New Unison-infused designs are on the way we got a glimpse of some cool upcoming models (including guitar pedals!) at NAMM, as reported in this issue.

The other current model is the ubiquitous Neve 1073, which we will be reviewing here. One is the 212L preamp module found in UA’s recreation of the API Vision Channel strip thanks to both UA and API, we will have a side-by-side comparison of the plug-in and the hardware coming up in a future issue. In addition to the 610 series, there are currently two other mic pre models available. My August review had me comparing my own SOLO/610 pre (reviewed January 2007) with the company’s UA 610 Tube Preamp & EQ Plug-In Collection I was quite pleased with the “feel” and reaction time of the plug-in models, which did a great job of capturing the spirit and vibe of the classics - so much so that for those tracking sessions I stayed with the new 610-B model for the whole session. The preamps in the Apollo and Twin are digitally controlled and designed to alter not only their gain staging, but also their impedance, to match the original hardware’s specs. However, unlike a typical plug-in, this all happens at the input stage, not in the DAW, and it’s not only a software process. Then, through the magic of circuit modeling, you can inject the colors found in the modeled preamps into your sound.

Unison starts with a clean, uncolored microphone preamp of UA’s own design. Unison uses software coupled with physical hardware to emulate the sound and characteristics of vintage mic preamps. One of the highlights of Universal Audio’s Apollo Twin interface/DSP Engine (reviewed August 2014) is its Unison preamp technology, also found in the original 8-channel Apollo.

Uad neve 1073 preamp