History
Bill Putnam Sr. was awarded the 2000 Technical Achievement Grammy for his multiple
contributions to the recording industry including the design of the modular console. Highly
regarded as a recording engineer, studio designer, and inventor, Putnam was a favorite of
Frank Sinatra, Nat King Cole, Ray Charles, Duke Ellington, Ella Fitzgerald and many other
musical icons. The studios he designed and operated were acclaimed for their distinctive
sound and provided a fertile environment for his innovations and experiments. Universal
Recorders in Chicago, United and Western in Los Angeles (now Ocean Way and Cello) all
preserve elements of his room designs. Putnam started three companies (Universal Audio,
Studio Electronics, and UREI) that built products which remain widely used decades after their
introduction.
In 1999 Putnam’s sons, Bill and James, re-launched Universal Audio with two goals:
• reproduce classic analog recording equipment designed by their father and his colleagues;
• research and design new recording tools in the spirit of vintage analog technology.
Beginning in 1999, Universal Audio has rapidly released two reproductions of classic
compressors (1176LN and Teletronix LA-2A), designed a new mic-preamp (2-610), acquired
Kind of Loud Technologies, and launched its first digital product line (Powered Plug-Ins). Each
and every UA project is motivated by it historical roots and a desire to wed classic analog
sound with modern recording technology. This year (2002) we are proud to introduce the
2108 Dual Channel Microphone & Instrument Preamplifier to our growing family of products.
The 2108 is a unique blend of attributes. The sonic character comes from the timeless vintage
circuits borrowed from the 1176 limiter, the 1108 pre-amp modules and the 2-610 Input
transformer. This winning combination is enhanced by a dynamic JFET input stage that allows
for fine control of an extremely smooth and gentle saturation feature. In the studio we have
found the 2108 to provide most pleasing results for all applications. In particular, stunning
presence and punch is derived from typically mellow ribbon mics and common dynamic
mics. Of course, condensers and tube mics as well also shine and benefit form the flexibility
of the multi impedance / variable gain input section. The 2108 character provides excellent
results on drums, vocals, acoustic piano, guitars, speaker cabinets, percussion, etc. In
addition, the front panel Hi-Z Instrument Input delivers extremely rewarding results for direct
recording of electric guitar and bass. We sincerely hope you will find this product as exciting
as we do! It is with great pleasure that we strive to merge the best of the Universal Audio
heritage with new “classic” products. We hope to hear from you and learn about your
recording (and live sound) experiences.
Sincerely, the Universal Audio staff. Enjoy!
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