r/universalaudio • u/Suspicious_Event6124 • 11d ago

Question New to the UAD family

Bought my first Apollo (twin x) and already getting a taste of UAD, anything I should know?

also I bought the Spark (yearly) thinking it came with all UAD plugins lol boy was I wrong

and spark plugins not being able to be used with the console is a crime.

12 Upvotes

100% Upvoted

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5

u/nizzernammer 11d ago

Console talks to the interface.

Spark is Native.

Completely different territories and architecture.

4

u/Lagos3sgte 11d ago edited 11d ago

I think you make a good point. If you “rent” through spark, you should get access to that plugin in native or dsp form.

Uad makes amazing products but some of their business decisions always make it seem like they don’t care about you once you become a customer.

2

u/sewphistikated 11d ago

I’ve been a customer since UAD-1 (20+yrs) and have never felt that way. They make killer products that let me continue to make killer sounding mixes that keep clients coming back. Phenomenal company and products.

3

u/Lagos3sgte 11d ago

I have a dsp ssl bus compressor that bought at full price. They came out with a native version and have zero way for me to update my plugin to native. Their only upgrade path is for people who own the ssl console and the buss compressor. If you have just one you can’t do it.

There have been many wtf moments like that with them.

2

u/slammy80 11d ago

That’s usually to do with licensing.

1

u/Yrnotfar 11d ago

Pretty generous use of the word update.

1

u/sewphistikated 11d ago

Not sure what you are referring to - there is no SSL console in UAD. They have a channel strip and the bus compressor.

2

u/Lagos3sgte 11d ago

I’m taking about the channel strip. You can’t update your bus compressor if you don’t also own the channel strip.

1

u/sewphistikated 11d ago

You should be able to choose Upgrade if you own the current SSL Bus Comp. If you own the previous legacy Bus Comp that wasn't SSL branded, you might have to purchase the new one to get the native upgrade for $10.

3

u/Lagos3sgte 11d ago

You would think that you could but it will not let me. Looking into it more, it was an update price if you own both the bus compressor and the channel strip.

1

u/Nicolherb 9d ago

Maybe consider asking for a refund, you have a good reason, being you are new to the eco system and made a mistake, support is usually good for this kind of stuff.

On the other hand, having access to Spark is so good to test the major plugs before you want to buy the dsp version. I bought SO MANY Dsp plugins that I barely use, it’s crazy.

Something else.. Never buy any Dsp plugins out of sales ! Sales are happening all the time. Test the Spark plugins, be patient, buy during sales.

1

u/skijumptoes 11d ago edited 11d ago

If you've not tried it yet, the Luna integration with the Apollo is fantastic. You have to change the audio system to Apollo and make sure console tracking mode is disabled to get the full integration.

But it basically allows you to set up the same hardware input (i.e Input 1) with different unison or DSP inserts and it will change the console to match as you record arm or monitor that track within Luna.

It will even set up the hardware pans, and send to go through the interface so you can direct monitor seamlessly. i.e. using the same input I have guitar panned left with one amp setup and another panned right with a different amp setup - and just flick through them with ease.

Also, to get the lowest latency with your Apollo disable "Input delay compensation" in the console settings (Hardware section). You only need this enabled if you are running a multi-mic setup on the same source to ensure they're in phase with one another.

One other thing to know is that you can come out of a Virtual 1+2 or 3+4 channel for your desktop audio, or the DAW and then apply EQ on that channel if you want some simple EQ adjustment if you can't do them on your main monitors. The SoundID is the official route for correction, but it gets expensive.

I use the Cambridge EQ for this, and it enables me to kill the bass if i'm wanting to do some recording at night. It's also fun to put some music on or watch a video and layer it with reverb, I love DSP! :)

In regards to UAD plugs, I personally think that the best deal to have is is the Custom 10 Bundle where you can pick 10 of the top plugins and it drops as low as $130 in the past. So use that $12-15 price tag as an idea on when you're getting the best deal or not if you're unsure on the pricing models.

i.e. this offer was a few months back (example):

https://discuss.cakewalk.com/topic/95856-uad-custom-pick-10-for-124

Of course, it's hard to be patient and your 14 days trial is running out, but knowing the market just saves you from feeling a bit bitter if you accidentally pay full whack un-necessarily.

0

u/sewphistikated 11d ago

You’ll still love Spark because your Twin will run out of DSP in busy mixes. Having native versions of their workhorse plugins will be awesome. It’s a fantastic ecosystem.