The Technical Stuff
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History of the 610
Preamp section
The lineage of the LA-610 can be traced back to two devices long revered by audio engineers the
world over: The 610 preamplifier and the LA-2A optical compressor.
The preamp section of the LA-610 was inspired by the 610 console built by Bill Putnam Sr. in 1960 for
his United Recording facility in Hollywood. As was the case with most of Putnam’s innovations, the
610 was the pragmatic solution for a recurring problem in the studios of the era: how to fix a console
without interrupting a session. The traditional console of the time was a one-piece control surface
with all components connected via patch cords. If a problem occurred, the session came to a halt
while the console was dismantled. Putnam’s answer was to build a mic-pre with gain control, echo
send and adjustable EQ on a single modular chassis, using a printed circuit board. Though modular
consoles are commonplace today, the 610 was quite a breakthrough at the time.
While the 610 was designed for practical reasons, it was its sound that made it popular with the
recording artists who frequented Putnam’s studios in the 1960s. The unique character of its
microphone preamplifier in particular made it a favorite of legendary engineers like Bruce Botnick,
Bones Howe, Lee Hershberg, and Bruce Swedien, who has described the character of the preamp as
“clear and open” and “very musical.”
The 610 console was used in hundreds of studio sessions for internationally renowned artists such as
Frank Sinatra, Ray Charles, Sarah Vaughan, the Mamas and Papas, the Fifth Dimension, Herb Alpert,
and Sergio Mendes. The Beach Boys’ milestone
Pet Sounds
album was also recorded using a 610.
Legendary engineer Wally Heider, manager of remote recording at United, used his 610 console to
record many live recordings, including Peter, Paul and Mary’s
In Concert
(1964), Wes Montgomery’s
Full House
(1962), and all of the Smothers Brothers Live albums. Heider’s console was later acquired
by Paul McManus in 1987, who spent a decade restoring it.
Wally Heider’s
Remote Recording Rig, with 610 Console
