Apollo
Native
sale
Helios Type 69 Preamp and EQ Collection
Get the fat sound of rock's "Golden Age."
- Track and mix through a stunning emulation of the Helios Type 69 vintage analog channel
- Get the full character of the original hardware’s Lustraphone transformer-based mic preamp with Unison™ technology
- Sculpt your sources with a colorful inductor-based three-band EQ
- Shape guitars, vocals, and more with legendary Type 69 midrange aggression
- Tweak low-end character with uniquely voiced low-frequency boost and cut filters
- Mix with artist presets from J.J. Blair (Johnny Cash, George Benson), Chris Coady (Yeah Yeah Yeahs, TV on the Radio), Jacquire King (Kings of Leon, Tom Waits), and more
Get the Fat sound of Rock's Golden Age
What They Say
Ryan West
Eminem, Kid Cudi, Jay-Z
Joe Chiccarelli
Jason Mraz, Beck, The Strokes, Morrissey
Jacquire King
Kings of Leon, Norah Jones, Cold War Kids
Reviews
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes, the Helios Type 69 Preamp and EQ Collection is worth it if you want the punchy, aggressive midrange of 1970s British rock on your tracks. It models the full Type 69 channel, from the Lustraphone transformer-based mic preamp to the inductor-based three-band EQ, so you get the console's color and its tone shaping in one plug-in. The original hardware is ultra-rare, which makes this the most practical way to put that sound on your guitars, drums, and vocals.
The Helios Type 69 Preamp and EQ Collection is a character EQ, not a clean, surgical one. Its inductor-based midrange has an assertive growl that pushes guitars and vocals forward, and its low-frequency boost and cut filters are voiced to shape bass in ways a standard parametric EQ doesn't. Paired with the modeled preamp, it adds attitude and harmonic color along with the frequency shaping.
Unison technology lets the Helios Type 69 Preamp and EQ Collection reshape the mic preamps on Apollo audio interfaces to behave like the original Lustraphone transformer-based preamp. When you load it in a Unison slot, Apollo's input matches the impedance, gain staging, and circuit behavior of the Type 69 hardware, so your mic responds the way it would plugged into the console. Turn up the gain and you hear the crunch build just like it does on the real channel.
You don't have to choose, because buying the Helios Type 69 Preamp and EQ Collection gives you a license for both the UAD native and Apollo/UAD-2 versions. Use the native version to mix on any Mac or Windows computer, and use the Apollo version when you want to track through Unison or run the plug-in on UAD DSP. Your sessions can move between setups while keeping the same Type 69 tone.
The Helios Type 69 preamp sounds bright, open, and aggressive, with a thick midrange that grows more assertive as you add gain. The Lustraphone input transformer gives sources weight and a bit of edge, and driving the gain adds harmonic crunch that suits electric guitars, drums, and rock vocals. Keep the gain lower for a fuller, more forward version of your source without the grit.
The Helios Type 69 EQ is a three-band, inductor-based design with separate low-frequency boost and cut filters. The midrange band is where the Type 69 gets its famous growl, and the inductor circuit gives boosts a musical, slightly saturated shape instead of a clinical one. With independent low-end boost and cut, you can add weight to a kick or bass while tightening up the mud around it.
Yes, the native Helios Type 69 Preamp and EQ Collection uses the same circuit modeling as the Apollo/UAD-2 version, so the Type 69 character is identical in your mix. The difference is where it runs. The native version uses your computer's CPU, while the Apollo version runs on UAD DSP and adds Unison preamp modeling for tracking with near-zero latency.
No, the Helios Type 69 Preamp and EQ Collection runs natively on macOS and Windows computers with no UA hardware required. If you own an Apollo interface or UAD Accelerator, you can also run it on UAD DSP, and Apollo owners get Unison preamp modeling right at the input. Your license lives in an iLok account, activated on your computer or an iLok USB key.
The Helios Type 69 Preamp and EQ Collection works in all major DAWs on Mac and Windows through the AU, VST3, and AAX plug-in formats. It also runs in LUNA, UA's recording software for Mac and Windows. On Apollo, you can track through it in realtime in the Console app before the signal ever reaches your DAW.
Yes, the Helios Type 69 Preamp and EQ Collection runs natively on Apple Silicon Macs, as well as on Intel Macs and Windows PCs. That means you can mix with the full Type 69 channel on a modern laptop, no extra hardware needed. Current OS versions are listed in UA's system requirements.
The Helios Type 69 Preamp and EQ Collection shines on electric guitars, drums, vocals, and acoustic guitars that need presence and punch. Its midrange band helps guitars cut through a dense mix, and the low-frequency filters add thump to kick and bass without clouding the bottom end. It's also a favorite on snare and room mics when you want that raw, 1970s rock energy.
Yes, on Apollo interfaces you can record through the Helios Type 69 Preamp and EQ Collection in realtime using Unison, printing the preamp and EQ color as you track. Committing early lets you hear the finished vibe in your headphones while you perform, which often inspires a better take. With other interfaces, use the native version on your DAW's inserts or save the Type 69 sound for mixdown.
Yes, the Helios Type 69 Preamp and EQ Collection can handle a full drum mix on its own, from kick and snare to overheads and room mics. Put an instance on each drum channel to recreate the feel of a session run through a Type 69 console, using the midrange for snare crack and the low-frequency filters for kick weight. It's a fast way to get a cohesive vintage drum sound without building a long plug-in chain.
The Helios Type 69 Preamp and EQ Collection includes artist presets from engineers J.J. Blair, Chris Coady, Jacquire King, and more. Each preset shows how a working pro sets up the Type 69 on guitars, vocals, drums, and other sources. Load one as a starting point, then adjust the gain and EQ to fit your track.
Yes, DSP-based plug-ins like the Apollo version of the Helios Type 69 Preamp and EQ Collection are still worth using, especially for recording. Running on Apollo DSP lets you track through the plug-in with near-zero latency and Unison preamp modeling, while leaving your computer's CPU free for the rest of the session. Because a Helios Type 69 purchase includes both licenses, you can track on DSP and mix natively without compromise.
Engineers use vintage console plug-ins like the Helios Type 69 Preamp and EQ Collection because they add tone and attitude that clean digital tools don't add on their own. A modeled console channel shapes transients, harmonics, and midrange in a way that makes tracks feel finished faster. The Helios Type 69 in particular gives you a sound tied to a specific era of rock records, so you reach for it when you want that exact character, not just a frequency fix.
Yes, the Helios Type 69 Preamp and EQ Collection is included in UAD Spark Studio, UA's subscription with 60+ UAD native plug-ins and LUNA recording software. Spark Studio lets you use the Helios alongside a deep library of classic console, compressor, and effects emulations. If you'd rather own it outright, you can buy the Helios Type 69 on its own, with licenses for both the native and Apollo versions.
The Helios Type 69 Preamp and EQ Collection models the Type 69 channel from Helios, the British consoles at the center of many of the biggest rock records of the 1970s. Helios desks were installed at Olympic Studios in London, Musicland in Munich, and the Rolling Stones' mobile studio, and they shaped albums from Led Zeppelin, Jimi Hendrix, Bob Marley, Black Sabbath, and AC/DC. Their punchy midrange and assertive growl became a signature of the era, and the original consoles are now extremely rare.