Is UAD worth it?

[Converted202]

I Had an UAD Apollo Twin with selected plugins

personally i didn't feel it was worth it - mine was a quad card but i was soon looking at extending to a satellite as well etc it was limited at 96k

it was becoming an expensive game -

So i'm not back with my RME card - I have a good selection of Protools / avid plugs - also slate digital and its more than enough - haven't missed UAD

[adam_w1]

I think it's worth it. If you pick up your plugins on sale you can get some gems ( Ocean Way, Space Echo, Cooper TC, etc) and unison is a great technology for tracking - have had great results from it. Just not enough mic inputs on interfaces and a bit spendy. Also with Luna arriving, I think UAD is going to become a little bit more "worth it" if it delivers.

[TNM]

It's definitely worth it if you get enough DSP, as it is wonderful to use at mixdown and not impact your CPU, whilst actually using some beautiful effects. So yay for satellites. They should absolutely make a 16 or even a 32 chip though, those sharcs are uber cheap.

The thing that is NOT worth it (in MY opinion, don't shoot) is Apollo. Especially not for PT users and they are super scungy on inputs too. There's a variety of reasons but I strongly don't recommend them as all the really good UA effects you want to monitor with add latency, over a millisecond EACH (some like fender over 2 ms).. so a chain of 4 plus unison plus the base latency with no effects.. you are left using the MK1 stuff which are outdated emulations even by native standards these days, if you want to keep a very tight round trip latency similar to HDX.

[Carl Lie]

I own an Octo card and barely use it. The chips they are using are old as well (like HDx) and I'd bet all could run on a modern computer without DSP if coded to do so.

Thats why they feel they need a DAW to entice folks in. I could see new buyers perhaps wanting that but if already using PT it makes less sense to me.

Having said that I do like some of their models and if I used their audio interfaces I would probably want a few. Their Chandler Zener comp model is pretty good.

C

[JFreak]

Originally Posted by Carl Lie

Having said that I do like some of their models and if I used their audio interfaces I would probably want a few. Their Chandler Zener comp model is pretty good.

I remember this feeling from MIX era (over 20 years ago) when you could run Lexicon reverbs and Drawmer compressors/gates on cards instead of rack hardware. That was cool.

But today, it is like 'meh' because for example Exponential Audio reverbs are much much better than any Lexicon +20 years ago and many plugin gates, Avid's for example, do not click on fast settings like the early plugins used to do. Drawmer's was exception to the rule and the reason it was so popular.

For many I know it has been back to basics for some years already. Fancy emulate this saturate that plugins are getting less use now.

[Carl Lie]

Originally Posted by JFreak

I remember this feeling from MIX era (over 20 years ago) when you could run Lexicon reverbs and Drawmer compressors/gates on cards instead of rack hardware. That was cool.

But today, it is like 'meh' because for example Exponential Audio reverbs are much much better than any Lexicon +20 years ago and many plugin gates, Avid's for example, do not click on fast settings like the early plugins used to do. Drawmer's was exception to the rule and the reason it was so popular.

For many I know it has been back to basics for some years already. Fancy emulate this saturate that plugins are getting less use now.

Funny you say that as I think most plugin coders have finally figured how to code harmonic distortion well over the past 6-12 months. Since I own a Zener however Im not apt purchase the plug.

I saw someone mention Acustica a few posts back so I tried their Pultec EQ. One instance brought my computer to its knees. Sounded good though.

How long will the emulation coding last I have no idea. Some folks are thinking outside of the box whch is good to see.

C

[amagras]

Originally Posted by Carl Lie

Funny you say that as I think most plugin coders have finally figured how to code harmonic distortion well over the past 6-12 months. Since I own a Zener however Im not apt purchase the plug.



I saw someone mention Acustica a few posts back so I tried their Pultec EQ. One instance brought my computer to its knees. Sounded good though.



How long will the emulation coding last I have no idea. Some folks are thinking outside of the box whch is good to see.



C

You might be both right. It's not that harmonic distortion was bad a couple of years ago, it was practically absent, the old Waves SSL emulation can't breakup no matter how much you push the signal, early UAD emulations had no color. Finally someone realized that distortion is also cool and now its all distortion. There seem to be a new surge on algorimic reverbs though.

[joeydego]

Is the hardware worth it? Yes. Are the plugins worth it? A little pricey but you can get in on sales and it becomes reasonable.

Is it worth getting involved with a company as a customer that punishes loyalty, has the shadiest marketing and sales in the industry and abysmal “service”?

run. I’d just as soon recommend behringer over UA.

[ArKay99]

Originally Posted by TNM

My apollo RTL through console is routinely at 8+ms, so, way too high.. just by putting a couple of comps and an EQ.

How do you measure RTL? Just curious as I'd like to also. Studio One actually has a pinger in their hardware efx plug in, but nothing like that in PT and it wouldn't work for test I/O anyway.

[ArKay99]

Originally Posted by joeydego

Is the hardware worth it? Yes. Are the plugins worth it? A little pricey but you can get in on sales and it becomes reasonable.

Is it worth getting involved with a company as a customer that punishes loyalty, has the shadiest marketing and sales in the industry and abysmal “service”?

run. I’d just as soon recommend behringer over UA.

I've had the exact opposite experience, and PT screwed us all over with the move to subscription...etc...not going there, been beat to death. Bottom line, I use their stuff, it works for me, and I'm productive with it. I also have a ton of AAX plugs too, so I'm not married to any one company in particular.