The Apollo is just what I was looking for. I'm coming from using a Mac Pro Tower with the UAD1 and UAD 2 Duo cards in it. Apogee AD8000 converters and Motu 2408 and 24i. I a simple singer songwriter and didn't like spending so much time on the technical recording aspect. Now, with the Apollo i can re-focus on the music. It was easy to install, hardware and software. The mic pres sound great but at this time I am using an Avalon 737 on my Neumann mic. Love being able to use the UAD plug ins on the front end of the process. i'm planning on getting rid/selling a lot of gear in the near future. The Apollo has replace it all and added to the quality of my sound. Cant wait for the thunderbolt.