Universal Audio LA-610 Channel Strip - Manual (Page 18)

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console was dismantled. Putnam’s solution was to build a mic-pre with gain control, echo
send and adjustable EQ on one modular chassis using a printed circuit board. While
modular consoles are commonplace today, the 610 was quite a breakthrough at the time.
While the 610 was designed for practical reasons, it was aesthetic appeal that made it
popular with the recording artists who frequented United and Western in the 60’s. The
character of the mic-pre in particular made it favorite of engineers like Bruce Swedien,
Bruce Botnick, Lee Hirschberg and Jack Joseph Puig; and artists including Sarah
Vaughan, Frank Sinatra, Ray Charles, and The Beach Boys. Swedien describes the
character of the preamp as “clear and open” and “very musical”.
Studios 2 and 3 at Western, which featured the 610 console, were the site of many classic
recordings of the 60’s, including the Mamas and the Papas (Bones Howe), Up, Up and
Away by the Fifth Dimension, Herb Alpert, Sergio Mendes (Bruce Botnick), and of
course Pet Sounds.
Legendary engineer Wally Heider, manager of remote recording at United, used his 610
console to record many live recordings including Peter, Paul and Mary “In Concert”
(1964), Wes Montgomery’s “Full House” (1962), and all of the Smothers Brothers Live
albums. Hieder’s console was later acquired by Paul McManus in 1987, who spent a
decade restoring it. [We thank Paul for his efforts and his contribution to our efforts to
trace the history of the 610.]
At least one 610 module is still in use at Ocean Way. Allen Sides, who purchased the
studio from Putnam to open Ocean Way, personally traveled to Hawaii to collect the 610
console that was used to record the live “Hawaii Calls” broadcasts. Jack Joseph Puig has
been ensconced in Studio A with the 610 (and a stunning collection of vintage gear) for
nearly five years where he has applied the vintage touch to acts including Beck, Hole,
Counting Crows, Goo Goo Dolls, No Doubt, GreenDay and Jellyfish
The LA-610 you have purchased carries on the illustrious history of the 610. The 610
circuitry is identical to one half of our 2-610 Mic pre with a few exceptions. We have
added a 15dB Pad switch and extra 12ax7 tubes to accommodate the compressor section.
This rendition of our popular 610 module also has a slight boost in the high frequency
response to compensate for the natural darkness of the optical compressor.
Creative Classics: The 1176 Solid State Limiting Amplifier and the LA-2A Leveling
Amplifier
The LA-2A and 1176 compressor/limiters long ago achieved classic status. They're a
given in almost any studio in the world — relied upon daily by engineers whose styles
range from rock to rap, classical to country and everything in between. With so many
newer products on the market to choose from, it's worth looking at the reasons why these
classics remain a necessary part of any professional studio's outboard equipment
collection.
The basic concept of a compressor/limiter, is of course, relatively simple. It's a device in
which the gain of a circuit is automatically adjusted using a predetermined ratio that acts