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![universal audio 2 610 universal audio 2 610](https://www-vintageking.com.imgeng.in/media/catalog/product/cache/c8660c81d7196df55c33284290821786/u/n/universal-audio-2-610-mic-preamp-2587-used_113045_1.jpg)
My only beef with this unit is that there's no visual signal indicator, but I suppose an LED would be pretty out of place and VU Meters would add a lot of expense. The 2-610 looks cool too, with it's big knobs, heavy duty toggle switches, Fender style lamps and retro styling. The 2- 610 specs out +/- 1 dB from 20 Hz to 20 kHz, but there's something going on in here that's a bit magic that goes beyond just specs. I've also used it on vocals, electric and acoustic guitars, bass, banjo and violin-all with bitchin' results. Does "hi-fi vintage lo-fi" work? It's hands down my favorite drum overhead mic pre with either a pair of Royer R121s, or my hot-rodded Radio Shack PZMs if I want a more extended top end. The bottom end and mids are huge and just kind of "tubey" in the same way my old Altec mixer and compressor sound, but the top end, while not strident or even as apparent as on say an Avalon 737 tube pre, is much better than the older Altec stuff. This pre has more color than anything I've used or heard except some of my older Neve and Altec gear. Bottom line this thing sounds friggin' bitchin! If you're looking for clarity or a transparent mic pre, ala the Avalon, Millennia, or Grace school of design, don't even waste the electricity turning this thing on. Those consoles (and by extension, this mic pre design) were used to record records for everyone from the Doors to Frank Sinatra. and is based on the Universal Audio 610 Console their father, Bill Putnam Sr., designed and built. This 2-channel tube mic pre is built by the Putnam Bros.