The company’s recent addition to their Synergy Core line of interfaces has landed in the form of the Discrete 8 Pro Synergy Core. Three Experts give their verdict.

Multichannel For The Masses

For today’s recording engineer working in smaller facilities, the idea of having eight inputs or more available for multichannel tracking isn’t a particularly remarkable proposition. It wasn’t always this way prior to the arrival of the first 2U four or eight mic input-equipped boxes within the last fifteen years or so. Before this time, those needing to get input channel counts into double figures needed to invest in card-based multichannel I/O or serious rack mount boxes designed to be fed from existing console outputs or other existing gear. The emergence of the familiar multichannel interface with eight mic inputs and expandable I/O certainly represents a wider rethink of what constitutes a ‘proper’ studio’s inventory. With one or two boxes in the rack, the smaller studio can routinely enjoy 24 or so ins and outs, DSP monitor mixing and control, as well as the usual rollcall of bundled software goodies offering yet more choice when it comes to putting off the decisions that actually matter!

Adding DSP

While hardware accelerated DAW systems will be at the heart of many professional studios, a more recent development in the evolution of audio interfacing in general has been the addition of hardware DSP built into the units themselves. Rather than reduce latency for direct DAW monitoring or lend extra audio plugin processing to it, this latest generation of interface uses on-board DSP to power its own ecosystem of audio processing, not only reducing the load on the host machine, but also allowing a more traditional workflow where audio processing is applied upstream of the DAW during tracking. Of course, all of this processing is again available at the other end in the mix, with developers constantly expanding these recording and mixing tools.

Small And Pro?

For small studio owners, doing professional work where quality counts, this new breed of audio interface offers comparable usefulness when paired with any native-powered DAW as compared to using Pro Tools with AAX DSP plugins. In the former system, the DSP-powered processing always lives up or down stream of the DAW, but the benefits are nonetheless similar, even if the various implementations offered can’t match the DSP-powered DAW’s seamlessness in use. That said, Antelope Audio’s take on this has been to develop their afx2daw plugin bridge. This elegant solution allows Synergy Core effects running on the hardware to be used in DAW insert slots much like outboard hardware.

Antelope Audio Discrete 8 Pro Synergy Core

The Synergy Core family of products is Antelope Audio’s interpretation on the DSP augmented interface for the native DAW. Sitting in the middle of the company’s range, the Discrete 8 Pro Synergy Core takes position as Antelope Audio’s runner in the ubiquitous 1U expandable 8X8 form factor market, with their Synergy Core processing coming courtesy of 2 × DSP plus 1 × FPGA chips handling real-time effects processing with imperceptible latency. While the DSP chips have their functionality ‘burnt-in’, the single Field Programmable Gate Array can be repurposed by way of firmware tweaks when the need arises. On solid 8 X 8 ground, the unit’s other specs are as follows:

• 26 in, 32 out 1U audio interface (8 analogue inputs + 16 ADAT inputs + 2 S/PDIF X 8 analogue outputs + 16 ADAT outputs + 2 S/PDIF + 6 TRS (Monitor L-R, ReAmp 1-2, Headphones 1-2)

• Discrete component mic amp design

• USB 2 and Thunderbolt 3

• Mac or Windows operation

• 64 bit clocking

• New control app with virtual patchbay

• 37 Synergy Core effects included. These can be used directly in the DAW’s insert slots via the afx2daw bridge plugin

• Upgraded A-D/D-A conversion

Discrete 8 Pro Synergy Core Beyond The Specs

First Impressions

Upon unpacking the Discrete 8 Pro Synergy Core, you are met with a very sleek-looking box with a chunky, quality handshake. All the encoders for mic gain, and output levels, are endless with a nice feel and push functionality for Mute/Dim on the three output controls. The talk button is monetary when held and latching when tapped. This is a really nice touch and is becoming increasingly common on units that strive to offer professional facilities. The front panel feel is rounded off nicely with a single piece of brushed nickel silver finish metal that lends a classy look overall.

Hooking Up

Around the back are all of the I/O connections apart from inputs 1-2 and headphone outs 1-2 as well as well as the nicely engineered DC power connection that has a threaded collar to stop accidental removal. Again this nods to Antelope Audio’s engineers’ attention to those doing more serious work; indeed it’s more secure than many IEC connections to be found elsewhere. While some will have preferred to see an internal power supply, the saved space does allow a lot of panel space to be given over to other functionality as well is moving mains power away from audio circuitry.

Antelope Launcher

In keeping with other Antelope Audio Synergy Core products, device management is handled by the Antelope Launcher. This background app syncs to the user’s Antelope account and lets the user carry out housekeeping tasks such as unit activation and firmware updates, as well as being the portal through which the Control Panel app is launched.

Control Panel App

The Control Panel itself is Antelope Audio’s take on the interface cue mixer/monitor controller/router that has become a familiar companion the the DAW in many studios. This allows users to create near-zero latency cue mixes while tracking with or without Synergy Core effects, and manage other monitor-related values including things like talkback routing and dim levels. In keeping with other Antelope Audio interfaces, this is where Synergy Core effects are instantiated across channels for recording or even printbacks during mixing.

Improvements On Discrete 8 Synergy Core

Discrete 8 Pro Synergy Core sees Antelope Audio’s virtual patchbay in its control app. This affords a colour coded drag and drop MO where points are dragged to other points to make patchbay-style connections. A simplified overview is also available. The A-D/D-A performance has also been improved for the Discrete 8 Pro with Antelope Audio adding “The A-D/D-A converters and clocking are at the heart of every studio. The Discrete 8 Pro has been upgraded with latest generation converters (up to 130dB of headroom), while keeping the 64-bit AFC clocking technology”.

Expert Panel - Hit or Miss?

In every Expert review we ask three of our team of contributors to give their first impressions of the product. We ask them to give the product a hit or miss, based on factors such as originality, innovation, usefulness, quality and value for money. For each hit the products gets an Expert Award. One hit and it gets our bronze award, two hits gets silver and for a hit from all three of the panel it gets a coveted gold award. Of course if there are three misses, there’s no award.

Luke Goddard On Antelope Audio Discrete 8 Pro Synergy Core

Although this DSP accelerated interface isn’t entirely unique, the Discrete Pro 8 Synergy Core offers an improvement over the old Discrete 8 unit, and a useful alternative compared to comparable products from the likes of Apogee and UA. All of these have different methods of getting around the DSP plugins-in-the-DAW conundrum, with Antelope Audio’s take being the afx2daw plugin bridge. This works well, although it is a paid add-on to those who have already bought the 37 effects that come with the unit, which is a shame. Further into the realms of subjectivity, I think having the Antelope Launcher as well as the control panel app is a bit unwieldy. I personally find the latter’s GUI too fiddly; not usually a problem but the user must go in to do things like switch phantom in and out owing to the lack of button on the hardware. This is resizable, but frustratingly on my MacOS system it is only the window that resizes, not the buttons themselves.

That said, the Discrete Pro 8 Synergy Core is a nicely built, good sounding box that appears to made from some pretty premium grade components, which looks and feels as much like a piece of scientific test gear as much as it does an interface! The locking power connector and the general handshake of this box make a convincing first impression. This could perhaps explain the workmanlike software that it comes with, which some will get along with just fine. I would strongly suggest that anyone considering the Discrete Pro 8 Synergy Core takes it for a spin if at all possible to make sure the software side of things works for them. For me personally, the Discrete Pro 8 Synergy Core falls short owing purely to the software that makes up a big part of the experience. This might not bother others, but for me it’s a reluctant MISS.

Julian Rodgers On Antelope Audio Discrete 8 Pro Synergy Core

I’ve been aware of Antelope’s interfaces for a long time but I haven’t ever tried one. Part of the reason for this is that although I know Antelope to be a company who do hardware extremely well, I’ve always found the product lineup to be rather difficult to understand. There are a lot of units to choose from and the models are regularly updated, leaving me never quite feeling that I have a top level understanding of what’s on offer.

That doesn’t make a whole lot of difference when considering a specific unit and to concentrate on this Discrete 8 Pro Synergy Core it’s really not that hard to understand what you have. There are a couple of points which are worth paying particular attention to. The combination of ARM and FPGA processing in interesting and makes sense. It’s an alternative take of the hybrid processing found in AAX plugins and a reflection of the fact that gain and time based effects suit different approaches when it comes to processing. The hardware itself looks very convincing and I’m confident that the audio performance is exemplary, what makes a difference here is how the system is in use.

The natural competition to a user like me is the Pro Tools Carbon. Largely similar in terms of IO but with AAX DSP and HDX style near zero latency tracking within Pro Tools, this is a great system for someone like me. The Discrete 8 Pro Synergy Core offers a very useable software interface with a well thought out approach to routing but ultimately it can’t compete with the Hybrid engine in Pro Tools for a Pro Tools tracking experience. It does however cost considerably less than a Carbon and not everyone uses Pro Tools.

In my case I’m so Pro Tools centric and having compromised my way through a couple of decades of workarounds with latency and Pro Tools I’m so happy to have the seamless tracking experience that the Hybrid Engine and Carbon offer me that I don’t think I’d be in the market for this personally

If however I was tracking in Logic I’d be very interested. I love Universal Audio’s plugins but Console frustrates me and Apogee’s products are wonderful but their plugins, while some of the best I’ve used, are limited in scope. Also I’m intrigued by the BAE plugins in the Antelope line, I have the hardware and I’m curious about whether their plugin really sounds like my beloved 1073…

This is a very impressive looking product and if quality and value for money is your priority then it’s got a lot going for it. I have to experience it in use to be sure but I’ll give this a cautious HIT.

James Richmond On Antelope Discrete 8 Pro Synergy Core

Just over a year ago I tested the Antelope Audio Zen Go Synergy Core, my first experience with an interface from Antelope Audio and I was impressed with its clean sound and easy user interface. The Discrete 8 Pro Synergy Core is clearly a step up from the much smaller and portable device that I reviewed, pitching itself against well known Thunderbolt interfaces from Apogee and Universal Audio; a very competitive section of the market for audio professionals and serious, well-heeled hobbyists.

The Discrete 8 Pro Synergy Core has a couple of very useful features I would like to highlight. Firstly, USB and Thunderbolt. Sign me up! One of the annoying things with my Universal Audio Apollo X8 is that it is Thunderbolt only, meaning that the PC’s I have in my studio will not work with it. Sure, I could upgrade the motherboards on those devices but that is a lot of work and Thunderbolt on Windows remains patchy at times but this device neatly gets around the problem.

Also the decision to include reamp outputs is clever and something I would personally find very handy. Very few devices have this feature. The Apogee ensemble comes to mind, but it is Mac only, and none of the others have anywhere near the Discrete 8 Pro Synergy Core’s level of IO and flexibility with routing.

On that point, it is good to see such a well considered approach to channel routing, featuring both patchbay and matrix views. Drag and Drop is especially useful, anyone who has spent time using Dadman with Avid MTRX might appreciate this.

Finally, the inclusion of the AFX2DAW with this device is most welcome, allowing the DSP plugins to be used in your DAW of choice . A frustrating issue I had with the Zen Go Synergy Core was the somewhat baffling decision for it not to be supported on that device.

I would like to see a more modern approach to IO expansion. ADAT IO feels very last century now. Including Dante simplify cabling requirements, as well as clocking, but would obviously increase the cost, so perhaps it is understandable.

Antelope’s Discrete 8 Pro Synergy Core is a well thought out and implemented audio interface. Proprietary DSP platforms are often a tricky sell these days, with the two main options being AVID HDX or Universal Audio Apollo. Both are well established and well supported but the direction of travel seems clear and in my opinion it is heading to Destination: Native for many, but not all, customers. It is commendable to see Antelope making products of this type. I will also give this a cautious HIT.

Antelope Audio Discrete 8 Pro Synergy Core gets an Experts Silver Award.