This is an old thread, but I thought I would reply to the mention of the Apogee Groove since I just bought one a few weeks ago and have been putting it through the paces with Pianoteq.
Works great for me using a Mac Mini usb2 port. Latency is non-detectable at 128 samples/96khz/1.3ms. I am using these with my HD600 Sennheiser Headphones. The constant current drive on the Apogee really lets the large Senn headphones shine...a highly recommended pairing.
Compared to my previous setup: echo indigo io express card + Little Dot MK V headphone amp, sound and latency is very similar except bass is bit more controlled and top end
sounds very slightly softer on the Apogee. The MK V gave me a little *too much* bass, for example, on the D4 which now sounds more natural. The Bluthner A/B sounds amazing and I am now just realizing that the old C3(?) was perhaps based on the Bluthner Grand (Before the Bluthner was available), since the overall timbre and range are so similar.
Only downsides to the Apogee are (1) Effects sounds like aliquot strings, key-off, tines, etc are much more prominent due to the increased fidelity of the Apogee and so the volume on these needs to be turned down. The increased clarity also means that in some cases the Pianoteq hammer hardness settings need to be reduced and/or the microphone positions need to be set farther from the virtual piano(2) No MIDI in but I use an inexpensive M-audio UNO single cable adapter for that (3) Cost, though if you look hard you can find the Apogee Groove at a substantial discount like I did. (4) Gets slightly warm but really this is pretty minor, especially since I have it hanging down in space and well ventilated.
The Apogee saves me a lot of space compared to the Little Dot ( which has a rather hefty dual mono design) and it's bus powered as well, eliminating cord and cable clutter.
All in All, highly recommended!
Last edited by bebop603 (25-07-2017 17:31)
Pianoteq 5, Dell Studio 14 (core i3 2.26 ghz), M-Audio Uno midi connector, Echo Indigo Djx (expresscard), Little Dot MK V Headphone Amp, Senn 580 Headphones, Kawai MP9000 digital piano