Recording - October 2009 - 38

B Y PA U L V N U K J R . Universal Audio 710 Twin-Finity Twin architectures offer infinite tone choices In our January 2007 issue we looked at a pair of single-channel microphone preamps by Universal Audio known as the SOLO series. The tube-based SOLO/610 was a direct descendant of Universal Audio’s classic Putnamdesigned 610s of yesteryear, while the SOLO/110 (now discontinued) was a single channel of the newer high-fidelity 4110/8110 solid-state series. For around $800 each you had a choice of classic or clean, but only a double purchase would get you both until now. Dubbed the Twin-Finity, the 710 is the sonic missing link between the classic, warm vintage 610 and the crystal clean 110 (or now the 8110). It’s a single-channel mic pre with all of the standard accoutrements of its brethren, featuring variable input gain, 48 volt phantom power, lowcut, phase switching, 15 dB pad, and a Hi-Z/Line input. So is the 710 a tube mic pre or a solid-state mic pre? The answer is YES! It is one and/or the other and/or both at the same time. A “Universal” look and layout The 710 shares the look of other UA products, with switches like those on the SOLO/610 and knobs of the famous 1176LN. The 710 has an all-metal, pewter-colored, powder-coated finish. It is 38 RECORDING OCTOBER 2009 a double-space, half-rack unit that can be mounted singly or in pairs with a set of included joiners and a 19" rack panel. Optionally you can purchase a handle ($30 from UA’s online store) that mounts to the top of the unit, making it portable like the SOLO series. A large backlit analog VU meter with a choice of input drive or output gain dominates the center of the unit. This is symmetrically flanked by the above mentioned function switches as well as a pair of dual gain-stage input knobs. Below the VU meter is the continuously variable transformer/tube Blend knob. Also on the face of the unit is a power switch and a 1 /4" instrument input. The back has three XLR jacks—mic in, line in, and line out. As with all UA units, the power supply is internal and connects to a standard 3-prong AC cable. So what’s so cool? Quoting Universal Audio, the 710 features “a solid-state transimpedance input amp simultaneously driving separate, phasealigned tube and solid-state gain stages, which are then summed to a single output”. Translation: The input of the 710 is solid state, and from there, signal flows into a 310-volt single-ended class-A triode tube stage as well as a solid-state transimpedance stage which are both actively passing signal at the same time. The Blend knob mixes these two signal streams and sends the mix to a phasealigned single output. Sonic impression Of course the most asked questions about this unit are, “Does the solid-state side sound like an 8110?”, and “Does the tube side sound like a 610?” To my ears, the answer in both cases is “No.” The solid-state side, while fast and clean, is not as hi-fi and crystalline as the 8110. It actually has more of a classic “vintage solid-state” preamp sound and is reminiscent of the sonic signature of an 1176LN. Conversely the tube half is not as smooth and thick as the 610, and while it does have a tube warmth, I would call it much more modern and—when really pushed—nicely crunchy and aggressive. Of course the magic of the 710 lies in its variable gain structure and the blend knob, which offers plenty of sonic variation in between. Variants and blends in session UA was kind enough to let me play with the Twin-Finity for a number of months in my studio where I tried it with a number of

Recording - October 2009

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Recording - October 2009