and re-applying the profile

BASS MANAGEMENT (including the crossover and filter settings) has to be enabled and configured before measuring your speakers. The Bass Management data is saved and stored in the calibration profile during speaker measurements, and enabled automatically when applying the profile.

Follow the directions here to set up Bass Management: Calibrated Bass Management with UA Apollo X integration.

Note: Apollo Monitor Correction is not applied to Apollo ALT monitor outputs, digital mirror outputs, cues, or cue mirrors.

Important to know for speaker calibration

Adjust your Apollo X output settings before you create and apply a speaker calibration profile (UAD Console > Settings > Hardware). Changing these settings after the profile is applied will affect the profile accuracy. The recommended settings are:

• Monitor levels (-10 dBv or +4 dBu)
• Output reference levels (-10 dBv or +4 dBu)
• Headroom (+20 dBu or +24 dBu)

Note: These settings can't be adjusted while speaker measurements are in progress.

Frequently asked questions

• Is there a free trial available?
• What's included in the applied calibration profile?
• How many outputs/calibration profiles can be used simultaneously?
• Is the subwoofer calibrated (also for stereo systems)?
• Are Individual Headphone Calibration profiles supported?
• What are the latency and performance figures?
• Can I quit SoundID Reference once the profile is applied?

Is there a free trial available?

Yes, with the release of the Apollo Monitor Correction Add-on, free trials are available to all new users and existing license owners of SoundID Reference. Anyone can start a new trial from their Sonarworks Account.

Learn more here: How to trial and activate the Apollo Monitor Correction Add-on

What's included in the applied calibration profile?

Here is a full list of the SoundID Reference DSP features that are included in the applied profile:

• Dry/Wet: adjustments available before applying
• Target Mode: adjustments available before applying
• Safe Headroom: applied automatically at 100%, ON/OFF control available in UAD Console
• Listening Spot (speaker profiles): ON/OFF and adjustments available before applying
• Limit Controls (speaker profiles): ON/OFF and adjustments available before applying

Note: Virtual Monitoring is unavailable for headphone profiles in the Integration Mode. 

Filter type

Filter type and mode do not apply to the AMC integration, as the processing takes place on the Apollo X DSP using minimum phase IIR biquad filters.

How many outputs/calibration profiles can be used simultaneously?

Profiles can be applied to speaker and headphone outputs simultaneously, if applicable:

• Apollo Twin X Duo/Quad: 1 headphone profile, 1 speaker profile (stereo/with subwoofer)
• Apollo Twin X USB: 1 headphone profile, 1 speaker profile (stereo/with subwoofer)
• Apollo x4: 1 headphone profile, 1 speaker profile (stereo/with subwoofer)
• Apollo x6: 2 headphone profiles, 1 speaker profile (stereo/multichannel)
• Apollo x8, x8p: 2 headphone profiles, 1 speaker profile (stereo/multichannel)
• Apollo x16, x16D: 1 speaker profile (stereo/multichannel)

Note: Apollo x4 Gen 1 and Gen 2 feature two headphone outputs, but only one output can be calibrated.

Is the subwoofer calibrated (also for stereo setups)?

Calibrating multichannel systems

Calibrated bass management is easily available for 2.1-9.1.6 multichannel setups measured with SoundID Reference for Multichannel (subwoofer on a separate channel). Simply apply your multichannel profile to Apollo X to calibrate the frequency response and Listening Spot (channel level and delay compensation).

Calibrating bass-managed stereo systems

Calibrated bass management for stereo speaker setups with subwoofer is also available, compatible with a regular SoundID Reference for Speakers & Headphones (stereo) license (Multichannel license not required). This has been made possible via the integrated Bass Management features in UAD Console, which can extract the subwoofer data from a stereo calibration profile, and then apply calibration for the subwoofer on a separate channel. Follow this guide: Calibrated Bass Management with UA Apollo X integration.

Note: The bass-managed stereo solution above calibrates the LFE frequency response only. The Listening Spot features (LFE channel delay and overall level correction) are only possible with SoundID Reference for Multichannel.

Are Individual Headphone Calibration profiles supported?

Yes, the headphone outputs of the Apollo X Monitor unit in UAD Console support Individual Headphone Calibration profiles. IHC profiles can be applied to all of the supported Apollo X devices listed above.

What are the latency and performance figures?

Latency performance

Once the calibration profile is applied to the Apollo DSP, the integrated headphone and speaker calibration performs at near-zero latency. The total added latency by the SoundID Reference integration depends on the sample rate setting:

• 1.5 ms at 44.1 and 48 kHz
• 0.75 ms at 88.2 and 96 kHz
• 0.7 ms at 176.4 and 192 kHz

CPU and DSP performance

Once a calibration profile is applied in the Integration Mode, the system-wide audio driver for the SoundID Reference standalone app will be closed down automatically, resulting in a significant CPU usage drop on the computer (as high as 10-20%).

From that point on, the SoundID Reference app acts as a control interface only, requiring insignificant CPU resources.

In terms of the DSP load on Apollo X, running two calibration profiles simultaneously takes up around 13% of a single DSP core (a headphone profile, and a stereo speaker profile with bass management). Running a 9.1.6 multichannel profile with bass management requires roughly a single DSP core.

For context, the Apollo X desktop devices feature 2 or 4 DSP cores, while the rack unit models feature 6 DSP cores

Calibration accuracy and resolution

The calibration runs on 24 minimum phase IIR filters per channel for all satellite speaker channels, and 5 filters for the LFE channel, which makes UA Apollo X a highly accurate hardware integration.

Can I quit SoundID Reference once the profile is applied?

Once the calibration profiles are applied to Apollo X DSP in the Integration Mode, the SoundID Reference standalone app system-wide audio driver is closed down automatically. This will be indicated by the VU meters disappearing from the right side of the app window. At this point, the SoundID Reference app acts as a control interface only (requiring insignificant CPU resources), so it’s not strictly necessary to quit the app.

It is recommended to keep the app running for quick profile settings adjustments (Target Mode, Limit Controls, etc.) and reapplying the profile by clicking on 'Apply the profile to Apollo X'. 

If no further changes are needed and you are looking to run the profile on the Apollo X permanently, you can quit the app: How to fully quit the SoundID Reference app?

Note: If the SoundID Reference app is fully quit, it will still be launched at regular intervals automatically for license-check purposes (only if UAD Console is running):

• Launched for a license check upon computer reboot
• Launched for a license check every 24 hrs
• Launched whenever UAD Console is launched