UA Blog

How the UA 610 console defined a sound and why Bill Putnam Jr. is rebuilding it. In this video, Universal Audio visits the legendary town of Muscle Shoals, Alabama — a hallowed place where musical giants like Aretha Franklin, Otis Redding, Wilson Pickett, The Rolling Stones, Bob Dylan, and hundreds more cut timeless records. At the heart of those classic records was the Universal Audio 610 tube console. Whether it was at Fame Recording Studios or Muscle Shoals Sound, Bill Putnam Sr.'s groundbreaking modular console guaranteed these legendary sessions were captured with unmatched sonics. Watch Universal Audio CEO Bill Putnam Jr. embark on a journey of "audio archaeology," as he travels to Muscle Shoals — with a baker's dozen of vintage 610 channels previously owned by Neil Young — with the goal of rebuilding a UA 610 console and "make it a tool that will solve problems in a modern studio."   UA's Bill Putnam Jr. and Will Shanks discuss a vintage UA 610 console with Grammy-winning engineer Craig Alvin.   Along the way, Putnam Jr. digs into the history of the UA 610 in Fame's Studio B room with audio wizard Greg Pace of FunkWerkes, detailing its handmade EQ and tube preamp. Then, Putnam Jr. heads over to Noble Stead Studios in the heart of Muscle Shoals and talks to Grammy-winning engineer Craig Alvin, who was offered bongos at a garage sale — and went home with a ten-channel vintage 610 console instead! Both Pace and Alvin provide valuable insight into harnessing the magic of vintage 610 channels in a modern studio workflow. Finally, Putnam Jr., heads over to FunkWerkes where he and Pace discuss the vision for the rebuilt UA 610 and how it can seamlessly pair with Apollo interfaces and LUNA Digit...

Learn how to perfect your setup no matter the size with UA’s James Santiago. In this video, learn how to assemble the perfect pedalboard for your next gig or recording session. Join UA’s own guitar guru James Santiago along with Josh Fiden and John Clark from Voodoo Lab as they take you through two epic ampless rigs. Plus, they'll illuminate the often misunderstood guidelines of pedal order, gain staging, and powering your rig.  For their first setup, Santiago assembles an incredibly versatile guitar behemoth. At the heart of this setup lies two separate amp-in-a-box style pedals, the UAFX Enigmatic '82 Overdrive Special and Ruby '63 Top Boost amplifiers. These pedals supply both American and British voiced edge-of-breakup tones, laying a perfect foundation for the slew of overdrive and fuzz pedals that come before them in the chain. For studio-style space and ambience, Santiago follows up the amp emulators with a versatile array of reverb, delay, and modulation options. If keeping things simple is more your style, the second board may be for you. Still featuring two UAFX amp style pedals, this setup also contains a single overdrive pedal as well as a post-amp reverb. This time opting for a more classic model for the American-voiced platform, Santiago swaps the Enigmatic for the Dream '65 Reverb Amplifier . Perfect for gigging, this simple four pedal setup still offers plenty of sounds in a compact package.     00:00 - Introduction Meet UA’s James Santiago along wi...

Learn how Mt. Bethel Church delivers album-quality live and streaming mixes. With over 35 years of combined live sound experience, the audio engineering team at Mt. Bethel Church in Marietta, Georgia knows what works — and what doesn't. And in this case, what works for FOH mixer Dave Anderson and streaming engineer Taylor Cinnamon is Apollo x16D audio interfaces running UAD plug-ins on a Dante network.  Anderson is responsible for mixing the front-of-house live sound for services of around 1,000 people, while Cinnamon handles the church's livestream duties to a similar number of people worldwide. Both engineers have made it their mission to elevate the church’s audio production to a level where every service and livestream sounds like a finished record.   Dante Networking: The Backbone of Mt. Bethel’s Audio Mt. Bethel Church's acoustics are built to project sound, making it a challenge for audio engineers.   Running a Dante networked audio system has been essential for Mt. Bethel’s complex audio setup. Dante is a digital audio networking technology that allows for the seamless transfer of high-quality audio over standard Cat6 Ethernet cables, and it’s been at the heart of Mt. Bethel’s system for the last 10 years. “We couldn’t do any of it without Dante,” says Anderson. “Hypothetically, if we had to replace our entire Dante network with XLR snakes, it could easily cost over a million dollars! We have almost no limitations with Dante.”    "Think of Dante as a virtual patchbay for routing any audio anywhere you want — without any loss in quality." Dave Anderson, front-of-house engineer, Mt. Bethel Church ...

How careful songwriting collaborations, Apollo interfaces, and UAD plug-ins fuel Grammy-winning records. Since moving to Los Angeles in 2011, Daniel Nigro has undergone a transformation few could have predicted. A lifelong guitarist, singer and restless member of Indie rock stalwarts As Tall As Lions, Nigro arrived in LA with a dream, but no clear roadmap beyond "wanting to be a songwriter."  What began as Nigro's attempt to record his solo record soon turned into something much bigger — a passion for producing and writing music with others. Hot on the heels of his 2025 "Producer of the Year" Grammy, Nigro has shaped the sound of artists like Chappell Roan, Olivia Rodrigo, Sky Ferreira, Joe Jonas, Kylie Minogue, and Caroline Polachek. All the while, Nigro has honed a signature production style — one that heavily leans into collaboration, as well as Apollo X Gen 2 audio interfaces and UAD plug-ins .   "If one part of a song feels really good, I don't care about anything else," says Daniel Nigro. "We can workshop the rest. If it takes a year, fine."   Was there a steep learning curve in making the transition from songwriter to producer? Yes, in the sense that it felt like a massive step backwards because I had to prove that I was a producer. That took about 5 years. When I worked with my old writing partner Justin Raisen ( Charli XCX , Drake ), he would always be at the computer — he was the producer. I was just a songwriter. But I watched him and picked up how to produce. I also worked a lot with Ariel ...

How to use two compressors on vocals. Raw vocal recordings can be uneven, thin, or harsh — making it difficult to get them to sit in the mix. One of the most trusted techniques used by pro engineers and producers involves using two compressors in series. Both the UA 1176 Classic Limiter Collection  and the Teletronix® LA-2A Leveler Collection  are a perfect combination to smooth things out. This method has been used for decades, thanks to its ability to preserve nuances while delivering punchy, professional sound. Watch our detailed walkthrough video and explore how this duo can transform your vocal recordings, and how you can use serial compression in your next mix.     Why Use Two Compressors? Using an 1176 and LA-2A together gives you the best of both worlds — fast peak reduction from the 1176 and smooth, natural leveling from the LA-2A. This technique is widely used in professional studios for these reasons: Tames loud transients with the fast attack of the 1176 Smooths dynamic range with the gentle compression of the LA-2A Enhances tone and warmth using the rich analog character of both units Creates a controlled yet natural sound that stays present in the mix This setup is most commonly used on vocals, but you can also apply it to bass, guitars, drums, and more.   Pro Tip : Try experimenting with different models of the LA-2A and 1176 to...

Learn how Universal Audio captures the world’s greatest guitar amps in a pedal. Putting the sonic majesty of the world's greatest tube amps into a stompbox isn't easy, especially if you're striving to capture the elusive tonal magic that's not found in a schematic. Universal Audio's Chief Scientist Dave Berners and Senior Product Designer James Santiago have made it their mission to not only emulate these landmark amps, but to go deeper, giving guitarists the exact tone and feel of vintage "golden unit" tube amps. Here, they reveal what goes into developing UAFX amp emulators , and uncover what they do differently that makes these award-winning "amp-in-a-box" pedals sound so good.   Guitarists often say UAFX amp emulators sound and feel like a real miked up amp. How did you achieve this? Dave Berners : James can set the amps, mics, and recording chain up so they sound true to the source right out of the gate. But to make these emulations exceptional, we look at more than the amp's schematic.   Can you explain? Dave Berners: It's the way the amp's components interact that is key. For example, component tolerances vary, so two amps can sound subtly different just because the resistors or capacitors aren’t precisely the same. Then there’s parasitic capacitance — the interactions created simply by components and wires being near each other. James helps us pinpoint these subtleties, and we add them into the emulations. It’s those tiny, schematic-defying details that set UAFX amp emulators apart.   A stripped, vintage Marshall 4x12 miked up with a vintage Neumann during the emulation of UAFX Lion '68 Super Lead...

Bringing authentic UAD sound from studio to stage. Introducing the Apollo E Series, two new peripherals for the Apollo x16D that allow you to take UAD DSP plug-ins directly from studio to stage using Dante audio networking. The Apollo E Series includes the Apollo e1x Remote-controlled Unison™ Preamp and the Apollo e2m Stereo Headphone Amp and Line Interface , both of which feature Dante connections and mic stand mounts for live, broadcast, and networked studio use. The Apollo e1x gives you the sound of Unison mic preamp emulations from API, Avalon, Manley, Neve, SSL, and more using an Apollo x16D audio interface. The Apollo e2m puts stereo headphone monitoring and line level I/O anywhere on your Dante network, using svelte Cat 5e Ethernet cables, for maximum fidelity and flexibility. Powered by the Apollo x16D , UAD DSP processing lets engineers mix with genuine UAD plug-ins like Antares Auto-Tune , EL8 Distressor , Lexicon reverbs , and more in realtime on stage or in the studio. Both E Series peripherals offer convenient network “endpoints” in any Dante system, with or without Apollo x16D.     Apollo e1x Remote-controllable Unison™ Preamp Expand any Dante network with remote-controlled mic/line preamps using Power over Ethernet (PoE) Combine with Apollo x16D interfaces to get the authentic Unison™ mic preamp sounds of API, Avalon, Manley, Neve, SSL, and more Link multiple Apollo e1x units with included coupling bracket and integrate...

Our UAD plug-in library features over 200 titles, from simple preamps and guitar effects to complex mastering tools, EQs, channel strips, and more. It can be overwhelming to find the right one. So each year we compile a list of our 11 best-sellers. 1. UA 1176 Classic Limiter Collection The original 1176 was designed by UA founder Bill Putnam Sr. and represented a major breakthrough in limiter technology with its ultra-fast FET gain reduction. The UA 1176 Classic Limiter Collection gives you the same classic compression heard on some of the greatest recordings in history. 2. API Vision Channel Strip Collection Embrace famous API sound with the API Vision Channel Strip Collection , featuring the signature 212L preamp and 225L compressor that have graced hit records for over five decades — from Stevie Wonder's Innervisions to Radiohead's In Rainbows . 3. Pultec Passive EQ Collection The Pultec Passive EQ Collection is an authentic emulation of the legendary tube EQs used on over 70 years of popular music. Now a classic in its own right, the UAD plug-in collection delivers astonishingly accurate emulations, all of which are used by the world’s top producers and engineers every day. <a href="/p...