16 x 22 Thunderbolt 3 Audio Interface with Real-Time UAD Processing

Apollo X8P Heritage Series w/ UAD HEXA Core plug-in processing

Overview

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

Apollo x8 allows music producers, project, and post-production studios to track, overdub, and mix with new world-beating A/D and D/A conversion, HEXA Core UAD plug-in processing, and 7.1 surround sound monitoring* — all in a sleek rackmount Thunderbolt 3 audio interface for Mac** or PC. 

Built upon UA’s 60-year heritage of audio craftsmanship, this 18 x 24 interface distinguishes itself with four Unison™-enabled mic preamps, providing authentic emulations of preamps from Neve, API, Manley, SSL, and more, plus all-new HEXA Core processing — yielding 50% more DSP for running UAD Powered Plug-Ins in real time. 

Elite-Class A/D and D/A Conversion

With thousands of chart-topping 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 interface’s 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. 

With 129 dB dynamic range and -119 dB THD+N, Apollo x8’s open, natural sound quality 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 x8 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 musicians, engineers, producers, and sound designers, Apollo x8 features four Unison-enabled mic preamps, letting you track 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.

Features

• Bands, Producers & Studio/Film Engineers

• 2 High-Speed Thunderbolt 3 Ports

• 8 Unison Mic Pres, 2 Hi-Z In, 8 Line In

• 2 Headphone Outs, 10 Line/Monitor Outs

• Elite-Class 24-Bit / 192 kHz AD/DA

• External Power Supply / Mac, Windows

• Monitoring & Talkback Control, ADAT I/O

• HEXA Core Processing with 6 DSP Chips

• Wordclock I/O, Expandable DSP & I/O

• 34 UAD Plug-Ins & Mac Recording Software

Specifications

What’s in the Box

• Universal Audio Apollo x8p Heritage Edition Rackmount 16x22 Thunderbolt 3 Audio Interface with Real-Time UAD Processing

• External Power Supply

• IEC Power Cable

• 4 x Rackmount Screws

• 34 x UAD Plug-Ins (Download)

• LUNA Recording Software for Mac (Download)