Universal Audio Apollo x8p Heritage Edition 16 x 22 Thunderbolt 3 Audio Interface with UAD DSP

Elite Audio Conversion with Eight Unison Mic Preamps, HEXA Core Processing, and Surround Sound.

Apollo x8p allows music engineers, producers, and project studios to track, overdub, and mix with elite-class A/D and D/A conversion, HEXA Core UAD plug-in processing, Dual-Crystal clocking, and 7.1 surround sound monitoring — all in a sleek rackmount Thunderbolt 3 audio interface for Mac or Windows.

Built upon UA’s 60-year heritage of audio craftsmanship, this 18 x 22 interface laps the competition with eight Unison™-enabled mic preamps, all-new HEXA Core processing — yielding 50% more DSP for running UAD Powered Plug-Ins in real time — plus it includes LUNA Recording System, giving you a fully‑integrated music production application.

• Record with elite-class A/D and D/A conversion — nearing the widest dynamic range and lowest noise available, at any price
• Mix with powerful HEXA Core processing, featuring 6 UAD DSP chips for running more UAD Powered Plug-Ins in real time
• Track through 8 Unison-enabled mic preamps — with fully authentic emulations from Neve,® API,® Manley,® Helios,® and more
• Includes LUNA Recording System — a fully-integrated and inspiring music production application
  
  

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 no strangers to tracking stellar-sounding records. To improve on the previous generation Apollo interfaces’ class-leading audio conversion, UA engineers obsessively auditioned the latest A/D and D/A converters — ultimately pairing elite-class 24-bit/192 kHz converters with all-new analog circuitry for an ultra-pristine signal path.

The Apollo X series also introduces new Dual-Crystal clocking — featuring dedicated crystals for 44.1/88.2/176.4k and 48/96/192k sample rates — resulting in stunningly low jitter, measured at less than 10 picoseconds. This translates into pure, artifact-free recordings and solid stereo imaging you can trust.

With 129 dB dynamic range and -119 dB THD+N, Apollo x8p’s open, natural sound rivals any dedicated high-end converter on the market — regardless of price — and is the perfect starting point for applying UAD processing.

Realtime UAD HEXA Core Processing

Apollo x8p features new HEXA Core processing, with six DSP chips and 50% more UAD plug-in processing power than previous Apollos. This lets you run more UAD plug-ins, whether you’re tracking in real time with channel strips from Neve, Manley, or API, or running high UAD plug-in counts when mixing in your DAW.

From the tube warmth of Pultec EQs on guitars to the musical tube limiting of the LA-2A on vocals, or the pump of a genuine 1176 or Fairchild 670 tube compressor on drums, your recordings will take a giant leap forward with a rich, three-dimensional analog sound that UAD plug‑ins provide.

Unison Technology: The Genuine Sound of Neve, API & Manley Preamps

Perfect for engineers, producers, and project studio owners, Apollo x8p features eight Unison-enabled mic preamps, letting you track large projects through exacting mic preamp emulations from Neve, API, Manley, Helios, SSL, and Universal Audio. A Universal Audio exclusive, 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 HEXA 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.

A Full Suite of Classic Analog Processing Onboard

Of course, a hallmark feature of Apollo is its Realtime UAD Processing, letting you run the full library of UAD plug-ins with near-zero latency. Apollo x8p includes the Realtime Analog Classics Plus plug-in bundle, so you can record and mix with the world’s only authentic Teletronix LA-2A, 1176LN, and Fairchild compressors, the Unison-enabled UA 610-B Tube Preamp & EQ, and legendary guitar and bass amps from Marshall and Ampeg.

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

• 16 x 22 Thunderbolt 3 audio interface with class-leading 24-bit/192 KHz conversion (backwards compatible with Thunderbolt 1 & 2 on Mac)
• Realtime UAD HEXA Core Processing for tracking through UAD plug-ins at near-zero latency, regardless of audio buffer size
• 8 Unison-enabled mic preamps with realtime preamp emulations from Neve, API, SSL, Manley, Universal Audio, and more†
• Produce with LUNA Recording System — a fully-integrated recording application made for Apollo (Mac/Thunderbolt)
• Surround monitor controller up to 7.1 format
• Includes the "Realtime Analog Classics Plus" UAD plug-in bundle. Other UAD plug-ins sold separately.
• UAD HEXA Core processing onboard for additional mixing horsepower for Pro Tools, Logic, Cubase, Ableton, and other major DAWs
• Combine up to 4 Thunderbolt-equipped Apollos and 6 total UAD devices
• Selectable +24 dBu operation for easy compatibility with professional mixing consoles and tape machines
• Convenient front panel monitoring functions including Alt Speakers, Talkback mic, and assignable Dim or Mono
• Free, industry-leading technical support — on the phone and online — from knowledgeable audio engineers