Blend Between Solid-State and Tube Preamp Circuits!
Getting a Universal Audio 710 TwinFinity Pre-Amp is almost like getting three distinct high-end pre-amplifiers in one unit. That's because its unique design has both vacuum tube and solid state gain stages that be used separately, or in tandem. This gives you options for classic tube warmth or solid-state clarity of sound. And then, a whole host of other tonal possibilities when you mix these two voices via a single, clever mix knob. And the fact that it costs far less than many other professional-grade preamps makes it an exciting option for musicians searching for new amp tones.
Learn more with this video from Universal Audio:
Get an overview of the Universal Audio 710 Twin-Finity Microphone Preamplifier in this video demo:
Tube and/or Solid-Stage Gain Stages
The UA 710 TwinFinity's ingenious circuit design utilizes a trans-impedance amp to drive two discrete and blendable vacuum tube and solid-state gain stages. On the tube end, the 710 TwinFinity's 310 Volt triode circuit delivers the sound of a fine vintage circuit, giving way to a characteristic and crunchy bite at the higher end of the gain stage. The solid-state path, meanwhile, will deliver an ultra-clear and cool response, with exceptional transient response in situations as diverse as vocal tracking or overhead cymbal micing.
Infinite Blending
The preamp's tube and solid-state signal paths meet in the "Blend" section on the front panel, where a single knob allows for an endless smooth blending of the two phase-aligned signals. The design is super straightforward, with a single XLR in (with phantom power), a balanced line in, and an XLR output.
Handsome, Too
The design is all-metal with a polished steel face and sports a handsome backlit meter bar, all in one half-rack chassis. The meter also features a cool "Drive" mode that allows you to see how hard your signal is actually hitting the pre-gain stage -- a handy tool for when you're crafting your sound.
A Great Tool in Your Rig
This essential and versatile preamp will bring depth and color to just about anything you throw at it -- vocals, guitars, drums, and more. The 710 will make microphones you thought you knew sound fresh and new. Plus, it will serve excellently as a high-end DI in situations with electric guitars or keyboards.
A Well-Bred Preamp
With products designed and hand-built in the USA, Universal Audio is a company with a reputation for laborious product development and absolutely top-of-the-line manufacture. The 710 TwinFinity embodies this proud tradition -- and like other UA products, this is a professional device offered at an extremely reasonable price. This amp will immediately become an often used and indispensable piece of gear in the studio of any musician or engineer looking to enrich their tonal possibilities.
Features:
- Serves as Tone-Blending Mic/Line Preamp and Instrument DI
- Dual-Path 310 volt Class-A Tube and Trans-impedance amplifier
- Phase-Aligned and blendable Tube and Solid State signals
- Dual gain stages
- Front Panel Hi-Z Input
- 2.2M ohm Ultra Hi-Z impedance for DI applications
- Rear Panel XLR Mic Input, XLR Line Input and XLR Line Output
- Single Balanced output stage
- 70dB of gain
- Phantom power
- Pad(-15dB), Phase Invert, and Low Cut Filter
- Output and "Drive" backlit VU metering
- Portable, Rack-Mountable in one half-rack chassis
- 19-inch Rack Kit included
- Internal Power Supply
- Heavy-Duty Steel Construction
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- Inputs: Microphone (Female XLR), Balanced: Line (Female XLR), Unbalanced: Instrument (1/4 inch jack) (D.I.) - Outputs: Balanced Line (Male XLR) - Type: Tube & Solid-State Phase-Aligned Tone-Blending Mic Pre & DI - Tube Complement: 12AX7 - Pad: -15dB - High Pass Filter: 75Hz - Maximum Power Consumption: 160mA @120VAC 20W - Power Requirements: 100-240VAC - Dimensions (WxHxD): 8.45 x 3.5 x 10.25 in. - Weight: 5.25 lb Mic Input Impedance: 2K ohms - Line Input Impedance: 10K ohms - Hi-Z Input Impedance: 2.2M ohms - Internal Output Impedance 600 ohms - Gain Range for Unit: -Infinity to 70dBu - Mic Range Gain Pot: 10 ~ 60 dBu - Line Range Gain Pot: -10 ~ 40 dBu - Hi-Z Range Gain Pot: -10 ~ 40 dBu - Maximum Mic Input Level Gain @min SS: +18 dBu - Maximum Mic Input Level Gain @min Tube 1% THD: -7 dBu +8 dBu w/pad - Maximum Line Input Level Gain @ Min SS: +30 - Maximum Line Input Level Gain @ Min Tube 1% THD:+8 dBu - Maximum Hi-Z Input Level Gain Min SS: +18 - Maximum Hi-Z Input Level Gain Min Tube 1% THD: +8 dBu - Maximum Output Level into 600 ohms: +18 dBu - Maximum Output Level into 100k ohms: +28 dBu - Tube Clipping Level: Same as Max In - Solid-State Clipping Level: Same as Max In Mic Frequency Response: 20Hz to 100kHz +/- 0.2 dBu - Line Frequency Response: 20Hz to 100kHz +/- 0.2 dBu - Hi-Z Frequency Response: 20Hz to 100kHz +/- 0.2 dBu - Min THD+Noise @ +4dBU: 0.1% tube 0.005% solid-state
The 710 Twin-Finity is a radically UA pre-amp design which uniquely combines both the classic retro warmth of UA tube design and the transient bite of solid-state in a 2U, half-rack, all-metal chassis. The 710 was created specifically to add the tonal versatility and sonic inspiration missing from generic audio interface preamps.
Features
- Twin-Finity(TM) Tone-Blending Mic/Line Preamp & Hi-Z Instrument DI
- Dual-Path 310 volt Class-A Tube and Transimpedance Solid State Preamp
- Phase-Aligned "Tone-Blending" of Tube and Solid State
- Dual Gain Stages: Wire with Gain to Creamy to Crunchy
- Discrete JFET DI with 2.2M ohm Ultra Hi-Z impedance
- Monolithic Balanced Output Stage
The key to its sonic flexibility lies in its innovative circuit design, featuring a solid-state transimpedance input amp simultaneously driving separate, phase-aligned tube and solid-state gain stages, which are then summed to a single output.. The mix between the 310 volt single-ended class-A triode tube stage and solid-state transimpedance stage is controlled via the "Blend Knob" labeled "()()". Blending is continually variable between 100% tube and 100% solid-state offering a practically infinite range of unique pre-amp tones and the ability to easily dial-in your own signature sound.
Like all our other preamp designs, the 710 features dual gain-stage controls (Gain/Level) which can radically vary the amount of coloration and distortion by allowing you to crank up the input gain like a guitar amp. The VU meter features a unique "Drive" mode allowing you to see how hard you are driving the input stage.
Versatility makes the 710 the perfect preamp partner for any mic collection. Plus, the discrete JFET DI input circuit can also easily handle any electric instrument. Guitar and bass players will especially appreciate the 710s ability to bring out the best of both active and passive pickups. The 710 Twin-Finity is designed and built at UA headquarters in California, and includes a 19" rack-kit for mounting one or two units.
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"i love it"
Overall:
even though i run this into a focusrite 2i2, the Ua-710 has made a HUGE difference in sound compared to that interfaces stock preamps.....the sound i hear thru my headphones while tracking has so much more body and clarity...it's actually inspirational. I mic'd up my acoustic with an sm-57 into this preamp, and it gave my acoustic so much more warmth and body... when i listen to the track i recorded with the 57 on my car stereo, the warm bass frequencies of my mahogany bodied acoustic really kind jump out of my speakers...
Style of Music: rock, country, blues, reggae... anything that features a lot of guitar
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"Unique while familiar. Flexibility without complication. Versatility without compromise."
Sound:
The sound of the 710 Twin-Finity is on par with the quality and character I've come to expect from Universal Audio. I've completed four sessions in the past month where the 710 has won out over my 610 and 110 on many tracks as a DI for a Taylor SolidBody and Gibson Les Paul intended for ITB re-amping, coupled with a Shure SM81 and Rode NT5 on the body/bridge of a Martin D-28 and Taylor 710 through an 1176 compressor and with a Neumann TLM49 and SE Gemini 5 through a GAP Comp54 for lead male vocals. In all cases, the result was phenomenal and offered a very subtle, but impressive color that I just couldn't get from the other options available to me. I am anxious to try the unit out on overheads, hoping to add some tube warmth and punch while preserving the transients with the solid-state path blended in. I intend to double up this pre for that purpose very soon.
I am not shy about stating my preference for UA products as a bang-for-buck line of products, with (possibly) the GAP Pre73 being the only preamp offering quality on par with their units at a better price for a "colored" option. I have other preferences, namely Avalon and FMR, when the track calls for transparency.
Feature:
This is an extremely versatile unit. While it will not replace any current preamp in my rack, it has it's own place and purpose and nothing else I own can adequately fill it's shoes either. For a relatively modest price, it offers a ton of flexibility, functional options in the way of the 15db pad, low cut and front-panel Hi-impedance input, and Mic/Line switching. The blend knob is extremely adept at covering the gap between the full-bodied tube sounds of my 610 and the accuracy and attack of my 110 units. In my opinion, the absolute best feature is the ability to monitor the preamp gain level on the extremely accurate VU meter prior to flipping the switch and adjusting the output gain. That feature alone drastically reduces my setup time when I decide to use the pre.
Ease of Use:
There are a lot of options, and you have to know how to use them to get the most out of the 710. That said, the documentation is both clear and concise - UA even acknowledges this by offering a "quick-start" and "comprehensive" version of the user guide. The learning curve would not be overly intimidating for an amateur lucky enough to use the preamp, and experienced engineers will be able to coax a multitude of excellent sounds as well. This preamp is quickly making it's way into my desert island top 5!
Quality:
Quality is never an issue with anything Universal Audio produces. They are the only company I have dealt with in the past 20 years that has an uncompromising commitment to offer their clients the absolute best quality at the absolute best value. Is it three times the quality of an ART preamp? Probably not, but you would have to spend at least twice as much to get anything near this unit (GAP Pre73 excluded) for the money. I should also note that UA is the only company that seems to be able to keep both their analog and digital solutions up to par with that commitment to excellence.
Value:
You COULD get an adequate - even impressive - pair of preamps, one solid-state and one tube - for $800, but I dare you to find this level of quality, convenience and features for that money in a single unit. Depending on the intended application, I would have no problem recommending this unit to a home engineer looking to take his/her first leap into high-end preamp land.
Manufacturer Support:
IF - and that is a big, capital and bold IF - you ever have an issue with a UA product, you will not be dissatisfied with their customer service. I have never had an issue with any of the analog components I own, and the ONE - count it - ONE time I had to deal with a UAD issue, I was completely blown away by their response and clear understanding of how even the smallest issue can affect a large project. I should note that I am not a big-name engineer and I don't work for a big-name studio recording big-name artists. UA makes me feel like I am Eddie Kramer, I work for Abbey Road and the 18-year-old kid down the street is the next Jimi Hendrix - and the project is the one that is going to launch us both into legendary status.
The Wow Factor:
The styling can only be described as a-typical of UA's classic style (a-la 610/1176/etc) - but is without a doubt just as sexy and sleek as one would expect from them. I get the impression that they realized it was a unique device and deserved unique styling that is still very retro while looking solid and modern as well. I can't help but to think of an old wooden console radio that was zapped with a ray-gun and turned to brushed steel. It looks absolutely fantastic in my rack!
Overall:
I will be satisfied with this purchase for many years and projects to come. I am already thinking about and planning for new and exciting applications and can't wait to add another to the rack to make it a pair. My mouth waters at the thought of recording a stereo acoustic guitar through two of these into the dual 1176 compressor. If you are considering this preamp and you need either the flexibility to sway between two extremely competent signal paths or are trying to fill the space between other high-end components, you will not regret the decision to add this one to your stash.
Style of Music: Rock/Folk/Alternative
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