Freqport FT1-EMU

Freqport FT1-EMU plug-in.

As well as linking to their FT1 hardware, Freqport’s FT1-EMU plug‑in now also mimics it.

Freqport are the Danish‑Australian wizards behind two of the more innovative products I’ve reviewed in recent years. Their Freqtube FT1 allows you to enjoy real, analogue valve saturation within your DAW, with hands‑on control, while the FreqInOut FO1 provides a plug‑and‑play solution for integrating hardware outboard into a software recording setup. The scaffolding that underpins both products is a piece of software called Analog Hub, which runs in the background and invisibly pipes audio over USB to and from Freqport’s hardware boxes.

Taking Flight

The company’s latest innovation is a sort of companion piece to the FT1. Part of the point of this device is that, from an operational point of view, it presents itself to the user as a conventional plug‑in, albeit one with its own hardware controller. There is no need to muck about with hardware inserts or patch cables; you simply load an instance of the Freqtube plug‑in into an insert slot and away you go. As detailed in the original SOS review (soundonsound.com/reviews/freqport-freqtube-ft-1), the FT1 hardware can process four mono channels simultaneously through its two E83CC and two 12AT7 valves, and the latest version of Analog Hub makes it possible to run up to two FT1 and two FO1 units at once.

However, some might still feel that the total of eight valve channels available to them isn’t enough. Others will want to use the FT1 on the go, where its need for a dedicated mains PSU might prove problematic. And still others would love to find a more affordable way to access the same sound. For all of these groups and more, Freqport have developed a new version of the Freqtube plug‑in. This features several minor improvements, such as a Tilt control to help restore balance anomalies on stereo tracks, and one very...