Freqport’s first release, the Freqtube FT-1, houses four valves and a set of A-D/D-A converters, allowing users to add some authentic analogue saturation to their DAW tracks over USB via a simple plug-in interface. The company have now announced the upcoming launch of the FreqInOut FO1, a half-rack unit that works in a similar way, but features four analogue insert points that allow any outboard hardware to function as a plug-in.
As with the FT-1, the new unit connects to the host computer via USB, and houses high-quality ESS A-D and D-A converters that support sample rates up to 192kHz. Four channels of analogue outboard can be connected via rear-panel quarter-inch TRS sockets, and can then be inserted onto a DAW track using a companion plug-in. Of course, if you have I/O going spare, it’s already possible to route signals to and from outboard gear using the routing functions in many DAWs, but the FreqInOut has a few extra tricks up its sleeve that might make it a more convenient choice.
Thanks to a built-in analogue routing matrix, the device makes it possible to reconfigure the signal flow between outboard devices without introducing any additional latency, as well as allowing multiple sources to be routed to a single piece of hardware. The companion plug-in also uses the FreqInOut’s routing matrix to offer instant parallel processing, and is equipped with an encoder and decoder that allow external equipment to be used for Mid-Side processing. Thanks to a QR code in the plug-in GUI, users can capture a picture of their hardware settings on a mobile device and have it displayed as a custom plug-in skin.
Pricing & Availability
The FreqInOut FO1 will be shipping in November 2024, priced at $599.
