Carbon plugins - what companies work?

[BusyBoxSt7]

I'm guessing this has been documented elsewhere but I don't see it in the FAQ. My understanding is limited currently on this.


1) Will ANY aax plugins work for low latency tracking? (I'm assuming low latency tracking works similar to UAD and must happen on the DSP in the carbon unit, and secondly I think I'm gathering that only "aax dsp" coded plugs will work for this.

2) If the latter part is true that only "aax dsp" plugins work for this, what companies work? Or is there a list somewhere of plugins that work? If it's basically the Avid ones plus bombfactory type stuff and just a small handful of others, it really wouldn't begin to compete with UA's library. If the best LA2A we've got was designed, like their current website, back in 2000, that's not exactly competitive.

[LDS]

There is a reasonably up-to-day list here - https://www.dropbox.com/s/7h6tdr9ova..._DSP.xlsx?dl=0

Low latency DSP monitoring requires AAX-DSP plugins.

[BusyBoxSt7]

Hmmmm, there's a few good things in there, and a lot of utility stuff, but it's pretty skimpy on the main stays like really good compression and EQ options (not great variety of comps/EQs/tape emulation, etc). It's good that Slate and Avid are trying to compete w/ Apollo, if for nothing other than keeping UA further ahead for now or maybe eventually lowering price (though they're still headed up). I don't really see Carbon catching up anytime soon, for music at least.

2 more HP outs, 8 more adats (at 48K), but can't use a 2nd (or 3rd, 4th, etc) unit and trading those little gains for a $4000 box that doesn't have plugs in the same league really. Plus the subscription issues, plus dealing with Avid who don't answer their phone unless you pay them more... I mean, you could almost swing an x8P and an outdated 8 or 8P for not much more if you shop hard. Then you have the 4 HP channels, 16 ADAT (even at 96K) + the ability to expand.... Not to mention better converters at least based on some measurements (probably doesn't matter severely but ....).

Oh, and you get a free DAW ("perpetually"), that even if not fully featured yet is at least a lot of fun just to try something pretty different. Avid's still trying to charge just for Pro Tools largely (and is doing so successfully). If Luna gets as complex as Pro Tools, it might pose a threat eventually because the rest of that ecosystem has been more focused on sound quality so far, which Avid has all but ignored plugs wise.

[LDS]

No doubt the first thing that pops into the head of every listener is "thank goodness they used a UAD SSL channel strip".

[LukeHoward]

It's an interesting competitive landscape. Competition is good!

I think the value proposition with Carbon is that the DSP plugins are for tracking rather than mixing, and of course there are a wide selection of plugins (for all DAWs) for mixing. Of course, it's less likely you're going to buy a Carbon and a UAD-2 Satellite just to get the UAD plugins, compared to an Apollo.

I'm looking forward to the hybrid engine being available on HDX.

[DetroitT]

“I'm looking forward to the hybrid engine being available on HDX.”
+1

IF FIRMWARE for HDX? Will it be reversible? - $option for new, included Free with Avid WUP?

[LukeHoward]

Originally Posted by DetroitT

“I'm looking forward to the hybrid engine being available on HDX.”
+1

IF FIRMWARE for HDX? Will it be reversible? - $option for new, included Free with Avid WUP?

I don't think anyone outside Avid knows the answer to this.

HDX firmware can be reset using the instructions here.

[BusyBoxSt7]

Originally Posted by LDS

No doubt the first thing that pops into the head of every listener is "thank goodness they used a UAD SSL channel strip".

So I guess you record in 16 bit because no listener ever expressed gratitude for 24 bit conversion? And I guess Yamaha HS8s the same as NS10s. I mean, they do look similar and the company selling them tells me they’re based on the originals.

According to price, both Avid and the market know their in-house plugs [aren’t desirable - I’ll be gentle]. One company charges less than $1 per plugin - that’s $50 to get the whole catalog, the other can charge ~$50/plug or $5200 (and that’s on steepest sale. People regularly spend $100 to even $300 per plug). Or how many times have any of us heard, “I’m thinking about buying some plugs on Avid’s website...” from anyone? Bueller? Bueller?

[LDS]

Originally Posted by BusyBoxSt7

So I guess you record in 16 bit because no listener ever expressed gratitude for 24 bit conversion? And I guess Yamaha HS8s the same as NS10s. I mean, they do look similar and the company selling them tells me they’re based on the originals.

According to price, both Avid and the market know their in-house plugs [aren’t desirable - I’ll be gentle]. One company charges less than $1 per plugin - that’s $50 to get the whole catalog, the other can charge ~$50/plug or $5200 (and that’s on steepest sale. People regularly spend $100 to even $300 per plug). Or how many times have any of us heard, “I’m thinking about buying some plugs on Avid’s website...” from anyone? Bueller? Bueller?

The majority of Avid plugins come free to the majority of Pro Tools users. The Avid channel strip, for example, is a direct port from a Euphonix System 5. Great sounding plugin. Great sounding desk! A million bucks worth so I'm lead to believe, found over the years in places like the recording studio in Sydney Opera House.

I don't really think I should feel like a plugin sounds bad just because it was free. Nor do I think UAD's emulation of a piece of hardware created by someone like Dave Derr has some kind of inherent advantage over a plugin directly created by Dave Derr himself. Sure, it might not have a GUI that resembles some piece of analogue hardware from yesteryear... but that is ultimately irrelevant isn't it? A huge chunk of that list of AAX-DSP plugins is the direct result of some of the greatest audio minds of our time. They are all plugins at the end of the day. Judging by the ears is all that matters... not the price tag, or the queue at the door, or how it looks, or how much a company tells us that plugin X accurately reflects hardware Y.

[K Roche]

Originally Posted by BusyBoxSt7

According to price, both Avid and the market know their in-house plugs [aren’t desirable - I’ll be gentle].

No actually you'll be totally subjective only.
Starting a thread so you bitch about Avid plugin's is an interesting ploy, If you think UAD is such a superior product, posting here doesn't make much logical sense, does it ?