Bill Putman, often referred to as “the father of modern recording as we know it today,” built his first recording console around 1950.

Putman was a music producer, recording engineer, and record company owner who worked with some of the biggest names in the music business.

In the early ’50s, he built his home recording console that featured the first 8-track experiments with a signal-to-noise ratio of 30dB, unheard of at the time.

This custom built console had rotary faders, 12 inputs, dedicated preamps and echo sends. Putnam’s console is the forerunner of the Universal audio 610 and any console anyone is using today! He invented the modern recording console: the way we use cue sends, echo returns, multi-track switching.

Universal Audio products have a true “soulful” connection to the past.

In fact, Universal was the name of Bill Putman’s record company. Today, Universal Audio is a company owned and run by Putnam’s two sons, Jim and Bill Jr. His desire is to “reproduce vintage analog recording equipment designed by his father and his colleagues” and to basically research and build new audio recording tools. recording in the spirit of vintage analogue technology.

Universal Audio Solo 610

A beautiful team! Universal Audio has done a great job getting this to emulate the famous Putnam 610 recording console. With just 2 large rotary knobs reminiscent of the original Putnam 610 and 5 position switches.

The two best words to describe its most important features are WARM and FULL. You’ll be able to boost any channel for bass, guitar, and his signature vocal sound like the original Putnam 610 that recorded countless artists from Muddy Waters to Frank Sinatra.

The SOLO 610 is a single channel all tube preamp in a DI box. Universal Audio is known for its solidly built audiophile components.

• Microphone and DI inputs
• Direct output
• Selection of gain, level and impedance
• Gain shape switch
• Mic/line level output switch
• 48 V phantom power
• Low cut filter
• Phase inversion
• Ground elevation
• Strong steel frame
• Assembled by hand by Universal Audio in the USA.

UA has several high-end products, but the Universal Audio Solo 610 is just under $800, perfect for smaller recording studios to get quality vintage analog sound. Let’s face it, as we sit in our studios most of us are completely surrounded by digital recording equipment.