Recently, we’ve had the pleasure of checking out the new Galaxy ’74 Tape Echo & Reverb and Del-Verb Ambience Companion from Universal Audio, and were (as usual) pretty blown away. Today, we’re looking at the final unit in their latest lineup releases, the Max Preamp & Dual Compressor. Providing all the funk your single coils (and humbuckers, too) can handle, along with a gorgeous vintage-sounding preamp, this is a studio and live player’s dream pedal …
*Grab a Max from Sweetwater: https://sweetwater.sjv.io/JzqVRQ
Built upon award-winning UAFX dual-engine processing and a burning desire for the ultimate in sonic legitimacy, Max Preamp & Dual Compressor puts the colorful sound of three legendary limiters and an iconic tube preamp, right at your feet. This pedal gives you the classic compression colors of a Teletronix LA-2A, UA 1176, and Dyna Comp, all in one pedal, and you can even stack compressors in any combination for even more tones and textures. You also get to explore the grit and character of UA’s legendary 610 tube mic preamp.
From the mind of UA founder Bill Putnam to your pedalboard, Max gives you the same UA 1176 FET compressor used on decades of legendary studio guitar sounds, whether you’re looking to make your funk a little funkier, add soulful sustain, or inject subtle infusions of tone. The Teletronix LA-2A provides a legendary optical tube limiter, which gives you softer, warmer dynamics control versus the 1176. Plus, you can fine tune your compression with a pedal-exclusive Ratio feature, for limiting beyond the vintage hardware and UAD plug‑in versions. Finally, add the grimy squeeze of the (in)famous Dyna Comp red box to your sounds for lo-fi compression and funky overdrive — perfect for sleazy slide tones.
With Max, you can easily layer compressors in any combination for a dizzying array of sounds and textures, letting you push your tones to the front no matter how much limiting you apply. You can also tweak preamp EQ settings, serial/parallel operation, add a sidechain bass filter, and more with the UAFX Control app. We can sit here and tell you all about the options and ins-n-outs of the Max Preamp & Dual Compressor, but you really need to hear it in action. Luckily, we do demos, and have got one that will be perfect if you’ve got 8+ minutes to kill. This pedal is an excellent finale to the newest members of the Universal Audio FX lineup, and we’re so glad we got to review and demo them all. Be sure to visit the UA website for more details and info on this wonderful live and studio piece of gear, too…cheers!
Affiliate Links:
Sweetwater – https://sweetwater.sjv.io/MX05KP
Vintage King – https://vintagekingaudio.sjv.io/nLGZd7
StewMac – https://stewmac.sjv.io/P0X7BQ
Amazon – https://amzn.to/3FN04Mq
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