Are uad plugins worth it reddit. They are sketchy and the plugins are ALWAYS on sale.

Noobs will fool around and buy a few Fabfilter and Valhalla plugins for $300 dollars meanwhile pros have the entire Waves catalog and can do anything. As someone who owns a Twin and a Quad, I’d say now that UAD has entered the native plugin market it’s probably not worth it, unless you reeeeeaaaaalllllyy want the Unison plugins. I use it now because I have it, but it's an expensive, time consuming rabbit hole and I don't think it's worth it. It wasn't worth the pricetag to me, but then again I picked up the Eventide Blackhole plugin for $50 on sale a while back, and I have other hardware reverbs for when I want immediacy. For career progression, I’m looking to compose more fantasy / cinematic music while writing my own guitar instrumental l music. UAD plugins are only transferable with hardware and all or no plugins have to be May 7, 2015 · The best bargains on the UAD platform are the MKII upgrades. AMAZING sound, TERRIBLE optimisation, UI and sales/install experience. The only plug-ins I would recommend would be the preamp emulations and We would like to show you a description here but the site won’t allow us. The unison technology is a big piece of why the UAD plugins sound so good. I am probably at 30%UAD and 70%other. Feb 2, 2024 · Best UAD Reverbs & Delays for Vocals. 1st question: is it worth it to invest in high quality mixing plugins like UAD, or will there be no difference with Logic Pro plugins. Yes, but I don't personally use them. But still a bit pricey so needed to be more competitive with sales. Many of the spark plugins have both native and Apollo versions and those can be used in console. And the answer was : "The UAD Signature Edition bundle, including the UADx plug-ins, requires a 64-bit DAW for compatibility. Totally worth it at full price (if you have the budget), but UA runs sales all the time and gives out discount coupons every 2-3 months. I use 2 x8ps and own 80% of the UAD plugins at this point. The closest you’re going to get to a CL1B is the Softube plugin. The CL1B doesn’t really have a color or tone though, it’s just very transparent even when you slam it. Ampex ATR-102 Tape Recorder. Plug-in marketing has folks thinking it was colored and heavy handed. This is the end of proprietary uad nonsense. They are sketchy and the plugins are ALWAYS on sale. Aug 19, 2022 · Overall, I rate this plugin a score of 7. IMO the UAD analog emulation plugins are excellent. I haven’t used a lot of plugins for Jun 13, 2018 · By purchasing UAD plug-ins at sales, in collections and bundles, with discount coupons, and receiving free plug-ins by purchasing hardware, I only paid around $50 each for the 65 UAD2 plug-ins I have. I don't have the hardware so I can't make a direct comparison of sounds, but spark certainly doesn't have all of the standard hardware-accelerated plugins. An OCTO is becoming the bare minimum if you wan't to run a lot of their new plugins. So it is likely a new generation of plugins (UAD3?). My mix bus usually has like 4 plugins [Saturation, Bus compression, Tape, Limiter] but only 2 are UAD. For fuck sake Waves just call the damned thing $38. Buying plugins is not overrated. Unison technology replicates the circuitry of hardware. The tape echo and digital-style verbs are cool but you can get other plug-ins that can do that stuff just as well for less cash (look at Valhalla). Teletronix LA2A collection. Personally I've found the producer edition to be good enough. To get me a similar sound, but something that won’t send my bank account into the shadow realm. UAD offers 44 plugins for a one time fee of $299 (they claim it’s usually $599) or Plugin alliance and keep 10 plugins at the end of the year. Pultec Passive EQ. They don’t run natively on the Mac/PC unlike other VSTs (or Reason itself). I cry a little inside every time i pay for a new UAD plugin. However, I know people who do use them and have heard their setups with UAD plugins in use, so they do sound good. There are definitely many people who have made top-level records with waves plugins. I think UAD is good but since plugins, cpu processors and everything has improved so much, natively, UAD just isn Waves were one of my first purchases, and I used them for years. 1 ? Im pretty confused by that. UAD plugins run on the UAD hardware using the SHARC chips inside the hardware. They are probably worth half of that. And the SSL interfaces are better ADMIN MOD. No plugin is worth 350 to me. They have the best limiter and stereo expander, and installing is easy with Waves Central. The Avalon UAD option just doesn’t sound much like the hardware at all, the compression doesn’t hit the same and the drive from the pre is lacking too. ago. It sounds fabulous, and it has more than just the Blackhole algorithm installed. UAD offers free trials so it’s best if you try before you buy. You do not have to worry about them every not being on sale. Every LA-2A Unit sounds different, every Fairchild sounds different, every SSL Console sounds different, every SSL channelstrip on every SSL Console sounds different and so on, because Juneteenth Fundraiser: On Monday, June 19th, from midnight to midnight Pacific Time, Bandcamp will hold the fourth annual Juneteenth fundraiser, where they will donate 100% of their share of sales to the NAACP Legal Defense Fund, a racial justice organization with a long history of effectively enacting change through litigation, advocacy, and public education. Even if all you do is upgrade those and never buy another UAD plugin, it'd be worth it. I own a few of them. Just wondering what everyone considers the essential few UAD plugins. A 388 1/4” 8trk will sound noisy and “dirty”. com) That's value! Thing is, I buy from other plugin companies that never update their tools. Reply. 23 through EveryPlugin. There's plenty of competition, unlike 20 years ago when Waves plugin bundles were 10k+. Forgive me I couldn't keep this to myself when it could benefit you lot. Sound City is like Ocean Way + a reverb chamber (not as good as Capitol Chambers, but still good) + an EQ section from a Neve desk + a Dynamics section (you can choose from 1176, Neve bus comp or the Dolby-A-Trick). When I got the UAD cards again, I swapped out the waves for UAD with the same settings (same GR in the case of comps) one by one on the same mix and the improvement was staggering. I now own >60 UAD plugins and spent $1200+ on UAD plugins in just the past ~3 months alone, but UA could care less. So UAD needed to step up and go native. It's been painful lol. But I'm discovering better ones over time from various companies. Well first of all Spark vs Hardware is a non-starter because the code nullsmeaning i is the EXACT same code. You can buy a lot of UAD type plug-ins elsewhere (plug in boutique, antares actual site, etc. 99! ($17. The cl-1b for example is identical and developed by softube. 99, then another 40% off for a low low $38. I use it in every project. Universal Audio (UAD) uses Softubes version. The only people who have issues are people on ridiculously low budget setups or who have things misconfigured. So basically you can get the Softube versions from UAD or directly from Softube when they are on salesame with other vendors such as Sonnox/etc. Sound City is dirty Rock’n’Roll, Ocean Way is Hollywood. But a proper 1/2” or 1” 2trk or 24 trk 2” will always been on the cleaner side. UAD is obviously slow dripping the native versions of their DSP plugins. From what I’ve read, UAD will have more accurate emulations but I’m afraid that bundle won’t have essential plugins like Waves de-esser, Puigtec eqs, vocal UAD's terminology never made sense to me. I scraped the prices of over 15k plugins to create an audio plugin price history and price alerts r/audioengineering • DistroKid's Mixea Mastering Tool Is Shockingly Horrible The signature bundle that has 44 plugins is $299 - 20% off = $240/44 plugins = $5. Examples would be like “auto-tune realtime” and “Eventide harmonizer” I don’t need anything for EQ, compression, etc. 45. • 3 yr. You'll see them at Plugin Alliance, Softube, and Sonnox. After Luna, I wouldn't be surprised if the UAD's Department of Corporate Suicide decided that the time was right for a subscription model. Also, of the three non-Waves companies that OP listed, Plugin Alliance is the only one who produce 100% native plugins: Most UAD plugins are incompatible with native hardware (although they're making progress!). May 26, 2022 · The package currently includes 15 plug-ins and four instruments, which feels a little light considering the size of the full UAD catalogue – which currently stands at over 200 plug-ins. And the room sounds are a lot different, of course. I also really like the Suhr PT100 which covers a ton of ground for modern guitar sounds. UAD Signature Bundle. Which is why I’m thinking of the mic modeling thing. Now that UAD has been going native I'm on the fence if I should pull the trigger on an OCTO. C800G/U87 > 1073 > CL1B and it’s gg. It’s long been a favourite for pop, R&B and hip hop but try it whatever style you produce. Now, I rarely use waves if UAD does it too. The Apollo 8P comes with the original 1176, LA2A, Fairchild, and Pultec, and you can upgrade those to the far superior MKII's for as little as $74 when they're on sale. This could be either with a new generation of SHARC processors or -more likely- the ability to run plugins natively. If you have plugins you bought and barely use, there’s your answer. Ocean way Studios Room Modeler. just plug ins for fun vocal effects from UA. But I noticed it’s mostly plugins not made by UA, some I’m familiar with and definitely want for Apollo, like AMS and Softube stuff and Cedar, but not totally sure about the rest. Especially, calibrated and cleaned tape machines. EDIT: Furthermore, on the subject of plugins, a chunk of the plugins available on UAD are actually from other companies. Works on Ableton Live v 11. It's a game changer, and it's why UAD is so popular. UAD makes plugins that you can't use without a UAD audio interface plugged in. Gyahahaha. Not that they’re not great interfaces, but there are other great interfaces that are significantly cheaper. Dec 31, 2023 · UA plugins are still the best in the game for my money. If a given plugin delivers what you need, then it has value to you. But it does suck that company’s won’t update the software, especially when the hardware is dependent on it. They run at near zero latency, and zero CPU load. Also worth checking to see that you don’t have some plugins open in console. These are also plugins you’re gonna barely use. evilbob562. I hope they go native rather then coming up with a new "UAD-3" platform. They offer them in native formats which run on your regular CPU. ADMIN MOD. If you buy used good quality analog gear you won’t lose much on hardware, plug-in on the other hand are completely worthless after like 5 years especially once the manufacturer stops supporting updates etc. Was wondering if you could give me your favorite “special effects” vocal plug in for interesting vocals. •. I got it for 75 and that’s the most I would be willing to pay for it We would like to show you a description here but the site won’t allow us. 2. 2 Maybe a Studer or Oxide, depending on the vibe of the song. If sometimes I want to use any of the locked plugins, I just load it, mess around to get what I want, record the output in Edison and then remove the plugin. The ones that have only native versions (which for now is mostly just the instruments) can’t be used in console. But you won’t find these plugins anywhere else. The Audient interfaces are amazing, especially at their price point. However, lately I've been seeing these comparisons between UAD and Waves and how UAD is "much better quality" because they are actually "official" emulators of the old analog equipment. 2nd question: if I should invest, do you think UAD plugins are good? Are there any other good mixing plugins better? The Debatte "UAD vs WAVES" is in fact pointless, as is any discussion "Plugin A vs Plugin B" - as long as we are talking about Plugins that emulate ANALOG Gear. UA is changing their marketing policy. UAD modeled three different 140s housed over at The Plant Studios in Sausalito, California, and put them all into this plugin. Both are therefore shit. Chilton_Squid. Waves is all I need for mixing. Waves Horizon Bundle vs. Ableton…. There's probably no need to worry about he native versions being "scaled back;" modern native CPU processing is much more powerful than the chips in the UAD hardware. the gold/platinum bundle is most worth it. Native would make sense - although it lowers the value of hardware by some factor, it enables Volt users to buy plugins. Take Waves Tune Real-Time fore example. Either way, it’s definitely supported on Apollo and can be used in console. IMO the only plugin worth it from them outside of the heritage bundle is the manley voxbox, and maaayyyyybeeee the distressor, but that said there are sooo many other options for pretty much everything else. Or use the link below to check out Owner of a hardware CL1B here and it’s plugin variant. So if you are using a great condenser mic and a Neve Preamp, the We would like to show you a description here but the site won’t allow us. As u/Arry_Propah mentioned, Bark of dog does the same thing and is free. Link below Share Add a Comment But another user here told me they were on a hamster wheel of UAD plug-in purchases because they’re receiving the $25 every time and can go buy another plug on sale for $49 and use the the $25 voucher for a total cost of $24 and still get the $25 voucher on repeat. UAD Spark is $149 a year. If it’s on, turning that off might fix your issue. Preamp-wise it’s a better interface for sure, and your vocals will sound better straight out of the box. Well worth a demo :) I’m guessing Thermionic will be a lot better. To get their updates you have to buy the next version, which is often expensive. It can be a bit confusing because UAD plugins appear in the VST plugin list but a UAD plugin is essentially a GUI front end, the actual processing is done in hardware within the UAD Get the Quad. UA 610-B tube preamp and EQ. While it'd be nice to see a spark of common sense and innovation on UAD's part, "get $20k worth of UAD's industry leading plugins for just $29. Are you saying you own licenses to ALL the plugins? Because on my account the “everything” package is listed as $10,000. Sell cheaper to more people, they’ve obviously done the maths and it’s better for their business. (Unison means that when you use a plug-in in the Unison slot (a special slot above the top spot), the Apollo models the same impedance and electrical characteristics as if you were using the real hardware. Plate reverb is a go-to on vocals, and you cannot go wrong with the iconic EMT 140. Pultec from UAD, is one of the best emulations of analog hardware that has a “sound of its own”. • 2 yr. The outputs sound much fuller and cleaner especially when I'm going over mixes it's easier to hear certain characteristics in the sounds. The pres that it comes with are super transparent and the conversion quality is top notch, plus those sexy UAD plugins are the crack of the plugin world, you can just get one. However, since this is the edmproduction reddit I must say that UAD is way more useful for rock or acoustic-based We would like to show you a description here but the site won’t allow us. At the risk of stating the obvious, the thing that makes UAD different is that the plugins run on dedicated SHARC DSP chips, in the actual audio interface. I work in PC, so I’m not using Luna, which makes the Apollo series more attractive. The plugins certainly hold their own compared to others. Fairchild TubeLimiter Collection. I have a few others and they’re all top notch imo- can’t go wrong with their plugins imo. Second! I would seriously be considering an Apollo these days if I wasn't so concerned with the development of the UAD platform. Waves's BF sale had many of their best plugins for $19. ), and the updated versions are even better. I use paid plugins and free plugins regularly. I wouldn't say dirt cheap, but it's because competition has caught up and gone beyond in some cases. UA’s reasoning is that UAD Spark comprises a carefully curated collection of tools that covers most bases so that you don’t get overwhelmed with too many options. All Slate plugins use DRM that is incompatible with native hardware, and requires an external iLok device for DRM. When I upgrade, I will likely exit the UAD ecosystem, or just get a Satellite for the plugins I use frequently. So since i started engineering (2 years) ive been using my trustee Focusrite solo at the time is was all i needed and it worked for me. They are no longer a niche upscale boutique. 1 API 2500, low ratio, with slowest attack, auto-release depending on song, getting 1 to 2 db compression. Only on UAD. I do recall reading something years ago when ppl were saying “wtf, this is just a resonant high pass filter” and that it was a ripoff. 99. I own both and think that the UAD legacy pack-ins are superior to the Waves versions (1176, Pultec, LA2A, etc. It’s up to you to gauge whether the cost is worth it, but there are certainly plenty of paid plugins that are excellent tools and worth every penny. Reply reply. Universal Audio is excessively high quality. That is the most annoying thing when it comes to mixing with UAD plugins. That said, UAD Essentials is currently priced at 50 bucks and include a good bunch of plugins. Cons are CPU usage and it can be complicated as hell to configure. Plugins like the shadow hills and elysia compressors and some of the amp plugins are made by brainworx and available on plugin Also, UAD console is kind of a pain to use. Reply reply thegetawayplan9 Go into UAD meter app and check if DSP Loadlock is turned on. For the sake of tracking through the UAD unison stuff, or popping UAD plugins into your vocal chains with the live monitoring button clicked in, it’s a worthwhile addition. 1. All of them which can run natively without any hardware. It’s not quite hell freezing over, but Universal Audio’s decision to start releasing native versions of its UAD plugins on the new Spark subscription platform (VST3/AU/AAX), so that they can run in pretty much any DAW without any UA hardware, still counts as an abrupt change in philosophy. They do their job, but no other company punishes you as much for continual use. In reality it’s just that the chips they make you run the plug ins on are crappy old dsp chips. I've been fortunate enough to actually use an SSL 4000g Bus compressor as well as the waves plug in version and the ableton 9 version. Once you compete on prices, there is no going back. It’s impossible to compare the two. UAD plugins are nothing special nowadays. New users who might not want to drop thousands of dollars upfront on an Apollo interfaces and plugins at $150 each (plus waiting for months for the 50% off sales) can now just start with a Volt interface and So, to answer your question: yes, sometimes it's absolutely worth it. Metric AB is a must have, though. Tracking or monitoring through plug-ins, latency free awesome. UA is less responsive to customer issues in the past few years and will often close cases without response or give cursory dismissive answers. Komplete Ultimate is great for instruments, bad for effects. As I understand it, UAD sells its own hardware, which you'd think would be considered UAD native hardware, but apparently isn't. Long-time UAD users get native access immediately to all these plugins which is great, and can still buy licenses outright if they want. If you value hardware that much, go for it. This is a last ditch effort to get customers. UA 1176 Limiter Collection. Audio interfaces have nothing to do with your computer’s CPU load unless you are using the UAD plugins which are powered only by the built-in SHARC chips of the UA Apollo product line. Somehow they don't get called out for that, but Waves does. Slate I feel like their emulations are no better or worse than UAD, I have no interest in their more recent gimmicky EDM-catered plugins, but their SSL bus comp is the best emulation I have ever used and for that reason alone I am still subscribed. Been eyeing the new complete 2 upgrade that has been on sale and thinking about pulling the trigger. It's listed as originally $199, then on sale for $64. Are Universal Audio Apollo interfaces still worth it? Much of the praise of Apollo interfaces is that they come with the UAD plugins, which as I understand were previously basically only available with the interfaces. But thats UAD for you. My favorites are the 1073 EQ/strip, the 2254 and 1176 compressors, the updated Pultec EQs, and the Ocean Way verb. Voxbox is a totally different story, sounds fucking incredible. SkaZooka. If they are getting out of UAD and willing to transfer their plugin collection with the hardware, that could be worth hundreds or even thousands depending how many plugins they own. Analog tape was very subtle. On occasion I run out of DSP in the mixing stage. Based on my experiences with the company and the plugins, I wouldn't recommend them. Expect more and more plugin offers along this line. I've heard UAD is "the best", and while other plugins come close, you get the extra 20% from UA. Neither of these plugins are available in the subscription, so you’ll have to buy them outright and use an Apollo interface If you like decaptiator wait until you try the HG2 black box on plugin alliance. The only thing clear here is UAD has been selling there plug ins as “dsp intensive”. The dsp chip 'feature' is pretty silly in 2023. ). 99 a month" isn't it. EMT 140 Classic Plate Reverberator. but I’m also fussy and think hardware compression sounds better than a plug-ins. They also do sales. Recently I was finally able to purchase an apollo twin Not all plugins on the UAD platform are developed by Universal audio. Both of those mics are like $10K. The signature bundle that has 44 plugins is $299 - 20% off = $240/44 plugins = $5. Other plugins are designed to run on any computer hardware, and these are apparently called native. Something you would prefer to not mix or track without. To me, the Fairchild 670 & 660 are some of the most faithful and easy to use vari-mu style compressors available. I am slowly moving away from UAD plug-ins and couldn't be happier. “UAD” is only used in the context of their plugins. Little Labs Voice OF god Bass ENhancer. My go to for about a year and a half was the Fender 55 Deluxe and Marshall Plexi. Instead, here is a list of highly-regarded VST developers who don't require an iLok, a proprietary UAD DSP, any other external hardware, or an internet connection, to use their VSTs (though they may require an internet connection to initially Nov 22, 2021 · This plugin version of this substantial piece of hardware combines a Unison model of the tube mic pre, optical compression and a sweet EQ which is well known for its classy sheen. 8 out of 10: Ease of use: 7/10; Sonic quality: 10/10; Features: 7/10; User interface: 9/10; Price: 6/10; Enjoyed this review of the UAD minimoog? Check out my review of an amazing EQ plugin that compliments the UAD minimoog well (hint: it’ll make your music better). Those SHARC chips are getting seriously underpowered. But there are so many plugin devs out there, offering DRM and non-DRM plugins. The UA/softube Pultecs were developed by respective companies so they are different. Thank you for your time, any insight is appreciated. MARTEX8000. We would like to show you a description here but the site won’t allow us. . I understand the value is really in the dsp/plugins but just wanted to get some input from you guys if its worth the $1200 price tag for my Hi guys, trying to grab a plugin or two before the sale ends. API Vision Channel Strip. The answer will always be yes and I go out of my way to get plug in's that match hardware when I can. Award. This all got me thinking if I should upgrade to an Apollo Twin X. Or even a UAD Spark subscription at like $149/yr, depending on what you need. I've rarely paid full price for plugins from them and have been with UA since the early 2000s. Even the UAD Legacy (old / less great versions) beats Waves for 76, LA2A, Pultec, all the basic every day use workhorses, so it could honestly be cheaper to buy an Apollo Solo for the plugin pack than by the equivalent Waves plugs. Can’t believe that plugin tbh and might be on sale on black Friday. They are now targeting newbies and hobbyists. It's a lot of money imo, but a very good deal. Also note brainworx codes UA plug-ins afaik, so inside the daw, it’s basically the same. I was without my uad plugins for a while after my pc with my cards was stolen but was using the waves as substitutes. They charge about 4 times over what they are worth. Hello! Do you know if the new UADx Plugins "Signature Edition Bundle" that does not require hardware, to be specific. 9. Initially available for Mac (Windows support is I have UAD Marshall Plexi Super Lead- it’s fuckin dope. pukingpixels. Which would y’all recommend for mixing and mastering? I don’t really have any quality versions of the plugins from either bundle. Massive Passive is the best plug-in imo. Yes decapitator is worth it. 3. If you’re buying UAD plugins you’re definitely making a bad call. Only downside is that they still haven’t fixed their installer so you can install individual plugins and when you update it it installs ALL their plug-in which is annoying. That will offset the processing from your CPU. UAD Signature Edition is £275 for me, as I own a UAD plugin already. Too many tracks forced onto small tape size. FOCUSRITE SOLO TO UAD APOLLO TWIN X OMG 😨. If you produce DNB Harmor is a must and it is easily worth $100. Ive asked de UA Support Bot. Tape emulation plugin from UAD, free til April 30th. With Black Friday coming I thought of buying UAD mixing plugins. I like it better than most real hardware SSL comps I have used. It's not worth $129. 1. Most of the time they're much cheaper. Worth scooping if you don't have a real tape deck. EDIT: Oh, and ask the seller if the units come with any additional plugins. Never really used another interface unless i was at a studio or something so i just stuck with it. But now UAD has been releasing a lot of these plugins as standalone native versions, not requiring the interface. When it comes to software, they have new versions which sound better but the old plug-ins sound great still. Stuff like eqs I think plugins do a good enough job. I have all UAD plugins on my Apollo quad , what are they worth? When you download the UAD software it will install all plugins whether you own the licenses or not so that you you can trial them. Using Apollo Twin X/Ableton on a MacBook Pro 2019, I am unable to load as many plugins as I could before the most recent UAD software update. fq su ff pp gj if ie ep sg ch