Product Overview

Three Legendary Compressors and a Vintage Tube Preamp Under Your Boots

For decades, capturing the punch, weight, and smooth dynamic control of a hit record required racks of multi-thousand-dollar studio outboard gear. The Universal Audio UAFX Max Preamp & Dual Compressor completely redefines mobile dynamics processing. It puts the definitive sounds of the world's most revered studio compressors and a high-end tube channel strip into a compact, bulletproof stereo pedal.

By leveraging Universal Audio's industry-leading component modeling, Max doesn't just mimic the compression curves—it captures the exact hardware topology, optical photocell lag, FET attack times, and analog saturation behavior of the original units. From the transparent, leveling optical compression of the LA-2A to the aggressive, explosive smash of an 1176, Max injects an elite, mix-ready analog gloss into your signal chain that standard digital modelers simply cannot match.

Product Description

Three Iconic Dynamic Flavors & Dual-Engine Stacking:

The UAFX Max features three distinct compression algorithms that can be selected independently for each of its two internal processing slots:

• Teletronix LA-2A: A legendary high-voltage optical tube limiter. It delivers a smooth, frequency-dependent leveling effect that responds naturally to your playing dynamics. It is the holy grail for smoothing out acoustic guitars, bass, and soaring vocal lines with transparent, musical compression.

• UA 1176 LN: The definitive FET (Field Effect Transistor) limiting amplifier. Celebrated for its lightning-fast attack time and aggressive, mid-forward punch, it is perfect for tightening up funk rhythms, adding percussive bite to clean lines, or pushing your tracks into explosive harmonic saturation.

• Dyna Comp: Recreates the classic, snappy parameters of the legendary red box hardware stompbox. It delivers a highly percussive "squish" and endless sustain that is ideal for country chicken-picking, slide guitar, and classic rock solos.

Because Max is powered by a high-overhead dual-DSP engine, you can stack any two compressors in a serial signal chain. Run a fast 1176 to catch your initial transient peaks, and feed that signal into an LA-2A for smooth, overall leveling—all inside a single pedal.

UA 610 Tube Preamp EQ Coloration:

To tie your dynamic elements together with authentic analog warmth, Max features a dedicated emulation of the legendary UA 610 tube microphone preamplifier and EQ circuit. Using the physical Preamp knob, you can dial in everything from a subtle, glassy harmonic coloration to a rich, overdriven tube saturation. This preamp circuit reacts interactively with your compression settings, allowing you to replicate the workflow of driving a high-end vintage recording console's channel input stage.

Stereo Versatility and UAFX App Deep-Diving:

Built to anchor professional live touring rigs and hybrid home tracking studios, the UAFX Max features true stereo input and output ports with automatic routing detection. It maintains an ultra-high headroom analog dry path to ensure your instrument's core tonal identity remains completely uncorrupted.

Equipped with a built-in Bluetooth chip and a rear-panel USB-C port, the pedal connects effortlessly to the UAFX Control mobile app (iOS/Android). The app acts as an expanded under-the-hood configuration suite, letting you adjust side-chain bass filters to keep low frequencies from triggering the compressor, configure the dual footswitch behaviors, customize parallel compression wet/dry mixes, and download exclusive artist presets curated by top session guitarists and engineers.

Key Features

• THREE LEGENDARY COMPRESSORS: True component-level emulations of the Teletronix LA-2A (Optical), UA 1176 (FET), and classic Dyna Comp (Sustainer) inside one pedal.

• DUAL-ENGINE STACKING MATRIX: Independently configure and layer any two compressors in series for professional studio-grade dynamic leveling.

• UA 610 TUBE PREAMP EMULATION: Built-in preamp gain stage injects rich, authentic analog harmonic warmth and tube character into your tracks.

• INTERACTIVE HARDWARE CONTROLS: Dedicated physical knobs manage Preamp Gain, Comp Depth, Attack, Release, Ratio, and a Master Output Level.

• TRUE STEREO SIGNAL PATH: Full stereo input and output routing parameters for massive tracking widths or stereo studio bus compression.

• ANALOG DRY-THROUGH CIRUITRY: Keeps your raw, unaffected analog instrument signal completely untouched to preserve tone integrity.

• BLUETOOTH UAFX MOBILE LINK: Wirelessly tweak hidden internal settings (like low-cut side-chain filters), manage foot-switch modes, and save custom patches via smartphone.

Technical Specifications

What’s Included in the Box

• 1 x Universal Audio UAFX Max Preamp & Dual Compressor Effects Pedal

• 1 x Official Universal Audio Quick Start Setup Guide & Dynamics Management Sheet

• 1 x Factory Serial Registration Card & Official Universal Audio Hardware Warranty Card