Apogee Element Series User’s Guide 1, December 2016

 

Apogee Element Series

​ User’s Guide

 

Channel Section 

This portion of the Primary Window displays Channels for Analog input, Digital input, and Playback from audio software. 

 

1.

Channel Top Label

​ - Indicates the channels source. Can be renamed by clicking the label and typing a 

user-customized label. To restore to the default text, delete the text and press “Return” on your keyboard. 

*These labels are transmitted to your DAW 

 

2.

Channel View Button

​ - Show the Channel View pop-up to view/hide various 

channels. 

* 

​Channels are disabled when hidden so audio signal will not pass. 

●

Analog Input Channels

​ - Corresponds to the physical analog input 

connections on your Element interface. 

●

Optical Input Channels

​ - Corresponds to the physical optical input 

connections on your Element interface. 

●

Playback Channels

​ - Corresponds to the virtual signal path from your Mac’s software outputs. 

 

3.

Input Channel Level Meter

​ - Shows the post-gain digital signal level coming into the channel. 

4.

Input Icon

​ - Shows the input type selected from the Analog Level drop-down 

 

5.

Analog Level

​ - Use this drop down menu to choose the analog level for each A/D conversion channel. 

●

Choose 

​Mic​ when connecting microphones or direct boxes, or any devices that needs to run through a 

microphone preamplifier. -XLR Input only 

●

Choose 

​Inst​ when connecting a guitar or keyboard, or any high impedance (Hi-Z) instrument to the 1/4” input 

(balanced TRS or unbalanced TS). The signal is sent through a Hi-Z to Low-Z conversion circuit before sent 

through the microphone preamplifier circuit. 

●

Choose 

​+4dBu​ when connecting to “pro” gear, such as en external mic pre, compressor, or EQ, with outputs 

at a +4dBu nominal level. 

●

Choose 

​-10dBV​ when connecting to “semi-pro”, hi-fi, or musical instrument gear with outputs at a -10 dBV 

nominal level. 

 

6.

Gain Control

​ - Use to adjust the gain of the microphone preamp. Not available when the input is set to +4dBu or 

-10dBV 

 

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Apogee Element Series

​ User’s Guide

 

 

7.

Input Settings

​ - Provides options for the various inputs: 

●

: Use this button to enable 48 volt phantom power on the corresponding Analog In channel. Condenser 

mics require 48 volt phantom power to operate. 

●

Group

​: The input gain controls of adjacent odd-even channels are adjusted simultaneously. Any level 

offsets that exists before inputs are grouped will be preserved after a group is chosen. 

●

Soft Limit

​: Select “On” to engage. This option begins to attenuate transient peaks at a threshold of 

-4dBfs. 

●

Polarity Invert

​: Use this button to invert the polarity of the input signal. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Apogee Element Series

​ User’s Guide

 

Mixer Section 

The mixer section provides several Direct Monitor mixers, and a special FX Send mixer for workflows that utilize the 

low-latency Direct Monitoring features of your Element Thunderbolt interface. 

 

1.

Mixer 1

​ - Signal from each channel can be sent through 

this mixer by raising the corresponding Mixer 1 Channel 

Fader. 

●

This mixer’s Master signal can then be selected as a 

source for the Headphones or Speaker outputs, 

providing a low-latency direct monitoring signal path. 

●

This mixer can also be sent back into the computer as 

a separate stereo input available in your DAW. 

●

The faders on this mixer affect the fader send signal 

of the other Mixers and FX Send when the Pre Fader 

button is not engaged. 

 

2.

Mixers 2, 3, 4*

​ - Signal from each channel can be sent 

through these mixers by raising the individual Mixer 2, 3, 

or 4 Channel Fader. 

●

This mixer’s Master signal can then be selected as a 

source for the Headphones or Speaker outputs 

providing a low-latency direct monitoring signal path. 

*Note: 

Element 24 = 2 mixers available 

Element 46 = 3 mixers available 

Element 88 = 4 mixers available 

 

3.

FX Send

​ - Signal from each channels can be sent through 

this mixer by raising the individual FX Send Channel 

Fader. 

●

This Mixer is sent back into the computer where it 

shows up as an extra stereo input available in your 

DAW. By using this input on an Aux track that has a 

Reverb or Delay or other effects plugin, effects can be 

applied to a Direct Monitoring situation which would 

otherwise be completely dry of effects. 

 

4.

Pre Fader Button 

●

When engaged, the channel signal from the mixer 2, 3, or FX Send mixer is sent to that mixer’s Master fader 

based only on that mixer’s channel fader level. This signal level is not affected by the position of the Mixer 1 

fader (Pre-fader). 

●

When not engaged (Post-fader), the channel signal from this mixer will change based on the Mixer 1 fader 

position. In other words, moving the Mixer 1 fader on this same channel will alter the signal level going to the 

mixer 2, 3 or FX Send mixer master. 

 

5.

Mixer View buttons

​ - View or Hide mixers using this button. 

*Mixers are always ACTIVE. A mix will continue working even when hidden. 

 

6.

Channel Fader

​ - Set the level of the channel signal in the mixer master stereo output. 

7.

Mixer Channel Pan Control

​ - Set the left-right placement of the channel signal in the mixer master stereo output. 

●

Option-click to reset the pan to center (0) or Option+Command-click to set all pans in that mixer to center (0). 

 

8.

Channel Mute button

​ - Cut the signal routing to the mixer stereo output. Command-click to cut all channels 

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