UAD plugins in 2021?

I work in software (not in audio unfortunately) but with the amount of hacking that goes on I fully respect UADs decision to lock their software in with some third party security. Especially with all the resources they are putting to the LUNAverse (see what I did there? :-) ) which is free but requiring the use of their products.

Imagine that all you had to do was have an Apollo connected … someone could create a cracked version of LUNA that just skipped that check.

On the audio software 3rd party license validation market, iLok is a major player so it makes sense they would choose them.
I have not had many issues at all with iLok except for Logic at startup asking me to activate old trial/demos … a real pain.

Be very hard pressed not to buy Precision K now that it’s on sale: part of UA’s secret Sauce. It doesn’t get a lot of attention, which surprises me: even the default will expand your mixes soundstage: subtlety, but apparently in a good way.

Always seem to prefer something like the Manley Vari Mu in M/S

So does other methods, if someone has cracked AES256 encryption / lic gen / RSA key models etc. that are used in regulated secure industries we've got bigger issues than pro audio IP. I'm a developer and very much understand Ilok isn't necessary, although from a speculative side I'm sure there's some reason for it (cost, time, skillsets etc.?).. Anyway, after the debacle I had with Avid / Ilok stopping me from working for a month or so, the cloud version randomly skipping out and having a lot of issues when changing out a machine I'll probably give it a skip.

Appreciate the reply Drew.
 

I'm debating what to get during Plug-in Month here.

Probably gonna get Sonnox Restore and Oxford Reverb.

Now I'm looking at UAD.

I own Capitol Chambers, Ocean Way, 1176, DFC, Helios, 610B, AMS RMX, 102, Avalon, 2500, Distressor, 224, 480, Voxbox, 175/176, then the stuff that came with.

Looking at: Massive Passive, Manley Vari-Mu, Softube Vocoder, AMS Delay, Cedar, Studer, SSL G Bus, BX20

I still use most all my UAD stuff at some point or other.

Cost-wise, it'd make the most sense just to get the Cedar and AMS. But I haven't had much time to see if I really have a need.

Acustica will have a sale coming up, so I have to ask whether I'd want a Massive Passive or something like Magenta, Pensado Eq2, or Scarlett when I have Azure, Purple3, and Erin.

I've got the new V2 Duende SSL Bus Comp, so I may be covered there.

If there were some $25 coupons, I could just grab something cheap. Seems silly to waste a Custom Bundle spot on something like BX20 or Cooper Time Cube.

In comparing the UAD Massive Passive with Azure2, SPL Passeq, and Claro, it's still unique even with me having had minimal time to learn it. Last time I tried Magenta, I preferred Scarlett. But I preferred Erin and Purple to either of those two. Pensado Eq2 looks exciting though.

But I also know plug-ins have learning curves and can be useful years after I've last touched them due to the fact that I learn more as time goes on. Or maybe someone on a forum brings up some information as to how to make best use of something and then I start using it again. So I often approach buying plug-ins with the mindset of "Is this a quality product that will be useful at some point?".

I'm sure there's an Overloud sale coming up too.

There's a lot of releases these companies are holding back on too, I bet. Seems like with covid we don't get anywhere near as many releases as we used to.

A lot of UAD stuff does not have native equivalents for how I use them. Though I haven't tried IK Sunset reverb or that Acustica Silver or whatever it's called to see if they work like Ocean Way. Probably not.

Relab 480 is not as good or versatile as UAD's, I've tried to find a native equivalent of the 480 Effects algorithm. I don't see another 224 or RMX out there. Capitol Chambers stands alone. Really, everything I've got from UAD has a unique purpose.

Precision Channel Strip and Delay are very underrated.

I know there's going to be some other UAD coupons popping up according to their social media.

I'll have to try using the UAD Studer in place of Satin or Tapedesk on tracks. Last time I thought it could be better at times.

Any suggestions are appreciated.

Pulsar is having a sale. I like the Echorec a lot, I think it's $29 right now.

EDIT: whoops, wrong thread.

Not sure which UAD to recommend, but I will say Sunset Sound Studio Reverb from IK is definitely "up there" with similar products, I love it.

Still liking the Ocean Way Reverb? When I first heard it I was like "wow sounds like a record". I'd be tempted to get into UAD just for this one, and maybe Capitol Chambers. Do they have equivalents, maybe in Acustica land?

I've not tried Sunset or Acustica's Silver. I'd be highly surprised if they were Ocean Way equivalents.

Having UAD stuff gives you something that says you're at least willing to make a serious investment and that you're not a fly-by-night hack.

Plus, UAD's marketing could be helpful in enticing clients.

I've used UAD plugins for a couple of months now and can state that the reverbs are absolutely great and I now feel stupid for lacking the foresight to see I might be impressed by them.

Since this post I got Studer, Fairchild, AMS Delay, SSL Bus, Neve Dynamics, API Vision, Massive Passive, and I think that’s everything. I kept this mix or maybe you could even call it a master I did about four years ago where I recorded vocals to mix with the Peace Sells Rock Band tracks. It was the one thing I did then that sounded very good on headphones and speakers. So, I reopened the session and saw what I used.

Ocean Way was a big part of the vocal sound. Leaving it in remic mode. I had stopped using it a lot sometime after. The Aurora N monitoring with K701 headphones is much easier to work with than K701 in an ID14. Since then I also replaced PA SSL E with Oxford Eq on tracks and auxes. Four years ago I was using Satin with the 102 preset on a pre-master aux and then Punish, DFC, and DS-1 on the master fader.

What I did now was replace the Oxford Eq with API Vision or UAD SSL E on busses. That was instantly a big jump out of sterile land. Put Ocean Way back instead of Capitol Chambers. Used Hitsville, 224, 480, or BX20 for main reverbs. Put the UAD 2A on the vocal busses. I’ve largely kept Molot GE in insane mode on vocal tracks or put the UAD blue 1176 back like I did four years ago.

I don’t do a lot of pre-master aux or master fader processing. The Hitsville Mastering Eq can do a ton of work though if you set it right. Four years ago I was also working at 96k with Phoenix on all tracks instead of Satin. All vocals had Dopamine after Phoenix. Nowadays I put Satin and Dopamine on any tracks that don’t have a lot of analog sound to them.

Still waiting on MCDSP to restore my NR800 license, as I used that on some busses and it definitely had a real positive impact on the sound. But, if I set it correctly back then, it was more luck than anything.

With the right combinations on the busses, other plugins will sound a lot better. Phoenix didn’t sound like a downgrade from Satin, for example. The UAD SSL definitely has more of a real hardware sound than the PA though, using Fusion as a reference for what a piece of hardware should have. Same with the LA2A. The PA SSL E just sounds kinda sterile and dull by comparison. Like a lot of plugins do.

Right now I’m trying to come up with 6 and am deciding on two between Harrison Eq, Culture, 1073, SSL E, the Cedars, Autotune RT Advanced, 1084, Pultec, and Vari Mu. I’ve already basically decided to get the two Hitsville, BX20, and LA2A.

The BX20 is still really good and unique. It has a wetter sound than the Chambers and will give the vocals more of a sense of being in an open space. Hitsville is definitely better than Capitol when I’ve replaced an instance of CC with it.

Love the UAD-X, I have the majority of those released on that platform. Allows me to do more with the DSP.

I stopped buying UAD. I have quite a few of their plugs and think they are great. There are a few more aid like to have, but Cut myself off from them because of their resell policy. Same with PA. They didn’t explicitly say it, but the way they restructured makes their plugs worthless on the second hand market.

I think UAD has great software though. And so do a lot of other companies these days.

That Ultimate 11 package on sale right now is looking very compelling. Loads of plugs in that bundle. I’ve been trialing the spark stuff and they’ve been great. Wondering how much more will be added to spark. But I do have an octo card that is under utilized. I bought it years ago when the EMT 140 was released. I was comparing the API 2500 in both spark and dsp against my hardware and man it sounds identical to the point where I was like f*ck it I should just sell the hardware. Haven’t said that about any of my other hardware comps.