Crafting Sound: The Evolution of Universal Audio
Universal Audio (UA) has established itself as a cornerstone in the world of audio engineering and music production. It is celebrated for its high-quality recording equipment and innovative software. With a rich heritage that began in the 1950s, UA has consistently pushed the boundaries of technology. It has moved forward an evolution from traditional analogue gear to cutting-edge digital solutions. The company’s commitment to quality and ease of use has made it a favourite among engineers and producers. From iconic hardware to modern digital audio interfaces and plugins, Universal Audio’s products have become essential tools in studios around the globe and for the team here at Abbey Road Institute.
In this article, guest writer and alumnus Carlos Bricio explores the foundations and improvements of the UA ecosystem. We look at how UA’s evolution of recording through history is integrated into what we teach.
A Short Story of the Universe
UA is renowned for building and modelling some of the most iconic equipment in recording history. Gear such as the 610 preamp, the classic LA2-A and 1176 compressors have been used in countless records. They’ve become standard studio equipment worldwide.
Engineer and studio designer Bill Putnam Senior founded the company in the 1950s, and his son relaunched it in 1999. UA later expanded its efforts from building analogue gear to researching, designing, and developing new tools for recording, digital audio processing, and music production. Throughout its history, UA has focused on creating gear and software that is easy for anyone to use.
They offer solutions that cover the entire spectrum of audio work. This includes studio analogue gear, microphones, guitar pedals, audio interfaces and more. They have even modelled classic studios, allowing anyone to virtually place their recordings and music in famous studios such as Ocean Way or Sound City as if they were recorded there.
Analogue Recreation
For the past decade, UA has been synonymous with excellent analogue modelling. It has helped many mixing engineers streamline their workflows. Additionally, it’s been a major help with transitioning to working entirely in the box. Thanks to the dedicated digital signal processing built into Apollo interfaces and DSP boxes, its plugins were the first to fidelity recreate the sound of classic analogue gear. Making them indistinguishable from their analogue counterparts.
Nowadays, while modern computers can handle more demanding plugins without hiccups, UA-dedicated DSP is still relevant. Especially in live and recording scenarios where latency (roundtrip signal processing time) needs to be close to zero. Also, their Unison preamps and microphone lineup, when bundled with their DSP, open up a whole world of recording possibilities for studios, engineers or producers. You can record using a U87 or a D12 through classic preamps or channel strips like the 1073 or the SSL 4K without going to a studio or breaking the bank. All instantly within the Universal audio ecosystem.
A Space Journey: Apollo, Console, Luna
If you go deeper down the rabbit hole, you realise UA is more than just plugins or DSP processing. The build quality and attention to detail of Apollo interfaces and software are designed with users in mind. This makes them easy to use, reliable, and customisable. A big part of this is thanks to their bridge between the analogue and digital world: the UAD Console.
Like its analogue counterpart, the UAD Console allows flexible routing and management of signals from and through UA Apollo interfaces. Thanks to Console, you can create loopback audio inside your computer, set gain automatically*, and manage your speakers, headphones, and sub*. You can also tune your speakers to your room* thanks to UA’s latest collaboration with Sonnarworks. Now, the UAD Console allows users to apply real-time correction profiles to their monitoring system directly on the Apollo interfaces*.
The UA ecosystem wouldn’t be complete without its audio workstation. That’s why UA also developed Luna – a dedicated, free DAW. This seamlessly integrates with the Apollo interfaces and UAD Console. Again, focusing on music creation. This leads to a simple DAW with plenty of tools to help producers and artists create without technical knowledge.
*Latest features available in the gen2 of Apollo X.
Travelling Through Heritage
As technology advances, UA remains dedicated to creating accessible audio solutions. All of which empower artists to facilitate creativity. Ensuring the legacy of classic hardware sound lives on.
At Abbey Road Institute, Universal Audio technology plays an important role. The evolution of recording studios and how innovation and technology have shaped the sound of recordings throughout the years is one key element in our curriculum. That’s why UA’s ability to bring accurate recreation of classic analogue equipment into our lectures and make it accessible to our students is crucial for helping them develop critical listening skills.
Our Tech Labs and Production Suites are equipped with Apollo interfaces and a DSP accelerator. This allows students to use UAD plugins on their sessions and coursework, whether for mixing or recording.
If you’re keen to learn more about UA and how pioneering and influential they have been, check out A History of Artificial Reverb featuring Bill Putnam, Sr. If you’re looking to develop your skills and knowledge in all areas of music production and sound engineering, visit our Advanced Diploma in Music Production and Sound Engineering to discover what it’s like to study with us.
