Universal Audio Apollo x4 Heritage Edition 12x18 Thunderbolt 3 Audio Interface

Elite Audio Conversion and Four Unison Preamps, All on your Desktop.

Apollo x4 allows musicians and producers to easily track, overdub, and mix larger projects with elite-class A/D and D/A conversion, four Unison-enabled preamps, and QUAD Core realtime UAD plug-in processing — all in a desktop Thunderbolt 3 audio interface for Mac and Windows.

Built upon UA’s 60-year heritage of audio craftsmanship, Apollo x4 confidently outperforms everything in its class with 127 dB D/A dynamic range, along with an included bundle of UAD analog emulation plug-ins and LUNA Recording System, giving you a fully-stocked analog studio, right on your desktop.

Four Unison Preamps: Get the Genuine Sound of Neve, Helios, API & More
Apollo x4 features four Unison-enabled mic preamps, letting you track through exacting mic preamp emulations from Neve, Helios, API, Manley, Avalon, Universal Audio and many more. Exclusive to UA Audio Interfaces, Unison technology nails the tone of these sought-after tube and solid state mic pres — including their input impedance, gain stage “sweet spots,” and the component-level circuit behaviors of the original hardware.

The secret to Unison is its hardware-software integration between Apollo’s mic preamps and its onboard UAD QUAD Core DSP Acceleration. Simply place a Unison preamp plug-in on your mic input in Apollo Console software, and it physically reconfigures the Apollo interface's impedance — so you can tap into the classic sounds of the world’s most recorded mic preamps.

Elite-Class A/D and D/A Conversion

With thousands of hit songs and hundreds of Grammy-winning albums under their belt, Apollo interfaces are used to track exceptional-sounding records every day. To improve on the previous generation of desktop Apollo interfaces’ class-leading audio conversion, UA engineers redesigned the x4’s audio conversion to deliver a striking 127 dB dynamic range and -117 dB THD+N, giving Apollo x4 a spacious, organic sound that easily rivals dedicated high-end converters.

A Full Suite of Classic Analog Processing Onboard

Right out of the box, Apollo x4 offers a suite of incredible analog emulation plug-ins including the world’s only authentic Teletronix LA-2A, 1176LN, Fairchild 670, Pultec EQs, and the UA 610-B Tube Preamp & EQ. Developed by UA’s world-renowned team of algorithm engineers, these Realtime Analog Classics Plus plug-ins set the standard by which all other hardware emulation plug-ins are judged.

From the tube warmth of the Pultec EQ on guitars, to the gentle limiting of the LA-2A on vocals, your recordings will take a giant leap forward in rich, sonically complex analog sound.

Access the World of UAD Powered Plug-Ins

Beyond the included Realtime Analog Classics Plus plug-ins, Apollo x4 lets you tap into the full library award-winning UAD Powered Plug-Ins — including vintage EQs, Compressors, Reverbs, Tape Machines and more — at near-zero latency, regardless of your audio software’s buffer size and without taxing your computer’s CPU.

With exclusive emulations from Neve, Lexicon, Capitol Studios, API, Manley, Ampex, Fender, and more,* it’s like having an endless analog studio, right on your desktop. And unlike competing interfaces, these DSP-powered plug-ins are also available in your DAW for mixing.

FREE Included Plugins

Helios Type 69 Preamp & EQ Collection

The Helios Type 69 Console was the desk employed to record masterpieces by Led Zeppelin, The Beatles, David Bowie, Jimi Hendrix, and more. This stunning plug‑in collection lets you shape your tracks with legendary Type 69 midrange push, and tweak low-end character with uniquely voiced low-frequency boost and cut filters.

V76 Preamplifier

Based on a classic German tube mic preamp developed more than 70 years ago, the V76 Preamplifier plug‑in gives you an amazingly rich tone with gentle shaping that's perfect for nearly every source — vocals, acoustic guitars, strings, drums, or bass — and is Unison-enabled for use with Apollo interfaces.

Oxide Tape Recorder

Easily inject the warm color, punchy low-end response, and cohesion of large format analog tape recording to your tracks with Oxide Tape Recorder plug-in. Simple Input/Output controls, 7.5 and 15 IPS Tape Speed selection, and two emphasis curves let you quickly call up colorful and extremely authentic tape textures.

Teletronix LA‑3A Audio Leveler

A "secret weapon" capable of moving sounds right to the front of your speakers, this solid-state electro‑optical compressor lets you easily add energy and harmonics to vocals and acoustic guitars, make snare drums pop out of the mix, and add grit and texture to bass guitar and soft synths.

Fairchild Tube Limiter Collection

Born in the 1950s, Fairchilds are extremely rare and coveted audio compressors. From the flagship 670, a stereo compressor that injects vibe and color to your stereo bus, to the smaller 660 — perfect for adding power to piano, bass, and guitar — this collection offers the same silky sonics that helped shape records by the Beatles, Pink Floyd, and countless Motown artists.

Teletronix LA-2A Classic Leveler Collection

The LA-2A is the first-choice compressor for sublime optical tube compression. This collection gives you three landmark plug‑in versions of the classic Teletronix LA-2A hardware, perfect for smooth dynamics control of vocals, bass, drums and more.

Pultec Passive EQ Collection

Pultec passive tube-based equalizers are the gold standard in warm, musical equalization. This collection gives you all three Pultec equalizers with their uncanny boosting and tightening effects — especially ideal on vocals, bass guitar, and kick drums.

1176 Classic Limiter Collection

The 1176 is many producers' “desert island" compressor — adding its signature character and ultra-fast FET limiting to create punchy drums, platinum-sounding vocals, and fat bass, guitar, and keyboard tracks. This Collection gives you access to three distinct 1176 emulations, and is widely regarded as the world's most authentic 1176 plug‑in collection.

Pure Plate Reverb

Easily add natural depth and shimmer with UA's renowned plate reverb modeling. Pure Plate Reverb lets you quickly harness the organic sound of this classic effect on vocals, guitars, strings, and synths, giving you a lush, satisfying space that gently flatters any source.

UA 610 Tube Preamp & EQ Collection

UA's iconic 610 tube preamps offer rich harmonic detail and warmth, making everything they touch feel instantly "classic." The Unison-enabled 610-A and 610-B models in this collection let you craft vocal, guitar, and bass tracks with the presence, warmth, and body heard on records ranging from Ray Charles to Arcade Fire to Van Halen.

Features

• Desktop 12 x 18 Thunderbolt 3 audio interface for Mac and Windows with elite A/D and D/A conversion inherited directly from the acclaimed Apollo X rackmount interfaces
• 4 Unison mic preamps offer stunning models of classic tube and transformer-based mic preamps and guitar amps
• UAD-2 QUAD Core Processing for tracking through vintage compressors, EQs, tape machines, mic preamps, and guitar amp plug-ins with near-zero latency
• Produce with LUNA Recording System — a fully-integrated recording application made for Apollo (Mac/Thunderbolt)
• 2 Unison-enabled Hi-Z instrument inputs
• 2 independent headphone outputs
• Built-in Talkback mic for communication with studio talent and recording slate cues
• Includes monitor remote functions and Mono, Mute, DIM, and ALT monitor controls
• Up to 8 channels of additional digital input via Optical ADAT/SPDIF input
• Optical ADAT/SPDIF output for connecting to additional studio equipment
• Includes the "Realtime Analog Classics Plus" UAD plug-in bundle featuring the Teletronix LA-2A 1176, and Fairchild 670 compressors, Pultec EQs, UA 610-B Tube Preamp & EQ, and more. Other UAD plug-ins sold separately.
• Runs UAD Powered Plug-Ins via VST, RTAS, and AAX 64 in all major DAWs
• Uncompromising analog design, superior components, and premium build quality
• Free, industry-leading technical support — on the phone and online — from knowledgeable audio engineers