Universal Audio Apollo X16 Heritage Edition Audio Interface

Universal Audio Apollo X16 Heritage Edition Audio Interface – 16-Channel Line-Level Converter with HEXA DSP

The Apollo x16 Heritage Edition is Universal Audio’s line-level flagship: an 18-in / 20-out Thunderbolt 3 rackmount interface with 16 analogue inputs and 16 analogue outputs on DB25 connectors, built for studios that already own their microphone preamps, console or outboard and need conversion and UAD processing at the centre of the system. There are deliberately no built-in mic preamps here.

Conversion is the headline. The x16 offers up to 133 dB dynamic range on its monitor outputs and 24-bit / 192 kHz operation throughout, with HEXA Core DSP providing six UAD processors for realtime plug-in use during tracking and mixing. The Heritage Edition adds a premium bundle of UAD plug-in titles on top of the standard included bundle, subject to registration and entitlement.

Key features

• 18 inputs / 20 outputs, Thunderbolt 3, 24-bit / 192 kHz conversion
• 16 balanced line inputs via two DB25 connectors
• 16 balanced line outputs via two DB25 connectors, plus stereo monitor outputs on XLR
• AES/EBU digital input and output, 2 channels
• HEXA Core UAD DSP, six cores, for realtime UAD plug-ins
• Monitor dynamic range up to 133 dB, the highest in the Apollo X range
• Selectable +24 dBu operation for consoles and professional outboard
• Surround monitoring support up to 7.1 format
• No built-in microphone preamps, line-level design for external preamps

Built for hybrid and console-based studios

Sixteen channels of DB25 I/O patch cleanly into a console, a patchbay or a rack of outboard preamps and processors. Track through external preamps, print hardware inserts from the DAW, or sum through analogue gear, all with the same converter quality in both directions. Line input dynamic range is 124 dB with frequency response of 20 Hz to 20 kHz within 0.05 dB, and line outputs reach 127 dB dynamic range, so round trips through hardware stay transparent.

Realtime UAD processing

HEXA Core DSP runs UAD plug-ins on the interface itself at near-zero latency, independent of the computer buffer size. That allows tracking and monitoring through channel strips, compressors and reverbs while recording, and adds six cores of mixing power alongside native plug-ins in Pro Tools, Logic, Cubase, Ableton Live and other major DAWs. Up to four Thunderbolt Apollos and six total UAD devices can be combined in one system as the studio grows.

Monitoring and control room functions

Dedicated monitor outputs, alternate speaker switching, talkback microphone and assignable Dim and Mono functions let the x16 act as the monitor controller as well as the converter. Surround support up to 7.1 covers film, television and game work, with the line outputs feeding a multichannel speaker system directly. Word clock input and output keep multi-device rigs locked to a common clock.

Choosing the x16

Choose the x16 when input quality and channel count at line level matter more than built-in preamps: hybrid studios, mix rooms with outboard, and facilities integrating an analogue console. If you need microphones plugged straight into the interface, choose an Apollo with Unison preamps instead and feed any additional line sources through those channels.

For line-level work, the Apollo x16 Heritage Edition combines UA’s best Apollo X conversion, sixteen channels each way and HEXA DSP in a single rack unit.