Writing an article about a Universal Audio product is like taking a leap into the past, a journey that has the warm retro atmosphere of black and white as its destination. We are talking about an era dominated by dark colored plastic rims, supports of different sizes that loved to spin at different speeds. For lovers of “retired” straight wire technology, full of imperfections and disturbances, for romantic audiophiles instead, the first and undisputed home of the material that made the history of music. In those days there was no talk of sampling nor was it known what a midi implementation table was; experimentation, design innovations, transformers and valves had only one purpose: to transmit and make the emotions of music tangible.
UAD-1
The product in question (Fig.1) bears the name of this historic house, even if it would be fair to call it a rather distant relative, since it follows the needs of our era more than those of the 50s. Its hardware is no longer integrated on the historic consoles of the past, but on DAW systems. Certainly the latter do not have the charm of a period studio but seduce and allow themselves to be appreciated for a much simpler and more functional management of activities. Obviously the body of the UAD-1 it is no longer powered by a toroidal transformer, we cannot measure its pulse by means of an analog Vu meter, nor can we control the pressure of its arteries by means of an input voltage regulator; everything now works thanks to a very powerful piece of silicon MPACT2, capable of delivering a computing power of 125 MHz. Seems little? Wait, I haven't told you yet that MPACT2 is actually one GPU (Graphic Pprocessing Unit) for 3D video processing and which, unlike a normal DSP for audio processing, delivers much more power than it might seem judging by the numbers. In reality, the 125 MHz of this processor can easily be compared to the 1 GHz of a normal CPU for personal computers. Sophisticated algorithms fed to the processor and continuous updates, guarantee a "Restyling" structural giving an eternal youth to the machine. But how much did all of these changes affect the sound and warmth of the hardware? Can this card boast of being the great-grandson of such an important lineage? Or is it just a clouded blazon legacy of a glorious heritage now past?
Audio chain:
At first the test was carried out using a station MusicDaw2, a Pentium 4 - 3,4 Ghz with 2 Gb of ram with a firewire connection to a sound card RME Fireface 800; a test was then carried out on a distinctly "consumer" system: a MAC G4 with processor 876 mHz, 1 gig of ram, equipped with HD from 7.200 Rpm to 8 mega cache. Everything was monitored by a pair of speakers, the PMC model TB2SA; both Cubase SX3 and Logic were used as software and a Mackie Control Universal as external controller. Finally to compare the original version with the virtual one, I rented three hardware versions of Universal Audio for a few days: an LA-2A, a LA-3A and a pair of 1176s. Does it still make sense to install an accelerator card in our DAW? Wouldn't it be better to invest in the new dual core technology with 64-bit support? Considering that today it is even possible to put one or more computers on the network to alleviate the suffering of the processor, why should we rely on old generation DSPs? Our test board is the top model: it is the Studio Pak, in PCI format (Fig.2) made by Cambridge Audioworks; due to a policy adopted by the parent company, a firewire version is not yet planned. As previously mentioned, the card uses an MPACT2 processor, introduced in 1997 for Agp video decoding functions. Looking carefully at the UAD -1 you can still identify the welds of the integrated that supported the 3D functions (Fig.3). From the type of processor it can be easily understood that the card has an “old” 32-bit architecture, with the consequent design constraints of the time. In fact, the system cannot expand beyond 4 PCI cards. Mac and PC owners know well how unlikely it is to be able to have all 4 free slots, not to mention that this type of Bus is now dying out. How then to become an expert UAD collector? Don't worry, you can buy one "Expansion chassis" (recommended at 32 bit) to provide a complete implementation of the 4 cards. Taking a tour on the net I found some very professional cheap ones including magma (www.magma.com). Actually, more than an internal expansion, it is an external rack “chassis”, as big as a PC case. The rack, usually used for Protools, contains a card with various PCI “sockets”; think that this system, in addition to providing different formats, allows us to push up to the installation of 13 elements !!! Strangely, this card differs from its younger sisters only in the amount of plugs available and not in the number of processors mounted on it. Yes! You got it right, the cards are all the same, the difference lies only in the plugs; the discussion of strengths and weaknesses therefore ends up taking on a much broader dimension; in general I do not agree with the choice of the house related to a lack of hardware differentiation. In my opinion, among the plugs supplied with the "bundle" in question, the really noteworthy ones concern the replicas of vintage processors, the other plugs, while distinguishing themselves for their very low CPU use, do not realize that decisive difference for which it is valid worth buying the card if not as an aid for non-latest generation computers. For you CM2 readers I have chosen the ones that I believe are most worthy of mention, positive or negative.
Fairchild
Unfortunately I have never heard the original which is rumored to be a legend; I used for a period of time one of his hardware clones, the Fairman TMC (Fig. 4) which with its three large knobs (Gain, Threshold and Attack / Release) per channel and the 16 selected valves, characterizes in a way perhaps too much brutal the audio signal, both when used in the recording phase and in the mastering phase. Generally, for the master, I prefer a multiband compressor, however, being aware that in some cases a stereo compressor can bring significant improvements, especially if you work in genres such as hard rock, electronic, minimal techno, etc ... The compressor in question is really "tough", very very bad, and when you present opportunities for its use gives really great satisfaction. The sound is similar to that of the hardware version, but when pushed too hard it loses the sonic texture and transient response of the "hard" version. As an emulator I also used the Bomb Factory clone in TDM format. Unlike the Bomb Factory, Universal Audior brings to the front panel a control that was usually located on the rear panel of the machine: the DC Bias. This is a fundamental parameter to “calm” the despotic ratio of the compressor. Although precisely this check should concern the "Knee", in the end it translates into a useful tool to quell the aggression of our little animal. This is why compared to the Bomb Factory it is more versatile in its use (even if the scenarios are not many). The fundamentals are also present on the plugin panel "Switch" "lateral vertical" (Fig.5) which allows M / S decoding encoding for compressions aimed at the “side” or the “middle”".
LA-2A
Whoever compiled the algorithm of this program was smart: the program is written really well. The plug is very light and has become practically irreplaceable for my works. The emulation of the t4 optoelectric attenuator is perfect! Having the original (Fig 6) I warn of the differences compared to the software counterpart. It would be hysterical fanatic to argue the opposite, however, the differences are noticeable only when the signal is pushed to maximum speeds. There are different schools of thought on this; there are those who prefer a direct software competitor: the Waves L1. Honestly, I don't side with either of them, they are so different that it seems useless to compare them. Waves L1 is advisable when you don't want to intervene too much on the signal body, let's think for example of an ensemble of first and second violins (I am always convinced that these things the less you touch the better); LA-2A, on the other hand, is more suitable when it is necessary to give a slight color to the signal without bringing it to too high levels. Having also available the hardware version of the LA-2A and LA-3A I was able to make a raw comparison. Compared to the hardware LA-3A (the transistor version of the LA-2A) the plug reproduces a warmer and rounder signal, even if it absolutely fails to match the output rates of the tangible version. I think this plug is very suitable for acoustic guitars and vocals, be they male or female.
Plate 140
This is perhaps one of the few plugs that I am not satisfied with (Fig.7). The response is not what one expects from a plate, which in any case should heat the source. The reverberation occurs in a dignified, intelligible way with density of reflections, but the latent heat, in my opinion the plug is too “clinical”. Don't call me nostalgic but in this case I prefer to rekindle my old one PCM 70 Lexicon that despite being still 16-bit with a not too high dynamics, when I use it it gives me sensations and does not leave me indifferent like the Plate 140.
Pultec and Pultec pro
The 100 hz of this plug is something that must always be emphasized a little, it will be a fetishist concept but I can guarantee you that when pulled up they work really well, certainly more beautiful than URS. I have never used a real Pultec, I can only make a comparison with a Tubetech replica. Immediately there are differences in the quality of the "boosts" above 12 Khz, obviously these increase exponentially based on the amount of signal fed to the plug, the phenomenon covers a bit the whole spectrum. The thing that pleasantly surprised me is the musicality, difficult to find in a plugin that has the arduous task of “program equalizer” (Fig.8). I use it a lot on groups, especially percussive, or to emphasize in a pleasant way the scratchy voices. The equalizer produces a grain rich in harmonics especially in the mids; Obviously, all those sources that reside in the aforementioned forming area will benefit from it, think of voices, wind instruments, percussion, etc ... Of course it is an instrument to be used sparingly, abusing it could "shell out" and make the timbre of the source too artificial. If, on the other hand, your aim is to produce a creative sound, go too far.
1176
The character of the compression, the attack and release times are identical to the hardware version; the famous “hidden” mode has also been reproduced, which is obtained by pressing the four ratio buttons of the original. The plug (Fig.9) behaves in a truly amazing way, the differences with the hardware version are felt only by bringing the global level to extreme thresholds, it is only here that the cleaning of the signal begins to degrade, I think this is more than natural and that we cannot expect nothing better from any software product. On a single card it is possible to open up to seven stereo instances of the plug, if you prefer the original hardware you would have to shell out about 32.000 euros (7 stereo synchronizers included to get your hands on 14 of these trinkets all together !!!).
Cambridge EQ
The comparison with Sony Oxford it arises spontaneously. Cambridge (Fig.10) is a 5-band equalizer designed more for mastering than for single-track processing. It operates in a surgical way on the signal but not aseptic. I find that the final grain of the processing is very characterizing, vintage style and fits only when we are faced with a signal that is too weak and lacking a large amount of harmonics. In the case of signals that are already saturated or well harmonically balanced, I strongly advise against it, except if our final intent is not exactly that of slightly distorting the idea of the final master. The Cambridge EQ is still a good product even if from 16khz up I prefer the docility and detail given by Sony's processing. The incredible flexibility, the variety of filters, the undeniable processing quality and the minimum load on the DSP make this mastering equalizer a cornerstone of the UAD system.
RealverbPro
An important element of this bundle is the Realverb Pro (Fig.11); even if it does not shine for character and perhaps also for intelligibility in the mix, it has a great flexibility and ease of use. The load on the DSP is really low, an important ally to bring complex mixes to a conclusion avoiding very heavy host convolution reverberations. Most dignified
Precision Mastering EQ
With this plug I play at home, because from the graphic interface you can clearly see the mention to “Manley Massive Passive” (Fig.12) with which I am quite familiar. Before making complex and useless comparisons with the hardware, it is necessary to appreciate the fundamental value of this equalizer, that is a truly convincing dynamic response. Even if I understand that the internal structure is not designed with the bands in "parallel" as in the Massive Passive (the bands interact here), and although the shelving bands are limited to a boost cut of 8 db, the sense of " sound sculpture ”which is obtained, with a few movements of the potentiometers, is highly satisfactory. I find it great for leveling and redistributing balances in a mix. The load in dsp is quite onerous but the sound impact obtained amply repays the resources used.
Precision Mastering Limiter
The advantages of this peak limiter (which has Waves' famous L1 as its opponent) consist in the transparency and in the very low load of the dsp. It is possible to use it not only on groups but also on single strips already compressed and equalized (for what it consumes we can really allow us to squander). I repeat that transparency is the most important ally of this plug; you really need to exaggerate to feel the first signs of failure by the algorithm (Fig.13). I generally prefer to use the "Peak limiter" only in the recovery phase, for easy peak control, not in the mixing phase.
Roland bundle
(not included in Ultra Pack)
The bundle, usable for 15 days, prior"Download" free from the site, it consists of three glories of the past: the Space echo, the Stomp box ce-1 and the Dimension D.
Space Echo:
What can I say, I know the original and I know people who use tampering heads during playback to randomize playback. Obviously here this type of "open heart" manipulations are not allowed, but the sense of heat and the saturation of the signal during the feedback touches the miracle; the quality is to be applauded but the performance leaves something to be desired; the algorithm is very powerful but in my opinion it is susceptible to optimization, too heavy on the CPU, think that on a card it is possible to open only 2 of these monsters (Fig. 14).
Stomp boxes: chorus and tremolo
One word: divine, it has an impressive musicality and color; manages to transform the most gaunt of the emulators of electric hobs in a fantastic original. The phase correlation of this chorus is perfect and yet its presence on the panorama is very large. Tremolo is truly something fabulous (Fig.15).
Dimension D:
The sonic impact is not as sensational as one would expect, if you are not a little familiar with Roland's chorus you will be really blown away; the incredible quality of this plug is appreciated as soon as you put it in bypass, it really manages to change the cards on the table on vocals and guitars. I have never analyzed the phase correlation of the original Dimension D, but from listening to the plugin I judge it just sufficient, dangerous to use on a signal loaded with bass (Fig.16).
Conclusions:
The advantages of this system jump to the ears immediately; you immediately realize the programming quality of the software. The processed sound is characterized by a pleasant vintage flavor, so much so that sometimes during the mixing phase it is tempting to abuse it, it will be time to show us the right way of the dry / wet balance. Although the engine is 32-bit, it seems that the machine has found an elixir of life, in some scenarios it keeps up with its competitors, in many others it surpasses them brilliantly. The strong point of UAD has been precisely that of reproducing sounds that have been forgotten for too long by research, now increasingly engaged in the creation of processors that operate in a surgical and aseptic manner; it is true that digital perfection offers a genetically perfect product but it is also true that a product that is too “neutral” is not a good conductor of personality and emotions. I cannot refrain from quoting Ovid: "Video meriora proboque, deteriora sequor" (I see the best things and I approve them, but I follow the worst ones ...) In theory, the biggest flaw of this product is the poor expandability of the system which is limited to 4 cards for a single host; but thinking about it: “what do we need 6,7,8 cards?” Wouldn't it be better, once the maximum limit of 4 UAD-1 is reached, to combine our system with a good series of analogue outboards starting from a good pre? Let's not forget the good rules: if we don't supply a good headroom signal to the sound card, the processed signal will always have a low dynamic range and consequently a very small intervention threshold. These new systems are very interesting and allow, through a good machine-user interface, to work quickly and precisely, certainly we do not benefit from the sound of the original emulated system but it is also true that we spend a penny of the necessary capital !!! My advice remains to combine our UAD accelerator with a good sound card and a good midi controller (Fig.17), instead of using the usual mouse to manage plugs. Unfortunately, I see more and more colleagues who translate their work as a sound engineer into a cold analysis of what is happening on the computer monitor, almost as if he were afraid to rely on his own ears and taste.
I believe in the "reasoned" exploitation of innovations, we must jealously preserve what the past offers us and merge it wisely with the new possibilities offered by technology. Anyone who has had the pleasure of working with these hardware machines knows very well what it feels like to manipulate and sculpt sound in real time using simple potentiometers. We almost enter into symbiosis and the outboard becomes almost an extension of our limbs, materializing the sensations we want to express. Let's not forget that even the hand, knowledge and good taste determine the success of the final master. The ideal type of application for these Universal Audio plugs is certainly not mastering, a concept which, with a few rare exceptions, also applies to analog hardware. Since these are very distinctive instruments, they can be better used in the creative phase, not only for the generous timbre and for an easy control of the dynamic range, but also to give personality to an entire arrangement. I want to give you an example: a pair of 1176 set with a compression ratio 20: 1, a high compression, with Attack and release at your convenience can deliver on "Overhead" of the battery, also electronic, the typical effect Drum Squalsh; I'm talking about that unnatural crushing that produces huge tails and environments, almost as if the sticks ended up sinking into the instrument. I have heard many songs, even of world caliber, using this technique, usually it concerns the rhythm part only for 4 or 8 beats, and then returning the instrument to its "normal" sound. Let's not forget that the house provides beautiful presets both in mono and stereo mode, including the one in the example just made. I am pleased to see that these plugs complete some machines such as LA-2A thanks to the presence of a By-pass selector, very convenient for an immediate comparison. Not bad! The only genre for which I advise against the use of this type of sound is that of classical, baroque music, where adding harmonics to the sound is synonymous with devastation. Well, the card is there, the algorithms as well, we just have to squeeze the code of the "toy" to arouse the envy of musician friends, professionals and not.
Antonio Campeglia
Write an article about a product Universal Audio is like taking a step back in time, a journey that targets the hot retro atmosphere of the white and black. We speak of an era dominated by dark-colored plastic rims, bases of different sizes who loved to turn at different speeds. For lovers of "retired" sterling wire technology, full of imperfections and ailments, for audiophiles romantic instead, first and undisputed home of the material that made music history. In those days there was no talk of sampling nor knew what it was a table of MIDI implementation, experimentation, design innovation, transformers and valves, had only one purpose: to convey the emotions and make tangible music.
UAD-1
The product in question (Fig. 1) bears the name of this historic home, even though it would be fair to call a relative far enough, since that reflects more the needs of our times and those of 50 years. Its hardware is integrated console no longer on the historical past, but on a DAW systems. Surely they do not have the charm of a study period but seduce and be appreciated for much easier and more functional task management. Obviously the body of the UAD-1 is no longer powered by a toroidal transformer, we can not measure his heart through an analog VU meter, or control the pressure of his arteries with a voltage regulator input, everything now works thanks to a MPACT2 powerful piece of silicon, capable of providing a computing power of 125 MHz seems little? One moment, I have not yet said that MPACT2 is actually a GPU (Graphic Processing Unit) for 3D video processing and that, unlike a normal DSP for audio processing, delivers much more power than would seem judging by the numbers. In reality, the 125 MHz processor, this can easily be compared to a standard 1 GHz CPU for personal computers. Sophisticated algorithms, data fed to the processor and continuous updates, ensure a structural "facelift" giving eternal youth to the car. But how do all these changes affect the sound and heat of the hardware? This card can boast of being great-grandson of a race so important? Or is it just a clouded legacy of a glorious heritage blazon the past?
Audio chain:
At first The test was conducted using a MusicDaw2 station, a Pentium 4 – 3.4 GHz with 2 GB of RAM connected to a firewire audio card RME Fireface 800; later was made a test of a system distinctly "consumer" means a MAC G4 processor with 876 MHz, 1 gig of ram, accompanied by HD 7,200 rpm to 8 megs of cache. Everything was monitored by a pair of speakers, the PMC model TB2SA, how software is used both to Logic and Cubase SX3 as an external controller Mackie Control Universal. Finally to compare the original version with the virtual one, I rented for a few days three versions of the Universal Audio hardware: an LA-2A, an LA-3A and a pair of 1176. Still makes sense to install an accelerator card to our DAW? Wouldn't it be better to invest on the new dual core 64-bit support? Whereas today it is even possible to put one or more computers on the network to alleviate the suffering of the processor, why should we rely on old-generation DSP? The card test is the object of our top model: this is the Studio Pak PCI format (Fig. 2) made by Cambridge Audioworks, a policy adopted by the parent at the time has not yet provided a version of FireWire. As mentioned above the card uses a processor MPACT2, introduced in 1997 for AGP video decoding functions. Looking carefully the UAD -1 can still identify the welds on the ICs that support 3D functions (Fig.3). The type of processor you can easily guess that the card has an "old" 32-bit architecture, with the resulting design constraints of the time. The system cannot expand beyond the 4 PCI cards. Owners of Macs and PCs are well aware that it is unlikely to have all 4 open slots, not to mention that this type of bus is now extinct. How do then to become a skilled collector of UAD? Don't worry, you can buy an "expansion chassis (32-bit recommended) to provide a complete implementation of the 4 tabs. Walking around the network I found some very cheap professionals including magma (www.magma.com). Actually, more than an internal expansion, it is a "chassis" external rack, as big as the houses of a PC. The rack is usually used to Protools, contains a card with various "socket" PCI-think that this system not only require different formats, allows you to go to the installation of 13 elements! Strangely, this card differs from the younger sister only for the amount of plugs available and not number of processors installed on it. Yes! That's right, the cards are all the same, the difference lies only in the plugs and the discourse of strengths and weaknesses and then, ultimately assumes a much larger size, generally do not agree with the choice of the house on a failure to differentiate hardware. In my opinion, one of the plugs in support of the "bundle" in question, the truly remarkable about the replicas of vintage processors, the other plugs, but is distinguished by the very low CPU usage, do not realize the crucial difference which applies worth buying the card if not as an aid to computer latest generation. For you readers CM2 I chose what I believe are most deserving of mention, positive or negative.
Fairchild Unfortunately I have never heard the original of which is rumored as a legend, I have used it for a period of time a hardware clone, Fairman TMC (Fig. 4)
which, with its three large knobs (Gain, Threshold and Attack / Release) channel and the 16 selected valves, characterized in a way perhaps too brutal audio signal, whether used during registration in the mastering stage. Typically, for the master, I prefer a multi-band compressor, but being aware that in some cases, a stereo compressor can make significant improvements, especially if you work in genres like hard rock, electronic, minimal techno, etc … The compressor is really concerned "tough", very very bad, and when opportunities arise for its use by some really big satisfactions. The sound is similar to the hardware version, but when pushed too much sound and transient response version of "hard" is lost. As emulators I used the clone of Bomb Factory TDM format. Unlike the Bomb Factory, Universal Audio brings front panel control that usually found on the rear panel of the machine: the DCBias. This is a crucial parameter for the "calm" the despotic ratio of the compressor. Although precise this control should be the "knee" at the end translates into a useful tool to combat the aggression of our little beast.
That's because compared to the Bomb Factory it is more versatile in its use (even if the scenarios are not many). On the panel of the plugin also key "switch" "vertical side (Fig. 5) that enables the encoding decoding M / S compression targeting" side "or" middle ".
LA-2A:
Who completed the algorithm of this program was smart: the program is written really well. The plug is very light and has become virtually indispensable for my work. Emulation Attenuator opto t4 is perfect! Having at hand the original (Fig. 6) warn of the differences than the other party software. It would be hysterical fanatical support the contrary, differences are noted, however, only when the signal is driven at high revs.
There are different schools of thought on the matter; there are those who prefer a competitor's software: the Waves L1. I honestly don't stand for either of them, they are so different that it seems useless to compare them. Waves L1 is recommended if you do not want to intervene too much on the body of the signal, take for instance the case of an ensemble of first and second violins (I'm still convinced that these things unless you touch them the better), LA-2A instead, more appropriate where it is needed to give a slight color to the signal without bringing too high. Because you also have the hardware version of the LA-2A LA-3A and I was able to compare raw. Compared with the LA-3A hardware (the transistors' s LA-2A), reproduces a signal plug warmer and round, but totally fails to equate the release of version schemes tangible. I consider this plugin very suitable for acoustic guitars and voices, be they male or female.
Plate 140
This is perhaps one of the few plugins that I meet (Fig. 7). The answer is not what you would expect from a plate, which in any case should heat the source. Reverberation occurs in a dignified manner, intelligible density of reflections, but the heat lacks, in my opinion, the plug is too "clinical". Don't call me old fashioned but I prefer in this case turn on my old Lexicon PCM 70 which, although still 16-bits with a dynamic not too high, when the use of feelings, and I shall not leave me indifferent as Plate 140.
Pultec and Pultec Pro
The 100 Hz for this plug is one thing that must always be a little 'stress, it will be a concept but I can assure you that fetishists pulled up works really well, certainly more beautiful than URS. I have never used a Pultec true, I can only make a comparison with a replica of Tubetech. Immediately you feel differences in the quality of the "boost" at above 12 kHz, of course they increase exponentially based on the amount of signal data fed to the plug, the phenomenon covers a bit 'all over the spectrum. The thing that pleasantly surprised me is the musicality that is hard to find a plugin that has the arduous task of "program equalizer" (Fig. 8). I use it a lot about groups, especially percussive, or to emphasize the items in a pleasant scratching style. The equalizer produces a rich harmonic texture in particular, on average, a course will benefit all those sources that reside in the said forming area, we think of voices, wind instruments, percussion, etc … Of course it is a tool to be used sparingly, abuse could "shelling" and too artificial to the timbre of the source. But if your goal is to produce a creative sound, exaggerated as well.
1176
The character of the compression, timing of attack and release are identical to the hardware was also reproduced the famous "Covert" which is obtained by pressing the four buttons of the original ratio. The plug (Fig. 9) behaves quite amazing, the differences with the hardware version are limited to bringing the global thresholds extreme, it is only here that the cleanliness of the signal begins to degrade, I think this is only natural and that no one could expect anything better from any software product. On a single card you can open up to seven applications of the stereo plug, if you wanted to prefer the original hardware you should pay about 32,000 euros (7 synchronizers included stereo to get their hands on 14 of these trinkets together !!!).
Cambridge EQ
The comparison with the Sony Oxford arises spontaneously. The Cambridge (Fig.10) is a 5-band equalizer designed more for mastering the compilation of a single track. Operates in a surgery on the signal but not aseptic. I find that the grand final preparation is very distinctive, vintage style and fits only when we find ourselves before a signal is too weak and lacks a large amount of harmonics. In the case of signals already saturated or very harmoniously balanced it is strongly discouraged, unless the final is not really our intent to distort slightly the idea of the final master. The Cambridge EQ is still a good product but rather from 16khz up the docility and the details given by the processing of Sony. The incredible flexibility, variety of filters, the undeniable quality of processing and the minimum load on the DSP, make this equalizer for mastering a key element of the UAD system.
RealverbPro
An important element in this bundle is the Realverb Pro (Fig.11), though not conspicuous character, and perhaps even for intelligibility in the mix, has since its a great flexibility and ease of use. The load on the DSP is very low, an important ally to fulfill a complex mix avoiding heavy host convolutional reverb. dignified
Precision Mastering EQ
With this plug play at home because we can see clearly from the graphical interface to the citation "Manley Massive Passive" (Fig.12) with whom I have a certain familiarity. Before carrying out complex and unnecessary comparisons with the hardware necessary to appreciate the fundamental value of this equalizer, or a convincing dynamic response. Although I understand that the internal structure has not been designed with the bands in "parallel" as in the Massive Passive (bands interact here), it is also being restricted to a shelving bands cut boost of 8 dB, the sense of " sound sculpture "that is obtained, with a few movements of the knobs, is highly satisfactory. I find it great for leveling and redistributing the balance in a mix. The load in the PSD is quite difficult, but the noise impact achieved fully rewards the resources used.
Precision Mastering Limiter
The advantages of this peak limiter (as an opponent who has the blazon of Waves L1) lies in its transparency and low loading of dsp. It can use it not only groups but also on individual strips that are already compressed and equalized (for what we consume really afford to squander). I repeat that transparency is the most important ally of this plugin, you must really feel for exaggerating the early signs of failure on the part of the algorithm (Fig.13). Generally prefer to use the "peak limiter" until the stage of recovery, for easy control of the peak, not in that mix.
Bundle of Roland (not contained in Ultra Pack)
The bundle can be used for 15 days, subject to "download" free from the site, consists of three glories of the past: the Space Echo, the Stomp Box ce-1 and Dimension D
Space Echo:
What, I know the original and I know people who use torturing the heads during playback to randomize playback. Of course here this type of manipulation "open heart" are not granted, but the sense of warmth and saturation of the feedback signal during nearly a miracle, but the quality is to be applauded performance leaves something 'to be desired, the algorithm is very powerful but in my opinion is capable of optimization, too heavy on the CPU, you think that a tab can be opened only 2 of these little monsters (Fig.14).
Stomp box: chorus and tremolo
One word: divine, has an impressive musical and color, can transform the haggard of emulators electric pianos into a fantastic original. The correlation of stage of this chorus is perfect yet his presence on the landscape is wide. The tremolo is really something fabulous (Fig. 15).
Dimension D:
The noise impact is not dramatic as one would expect, unless you have a little familiarity with the chorus of the Roland it is really displaced, and the incredible quality of this plugin is appreciated as soon as you put it into bypass, can really change the tables on vocals and guitars. I never analyzed the correlation phase of the Dimension D original, but the judge from hearing the plug just enough, to use on a dangerous signal of low load (Fig. 16).
Conclusion:
The advantages of this system immediately jump to the ears, we become immediately aware of the quality of software programming. The sound process is highly pleasant taste a vintage, so much so that sometimes in the mix, one is tempted to abuse, will be the time to show us the right way of balance dry / wet. Even if the engine is 32 bit, it seems that the machine has found an elixir of life, in some scenarios, keeping pace with its competitors in many other past them brilliantly. The strength of UAD was precisely to trace sound too long neglected by research, now increasingly engaged in the creation of processors that operate in a surgical antiseptic, it is true that the perfection of digital offers a product genetically perfect but it is also true that a product that is too "neutral" is not a good conductor of personality and emotions. I can not refrain from quoting Ovid: "Video meriora proboque, deteriorates sequor" (I see and approve better things, but I follow the worse …) In theory, the major failing of this product is the lack of expandability of the system that is limited to 4 cards for a single host, but I think good: "we need to 6,7,8 boards?." Would it not be reached the limit of 4 UAD-1, coupled with our system a good set of starting with an outboard analog good pre? Do not forget the good rule: If we do not provide a good signal headroom sound card, the processed signal will always have a low dynamic range and therefore a very small threshold for action. These new systems are very interesting and allow, through good-machine user interface to work in a fast and accurate, certainly not enjoy the sound emulator original system but it is also true that we spend a penny of capital needed! My advice is to combine our accelerator UAD good sound card and a good midi controller (Fig.17), rather than using the usual mouse to manage the plug. Unfortunately I see more and more colleagues who translate their work to noise on a cold analysis of what happens on your computer monitor, almost as if he were afraid to trust your ears and your taste. I believe in the exploitation "reasons" of innovations, we must jealously preserve what the past gives us and merge it into a talent with the new possibilities offered by technology. Who has had the pleasure of working with these machines hardware knows what it feels like to manipulate and sculpt sound in real time using simple potentiometers. It comes almost symbiotic and the outboard becomes almost an extension of our limbs, materializing the feelings that we want to express. Do not forget that the hand, knowledge and good taste determine the success of the final master. The ideal application for these type of plugs by Universal Audio is not the mastering, the idea that, with rare exceptions, also applies to similar hardware. These are instruments that characterize much better spent being creative, not only for the generous tone and smooth control of the dynamics range, but also to give personality to an entire arrangement. I want to give you an example: a pair of 1176 set a compression ratio 20:1, high compression, with Attack and Release at your leisure may be provided about the "overhead" of the battery, including electronic form, the typical Drum Squalsh; that unnatural speak of crushing which produces huge queues and environments, almost as if the rods ended up sinking into the instrument. I have heard many songs, including world-class, use this technique, usually covers only the
rhythm part for 4 or 8 bars, then to return the instrument to its "normal" sound. Do not forget that the house provides some wonderful presets in both mono and stereo, including the example just given. I notice with satisfaction that these plugs complete some machines like LA-2A due to the presence of a bypass switch, handy for immediate comparison. Not bad! The only kind for which discourages the use of this type of sound is that of classical, baroque, where to add harmonics to the sound is synonymous with devastation. Well! The card is there. Algorithms as well. We just have to squeeze the code of "toy" to arouse the envy of musician friends, professionals and non.
