Best Diy Wyoming Antelope Units (2025 Updated)

The audio and internal effects are top notch but there are some drawbacks with this interface. 1) This device does not support Windows audio. For example, you cannot use this device to play YouTube videos.

It is designed to play back from a DAW app only. 2) Antelope Solo modelling mic plugin does not work with Cubase Pro 12. Cubase locks up trying to load the plugin. All other aspects of the Zen Q work great with Cubase Pro 12.

3) Launcher app is coded to a specific screen resolution and cannot be resized. On a 4K monitor, the Launcher window is too small to read. You have the lower the resolution of the display to 2K (or lower) to work with the app.

4) Applications use non-standard Windows controls. Meaning, to minimize and maximize the Control Panel is a bit challenging. 5) Power though Thunderbolt means that the interface unit is always on. I cannot disable power of my thunderbolt port on my laptop so I have to unplug the interface from my laptop each time I turn off my laptop.

Option: You can put the interface to sleep through the Control Panel app but may not get it to wake up again without unplugging the cable. Considering the money invested, I will stick with this unit; but if I had it to do again, I would probably go with the Focusrite Clarett+ 4Pre, and save myself $300.

Overall: I recently purchased the Antelope Audio Zen tour Synergy Pro from zZounds and am extremely pleased with the sonic quality after using it for 3 days so far. The included plugins in addition to the promotional bundle provide me with all the tools I need to track and mix with a signal quality on par with top studios.

Adding the Zen Pro Synergy Core has resolved my audio io (quality) issues for the majority of my setups in my home studio – used for songwriting, production, sound design and video/cinematic editorial.

I have only done mic (dynamic and condenser) and instrument tests with electric guitar so far but am inspired. I’ve been using NI, Arturia, Izotope plug ins for years and feel a difference already just using Antelope’s Darkface Amplifier, Green 2×12 Cab simulator with only the cali 121 mic and some rear mic, BAE1073MP mic pre, VEQ-4K Orange eq, – it really is the studio/console workflow and I tend to visualize it like being in the studio with the gear.

I don’t get that same mental image routing in my DAW. The difference I’m feeling is that I have much more processing headroom, I don’t have to back off when my computer processors cannot handle anymore computational load (The NI, Arturia, and Izotope plug ins are fantastic – I’ll just be using them in tandem after the antelope chain – and probably less of their eq, comps etc.

) But that also opens the computer up for the software synths etc. The Antelope signal chain adds up sonically like the real world hardware. So you do have to take care and use common sense managing the signal.

The sonic grit is tangible if you want it to be. You can feel the personality of each effect and for most of the eq’s, mic pres and compressors, understand their parameters – gamut/ranges quickly and intuitively.

I feel like I’m going to like working with this toolset and will also be able to experiment a lot. The Zen Tour Synergy Core is packed with 2 fpga and 4 dsp chips and they in turn generate much heat.

The unit is well designed mechanically and vents well but you’ll want to provide room for air to flow so give it space. It is a small box, but using 1/4 inch TRS, xlr and db25 connectors will require additional clear space in front and behind the unit as well.

So draw some maps before you determine where you’ll be placing it. Also, the unit does not ship with a Thunderbolt 3 cable – A usb 3 cable is provided. Be aware that thunderbolt 3 cable length has the potential to reduce the effective bandwidth of the thunderbolt connection, but the reduction is from TB 3 – (40 Gbps) to TB 2 – (20 Gbps).

i’m using a 1 meter cable and all is well. I haven’t found any Antelope documentation on this factor yet, so it would be a good thing to ask on the forums. The Zen Tour Synergy Core is a portable unit, but I’ll not be dropping it into my backpack without proper padding.

I’m considering a pelican case for it if it is to go on the road. It would be cool if there were a Porta Brace case for it. In short, I’m inspired. Inspired to track, which makes me inspired to write, which makes me inspired to mix, but not on the same day.

I recently got the Antelope Audio Orion Studio Synergy Core as the centrepiece and hub of a new home studio I’m setting up, upgrading from an Avid Eleven Rack for audio interface duties (still good but limited).

I looked at lots of options for the audio interface but in the end the do-it-all-in-a-1U-rack design that is the Orion Studio SC won out. I wanted a rack format rather than a desktop interface, plus more-than-enough (for my needs) I/O to future-proof my investment.

And it is a large investment, but a sound one I believe, given the stellar quality of the A/D and D/A conversion, clocking accuracy and mic pres on the interface. Plus the on-board DSP/FPGAs and quality FX plugins give lots of options for in-the-box/DAW and/or external/DSP processing while tracking and mixing.

I did look at the Antelope Audio Discrete 8 as well (which is a great interface) but in the end the higher DSP and FPGA count of the Orion won, especially as Anderton’s were bundling the Orion with an Edge DUO mic rather than the Solo which gives more mic emulations and micing options, and sounds fantastic.

It’s still early days with the Orion interface but so far I’m extremely impressed with the hardware build quality as well as the audio quality achievable. Is it all good?. no. I’ve found the Antelope hardware activation process to be more troublesome than it should be, e.

g. I registered and activated (I thought) the device on their website, expecting the additional plugin bundle to become available to assign to the interface, but nothing happened, and a support ticket was required to sort this out (and I’m still waiting for the special bundled Edge Duo mic models to be activated via their Support team, despite apparently having activated the mic on the website).

The Control Panel application (required to route audio into and out of the interface to your DAW or external processors and control the interface beyond the physical controls ) looks a bit complicated and daunting to begin with, but after watching some videos it soon becomes clear and you realise just how powerful the audio routing matrix is, and what you can achieve with it.

Finally, and this isn’t entirely down to Antelope, but it does feel as though PC is still somewhat of a second-class citizen compared to Mac. Although the Orion supports a USB connection as well as Thunderbolt (I have a powerful Windows 10 laptop that offers both) it only supports USB 2.

0, resulting a lower (24) I/O count vs Thunderbolt (the full 32), plus as others have said, the afx2daw plugin doesn’t work at all via USB, so be aware of that if you’re running a Windows rig and don’t have a Thunderbolt 3 port.

I’d like to see this rectified if at all possible, plus the Orion should really come with USB3. 0 now as USB 2. 0 is pretty old. Overall though. for my setup, it’s a great high-quality interface and worth the admittedly high price for the quality and future-proofing it provides.

Good job Antelope.

Sound: The Antelope sound is undeniable. Big, open. Having been digital since getting into audio 20 years ago, I’ve gone through several different interfaces. Antelopes has impressed me to look no further.

Detailed, dynamic, no harshness. Vocals come out true! I’ve also recorded some guitar. The vocalist and player’s all comment on the authenticity of the sound. Features: The conversion is the best I’ve experienced.

And I’m sure I’d have to shell out a lot more to probably hear only a marginal difference if any. The built in pres are more than adequate. And with the built-in FX, more than enough flavors. Ease of Use: The sound you put in is truly the sound you get out.

You have control of varying tones with the built-in FX. Quality: Everything seems well put together. I can see this as a mobile device. Well packaged for transport, should serve well on the go. Value: For the price I believe Antelope is giving an incredible product topping in its class.

Manufacturer Support: Support was awesome. Simeon stayed on the chat with me for almost 3 hours working through afx2daw and connectivity with my original ZenTour. Kudos on his knowledge and patience in getting to a solution.

The Wow Factor: The ability to do just about everything in this format, from start to finish, is the greatest appeal to me. Talent, and skills is all you have to bring;) Overall: Wanted to expand on my original ZenTour and get into the synergy core FX.

I have to say, I was again impressed with the Antelope sound. After hearing the Discrete pre amps I must admit I kind of like what they reveal of the mics I use. Especially the Edge solo. There a little more forward then the ones in my original ZenTour.

Look forward to using AFX2Daw in mixing. Been a fan of the Antelope plugins since the beginning. HIGHLY RECOMMEND ANTELOPE.

I spent hours and hours researching for the best sleeping bag for a trip I was taking. Reading many reviews, watching videos, and shopping for the most value I could find. I made my purchase hoping that the product was what I thought it could be.

Boy, was I surprised when I received the package. I thought the product was not in the package due to weight of the box. The sleeping bag is so light. The size of the bag is very roomy. The zippers are of good quality and baffles help keep it from catching.

The down and fabric is very impressive. Warm, light, and roomy make this sleeping bag worth the purchase.

Bought this bag for hunting trips to Alaska where if it’s not raining give it a few minutes and it will. This bag replaced a cheaper bag by a different manufacturer. The quality difference is astounding.

I looked at and researched a lot of bags before making this purchase since it was such an investment. Finally decided to buy once cry once. Think about all the money and time we spend traveling. Don’t let your trips be ruined by cutting corners on essential gear.

This bag does take some effort to get into the stuff sack. Im using a sea to summit Xl compression sack. Just remember to start with the foot box. Once it is in a compression sack it does actually compress very well and fits in the bottom of my pack nicely which I was sceptical about given the loft.

When I pulled it back out the bag lofted back up almost immediately.

I used this bag on a 10 day moving trip in Patagonia last March. The conditions were windy, rain, snow blizzards, hot, humid and dry depending on the day. I didn’t have the luxury of letting the bag dry out each morning as this was a race and I packed up and left within 45 minutes of getting up each morning.

The SB was stored in a dry bag stuff sack during the day to ensure it didn’t get rained on. Over the 10 days the bag slowly began to accumulate moisture and lost its insulation. I did have a few occasions when hot and windy to turn it inside out and hang it over a bush to attempt to dry it out but I found it took longer than a non goretex to dry and it never did fully regain it’s loft.

I finally resorted to sleeping with the bag inside out which seemed to allow the down to breathe out a little and it kept more of my evaporate inside the goretex liner that was supposed to be the shell.

(Not comfy). I belive I would have been better off to use the microfiber version for this application. This bag is a specialized piece of equipment and performs best in a very dry climate. By no means a negative review because the workmanship is excellent.

I would say careful selection is needed when considering what bag to choose, goretex waterproof/resistant also means its resistant to water contamination leaving the bag. The conditions I put this bag through were extreme and would likely cause most down bags to accumulate moisture but I believe the microfiber would have been the better choice for my situation.

Western Mountaineering makes the finest quality sleeping bags I have ever seen. The stitching, zippers, fabrics, extra baffles and the roominess are first class. After purchasing the Puma I have taken it on a couple of trips to Temagami.

On both trips there were some very windy days with lots of rain that kept me off the water. The temperature hovered around zero and everything was damp. Having the Puma meant I had a place to go to stop shivering.

In the past I have had a few nasty cold nights that bordered on dangerous. Its especially bad when you are exhausted and can’t generate the heat to stay warm. I had been debating on what temperature rating I was going buy.

So in the interest of safety I decided to get the -32 and have found it to quite flexible in its temperature range. It is roasting hot when zipped up tight but its also fine to hang a leg out or use as a comforter when the temperatures are warmer.

The down can also be shifted around in the baffles to adjust the temperature. I consider it a three season bag (5 Celsius or colder). The bag has a wonderful plush feel and is really quite luxurious.

Its like checking into a five star hotel instead of a tent. Now if I can just get a porter at the next portage.