Alright, they didn’t actually cram four 1176’s into the 4-710d, as the keyword here is they are 1176-*inspired*. They are also pricey, retailing for almost $2,000 per channel… and UA crammed 4 of them into the 4-710d. It has been, no lie, used on nearly every pro recording since the 60’s. If you’re new, let’s just say that it’s the industry standard single channel compressor. If you’ve worked with audio, you know what the UA 1176 compressor is. Each channel on the 4-710d has an 1176-inspired compressor. But, UA being awesome - and one of the reasons I’m a huge fan - they went even further. Simply connect the line out from those preamps to the line inputs numbered 4-8 on the 4-710d, and they’ll be converted using the 4-710d’s converters. This is perfect if you have some purely analog preamps (like an API 512c or a Neve 1073). They added an additional 4 line inputs so that you can connect other pres to the 4-710d and have those pres benefit from UA’s quality converters. You can digitally output all four preamp channels via ADAT optical links - perfect for connecting it to your primary interface (like an Allen & Heath ZED R16). If that weren’t enough, UA also added excellent A/D (Analog-to-Digital) converters to the 4-710d. Plus, no need to buy an additional rack tray to hold them all together. You’re basically paying for just two-and-a-half 710’s and getting an additional one-and-a-half 710’s for free. With a single 710 preamp retailing for $799, the 4-710d is a steal at just $1,999. But great sound is only part of the appeal the insane options and value is what makes this an irresistible buy. This really is a versatile preamp, and I can’t think of a single application where you wouldn’t be able to dial in a great sound. Need something that will fatten up guitars, but still retain some bite? Dial it somewhere between tube and solid state. Need to tame the harshness of overhead drum mics? Set it to tube. Need fast transient response for things like kick and snare drums? Set it to solid state. The 710 is a hybrid tube and solid state preamp design with a blend knob that lets you dial in the perfect amount of tube and solid state tones. At it’s core, the 4-710d is essentially four UA 710 TwinFinity preamps combined into one unit 2U space rack unit. My latest gear purchase is the Universal Audio 4-710d four channel preamp.

Universal audio 710