Freqport doubles its FreqInOut box. The FO1_2RK combines two FO1 units in a 1U rack to offer eight analogue inputs/outputs, controlled directly from a plugin in the DAW. Automatic latency compensation, 32‑bit ESS conversion, single USB‑C. Price: €973.95 ex. VAT / $1,175.
The concept behind the FreqInOut is not new, but it is still clever: treat a hardware compressor, EQ or preamp exactly like a plugin, from the DAW window, without fighting with routing, cables and latency. The first generation, the FO1, offered four inputs and four outputs. This FO1_2RK — announced in July 2026 at the same time as a new FreqSoft installer — doubles the stakes: two FO1 units side by side in a 1U rackmount enclosure, for a total of eight inputs and eight outputs.
The real problem it solves
On paper, everyone knows how to insert analogue hardware into an all‑digital mix: a physical output, a return, one round trip of conversion. In real life, it is a chore. You have to wire everything, label it, handle latency compensation by hand, and start over every time you change machine. The result: a lot of outboard sits unused in racks because recalling sessions is just too much hassle. The FreqInOut tackles exactly this issue: the plugin manages the routing, round‑trip latency compensation is automatic, and you can reconfigure the flow between inputs and outputs without touching a single cable.
What the FO1_2RK adds
Beyond simply doubling the channels, the benefit of the rack format is practical: eight analogue insert points in a single 1U unit, driven by a single USB‑C connection that carries audio, sync and control. No ADAT, no word clock distribution. Conversion is handled by 32‑bit ESS chips, up to 192 kHz. And for better‑equipped studios, the system remains expandable: by combining several FO1 units, you can go up to 16 inputs and 16 outputs.
- 8 analogue inputs / 8 analogue outputs in a 1U rack
- 32‑bit ESS conversion AD/DA, up to 192 kHz
- Single USB‑C for audio, sync and control (no ADAT or word clock)
- Automatic round‑trip latency compensation
- FreqInOut plugin in AAX, AU and VST3 formats
- Expandable up to 16×16 by combining units
Technical specifications
| Feature | Dual FreqInOut FO1_2RK |
|---|---|
| Inputs / outputs | 8 analogue in / 8 analogue out |
| Conversion | 32‑bit ESS AD/DA, up to 192 kHz |
| Connection | Single USB‑C (audio + sync + control) |
| Latency | Automatic round‑trip compensation |
| Plugin | AAX / AU / VST3 |
| Format | 1U rack, expandable to 16×16 |
| Price | €973.95 ex. VAT / $1,175 |
An answer to the analogue/digital question
Gear like this is arriving at an interesting time. Fully digital workflows have established themselves as completely viable, but some sound engineers still run certain signals through a hardware compressor or preamp — not out of nostalgia, but because the result is sometimes audibly different. The bottleneck was never sound quality: it was logistics. By making hardware insertion as trivial as a plugin, with full session recall, the FO1_2RK removes precisely that bottleneck.
As an early adopter of computer‑based production, I have never believed in the dogma that pits analogue against digital: the only judge is the sonic result and the quality of the design. The real obstacle to using outboard in a modern session is not conversion — that has been excellent for a long time — it is the time wasted re‑patching and fixing latency on every recall. A system that turns my 1176 or my valve preamp into a recallable “instance” in the project, with no repatching, is exactly the kind of tool that reconciles the two worlds instead of opposing them. What remains to be judged is the real transparency of the conversion chain and the stability of the driver — but the approach is the right one.
Who it is for
The FO1_2RK is not aimed at the beginner home studio, but at the already‑equipped hybrid studio that wants to use its outboard without friction. Compared with a traditional patchbay or a multichannel interface used for inserts, the selling point is not the number of converters — it is software integration and session recall. At just under €1,000 before VAT for eight channels, the positioning fits this target market.
In the same hybrid‑studio vein, you might want to revisit our article on the Heritage Audio TUBESTRIP, an all‑valve channel strip that is typically designed for this kind of insertion, and our coverage of the SSL 18 interface for the conversion side. You can visit the official page at Freqport.
