# Universal Audio

> Universal Audio is a Scotts Valley, California maker of professional audio hardware and software. Founded in 1958 by recording pioneer Bill Putnam Sr. and revived in 1999 by his sons Bill Jr. and Jim, it builds Apollo audio interfaces, UAD plugins that emulate vintage studio gear, UAFX guitar pedals, Sphere modeling microphones, and hand-built analog reissues of the 1176 and LA-2A compressors. More than a million producers, engineers, and musicians use its tools.

- **Founded:** 1958
- **Headquarters:** Scotts Valley, California, United States
- **Founders:** Bill Putnam Sr. (Founder (1958), recording pioneer), Bill Putnam Jr. (Co-founder (1999) and CEO), Jim Putnam (Co-founder (1999))
- **Team size:** Approximately 470 employees
- **Products:** Apollo audio interfaces, UAD plugins, UAD Spark, Volt interfaces, UAFX guitar pedals
- **Notable:** Won a record six NAMM TEC Awards at the 2026 NAMM Show (from eight nominations), Received a Technical Grammy Award (2009), Bill Putnam Sr. is widely credited as a father of the modern recording studio and received a posthumous Technical Grammy (2000)

## Products & services

- **Apollo audio interfaces** — DSP-accelerated audio interfaces with onboard processing and Unison preamp technology, enabling near-zero-latency recording through UAD plugin emulations of classic preamps and compressors.
- **UAD plugins** — A library of 140+ software emulations of vintage and modern studio hardware, many officially licensed from brands like Neve, API, Manley, SSL, Fender and Marshall.
- **UAD Spark** — Subscription service that runs UAD plugins natively on Mac and Windows without UA hardware.
- **Volt interfaces** — Entry-level USB audio interfaces with vintage preamp voicings, aimed at beginners and content creators.
- **UAFX guitar pedals** — Stereo effects and amp-emulation pedals - Golden Reverberator, Starlight Echo, Astra Modulation, and Dream/Ruby/Woodrow amp emulators - using UA's DSP modeling.
- **Sphere modeling microphones** — Microphones (Sphere DLX and LX) that capture sound and let engineers switch between emulations of classic Neumann, Telefunken and AKG mics in software. Built on technology from the Townsend Labs acquisition.
- **Hardware reissues (1176, LA-2A, 610)** — Hand-built analog reissues of Bill Putnam Sr.'s classic compressors, leveling amplifiers and tube preamps.
- **LUNA Recording System** — A free digital audio workstation with deep Apollo and UAD integration.

## Achievements

- Won a record six NAMM TEC Awards at the 2026 NAMM Show (from eight nominations)
- Received a Technical Grammy Award (2009)
- Bill Putnam Sr. is widely credited as a father of the modern recording studio and received a posthumous Technical Grammy (2000)
- First engineer to use artificial reverb on a commercial hit ('Peg o' My Heart,' 1947)
- The 1176 and LA-2A compressor designs remain industry-standard studio staples
- More than 1 million users worldwide

## Latest updates

- **2026-01** — Won a record six TEC Awards at the 2026 NAMM Show, from eight nominations.
- **2025-12** — Released the Paradise Guitar Studio plugin.
- **2025-06** — Shipped the Apollo E Series, extending UAD sound from the studio to the stage with Dante networking.
- **2024-01** — Announced UAD Verve Analog Machines, a suite of tape and saturation character plugins.

## Links

- Website: https://uaudio.com
- LinkedIn: http://www.linkedin.com/company/universal-audio
- Twitter/X: https://twitter.com/UAudio
- YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@UniversalAudio
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/uaudio/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/universalaudioinc/
- TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@u.audio

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Profile page: https://yespress.io/universal-audio
Published by YesPress — https://yespress.io
Last updated: 2026-08-20