API® Preamp
-
Get the hit-making color and tone of API's iconic 212L preamp.
From Fleetwood Mac’s classic, Rumours to Radiohead's In Rainbows, API preamps have shaped hit albums with stunning punch, presence, and color for over 50 years.
Now, you can easily add that same clarity, character, and musically complex tone of this proven, hit‑making mic preamplifier in a simple Unison‑equipped plug‑in, perfect for Apollo owners.Get the world’s only authentic plug-in emulation of the legendary Class-A, API 212L mic preamp, with added features from API’s flagship Vision console
Record "through" the legendary API preamp in real time using Apollo interfaces, with low DSP use
Easily color your tracks with musical punch, clarity, and character with an unequaled emulation of complex, nonlinear circuit behaviors
Control Apollo mic preamp gain staging and impedance directly from the API Preamp plug-in via Unison™ technology
Capturing a Legend with Unison
The classic API 212L preamp's forward attitude, low‑end punch, and detailed‑yet‑warm high end is famous for giving vocals, drums, and more a satisfying tone with rich character. Harnessing UA's groundbreaking Unison technology, the API Preamp plug‑in is the only complete emulation of API's hallowed preamp circuit, giving you the vintage hardware’s gain staging “sweet spots,” and nonlinear circuit behaviors. The secret is Unison’s bi‑directional control and communication from the API Preamp plug‑in to the mic preamps in Apollo interfaces.
Give Your Tracks the Sound of Legendary Albums
Like the original sought-after hardware, the API Preamp plug‑in adds characteristic punch and musical definition. Plus, you get the same features found in API's flagship Vision Console, including a Mic/Line switch, dedicated cut filter, and ‑6 dB Line pad. Simply drop the API Preamp into the Unison slot of Apollo's Console software or LUNA channel strip to add instant character to vocals, acoustic guitars, drums, and more with the hit‑making tone that can only come from API.
Add Punch and Character to Any Source
Of course, the API Preamp plug‑in isn’t just for Apollo interface owners. UAD hardware owners can harness the color of the API Preamp plug‑in for mixing and tone shaping — without ever leaving the box. Thanks to its lower DSP usage, you can easily place the API Preamp plug‑in instances across multiple channels, turning your favorite DAW into a classic API analog desk.
“The accuracy of the UAD API plug‑ins is incredible. I'll turn up the preamp gain to drive a guitar, or simply add some clean gain if I’m tracking Alicia Keys' piano. So versatile!”
– Ann Mincieli (Alicia Keys, Whitney Houston, Mariah Carey)Customer Reviews
D. Lee
October 14, 2022
Lot's of Character
Used this on my unison pre's for a gig, and it gave my rig the punch it needed!
Read MoreR. Juniel
October 13, 2022
Recording engineer \ musician
This is one plug-in that I really love the sound quality
Read MoreV. German
September 28, 2022
A small device with a hot character
Great preamp. Warms up the signal nicely. Liked it on voice, bass, for saturating subtle timbres. Thanks API and UAD!
Read MoreN. Nolan
September 27, 2022
Awesome API Saturation
I’ve been a big fan of the UAD API Vision channel strip for years. I decided to buy a real 550b EQ and 527A compressor. They sound amazing, of course, but I was missing the preamp...
Read MoreU. Soto
September 4, 2022
This is amazing!!!
This plug-in is soooo good! Get it and u won’t regret it!
Read Morem. stallings
August 30, 2022
LPX switch to UAD Luna
I’m a hobbyist that recently switched from LPX and Izotope plugins to Luna with full API console emulation bundle…. So what’s changed??...
Read More -
Features
The first authentic emulation of API analog summing
Adds power, clarity, and mid-forward punch to your mixes
Per-bus Headroom and Trim controls for professional tone sculpting over your entire mix
Sum individual channels or your entire mix through API's hallowed bus or master summing modules
-
Customer Reviews
API Preamp
D. Lee
Lot's of Character
Used this on my unison pre's for a gig, and it gave my rig the punch it needed!
R. Juniel
Recording engineer \ musician
This is one plug-in that I really love the sound quality
V. German
A small device with a hot character
Great preamp. Warms up the signal nicely. Liked it on voice, bass, for saturating subtle timbres. Thanks API and UAD!
N. Nolan
Awesome API Saturation
I’ve been a big fan of the UAD API Vision channel strip for years. I decided to buy a real 550b EQ and 527A compressor. They sound amazing, of course, but I was missing the preamp gain. This little plugin completes the package.
U. Soto
This is amazing!!!
This plug-in is soooo good! Get it and u won’t regret it!
m. stallings
LPX switch to UAD Luna
I’m a hobbyist that recently switched from LPX and Izotope plugins to Luna with full API console emulation bundle…. So what’s changed?? Almost everything….
1. Recording is much easier in Luna
2. I got in a bad habit of mixing with my eyes…. Now that I have fewer visual cues to look at, I’m using my ears… which is forcing me to really learn this system.
3. Like many have said, just running the tough mix through Studer, Ampex and Summing sounds really good…. Now add API consoles and wow…
4. I have a new MacBook Pro 16gb RAM computer and was worried that no way would it handle all of this stuff… wrong…. Works great… now I don’t do projects with a hundred tracks… instead, I’ll very carefully bounce complex backing vocals or orchestration into stereo files…. Much easier to deal with…
Love limited choices…. Makes committing much easier. The gate, compressor and EQ’s sound beautiful and I can work quickly….
My hobby is a lot more satisfying with mixes coming together much faster and sounding great….m. tellez
Color único por un excelente precio
El color de API es algo que siempre busco y esta emulación de UA es perfecta para casi toda la percusión que grabo, incluso en voces me va genial muchas veces pero sin duda un preamplificador muy versátil en general. Una buena compra por un buen precio.
G. Loopez
Great color
I did add this preamp on a couple of my tracks while mixing an older project. It gave me instantly great energy and color. I am definitely gonna be using this a lot going forward. I hope it will be available on the Spark platform too.
i. x
Low DSP cost while bright and clean sound
The API Preamp is a different style with NEVE 1073, it dosn't keeps so much bass. The API preamp can give you a bright and clean sound while lowest DSP cost. You can use it with different plungin combination even using single CUP's Solo interface.
C. Taylor
A useful tool
I have a decent amount of UA plugs. Most of them are OK. I have not reviewed the others because I don't want to be that guy, you know, the hater. The Lexicon 224 plug still gets a good bit of use around here. I simply haven't gotten the use out many of these that I expected. Maybe I need to lower my expectations. Which brings me to the API Preamp. It is a pleasant surprise. I don't know. Maybe this is the sound I've been seeking. Hard to say at this point. It's still new. Hardware is still preferable to software but money is tight. So I settle. This API Preamp is a decent settlement. I agree with the reviewers who like the added color of this Unison plug. I feel the same about this one. The API Preamp will get more use.
D. Salancon
Excellent track coloration
I owned the channel version, and I realized the preap section was so good and colorful that I bought the preap only version, to save a bit of cpu.
This lighter plug uses 2% of processing on a uad satellite octo, vs 4% for the full channel version.U. Behboudi
Api preamp
Love this preamp on unison. Fantastic color especially on acoustic guitars and voices. So amazing.
G. Castle
Universal Audio API Plug-Ins are Awesome for mixing Country Music
Universal Audio Plug-Ins are my favorite Plug-Ins. I use UA API Plug-Ins for all of my Country mixes and they have never disappointed me. The API Preamp is clean and punchy.
P. Manriquez
excellent!!!
Great and Warm Sound !!!
I. Krstic
Great PreAmp
Very clean preamp that takes up only 3 % of DSP.
s. mcaulay
Simple and clean
Clean and punchy with low memory usage. Used on almost everything now.
M. Contreras
Excellent
Fantastic punchy sound, put it on guitars, drums or vocals, everything sounds great.
A. Tyler
Put in Unison for Guitars and never turn it off :)
When tracking guitar amps via mics or... even if plugging in the output of a modeler like Axe-FX or a Kemper to the UAD. Toss this in the Unison Preamp and hit it just hard enough to hear the magic warmth and analog top-end sizzle take over. Makes real amps through good mics sound like they are going through a real API 312 and running a modeler through it makes those sound less digital. Also works great in the DAW as the first insert before an amp sim plugin at mix.
UAD User
Really good from Tracking!
Really good from Tracking!
j. mora castillo
Útil
Rápido y fácil me gusta
-
-
-
-
-
On Sale
Teletronix® LA-2A Leveler Collection
Add to CartRegular Price: $299.00
$149.00
You'll Save 50%