Universal Audio releases Thunderbolt Option Card

Universal Audio (UA), manufacturer of pro audio recording hardware and software, has announced the release of the Thunderbolt Option Card for the Apollo High Resolution Audio Interface.

The card is compatible with Intel’s new Thunderbolt Technology on the latest generation of iMacs, MacBook Pros, MacBook Airs and Mac minis and is designed to provide greater UAS plug-in instances, improved performance at higher sample rates, and reduced UAS plug-in latency versus Apollo’s standard FireWire connection.

Bill Putnam Jr, UA CEO and founder, said: “We’re really excited to be the first company to provide true integrated Thunderbolt connectivity in the audio interface market. We’re worked hand-in-hand with Intel to create rock-solid Thunderbolt connectivity for Apollo, and we are looking forward to seeing the impact this important step forward has on the digital recording community.”

The user-installable Thunderbolt Option Card includes two Thunderbolt ports and slides into the expansion bay of Apollo. Bus power is provided to all downstream Thunderbolt peripherals, allowing music producers to connect devices in series with the Apollo interface. This includes hard drives, processors and computers. When the card is engaged, Apollo’s FireWire 800 ports are instantly reconfigured as a hub for connecting FireWire devices such as a hard drive of UAS-2 Satellite.

Jason Ziller, director of marketing and planning for Thunderbolt technology at Intel Corporation, said: “Thunderbolt technology makes possible a whole new class of products to enhance music production workflow and creativity. Products like Universal Audio’s Apollo are using Thunderbolt to rock music producers’ worlds.”

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