The Great LA-610! 
by Jim B. from New York, June 2008
Music Background:  Producer/Engineer/Composer

Though it's easy to mock as budget-priced and mass-produced, The LA-610 is in every way my project studio's key piece. First, for vocals, dialing in a good sound takes all of thirty seconds. Set the gain, flip an EQ switch, add a healthy measure of compression, and you've got a ready-made great vocal. My clients love that I can set them up super-fast this way...inspiration's never lost in the aether to engineering delays. For bass, the DI is incomparably warm and big.
Some folks feel the 610 lacks headroom and breaks up unattractively or noisily when you dial in too much gain. On rare occasions, miking soft sound sources with a ribbon leads me to try a different pre, but I'd bet that if I switched to a different mic the 610 would perform with excellence. You run a project studio? Get it now!

  Shines for Vocals 
by Robert Snyder - RoughWood Studio from Weatherford Texas, February 2008
Music Background:  Recording Engineer

Recording a two person vocal and just had the one LA-601. The other unit was no slouch. Butt, We had to have the artist re-sing the second vocal on the LA-601. The difference was amazing. Ordered another 601 the next day.
The manual states that this closely represents the microphone preamp section of Bill Putnam's 610 tube console still in use at Ocean Way Studios.
We're finding that it improves the sound of every mic we pair it up with.

  Great unit 
by Chip Burke from Columbus, OH, September 2007
Music Background:  Record, mix, produce, play, arrange, all sorts of stuff...

This is really a great unit. I was a bit hesitant as I really wanted to use the compressor on its own and this unit does not have a dedicated in for the compressor. I was afraid of it being too colored as I had heard in some circles. Not the case at all. Yes, it does have tube goodness and syrup, but not to a muddy level. It is just right in my opinion. A vocalist I had in the studio the other week had a bit of a thin voice. We tried him on my UA 4110 with the transformer in the loop which did thicken things up a bit, but this was the magic bullet. Indeed, you would not want to use this unit on every track as I could see the coloration stacking up in a mix... but for a few select tracks (vocals, bass, electric guitars) the preamp section is magic.

The other concern I had was this unit having enough gain. The vocalist mentioned above really does sound great through a Shure SM7 which is a pretty low output microphone. The LA610 handled the SM7 with no problems.

The unit does have a line in so you can use the compressor as an insert effect during mixing. I record everything minus compression and compress after the fact. Running vocals or bass out to the T4 is again a magic bullet. This is no transient enhancer... but for gentle smoothing it is excellent. Vocals and bass are smoothed out in a very musical way and sit great in the mix.

This is not something I would recommend for someone's one and only preamp workhorse preamp (See the UA4110/8110 for that). I can tell this unit will be my goto vocal/bass comp and likely my goto vocal/bass pre for most folks too.

  Definitely a good buy! 
by Marvin Querido from Manila, Philippines, May 2007
Music Background:  Session Keyboardist, Arranger, Producer

Next to the Pendulum Audio Quartet, this piece of equipment works the hardest in my studio. Very good for vocals and bass. Recorded the most glorious kick drum sound i've ever heard with this and an akg d112.

  frickin sweet 
by Chris G from Columbus, OH, March 2007
Music Background:  producer, songwriter...

The ability to virtually dial in warmth with gain stageing on this unit is unreal. Even a sm58 on male vocals sounds apsoloutly amamzing! I sold a lot of my equipment to buy this unit and no regrets here. It's deffintaly unreal and worth the money but you will need a totally clear preamp to compliment it, certian things for certain styles are not going to be captured well with this, but vocals and bass and other "slower" sounds are top notch.

  LA-610 Great PRE and COMPRESSOR 
by VPROMUSIC from Teaneck,NJ USA, February 2007
Music Background:  Songwriter-Producer

When I received my LA-610,I was pleased right out the box,the warmth of the tubes and the smoothness of the compressor work well together. THANKS SWEETWATER!!!

  LA610 - I LOVE LA! 
by E RHODES from St. Louis, December 2006
Music Background:  Pro Touring & Recording Musician, Producer, Engineer

I purchased the LA610 based on stellar reviews and advice from friends in the biz. The LA2A style compressor is worth the price alone - amazingly smooth and punchy. But, you get the addition of the legendary 610 tube pre, eq, & switchable impedance. Amazing sounding unit - it is a versatile tone box that makes it a real world class all in one channel. You can control the amount of tube coloration - from virtually clean, to saturated. Tracked vocals, horns, and recently some smokin' bass tracks in Chicago. Can't say enough - I LOVE LA!

  LA-610 
by Chad from california, October 2006
Music Background:  Producer

I've had the LA-610 for about a week. Im not toatally blown away I was useing a presonus tube pre ($100) Before I got tis. The presonus I gotta say packs a hell of a punch. It was giving me that rich articulate tube pre sound. So I was spoiled, not a big difference for $1400. But it's easy to use. Im still mixed up about it

LA-610 Rocks! 
by Patrick Markham from Olympia, WA, January 2006

The LA-610 arrived and it was amazing straight out of the box. I however popped the top and loaded the tubes with NOS RCA tubes and it went from amazing to phenominal. This is the most transparent compressor I have ever heard - which is a great match with one of the most open and clear mic pres I've ever used. I've been running Neve designed ISA 110's and the Putnam designed 610's have an openess and harmonic richness that only tubes can supply. Fantastic product! If you are serious about recording this is a great channel strip.

If you can just get one good preampo/compressor 
by Steve Di Maggio from Jackson, NJ, October 2005

This would be the one to get, worht every penny. Extremely smooth on vocals even with a relatively inexpensive mic (AT 40033/cl). Sounds great on a snare drum, alittle muddy on the kick. Direct bass is a must through this box, pre map section is great the comp/limiter section gives you all the control you need over dynamics, GREAT UNIT!!!

HAPPY CLIENT'S! 
by ALEXANDER PAUL from EASTERN PENN, USA, September 2005

USED IT QUITE A NUMBER OF TIMES ON VOCALS, ACOUSTIC AND ELECTRIC GUITAR, SAX AND TRUMPET AND EVERYONE INVOLVED LEFT VERY HAPPY. SETTING INPUT GAIN/TRIM IS CRITICAL FOR DIFFERENT RESULTS.

A great Deal!! 
by Matteo Ambrosini from Lodrino (CH), June 2005

When I purchased one some months ago and I heard it sounds, the first thing I thought was "I have to by the second!" The mic pre... you already have to know it, the optical compressor is very smooth and clear. For this middle price, you get a great quality preamp and at the same time a renowned channel strip!

Very 
by D´Castro from Brazil, May 2005

Very Good!!!!!

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