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A pro guide for adding riffs to your beats. From classic sampled funk loops to modern melodic hooks a la Post Malone or Playboi Carti, a guitar can add emotion and melody to any sample-based track. In this article, we show you exactly how it's done, with examples of riffs that have shaped the genre's most recognizable songs. Using guitar in a hip-hop session can add melody and warmth to your songs. Think Rhythm First, Not Harmony When adding guitar to hip-hop tracks, rhythm takes priority over harmony. Skip the big ringing chords and try short, muted grooves or tight, syncopated 16th note stabs to lock in with the hi-hats. Approaching the guitar as a percussive instrument first and foremost will help it blend naturally into the track. Another hip-hop commandment for guitar: Keep it simple. Even a one- or two- note motif, played with restraint and good timing, can create a compelling hook. By emphasizing feel, space, and repetition over intricate chord work or flashy leads, your guitar parts will enhance the track’s flow. Dial in Your Amp Tone Getting the right base tone is essential when using guitar in hip-hop. Amp emulator plug-ins like those found in UAD Paradise Guitar Studio allow you to get the sound of classic tube amps used by pros, without plugging into a real amp. To find a basic sound that sits nicely over a beat, start with a clean-ish tone from a v...
Watch a modern songwriter explore vintage sounds with the UA 610 tube mic preamp. First introduced in 1958, the original UA 610 was one of the first commercially available tube recording consoles. It’s warm, musical mic preamp and EQ helped shape classic records by Frank Sinatra, The Beach Boys, Neil Young, Van Halen, and many more. Modern engineers will tell you that a 610 channel strip makes great recordings sound even better. It’s a bold claim, so we decided to put it to the test. We asked singer-songwriter and content creator Mary Spender to showcase the UA 610 Tube Preamp & EQ plug-ins , and see if the sound of these vintage analog channel strips is still relevant in a modern home studio setup. Mary Spender is a UK-based musician and content creator. With over 100 million views and 750,000+ subscribers on YouTube, she has built one of the most engaged audiences in the music space. Making Headphone Mixes Inspiring For Mary’s upcoming project Songbook , her recording setup is extremely minimal. Equipped with a Martin guitar, Apollo x4 , Sphere DLX Modeling Microphone , and SC-1 Condenser Microphone , the 610 UAD plug-ins allow her to add warmth and vintage character to her signal flow. <p dir="ltr...
No amp? No worries. This is how to get incredible guitar tones right in your DAW. Guitarists are known for chasing tone. And for good reason. In a live or studio environment, choosing the right effects and amplifier can mean the difference between a solo sitting perfectly in a mix, or getting lost behind other instruments. Some players are wary of digital emulations and plug-ins. But even old school purists and session pros are discovering that amazing sounds can be achieved without amplifiers. So we put together a guide detailing what you need to know about tracking guitar using just a recording interface and plug-ins. 1. Use the Correct Input on Your Audio Interface If you’re recording straight into your audio interface, you’ll want to use your Hi-Z input. These analog inputs are higher impedance than a line-level connection, meaning they are best for guitars with passive pickups. Using your Hi-Z in allows your direct signal to retain high frequencies and clarity. When using an Apollo audio interface , your Hi-Z inputs are Unison-enabled. This means when you add Unison plug-ins to these channels in your DAW, you get the impedance and gain staging of the real gear. This interaction is key to recreating the feel and tone of vintage mic pres and guitar amp inputs. If you have an Apollo audio interface , you can use preamp emulations like the </s...
How a custom tube mixing desk transformed audio recording, and continues to inspire music creators today. Few pieces of audio equipment can claim a lineage as culturally significant as the 610 console. Introduced in 1960 by Universal Audio founder Bill Putnam Sr., it was the first of its kind — a purpose-built tool that reflected radical ideas about sound, control, and craftsmanship. From Frank Sinatra and Ray Charles to Neil Young and Van Halen, the 610 mic preamp modules have left their fingerprint upon some of the greatest recordings of our time. We traced the origins of this hallowed equipment to uncover why it continues to inspire modern music creators. Get the UA 610 Tube Preamp & EQ Collection FREE for a limited time! Recording Before the 610 Console In the 1930s and ’40s, recording studios were often extensions of radio facilities. This meant equipment was designed primarily for speech, instead of musical tone. Equalization was rare, gain staging was often fixed, and engineers relied on mic placement and room acoustics to shape sound. Before purpose-built recording consoles existed, engineers used modified broadcast mixers. And early recording chains were primitive: a microphone fed a simple preamp, which fed a recorder. This left few opportunities for tone shaping or creative routing. As multitrack recording began to emerge in the 1950s, record producers and engineers needed more control. </sp...
Everything you need to know about getting classic tube tone in your DAW. Now available natively, our UA 610 Tube Preamp & EQ Collection has long been a go-to for engineers looking to add warmth, depth, and character to their recordings. In this UAD Spotlight episode, join Drew Mazurek as he explores what makes the UA 610-A and 610-B channel strips such powerful tools, and how you can use them to add undeniable vintage warmth to your mixes. The First of its Kind Originally designed by Bill Putnam Sr. as the input section of his modular 610 recording console, the UA 610 tube mic preamp was revolutionary for its time. Initially released in 1958, it was among the earliest preamps to include built-in EQ. The 610-A UAD plug-in faithfully models this original design — delivering the vintage warmth of the original circuit. The 610-B gives you a slightly brighter and more modern sound, with additional flexibility found in classic hardware units like the LA-610 and 6176 channel strips. Colorful Tube Sound for Your Entire Mix On a single track, the differences between mic preamps can be subtle. But it becomes more clear when layered across an entire mix. Both the UA 610-A and 610-B add harmonic saturation, owing to their tube circuit design. And while their sound is similar, each is u...
New UAD plug-in gives you expertly-modeled amps, effects, and mics all in one place. Since OX Amp Top Box debuted in 2017, our authentic analog modeling has set a new standard for guitar players' recording rigs. And now — after capturing even more of the most sought-after amps, cabinets, and effects in end-to-end detail — we're proud to introduce Paradise Guitar Studio. Here, James Santiago gives you an overview of the plug-in, takes you through some of his favorite sounds, and shows you first-hand how to get the best recorded guitar tones of your life. Watch James Santiago build an album-worthy guitar sound in seconds with Paradise Guitar Studio — mixing amps, cabs, pedals, and post-FX like a real session chain. Fire up Award-Winning UAD Amp Emulations Paradise features 11 hand-picked vintage and modified tube amps — golden units chosen for their unmistakable character and tone. From sparkling cleans and chewy British crunch to rare boutique sounds, you'll discover the exact texture that your mix calls for. Amps in Paradise Guitar Studio: Showtime '64 Tube Amp Lion '68 Super Lead - Lead Amp Lion '68 Super Lead - Brown Amp Lion '68 Super Lead - Bass Amp Dream '65 Reverb Amp Woodrow '55 Instrument Amp Ruby '63 Top Boost Amp Enigmatic '82 Overdrive Special - Suade Amp Enigmatic '82 Overdrive...
Get inspiring sounds for vocals and guitar. The 610 channel strip was one of UA founder Bill Putnam Sr.’s earliest designs. Used on countless iconic recordings, from Ray Charles to Neil Young to Van Halen, it's known for adding warmth and tube saturation. The UA 610 Tube Preamp & EQ Collection gives you the same timeless analog character right in your DAW. In this article we’ll walk you through some of our favorite 610-based signal chains for vocals and guitar. Bill Putnam Sr.'s 610 modular console was the first of its kind. To this day, the tube channel strips at the heart of the 610 are known for adding warmth and presence to anything that passes through them. What is a plug-in chain? A plug‑in chain is any combination of effects added to a track in your DAW. In a recording studio, producers typically add multiple plug-ins and analog processors to tracks, depending on the genre and desired sound. While complex chains can feature many processors, great sounds can often be achieved with just a few effects. What is a preamp? Microphones produce a very low-level signal that isn’t strong enough for recording on its own. It ne...
Learn how the recording studio dubbed “America’s Abbey Road” inspired generations of artists and engineers. Few recording studios are synonymous with greatness. Prized by artists and producers for their unmatched acoustics and unrivaled gear, the rooms inside 6050 Sunset Boulevard in Hollywood are such places. Now captured as a UAD plug-in with Ocean Way Studios Deluxe , these studios have helped shape nearly seven decades of recorded music. Here, we showcase their rich history and the artists they hosted. Universal Recording Throughout the 1940s, UA founder Bill Putnam was already writing the book on recorded sound. Under the Universal Recording brand, he treated his studios not merely as places to document performances, but as instruments themselves, advancing what was possible in recording. In Chicago, Putnam employed the first overdubbing techniques on a hit record, by bouncing between a disk recorder and wire recorder. He was the first to use artificial reverb, sending signal to the studio bathroom as an echo chamber. He invented concepts that now define modern mixers: channel EQ, cue sends, reverb returns, multitrack switching. He designed purpose-built consoles and outboard electronics and embraced stereo recording earlier than anyone. His combined skills as a musician, songwriter, producer, engineer, technician, inventor, studio designer and entrepreneur remain unparalleled to this day. <img alt="" src="https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/0558/1724/0665/files/feature1_d676821b-0cc9-4be4-b120-1b235826daa1.jpg?v=1764...