Freqport has released the Dual FreqInOut FO1-2RK, a 1U rack-mount hardware integration system that houses two FreqInOut FO1 units to provide eight inputs and eight outputs. The release arrives alongside FreqSoft v1.10.0, the software installer that makes multi-unit operation possible, and both became available on July 13.
The premise is straightforward: make outboard gear behave like a plug-in inside the DAW session. FO1-2RK connects over USB-C and runs alongside whatever audio interface is already in the studio on Mac and Windows, with no aggregate device setup or external patching required. The AAX-, AU-, and VST3-formatted FreqInOut plug-in handles routing, latency compensation, and hardware control from inside the host, and audio passes through the system at 32-bit with sample-accurate timing, including while recording.
Underpinning this is AnalogHarmony, Freqport’s proprietary method for streaming audio between hardware and a DAW over USB-C with sample-accurate timing. Freqport licenses the technology to third-party manufacturers, so AnalogHarmony-equipped hardware from other companies works within the same system. What that buys the user is total recall: because routing and processing live inside the session, an insert chain through external hardware reopens with the project rather than needing to be repatched by hand.
FreqSoft v1.10.0 is what turns this from a single-box proposition into a scalable one. Freqport is billing it as a 4x devices release: any number of Freqport or AnalogHarmony-equipped devices can be connected to the computer, with up to four of them usable in a single DAW project at once. Double-stacking two FO1-2RK units puts four FO1 units in the rack and takes the count to 16 inputs and outputs, which covers a fairly serious outboard collection running as recallable inserts.
On the processing side, the FreqInOut plug-in includes a Hardware Mix control for parallel processing, a Mid/Side mode for M/S work, and an ANALOG MATRIX for routing signal between connected hardware units. The last of those is the more interesting inclusion, since chaining external boxes in different orders is normally a patchbay job rather than something set from a plug-in window.
Target user is the hybrid studio owner with a rack of analog gear who has been reluctant to use it on anything that might need revisiting, which is most commercial work. The category is not empty: Universal Audio, SSL, and Antelope all offer hardware insert integration of one kind or another, and Softube’s Console 1 works a related angle from the control-surface side. Freqport’s distinguishing approach is that the I/O is additive rather than a replacement interface, and that AnalogHarmony is offered as a licensable standard rather than kept in-house.
The free FreqSoft v1.10.0 installer bundles analogHub, drivers, the FreqInOut plug-in, and FreqTube FT1-EMU, a software plug-in recreating the circuit of Freqport’s FT1 analog tube processor. Freqport is based in Copenhagen, Denmark, with a second base in Melbourne, Australia.
Features
- 1U rack-mount enclosure housing two FreqInOut FO1 units.
- Eight inputs and eight outputs; up to 16 when double-stacking two FO1-2RK units.
- USB-C connection; works alongside an existing audio interface on Mac and Windows without aggregate devices.
- 32-bit audio processing with sample-accurate timing, including during recording.
- Routing, latency compensation, and hardware control handled from the FreqInOut plug-in (AAX, AU, VST3).
- Hardware Mix control for parallel processing.
- Mid/Side mode for M/S workflows.
- ANALOG MATRIX for signal routing between connected hardware units.
- AnalogHarmony support extends to licensed third-party hardware.
- FreqSoft v1.10.0 allows any number of connected devices, with up to four usable per DAW project.
Pricing and Availability
Dual FreqInOut FO1-2RK is available worldwide as of July 13 at an MSRP of €973.95 EUR (plus VAT) / $1,175.00 USD through Freqport’s store locator.
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