You do this all via the control panel, but Antelope will soon be introducing a plug-in that will set up the AFX plug-ins as instances within a DAW. This section of the device offers six DSP and two FPGA processors to handle up to 128 simultaneous AFX (Antelope’s proprietary processing) plug-in instances without touching the computer’s CPU or memory. The other thing worth mentioning is the Synergy Core processing onboard the Galaxy 32 Synergy Core. Yes, it is a tad overwhelming at first, but undoubtedly revolutionary once you get your head around it. I work alone, so a “set it and forget it” approach works fine for me, but in a studio where multiple engineers had custom setup and routing preferences, they can all be stored and recalled easily. You can save different configurations for different setups, and once all physical connections are made on the device all routing can be done within the software. My physical patchbay was never an issue, but I was getting feedback loops, not hearing anything in some configurations, and a few other strange problems that were quickly resolved with a few simple drag and drop moves and a layman’s explanation of how Antelope’s control panel works. It may be a slightly more complex setup than most because I mix with a lot of outboard gear, mix bus processing, and my Crane Song HEDD Quantum for color before the mix prints back into Pro Tools. After a call or two to discuss getting my real-world signal flow to translate into the control panel, we got it all dialed in. I knew he’d have a more artistic and holistic explanation for this software. I also called my pal Riccardo Damian, a longtime Antelope user. But after watching a bunch of videos, some trial and a bit of error on my part, and a couple of email exchanges with Antelope tech support, I started to get my head around the concept of this super flexible software patchbay. I like to plug gear in and never think about it again. One thing that sets this interface apart from many others is its unique software control panel.Īt first, I must admit that I was a bit baffled and maybe intimidated when first installing the software and opening the control panel. A direct monitoring option is also available for no latency tracking. The front panel has two small LCD screens that display a variety of metering options and a volume knob, used to either scroll through various menus or control the Galaxy 32 Synergy Core’s excellent sounding monitor section. It makes the unit incredibly flexible and useful in ways I may have not even considered. This interface gives you the flexibility to work in Pro Tools over HDX and another DAW application over Thunderbolt while using a total of up to 598 channels of I/O at the same time! Bonkers. Did I mention you can use all this I/O simultaneously? Yeah. It also has one of the best interface clocks available, with word clock I/O, for connecting other converters to the Galaxy 32 Synergy Core. It is a single rack space unit with 32 analog inputs and outputs, plus a fantastic complement of connectivity that includes Thunderbolt 3, 64-channels of Dante, 64-channels of MADI, as well as ADAT, S/PDIF, and two HDX ports with 64-channels of Pro Tools I/O. After much research, I found myself enamored with the idea of Antelope’s new Galaxy 32 Synergy Core interface. This was problematic with incompatible software versions, and session transfer from an older version of Pro Tools to the latest was a bit of a chore. However, I wanted to be able to bring a hard drive home, sit by the fire after dinner, prep a mix, do session organization, and then be able to open that session at my studio. For smaller mix projects, rough mixes, and demoing, this has been fantastic. At the same time, I had been using the newest version of Pro Tools and the Cranborne Audio 500R8 500 Series chassis and interface on a separate rig. I mix using a hybrid setup, floating between a console or summing mixer, and I use a small to moderate amount of plug-ins. However, I got to the point most of us eventually do where I was simply unable to update software, use new plug-ins, etc. My older Mac Pro tower and three loaded Avid HD 192s were a reliable setup for years. I had put off a major upgrade for one of my recording/mixing rigs as long as possible. Of course, they all have a thing or two that makes them a little unique, but overall, everything within a certain price point sounds damn good these days. Advances in technology have made almost every converter on the market a viable option for professional studios. The new Galaxy 32 Synergy Core 32-channel interface from Antelope Audio is something special.

Synergy sign in