2-610 Dual Channel Tube Preamplifier

There is nothing in the world like it!

I track everything through my UA 2-610. It has legendary tone. It makes everything I track sound a million times better. Nothing ever sounds harsh. It smooths out harsh sounding guitar amps and shrill vocals. It makes a bass guitar sound absolutely massive. Horns and Strings sound incredible. In fact, when using instrument samples like drums or orchestra pieces, I re-route the bus signal through the UA 2-610 to eliminate any weird high end transients and add body and soul to the sound. There is nothing that quite does what this tool does. It is the secret sauce to all of my recordings. I have a couple of these pieces that I picked up on the used market too. Everyone talks about having a console back, well I have four of these units and they are my console. It is the closest thing to having a 610 Console and it's an essential part of my sound. The plug-ins don't even come close to matching what this does for me. I'm incredibly disappointed that UA discontinued this product. What a shame!!!!!

Best colors

One of best Preampli !!!

2-610 dual channel tube preamplifier

2-610 dual channel tube preamplifier

Versatile, vintage, vibe, victory!

I've owned and used this dual pre-amp for quite a few years (older flat grey face). Swapped tubes out to 12ax7/ge jan 6072a combination and the sound on vocals literally brought a tear to my eye. With these tubes I've backed off using the EQ almost entirely, there's no need, just switch impedance sometimes is all I need. It's incredibly versatile, low noise, huge warmth, open airiness, and presence in the mix, especially with ribbon mics (AEA R84 Wowed) Truly anything from a SM-57/58 to Blue Condensers to sennheiser tlm 103 and $$$ points beyond that I could beg, borrow, or steal for a session or two. All sound amazing. I may sound a bit like the more glowing descriptions/write ups, but I tell you honestly with years in my rack of heavy use, bass DI, guitar amp, acoustic, drum overheads!, tone box line in, tried it all...it's all true. Hardware front end is the thing to have, plugins downstream. You might have to adjust your thinking in terms of gain structure, based on tubes used etc. as it can run towards distortion internally, but you really have to push it, and even then, the harmonics start blooming in a good way. Love this thing, many have come and gone, this one stays right here within easy reach.

classic warm tube sound gallore

I love the 2-610! Having a bigger power transformer, its audio performance is far superiour from the smaller packaged 610 Solos and derivates. Only the mighty M-610 is even better with its big torodial transformer! I always wanted to try a torodial as PSU for the 2-610, too, since I once read that the first prototypes had that kind of PSU. But anyhow - a 610 is a true classic. It's never harsh, it's big and warm, but never overly hughe, wooley and slow. It is just sweet. Not my first choice on drums perhaps, but on guitars and backing vocals it is just so right! Have a listen to its performance in the wonderful preamp comparisson by Lynn Fuston on his DVD "Preamps in Paradise" - those examples say it all! One of the roundes and nicest preamps out there. I own vintage 1073s, vintage RCA OP6, vintage Tridents and MCI. The UA 2-610 is the heating amongst those all. It is simply the king of warm sound (where the 1073 is the king of proximity and saturation, OP6 is the king of high gain for ribbons, Trindent is the clean overhead king, and MCI is king of male vocal thickness...).

Worth its weight in gold

Lovely sound, useful on everything, from kick drum to vocals, very musical!

Thanks to Universal Audio!

whoa.

Incredible tube preamp... makes every mic sound better, and the Hi-Z input makes my bass sound fantastic. Having two channels is often very useful to get a matching (or different with the EQ section), even sound. I see myself using this thing until the day I die.

Fantastic version of the old 610

Wonderful sounding pres bags of character. Fun to experiment with different mics and settings. Great with a 57 on guitars cranked or a U87 on vocals with the input backed off for a more open sound, and everything inbetween. Get a bit of vintage character on the front end!

2 610 outstanding

I have been using the pre for a year or so
,a new machine. Took me a long time to save up while using lesser quality.
Made an error investing in another less costly pre, in a hurry to record now. The other pre is a dust collector now. The 610 has 'that sound'. The eq reacts with the inductive load of my guitar pickups.
Fender and Gibson and has some reasonance,'that sound' that can be controlled easy with the knobs.
Smooth sound, no semiconductor hole flow sound. The best they had on display at the store , I would buy another if I needed 2 more channels.
I use it fairly often.not while mixing but have considered running the mix thru it just to hear what it will do. Built like a tank it'll float like a ship no leaks
Da kind, for real,Wayne

2 610 outstanding

I have been using the pre for a year or so
,a new machine. Took me a long time to save up while using lesser quality.
Made an error investing in another less costly pre, in a hurry to record now. The other pre is a dust collector now. The 610 has 'that sound'. The eq reacts with the inductive load of my guitar pickups.
Fender and Gibson and has some reasonance,'that sound' that can be controlled easy with the knobs.
Smooth sound, no semiconductor hole flow sound. The best they had on display at the store , I would buy another if I needed 2 more channels.
I use it fairly often.not while mixing but have considered running the mix thru it just to hear what it will do. Built like a tank it'll float like a ship no leaks
Da kind, for real,Wayne

2 610 outstanding

I have been using the pre for a year or so
,a new machine. Took me a long time to save up while using lesser quality.
Made an error investing in another less costly pre, in a hurry to record now. The other pre is a dust collector now. The 610 has 'that sound'. The eq reacts with the inductive load of my guitar pickups.
Fender and Gibson and has some reasonance,'that sound' that can be controlled easy with the knobs.
Smooth sound, no semiconductor hole flow sound. The best they had on display at the store , I would buy another if I needed 2 more channels.
I use it fairly often.not while mixing but have considered running the mix thru it just to hear what it will do. Built like a tank it'll float like a ship no leaks
Da kind, for real,Wayne

Vintage magic

Warm tone, useful/subtle EQ, excellent build quality, great value. My go-to preamp for nearly everything.

Clean Power

I like the fact that even though this thing has tubes the sound is clean and clear with plenty of gain and the eq is just enough to make a difference in the sound if you need it. The quarter inch hi-z guitar input also works well as a direct in with low noise that you would expect from a high end preamp. I also own 2 channels of vintage ISA 110s in a 2U custom racked chassis, a dual channel Manley pre, an Avalon 737SP, 4 channels of knock off api and 2 channels of knock off 1073 for extra thickness. The UA 610 is great on acoustic instruments. It's a more open sound than my DBX 586 pres.

Indispensable

This is the only piece of gear I own (along with my grand piano) that I could never sell.
You can rate preamps on a scale between "colored" and "clear", and that's helpful, but there is something tough to describe about what the2- 610 does for sound. Yes, it's "colored", and "tube-y", but until you plug an SM-57 in it and say, "What!", like I did, you'll simply limit yourself if you limit its use. I use it with my most expensive and cheapest mics, on everything from classical piano to molten blues, and it's a champ.

beautiful sounding preamp

I bought mine with a UAD-1 (really!) and the 1176 and LA-2A plugins. They work together to make UA sonic heaven. The balanced +10 line in is perfect for warming up tracks that were recorded straight to DAW. The ability to overdrive the input stage allows for tube tone from clean to driven. Beautiful! My only complaint is that the one I have has no pad, this has been fixed (so much for being on tehbleeding edge!).

Nice color for my recordings

When I thought in a valves preamp, the only option that crossed my mind was Universal Audio. Having the ability to test with my 2-610, corroborated that I had made ??the right choice. A warm sounding preamp, transparent, versatile for a wide range of instruments. 100% satisfied with the purchase.

ES UN GRAN PREAMPLIFICADOR, EXCELENTE TIMBRE CALIDO, RUGOSO, DISTORSION ARMONICA MUY AGRADABLE, SU EQ ES EXCELENTE, SIRVE MUY BIEN CON GUITARRAS, Y LA VOZ SE GRABA CON UNA CALIDES IMPRESIONANTE, .

recording vocals excellent warm tubes, vocals Latin music and Pop

Simplemente, el mejor de mis preamplificadores.
El mejor color en todas mis escenas. Marx.

Really nice big warm tones! With Eq-s nearly to Neve 1072 velvet sound...