UREI
| Company type | Private |
|---|---|
| Industry | Professional audio equipment |
| Predecessor | Studio Electronics Corporation (SEC), Universal Audio |
| Founded | 1950s |
| Founder | Bill Putnam Sr. |
| Defunct | 1983 |
| Fate | Acquired by Harman and integrated into JBL Professional |
| Headquarters | Sun Valley, California , United States |
| Products | Recording, mixing, and audio signal processing equipment; studio monitors; compressors; equalizers; limiters; preamplifiers |
| Parent | Harman (from 1983) |
United Recording Electronics Industries (UREI) specialized in producing professional-grade recording, mixing, and audio signal processing equipment designed for studio environments, live performances, and broadcast applications.
History
During the 1950s, Bill Putnam Sr. established Universal Audio in Chicago, initially serving as the design and manufacturing division for his recording enterprise, Universal Recording Corporation. After moving operations to Hollywood in 1957 and founding the United Recording Corporation, his business acquired Studio Supply Co., renaming it Studio Electronics Corporation (SEC) and transferring production to Western Recorders. By the end of 1965, SEC had fully integrated Universal Audio, continuing to manufacture select products under the Universal Audio brand.
In 1967, SEC expanded by purchasing Babcock Electronics' broadcast division, which included Teletronix and the rights to the electro-optical LA-2A leveling amplifier patent. Preparing for additional acquisitions, SEC adopted the name United Recording Electronics Industries (UREI).
Following this, UREI acquired National Intertel, which led to the introduction of the 1176 peak limiter in 1968 alongside the 1108 FET preamplifier. Notable offerings from UREI comprised the Teletronix LA-3A electro-optical leveling amplifier, LA-4 compressor limiter, and a series of 500-series graphic equalizers. By 1976, UREI had shifted its manufacturing and service facilities to Sun Valley, California.
In partnership with Edward M. Long of E.M. Long Associates, UREI debuted the 813 series—large-format studio monitors featuring time-aligned designs—in 1977. Later versions such as the 813A, 815A, and 811A launched in 1979 incorporated drivers from Altec Lansing and Eminence. Due to financial difficulties and quality concerns at Altec in 1983, UREI introduced the 813B model equipped with drivers from JBL.
In 1983, Putnam sold UREI to Harman, where it became part of JBL Professional. Harman subsequently released co-branded products under "JBL-UREI," including the 5547A graphic equalizer in 1986.
The year 2005 saw Harman's Soundcraft division reissue a limited edition mixer named "UREI-by-Soundcraft" 1620LE. This model paid homage to the original UREI 1620 mixer from the 1980s—a design inspired by Rudy Bozak's renowned CMA-10-2DL rotary DJ mixer—and was supported by a dedicated website managed by Soundcraft.