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  #11  
Old 02-01-2018, 08:06 AM
Thomas Demman Thomas Demman is offline
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Default Re: Is UAD worth it?

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Originally Posted by Tobias Eichelberg View Post
I own quite a bunch of UAD-Plugins and I'm using an Octo PCIe card alongside my HDX 2.

In essence I agree with Stephen Bond, although I think the audio quality of some of their plug-ins justifies putting up with the DSP nonsense, when you want to buy in, wait for Black Friday or any of the 50% off offers.

I'd add one more significant downside to using them though - the latency means I can't use UAD plug-ins before bouncing stuff into Melodyne and offline bounces will be speed limited to 2,5x instead of 10x-16x depending on your CPU. This is a really bugging me. I'm using a lot of the Plugin-Alliance stuff instead, they have a few top notch processors that are even AAX DSP.
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  #12  
Old 02-01-2018, 08:16 AM
appledude appledude is offline
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Default Re: Is UAD worth it?

T-bone, good to see you on the DUC.

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  #13  
Old 02-01-2018, 12:25 PM
noiseboyuk noiseboyuk is offline
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Default Re: Is UAD worth it?

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Originally Posted by Tobias Eichelberg View Post
I'd add one more significant downside to using them though - the latency means I can't use UAD plug-ins before bouncing stuff into Melodyne and offline bounces will be speed limited to 2,5x instead of 10x-16x depending on your CPU.
I'm just joining the UAD party, for compatibility reasons with a colleague (need to use the same plugs on shared projects) so I'm brand new to it all. The above is a bit concerning - do all UAD plugins massively slow all offline bounces? Hoping at least its only the case if the plugs are actually used in the bounce, not just in the session.
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  #14  
Old 02-01-2018, 12:48 PM
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Default Re: Is UAD worth it?

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Originally Posted by albee1952 View Post
I have a slightly different view, but to Stephen's #3. the dongle??? What dongle? The UAD hardware is the dongle

Okay, my 2 cents(and please take it that way). The plugins sound great, and in some cases, are probably the best sounding, BUT(this is where it goes a bit off the rails) what are your needs? If you want to track with UA plugins, then get an Apollo interface and go for it. Or, if you don't do tracking(and don't care about latency), then use UA plugins all you like(because they do sound great). If however, you wish to track with the plugins, but don't want to use Apollo, you're SOL because every single UA plugin reports over 1100 samples of latency, which makes it impossible to track with, on any other interface. I run a UA Quad card in my HDN rig, and find myself not getting my money's worth, and if I had it to do all over again, I would have either gone with Apollo interfaces(at the time, Thunderbolt on PC wasn't possible), or I would have skipped UA completely. As great as the plugins are, I can mix just fine with other brands

Great Advice, since I have been thinking of doing this for a while now. I am pretty happy with what I am running now, but will wait and see how the UAD stuff in the future all shakes out. I feel like there might be a shift to some better options for people like us. I do think there stuff is really good though. I use a lot of Brainworks and Waves stuff, but mostly I just have a great room of recording and mixing which is key. G
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  #15  
Old 02-22-2018, 07:26 PM
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abc1mce2 abc1mce2 is offline
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Default Re: Is UAD worth it?

Quote:
Originally Posted by noiseboyuk View Post
I'm just joining the UAD party, for compatibility reasons with a colleague (need to use the same plugs on shared projects) so I'm brand new to it all. The above is a bit concerning - do all UAD plugins massively slow all offline bounces? Hoping at least its only the case if the plugs are actually used in the bounce, not just in the session.
I had the issue of only being able to bounce at 1.6 - 2.5x real time speed as we. I was testing a mix using bounce (I usually print the mix in real time from my mix bus that feeds a print track and the print feeds a master fader) and for some reason the bounce was slow and the busses that feed the mix bus were not in sync. I was bouncing from the mix bus print output. When I switched the bounce source to my master fader output (Main Out) the bounce was done in seconds and everything was in sync. Also I have not tried to bounce or commit individual tracks with or without UA plugins on them...just an entire song.
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  #16  
Old 02-22-2018, 08:28 PM
TNM TNM is offline
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Default Re: Is UAD worth it?

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Originally Posted by noah330 View Post
Right now UA is running a special where you can get API, SSL and Neve plugins free with purchase.

I already have Studio Classics from Waves, but I was an early adopter of the UAD-1 and still have a couple licenses from when Mackie owned the company (I logged into my account and they're still there).

I really loved the precision mastering compressor and would love to check out the Studer A800 plug, but my question is it worth it to do so when I already have the Waves versions?

Anyone compare both?

Thoughts?
UAD ssl actually *sounds* like SSL. Waves is a very poor approximation.. I have actually done tests against hardware, WITH one of the most respected plugin devs out there who's name of course i won't reveal as they asked me not to two years ago when we did it., and we discovered the waves wasn't even close. Some people like them for what they are.. the channel strip is awful especially the compressor and gate, EQ is ok no issues there, and the bus comp is not a patch on the latest UAD one.

As for whether UAD is still worth it these days.. yes.. if you want something that's NOT nebula and doesn't use your native CPU, that DOES sound like the hardware it emulates, 90% of UAD plugins are 95% there and sound great.

Trust me i wouldn't continue to buy plugins for the platform if i thought it was bad, and i doubt UAD would keep investing in it if the users weren't happy.. Even if i sell my apollos, i will keep 2 octo satellites and might even get a third, just to have access to a good amount of the plugins to mix with :) And i'll never stop buying UAD plugins.

What particularly did you want it for besides SSL?
I can make some recommendations also depending on the music you do.

Cheers
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  #17  
Old 02-22-2018, 09:08 PM
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Sam C Sam C is offline
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Default Re: Is UAD worth it?

I think UA plug ins are well worth it...in my case because I use the Apollo 8 for an audio interface. I have purchased quite a few plugs at an average of about $90 each. So they are not expensive compared to most.

I can sell the plugs with the hardware so for me that makes sense cause if I was bailing on the plugs I would be bailing on the interface.

To my ears they are the best sounding plugs and I think I own and/or have tried almost all options.

The interaction between the hardware and software in Unison is really better than anything out there...actually it is the only thing like this available and it really sounds good.

Yep, I think they are worth it.
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  #18  
Old 02-22-2018, 09:16 PM
amagras amagras is offline
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Default Re: Is UAD worth it?

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Originally Posted by TNM View Post
UAD ssl actually *sounds* like SSL. Waves is a very poor approximation.. I have actually done tests against hardware, WITH one of the most respected plugin devs out there who's name of course i won't reveal as they asked me not to two years ago when we did it., and we discovered the waves wasn't even close.
Sounds like you got yourselves a hardware with a different calibration, Waves might not be some people's favourite dev but they are extremely good and definitely better that what you describe. One explanation could be that they often model hardware that is not in stock condition, has been purposely modified or simply taken off the shelves of a famous studio where it has been serving for years aging and becoming part of the sound of the facility.
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  #19  
Old 02-22-2018, 10:24 PM
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YYR123 YYR123 is offline
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Default Is UAD worth it?

The most recent SSL Channel Strip is literally amazing sounding.

I have always disliked the SSL EQ...everyone’s

UAD’s prior offering
Waves’s
Even the Duende SSL’s own Strip (i have it for sale BTW)

But this new one from UAD is awesome and I’m not even using unison - I’m just using it as an insert in a mix
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Last edited by YYR123; 02-23-2018 at 03:14 AM.
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  #20  
Old 02-23-2018, 01:04 AM
TNM TNM is offline
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Default Re: Is UAD worth it?

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Originally Posted by YYR123 View Post
The most recent SSL Channel Strip is literally amazing sounding.

I have always disliked the SSL EQ...everyone’s

UAD’s prior offering
Waves’s
Even the Duende SSL’s own Strip

But this new one from UAD is awesome and I’m not even using unison - I’m just using it as an insert in a mix
yes the new one is awesome. Duende nailed the eq and gate but i'm not sure about compressor.. Still i sort of disagree there as duende is so light on cpu and very usable as a large traxk count channel strip...
the latest uad definitely the best.

I know some people just want to believe anything waves is great (see above) but their ssl are very old and very poor emulations by today's standards. The bus compressor does NOT behave like an ssl compressor..likewise the terrible chattery channel gate.. Just like their CLA are nothing like an 1176 and LA2A. Waves compressors are their weak spot in their entire line up. There's only 3 out of all their products that i think are usable for dynamics - DPR402, C6, Pie comp, and sort of the API 2500 (but uad has destroyed that also with their API 2500.. there's just no comparison).

Out of the native ssl bus comps i like the glue and the NI ones, but prefer the latest uad revision to both of them.
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