Heritage Audio announces i37 PRO family
Heritage Audio has announced its latest innovation, the i73 PRO family, featuring the world’s first USB-C audio interfaces with integrated Class-A preamps in the iconic 73 style. This new interface series from the Spanish pro audio manufacturer aims to provide musicians, producers, and audio engineers with easy access to the beloved analog sound quality that has inspired studio recordings since the early 1970s.
Developed over several years, the i73 PRO family comprises three models with varying I/O configurations and features. The i73 PRO ONE is a 2×4 USB-C desktop interface with a built-in 73-style preamp, the i73 PRO 2 is a 2×4 USB-C desktop interface with two 73-style preamps, and the i73 PRO EDGE is a 12×16 USB-C desktop interface expandable via ADAT for up to eight additional channels.
The i73 PRO ONE provides musicians and engineers with access to the cherished analog sound quality of classic 73 preamps. Featuring a transformer-balanced Class-A circuitry, users can now capture signals with the classic mojo and vibe directly into their DAW. The 3-way input design allows for easy recording of any signal source with studio-quality results, whether vocals, guitar, bass, or any other signal.
The i73 PRO ONE offers premium AD/DA conversion with recording, mixing, and playback capabilities at up to 24-bit/192kHz. Additional features include +48V phantom power, PAD and PHASE switches, MONO, MUTE, and DIM controls, a USB-C connection for computer connectivity (cable included), and a MIDI connection (Mini-DIN in/out), all housed in a stylish desktop design inspired by European mixing consoles.
A virtual, DSP-based monitoring mixer, the Heritage Audio Mixer, has been developed to provide nearly latency-free monitoring of desired signals. Equipped with an analog stereo monitor output and a stereo headphone output, both independently controllable through the Heritage Audio Mixer, users can edit tracks with minimal latency. The mixer also allows for recording dry and wet tracks simultaneously into the DAW, and integration of third-party native plugins via Aux channels.
For versatile recording options, the i73 PRO family includes a growing collection of DSP effect plugins, modeled after Heritage Audio’s outboard gear and other reference devices from Peter Rodriguez’s private collection. These plugins, available in native AAX/AU/VST3 formats, enable users to continue working with dry tracks in their DAW after recording both streams and integrate Heritage Audio plugins into the DAW inserts for shaping the desired sound.
The i73 PRO 2, a 2×4 USB-C desktop interface, shares similar features with the i73 PRO ONE but provides users with two Class-A preamps in the 73 style for studio-quality recordings.
The i73 PRO EDGE, the flagship of the i73 PRO family, features two integrated 73-style preamps and offers additional line inputs. It includes two analog stereo monitor outputs independently controllable via the hardware, along with two independent stereo headphone outputs with dedicated Cue mixes controllable through the Heritage Audio Mixer. Additionally, the i73 PRO EDGE can be expanded via ADAT for up to eight additional channels.
All models share a common philosophy, offering users comprehensive tools and features for capturing and processing audio signals with the integrated Class-A preamps in the classic 73 style, Heritage Audio Mixer, and real-time DSP processing with plugin emulations of legendary outboard classics. The i73 PRO series aims to provide a “Full Analog Experience” in combination with the benefits of modern production environments in terms of flexibility and workflow.
Availability
The initial shipment of Heritage Audio’s i73 PRO audio interfaces to authorized retailers is expected in the second quarter of 2024.
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