![universal audio 2-610 universal audio 2-610](https://www.stevesmusic.com/uploads/s/Solo_610.gif)
Don't get me wrong, the UA unit sounds cool, and it even breaks up much the same way the V72 does, but the V72 has a wonderful tube "edge," or "buzz," or "sheen," or whatever that makes it very intimate sounding, while also remaining huge in the lows and mids. Sound quality wise, the V72 is still the clear winner. We've got both the UA and an original V72, and you're right, the V72 lacks some things, like variable gain or at least a pad, but that is solved pretty well with a Shure variable in-line pad.
![universal audio 2-610 universal audio 2-610](https://img.mercatinomusicale.com/p_z/19/13/6331319_1570714653.jpg)
Good Luck, and I hope you like the 2-610 as much as I do. If you want to see cheap, check out the little knobs on the AD2022 - which I was also considering, those things feel like they're going to break off right in your hand. All the parts have that heavy duty retro feel much like the Vipre, or other UA gear. I disagree with the cheap statement above. Since I play guitar, bass, drums and keys, this is especially convenient to keep everything plugged in and just turn a knob for each instrument. The 2-610 also has the same input selector knob as the 737 - with added impedance selections. The firm detent knobs also make eq setting recall's much easier and exact. I don't think the 2-610 is any more or less "tubby" sounding than the 737, and although the 737's eq is especially sweet, (the best part of that box IMHO) I really don't need that wide a range of eq for tracking, I mainly just need to make cuts here and there, and the 2-610 is perfect for this. I've been using a 737 as my main front end, and was considering a second for stereo - until I tried out the 2-610.