Helios® Type 69 Preamp and EQ Collection
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The hallowed Helios Type 69, totally re-modeled with Unison™ technology.
Whether it was housed at Olympic in London, Musicland in Munich, or in the famed Rolling Stones’ mobile studio, the Helios Type 69 console was at the center of hundreds of iconic albums from rock’s “Golden Age.” From must-own albums by Led Zeppelin, The Beatles, Jimi Hendrix, and Pink Floyd, to Bob Marley and the Wailers, David Bowie, Black Sabbath, and AC/DC, the Type 69 delivered fat, unmistakable attitude, with a punchy midrange and an assertive growl.
The all-new Helios Type 69 Preamp and EQ plug-in for UAD-2 hardware and UA Audio Interfaces is a masterful, end-to-end circuit emulation of the rare hardware, going well beyond UA’s original Helios Type 69 plug-in.Track and mix through a stunning emulation of the Helios Type 69 vintage analog channel
Get the full character of the original hardware’s Lustraphone transformer-based mic preamp with Unison™ technology
Sculpt your sources with a colorful inductor-based three-band EQ
Shape guitars, vocals, and more with legendary Type 69 midrange aggression
Tweak low-end character with uniquely voiced low-frequency boost and cut filters
Mix with artist presets from J.J. Blair (Johnny Cash, George Benson), Chris Coady (Yeah Yeah Yeahs, TV on the Radio), Jacquire King (Kings of Leon, Tom Waits), and more
Take a Listen
5-Min UAD Tip
In this video, learn how to shape drums using Helios’ colorful inductor-based three-band EQ and uniquely voiced low-frequency boost and cut filters.
Turn Your DAW into a Classic Helios Type 69 Console
In crafting the new Helios Type 69 plug-in, UA’s team of engineers dug deep into two original Type 69 Olympic-era “golden units,” faithfully modeling their custom-made, feedback-style, 70 dB input section — along with a complete emulation of the coveted Lustraphone mic input transformer. This end-to-end circuit capture is the only "triple amp" preamp on the UAD platform, giving you complex, colorful flavors that will make any source come to life.
Unison Technology for UA Audio Interfaces
Harnessing UA’s groundbreaking Unison technology, the new Helios Type 69 plug-in gives you the hardware’s line/mic preamp impedance, gain stage “sweet spots,” and exact circuit behaviors. Just insert the plug-in into the Console app’s Unison preamp slot to track in real time through a spot-on Helios Type 69 modeled preamp.
Passive, Aggressive EQ
The new Helios Type 69 also offers a ground-up redesign of the original hardware’s famously bold passive three-band EQ. For the first time, the Helios Type 69 plug-in perfectly emulates the rich sounding inductor saturation behaviors that keep radical EQ moves sounding ultra musical, even at extreme settings.
The Low End Theory
With four uniquely voiced low frequency bell-shape boost filters, the Helios Type 69 Preamp and EQ Collection imparts the same solid and wide bass foundation found on seminal rock, pop, and reggae recordings. You can also clean up sources like overheads and room mics by switching the Bass band into a fixed 50 Hz low cut mode, with stepped gain control.
Add Tough Type 69 Attitude with any UAD Hardware
Of course, the Helios Type 69 Preamp and EQ Collection isn’t just for UA Audio Interface owners. UAD hardware owners can use the Collection on any mix, for bold, intense colors, without going outside the box. With the Helios Type 69 complete console channel emulation, plus the included DSP-lite Helios Type 69 Legacy plug-in, you can craft your projects with the same bold flavor found on the biggest records ever made.
“Helios is responsible for many of the best sounding albums of the 70s. Its mic preamp and EQ are bright, open, and aggressive sounding without being harsh. I love using it on snare drums and acoustic guitars.”
– Joe Chiccarelli (Jason Mraz, Beck, The Strokes, Morrissey)
“The new Helios Type 69 plug-in is killer. It captures the colorfully unique and musical EQ, and Unison technology emulates all the crunchy cool of the mic pre.”
– Jacquire King (James Bay, Kings of Leon, Tom Waits)
“The UAD Helios Type 69 brings new and exciting texture to any source. I love using the Mic mode to crunch guitars. Just fabulous! ”
– Vance Powell Jack White, The Dead Weather, The RaconteursWatch The Reviews
Customer Reviews
A. Brown
September 23, 2022
Great Preamp
Im enjoying this One ! The tones and EQ Sounds are priceless
Read MoreJ. Rawls
September 17, 2022
Overdrive!
Cranking the gain all the way up is extremely fun. It gets nasty rapidly. I Highly recommend it if you are interested in extreme distortion....
Read MoreA. Mujic
August 24, 2022
Works dope!
Love that saturation. But uses a lot of DSP! Would love it used x2 less!
Read MoreN. Lalarme
July 13, 2022
Best Unison Preamp so far
Got it few weeks back and already number one on all my guitar/bass tracks. A must have! good deal with special price and coupon, no brainer... hiroshimablast...
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Key Features
Complete end-to-end circuit emulation of the original Helios "Olympic"-era Type 69 channel design
Coveted Lustraphone mic input transformer and famously colorful passive inductor based EQ
Feedback-style 70 dB preamp and Unison technology with mic, line, and Hi-Z inputs
High Shelf, Mid Bell, and Bass Bell/Shelf EQ with bypass for DSP savings
Includes Helios Type 69 Legacy EQ plug-in for DSP savings
Requires a UAD DSP Accelerator Card or UA Audio Interface available from authorized dealers worldwide
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Customer Reviews
Helios Type 69 Preamp and EQ Collection
f. hinge
Frederik
i am supposed to have it, I guess its in the package when you buy an Apollo solo... honestly its a little confusing that when you have choose anything, it doesn't say what preamps, compressors and so I have and which I don't have.. it meant I have to go through so many products where it ask if I want 14 day trial... I think that could easily be different, so I give it one star, just to mark that point.
P. Diaz
Warm & Fuzzy
Good warm sound.
A. Brown
Great Preamp
Im enjoying this One ! The tones and EQ Sounds are priceless
J. Rawls
Overdrive!
Cranking the gain all the way up is extremely fun. It gets nasty rapidly. I Highly recommend it if you are interested in extreme distortion.
M. Park
Works well
Great Preamp!
A. Mujic
Works dope!
Love that saturation. But uses a lot of DSP! Would love it used x2 less!
N. Lalarme
Best Unison Preamp so far
Got it few weeks back and already number one on all my guitar/bass tracks. A must have! good deal with special price and coupon, no brainer...
hiroshimablastA. Jensen
Love it
Very useful plug-in …the eq’s makes my tracks stand out and get that analogue mojo
E. Shacham
best preamp in the collection
This is probably the best preamp we got from UAD in a bundl.e, Iv'e been pleased with the color and eq and will definitely use it again.
I. Voevodin
The best
I tried all the preamps, it was very suitable for my vocals, I will definitely use it in my mixes.
L. Brown
Really good for electric guitar.
I use this in the Unison position to record electric guitar tracks. I run straight electric guitar into it, as well as multi-pedaled, effected guitar into it. It works and sounds great either way. I'll probably reach for this first the next time I use mic's.
C. Knight
Get it!!!
One of the best Preamp/EQ's you can get, the bass gets pumped fast!
D. Dauphin
My favorite unison preamp for vocals
When I bought the apollo twin I wanted it for the Neve unison plugin on my vocals. I decided to test them all before I make my final decision and the helios was the clear winner for me on vocals. But what I didn't know is that I would use this baby almost on anything. Use it on your acoustic guitars tracking, on your DI bass or with the Ampeg plugin and even try to put it on your electric guitars this plugin is simply fantastic. I would be using the apollo twin for this plugin alone!!
A. EMIXPRO
Great on everything!
I own all the unison preamps but this one gets the most use. Love it in combo with all my mics, but especially with the Townsend Labs L22. Great on guitars and bass. Can thicken just about anything up and the distortion is fabulous.
D. Stekachev
Mr Awesomeness Type 69
I really like this preamp. Will I get another $50 discount code for my best review ever? :)
J. Bacon
Superb, use it all the time
I haven't used the original hardware, so I cannot write a comparative review.
I'll just say this: Helios Type 69 has proved invaluable, and it has been a pleasure to use since I purchased it a few months ago.
I have used it mainly on DI bass, ahead of an instance of LA-2, then into Ampeg SVTVR; with that recording chain, I'm achieving some of the most satisfying recorded bass sounds I have ever managed in 30 years of studio work, and with very little effort. That's important; I don't want to spend time playing with dials when the creative mood strikes... everything needs to be fast and intuitive, and in service of the process.
From Helios, I hear warmth, vitality, dimension. It's pretty easy to use if you spend a few minutes with the manual first.
It really helps electric bass sit in the mix. The other rave reviews here don't surprise me at all. Treat yourself; this one sounds special.S. Walker
Meaty
Haven’t really had much time with the Type 69 but I did get some very thick and juicy flavours with a simple valve mic and my old 80s Taka acoustic and it didn’t take much mucking around either. Lots of colour lots of growl. I can see many sessions in my new Helios virtual studio!
V. De Puydt
Warmth and shine
One of my first choices for recording voices. Adds warmth, grain but still clear and precise. I love it.
V. Basyul
OMG
It’s awesome !
L. Rocha
Great Unison
one of the best unison pre amplifiers
