Pricing and availability
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Description
Dive into the heart of your music with the Universal Audio 2-610, a dual-channel tube preamp that marries vintage warmth with modern clarity. Perfect for artists seeking to inject their recordings with the legendary Putnam-designed tube tone, this preamp shines across microphones, instruments, and line-level sources. Its smooth EQ section and versatile front-panel DI offer a spectrum of sound, from classic bass to a polished mix glow, making it an essential tool for both tracking and mixing phases.
Key Features:
- Dual-channel tube preamp for versatile use across microphones, instruments, and line levels.
- Inspired by the iconic Putnam-designed console module, blending classic tone with modern functionality.
- Smooth and flexible EQ section suitable for a wide range of sound shaping and enhancement.
- Front-panel DI provides ample gain for low-output pickups and headroom for active basses.
- Line operation mode for running entire mixes through its circuitry, adding a final touch of warmth to your 2-bus.
Product specs
| Brand | Universal Audio |
| Model | 2-610 Dual Channel Mic Preamplifier |
| Finish | Black |
| Year | 2010s |
| Made In | United States |
| Categories | Microphone Preamps |
FAQs
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What type of inputs and outputs does the Universal Audio 2-610 preamp have?
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The Universal Audio 2-610 preamp features microphone (XLR), balanced line (XLR), and unbalanced line/instrument (1/4" jack) inputs. It also includes balanced line (XLR) outputs.
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Does the Universal Audio 2-610 provide phantom power for condenser microphones?
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Yes, the Universal Audio 2-610 preamp includes 48V phantom power, which is necessary for powering condenser microphones.
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What EQ options are available on the Universal Audio 2-610 preamp?
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The Universal Audio 2-610 offers HF and LF shelf EQ with switchable boost/cut options. HF shelf allows adjustments at 4.5kHz, 7kHz, and 10kHz, while LF shelf offers corner frequency selections at 70Hz, 100Hz, and 200Hz.
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How does the variable gain control work on the Universal Audio 2-610?
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The Universal Audio 2-610 features a variable gain/input feedback control with 5dB increments at -10, -5, 0, +5, and +10 dB, allowing precise control over the input signal level.
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What are the vacuum tube specifications for the Universal Audio 2-610?
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Each channel of the Universal Audio 2-610 is equipped with one 12AX7 and one 6072 vacuum tube, contributing to its warm, vintage sound character.
Videos
Rockstar Rant
Universal Audio 2 610 Tube Preamp
Reviews
Owner Insights
We analyzed real musician discussions from forums and Reddit to find what players love, question, and tweak about Universal Audio 2-610.
Use cases and applications
Comparisons
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While the 2-610 is praised for its vocal applications, some prefer the 710 twin-finity for its flexibility and lower price.
Source
Critic Reviews
5.0 out of 5
Based on 2 Reviews and 5 Ratings
1822
Best Smooth Valve Tube Pre EVER!
Smooth Tube Vocals (Bruce Swedien's Favorite) Michael Jackson, Nat King Cole, Frank Sinatra, Count Bassie, Sarah Vaughn, Duke Ellington etc
Huge Open Transformer Impedance
Tight Hard Transformer Impedance
5 Huge differences in Tube Gain - can sound as Clean as a Modern 'Solid' State of The Art R&B/Pop Vocal Record or Huge Tube Classic of 1960's Frank Sinatra Sound
Best Rock DI old school with nice crunch on bottom end (Eddie Van Halen's Favorite Classic DI)
Pultec Style Eq is Handy in any Basic way
Hands down the Best 'Svelt' Type Tube Pre Unit ever made
Artist usage
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This article on the making of Marr's 2018 Call the Comet album by MixOnline.com touches on some of the gear used during the recording process. "The Beyer is mainly placed outside drummer Jack Mitchell’s kick drum. An SM57 is placed at the top of the snare, with Coles 4038 and Neumann KM 184 as overheads, equidistant from the snare. These might have some compression through a UREI 1178, all going through the Neve 1081 preamp, with a few of the microphones going into a UA 2-610." (While the engineer is providing this feedback, the gear is housed in Marr's own Crazy Face studios, which contains gear he's collected over his decades in the music industry.)
There are four of these in Tommy Lee's studio rack, used for microphones on Hi-Hats, Toms and Overheads.
Used for the acoustic guitar on A Sailor’s Guide to Earth, as stated by producer David Ferguson in this May 4, 2016 Mix Online interview.
On the songs that include acoustic guitar, such as the second track, “Breakers Roar,” Simpson plays while he sings and Ferguson captured his guitar with an AKG 451, into a UA 2-610 preamp, and to Pro Tools HD11.
Used for Jones' Wurlitzer organ on "Feelin' the Same Way" and the background vocals on Come Away With Me, as stated by producer Jacquire King in this Universal Audio interview.
The 2-610 I used pretty extensively once we got back to her place for bass and Wurlitzer. I did some background vocals with it.
The 2-160 was later used for the "Wurlitzer, guitars, and bass" on The Fall, as stated by King in this February 1, 2010 Electronic Musician interview with Jones, King and his assistant engineer Brad Bivens.
The only thing I brought along was the Universal Audio 2-610. [“And the Massenburg MDW Hi-Res Parametric EQ to add extra fluidity to every channel,” Brad Bivens adds.] The Magic Shop and Sunset Sound have wonderful Neve desks and lots of outboard gear, and Norah has wonderful microphones. So instead of carting things around, I just brought guitar pedals undefined, speakers, and the 2-610, which is a tube mic pre with EQ. It was used for Wurlitzer, guitars, and bass. The vocals were recorded through a Neve 1073 module.
In this Sound On Sound article there is a photo of Visconti's gear, which includes a Universal Audio 2-610.
Sold on Reverb.com.
From YTG: Great dual channel pre-amp used in my smoke free home studio! I've used this on stereo synths, vocals, and guitar, and It is in excellent condition.
Processors
Antares ATR1a Auto-Tune voice processor. Avalon VT747SP compressor/equaliser. Behringer Virtualizer multi-effects processor. Frostwave The Resonator filter, Funk A Duck envelope filter and Spacebeam. HHB Radius 20 equaliser. Lexicon Vortex multi-effects processor. Line 6 Bass Pod bass processor. Melos tape echo. RME ADI8 Pro A-D/D-A converter. Roland Space Echo. TC Helicon Voice Prism voice processor. TLA Fatman mic pre/compressor. Universal Audio 2-610 mic preamp.
Album Usage
The Universal Audio 2-610 has been featured on the following albums:
Genre Usage
Based on how artists on Equipboard use this gear, it is most commonly found in the following genres.
Used With
Based on how musicians on Equipboard use Universal Audio 2-610, it is most commonly used with the following gear.
Community setups
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