Universal Audio traces its roots to recording pioneer Bill Putnam Sr., who founded it in 1958 to manufacture innovative studio hardware like the 610 preamp, while also designing consoles and signal processors under his United Recording umbrella. After a period of acquisitions and transitions, the brand was revived in 1999 by Putnam’s sons, Bill Jr. and James, with the goal of marrying their father’s analog legacy with modern digital tools. Today, Universal Audio offers hardware, DSP-accelerated plugins, high-fidelity audio interfaces such as the Apollo series, and recording software, crafting tools that honor vintage designs while enabling modern workflows.