Universal Audio 2108 two channel mic pre

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Scott Tansley

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Just saw this baby on there website. Its a new two channel mic pre from Universal Audio that uses the legendary 1176ln amplifier circuitry. For $1695.00 US and the fact that its two channel I would have to say its a bargin. I know this is more pro than home recordist but as far mic pre's go this would have to be the bees knees.
Question.. Has anyone used it yet or heard it yet. Kind of a silly question really because it would have to be good. But?

Scott.
 
The Bees Knees? Who says that anymore?

If true it would kick ass, But still a little more than I could get my wife to agree to.
 
BUMP

Any users yet?

I just ordred one and will have it on Dec 6th. I know it will be fine but would like to here about first hand use if possible.

Kirk
 
I recently purchased the 2-610 but I did look at the 2108 while considering the purchse. In the end I went with the tube model since I plan to add at least one 1176 later on. what is really intersting is that UA has now put out a channel strip of sorts that is a one channel unti featuring one channel from the 2-610 and an 1176. If you are planning to use it for vocals only and don't need the stereo function, this appears to be the thing to get.
 
Oh, and by the way, whichever one you do get, you will end up doing like I do which is, recording everything through it. Actually putting something through my Mackie board seems like a degenerative thing at this point. Still good for mixing though.
 
The 2 610 looked nice :) I went with the 2108 so I can mod it with a line level input. It does sound nice too.

Kirk
 
I don't know if that's the pre i would choose as a first in one's collection. The sound is a little idiosyncratic for an all-purpose preamp. If you've already got some other good pres, then ok. But if it's your first, something like the Great River MP2 NV is going to be a lot more versatile. For example, if you were fortunate enough to have both pieces in your rack, I wouldn't be surprised if you ended up choosing the Great River at least 80% of the time.

A good indication is that with the UA, people seem to either love it or hate it. With the Great River, people either love it or like it a lot!
 
It would be a addition to many other nice pre's. If I don't like it I can return it.

I hear what you are saying though. The Great River is high on my list. I just remodeled my control room so I am tight on cash for gear so I was taking advantage of a credit deal at Sweetwater.

Kirk
 
As I have said, I do have the 2 610. I cannot imagine why anyone would call the sound indiosyncratic. And this is not to belittle the comment or the person who made it. In fact, I can appreciate that each has their own opinion and I value that. The point is that I have been using the 2 610 as my main pre and it sounds great. For now, my only other pre is a dbx channel strip that is simply no longer in the running and, oh yes, the pres on my Mackie board.

Frankly, I do not believe there is any high quality pre such as the 2 610 or the MP 2NV for that matter that could sound "bad" unless the instrument or mic completely blows or the person using it is completely horrible and does not know the first thing about engineering or sound.

NEVERTHELESS, there are many good pre amps on the market now and choosing one can be a difficult decision.

By the way, if you do not need a stereo pre. UA now has a piece that combines the 2-610 and the 1176. I believe is is called the 2676 or something like that. Looks kinda nice, actually and I would be willing to bet it so unds rather nice too.

And one last thing, I would never tell anyone that one pre is better than another or a better choice or whatever. It seems to me that ultimately, the decision is esthetics not necessarily those related solely to sound. A car, any car gets you from one place to another but, for some, the only want to be seen in a Rolls Royce. Still, when the road is bumpy, the Rolls bumps along with the rest.
 
the new Toft audio pre has 2 channels and is boasting the same 1176 circutry for under 1000. Made by the Trident designer.
 
Jack Hammer said:
As I have said, I do have the 2 610. I cannot imagine why anyone would call the sound indiosyncratic. And this is not to belittle the comment or the person who made it. In fact, I can appreciate that each has their own opinion and I value that. The point is that I have been using the 2 610 as my main pre and it sounds great. For now, my only other pre is a dbx channel strip that is simply no longer in the running and, oh yes, the pres on my Mackie board.


And one last thing, I would never tell anyone that one pre is better than another or a better choice or whatever.
Click to expand...

Hi Jack/Phil:

I'll agree and disagree. If my only other pres were the dbx (i'm assuming one of the silver/platinum - not the blue) and the mackie, I too would happily use the UA on everything. So in that sense I would be disagreeing with your last statement, by presuming to say that the UA's ARE better than the dbx or the mackie pres.

Judging them against a larger universe of options, though, might let you draw the conclusion that the UA's might be a less appropriate choice on many sources than other preamps from Avalon, Focusrite, Neve, Tubetech, API, Millenia, Grace, John Hardy, Fearn, Great River, etc.

I did not ever mean to imply that your preamp was "bad". Only that if you only had the money for only one good two-channel pre, the UA might not be the best choice from a versatility standpoint.

On the other hand, the UA preamp/1176 combo strip looks extremely intriguing. If in fact you are getting something that sounds anything close to a full-featured black-face 1176, it could be the bargain of the decade. I eagerly await the reviews and evaluations!

Now, on the other hand, if you want to check out someone who "hates" the sound of UA preamps, just ask Fletcher what he thinks of them! :p
 
Fletcher is why I asked for user opinions here. I don't want to get my ass chewed.

Kirk
 
I hear ya Littledog. You know, audio taste tends to be one of the most subjective things going. I once knew a guy who was extremely opinionated yet I found his choices in gear and sound quality to be suspect. To me, the stuff sounded okay but nothing to get heated about. Yet he was certain his particular collection of gear made ultimate auiod sense and sounded great. I realize, to each thier own. So I try to stay away from what are the best type questions. In fact, everytime I have asked one, I have relearned the same lesson.

By noe I believe I have leanred the lesson enough. Whomever Fletch or whatever his name might be, I woujld imagine that his choice of pre-amp is his business. I am equally certain that he has probably heard plenty of music recorded with UA pres and actually liked the music. If not, then he might be an audiophile type and, frankly, even audiophiles that don't know a C major from D diminshed from a hole in the wall and could care less are entitled to thier own opinions, likes, dislikes and enjoyment of adio, audio gear, music, music gear or whatever floats thier boat.
 
Hehe.... i won't even try and speak for Fletcher. You're certainly welcome to go to his forum and take it up the UA issue with him, if you're interested. Warning: don't go unarmed. By the way, I agree that his choice of preamps is certainly his business, since his business is Mercenary Audio. And his suggestions about preamp design were considered valuable enough that Drawmer named one of their top units after him.

Speaking of which, there's a transcript there of the online discussion/interview with Rupert Neve that Fletcher moderated that is well worth everyone checking out. While Fletcher may be approaching the status of a living legend (to everyone but Jack, apparently), Rupert certainly is the real deal. Thanks to Fletcher for giving us the opportunity to "get inside" the mind of a master.
 
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