UAD-1 and VST to RTAS wrapper

[gravityspull]

Hi,

I've been running a PC with Windows XP and a Digi 002 for about a year now. For a while I've been wondering if there was a way to increase my system's processing power without actually buying a new PC. Being relatively new to computer based recording I was intrigued when I found about the possibility of 3rd party DSP PCI cards such as Universal Audio and TC powercore, and disappointed when it seemed that these card processors would only deal with VST, AU, etc. and not RTAS.

I've noticed recently, though, that Universal Audio are advertising their UAD-1 card packs as RTAS included processing units, through a version of the Fxpansion VST RTAS wrapper, and I was wondering if anybody else was using this setup? Or even not this setup in paticular, but using the wrapper as a way to process there RTAS plugins as VST ones through the use of some other DSP card or unit?

Don't get me wrong, my computer's processor (details below) is not of the highest specs and I still intend to upgrade my PC first and foremost, I'm just interested to know has anyone mixed and match their processing like this with good or bad results?

Thanks in advance, and forgive me if what I've said is a bit jumbled....still a bit new to this game!

Ritch Spence, London, UK

P4 1.8ghz
768mb RAM
Maxtor 80gb firewire
WD 80 gb USB 2.0
PT 6.4
Windows XP

[Chris Cavell]

The DSP cards you mentioned only operate with very specific vst plugins. For example, the UAD-1 card only runs Universal Audio's VST plugins.

In order to get these plugins to work with pro tools, you need to use the VST2RTAS wrapper. It translates VST plugins into RTAS plugins. (I know of no such thing that will translate RTAS plugins to VST plugins.)

On top of that, these DSP cards create a rather large amount of latency. In many cases, the latency is so great that it makes the plugins running on the cards unusable.

[gravityspull]

Thanks for your reply Chris.

Yes, my mistake, I did mean changing VST plugins into RTAS ones for Pro Tools use. From what I'd read about the UAD-1 cards, I assumed that they process their own bundled VST plugins and any other VST plugins on the system.

If this is not the case then it satasfies my queries well: If they'll only run their own native plugins and do have a very large latency problem, then I'm definately best off holding out for a new PC...ok, off to check out the best desktops for LE threads!

thanks

[bean438]

The DSP cards you mentioned only operate with very specific vst plugins. For example, the UAD-1 card only runs Universal Audio's VST plugins.

In order to get these plugins to work with pro tools, you need to use the VST2RTAS wrapper. It translates VST plugins into RTAS plugins. (I know of no such thing that will translate RTAS plugins to VST plugins.)

On top of that, these DSP cards create a rather large amount of latency. In many cases, the latency is so great that it makes the plugins running on the cards unusable.

Is the high latency a result of the vst/rtas wrapper, or is it because PT does not have PDC yet?
There are lots of people using these cards as VST plug ins. I have yet to come across a post about high latency rendering the cards useless when used in VST format.

[Chris Cavell]

Then perhaps you should read a bit more often. The delay isn't due to a lack of PDC and isn't the result of the wrapper, it's a property of the card being used with the specific plugins.

PDC might make it more usable for PT when mixing, and it may not...it all depends on how the PDC is implimented.

[Shan]

Then perhaps you should read a bit more often. The delay isn't due to a lack of PDC and isn't the result of the wrapper, it's a property of the card being used with the specific plugins.

PDC might make it more usable for PT when mixing, and it may not...it all depends on how the PDC is implimented.

PDC with the UAD-1 works great with Pro Tools HD. Here is a how to guide.

There are a few HD guys using more than one UAD-1 card. After all, an Accel card is $4000. The maximum number of UA 1176 instances you can use on an Accel card is 9. On a UAD-1 it is 8 instances. I have to scratch my head over that one.

My main concern, if we ever get PDC for LE, is that we might get some type of crippled 'LE' version that would be useless with UAD-1 and Powercore cards. They can cripple it buy limiting the maximum PDC time to something like 1000 samples or another figure that would make it useless.

But, there are a few workarounds to make the UAD and PoCo cards very useable in PT LE at the moment.

Shane

[Sterling D'Lux]

But, there are a few workarounds to make the UAD and PoCo cards very useable in PT LE at the moment.

Shane

[/QUOTE]

Hey Shane, can you please shed some light on these 'workarounds' you mentioned with respect to making the UAD1 AND Powercore cards very usable under PT LE.

I am seriously considering acquiring a couple of UAD1 cards myself to run with PT LE 6.7 on an Athlon 2700 Windows XP. To date, I am yet to find a definitive result as to just how severe the latency is when using the FX via this card and what any proven workarounds are (other than nudging regions, of course).

Also, I was not aware that Powercore could be pressed into service within PT LE. Can you definately confirm this????

Cheers in advance.

[SaxMan2150]

http://www.uaudio.com/products/software/RTAS/FAQ.html
This link talks a little about latency & PDC.
the UAD-1 card comes with a delay compensation plugin for audio & a track advance plug for midi.
For audio you put a delay plugin on any track w/o a UAD plug & everything lines up ( Simply put of course). You can always download the UAD-1 manual
& make your decision based on what you read in it.
I've got the project pack & added the pultec-pro, & the fairchild. Really nice sounds. I use them mostly on the master fader to minimize the delay issue.

[Shan]

The new PoCo card is now officialy supported by TC. I made a post a few days or so. You can check the TC website. I'll have to get back to this on the workarounds.

Shane

[Joz]

It's very easy to use the UAD-1 card during mixing, I do it all the time, and actually have 2 UAD-1 cards. Just use the delay compensator plug-in. But during tracking they are useless. But I didn't buy it for tracking.

Joz