KVR Audio

soundmodel · Post by **soundmodel** » Sat Mar 17, 2018 1:50 pm

The UA Arrow costs around $499 and while the hardware may be redundant, the plug-in pack that comes with it is quite nice.

UA Arrow vs spend money on native plugs?

robotmonkey · Post by **robotmonkey** » Sat Mar 17, 2018 2:56 pm

soundmodel wrote:The UA Arrow costs around $499 and while the hardware may be redundant, the plug-in pack that comes with it is quite nice.

UA Arrow vs spend money on native plugs?

If you do not need the hardware and the features it provides it will be a waste of money. Arrow has a SOLO processor which means you can run very few plugins with it. Take look at the instance chart: https://help.uaudio.com/hc/en-us/articl ... ance-Chart

So if you want to record through the interface with couple of plugins active and with low latency it might make sense. But if you want to run sessions full of UAD plugins then this will not cut it as you are able to run about couple of instances at the same time depending on the plugin.

Apratim · Post by **Apratim** » Sat Mar 17, 2018 3:47 pm

Whats your use type

1.Are you only recording vocals
Then get the autotune with that because its realtime duh..... And on a solo card I don't think youcan run 80 to 90 uad plugs session. And the included vst are not that special when you have steven and waves

2.are you into processing and sampling stuff and make electronic stuff
Then no i wont recomment it. get another pc or a "udoo x86" and run vst on that to offload your main machines cpu

Russell Grand · Post by **Russell Grand** » Sat Mar 17, 2018 3:52 pm

robotmonkey wrote:
soundmodel wrote:The UA Arrow costs around $499 and while the hardware may be redundant, the plug-in pack that comes with it is quite nice.

UA Arrow vs spend money on native plugs?
If you do not need the hardware and the features it provides it will be a waste of money. Arrow has a SOLO processor which means you can run very few plugins with it. Take look at the instance chart: https://help.uaudio.com/hc/en-us/articl ... ance-Chart

So if you want to record through the interface with couple of plugins active and with low latency it might make sense. But if you want to run sessions full of UAD plugins then this will not cut it as you are able to run about couple of instances at the same time depending on the plugin.

Wow, many of those percentages are just nuts.

Thanks for sharing this.

Funkybot's Evil Twin · Sat Mar 17, 2018 4:07 pm

Yeah, frankly I think it's shocking that Universal Audio is selling anything with fewer DSP chips than a QUAD at this point with some of those instance counts. The DSP chips aren't expensive and they're otherwise long past due for either a UAD3 or a native/hyrbrid solution IMO. I've got a UAD2 Duo and haven't bought a new plugin in many years (last may have been the updated LA-2A Collection when that was new). Between the very dwindling instance counts of new plugins, hardware cost, the plugin prices, and the mixing latency, there are very few use cases where the UAD Platform currently makes sense. It's nice if you can afford an Apollo and want to track through the preamp plugins, but outside of that, I wouldn't recommend UAD to anyone. But hey, their business model is clearly working for them so what do I know?

Seaside Music · Post by **Seaside Music** » Sat Mar 17, 2018 4:45 pm

I bailed on UA a long time ago. I was in deep from the beginning with the UAD-1s - had 2 of them and virtually every plugin. Got sick of the DSP limitations and saw it as an endless money pit. It's planned obsolescence and there are way too many decent native options available that are easy on the wallet and don't force limitations like a UAD plug. They should have gone hybrid/native years ago.

soundmodel · Post by **soundmodel** » Sat Mar 17, 2018 5:34 pm

I'm interested in the UA plug-ins. So basically any hardware that's inexpensive and that gets the plugs.

I much prefer native yes, but it could be nice to have the few essential models. Just to do a bit of comparison.

Although, with plugs like this coming out in native:

https://www.hornetplugins.com/plugins/h ... -plus-mk2/

I really wonder if UAD is that relevant on some parts.

robotmonkey · Post by **robotmonkey** » Sat Mar 17, 2018 6:02 pm

Well, the plugins that come with Arrow are not anything to write home about. Plenty of alternatives that are equally good or even better.

The same goes with a lot of UAD plugins. Many have also either direct native versions (like PA, Softube, Eventide or Sonnox plugins) or alternatives that are equally good. There are some good plugins that have no direct alternative in native world, but such plugins are a few. So a lot depends on what plugins do you want exactly.

electro · Post by **electro** » Sat Mar 17, 2018 8:39 pm

robotmonkey wrote:There are some good plugins that have no direct alternative in native world, but such plugins are a few. So a lot depends on what plugins do you want exactly.

That is the biggest strength of the UAD platform, RMX-16, Korg SDD-3000.

Apratim · Post by **Apratim** » Sat Mar 17, 2018 10:28 pm

electro wrote:
robotmonkey wrote:There are some good plugins that have no direct alternative in native world, but such plugins are a few. So a lot depends on what plugins do you want exactly.
That is the biggest strength of the UAD platform, RMX-16, Korg SDD-3000.

Holly shit..... instead of paying for rmx 16 i would have got turboreverb from melda and keep my reverb fetish fulfilled forever........ And Dammmm that reverb is overpriced

electro · Post by **electro** » Sat Mar 17, 2018 11:03 pm

Apratim wrote:
electro wrote:
robotmonkey wrote:There are some good plugins that have no direct alternative in native world, but such plugins are a few. So a lot depends on what plugins do you want exactly.
That is the biggest strength of the UAD platform, RMX-16, Korg SDD-3000.
Holly shit..... instead of paying for rmx 16 i would have got turboreverb from melda and keep my reverb fetish fulfilled forever........ And Dammmm that reverb is overpriced

There are also freeware reverb plugins and impulses for those that would not like to pay the turboverb fee. I think you underestimate the value of the UAD platform exclusives. Do a little research on the creation of the UAD RMX-16 extended which is a duplicate of a very unique outboard reverb. Also do a little research on UA sales history. An Arrow just for access to UAD Reverb and Delay exclusives + ATR-102 IMO would be worth it.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bHPRz7DvmQI

Apratim · Post by **Apratim** » Sun Mar 18, 2018 7:03 am

electro wrote:
Apratim wrote:
electro wrote:
robotmonkey wrote:There are some good plugins that have no direct alternative in native world, but such plugins are a few. So a lot depends on what plugins do you want exactly.
That is the biggest strength of the UAD platform, RMX-16, Korg SDD-3000.
Holly shit..... instead of paying for rmx 16 i would have got turboreverb from melda and keep my reverb fetish fulfilled forever........ And Dammmm that reverb is overpriced
There are also freeware reverb plugins and impulses for those that would not like to pay the turboverb fee. I think you underestimate the value of the UAD platform exclusives. Do a little research on the creation of the UAD RMX-16 extended which is a duplicate of a very unique outboard reverb. Also do a little research on UA sales history. An Arrow just for access to UAD Reverb and Delay exclusives + ATR-102 IMO would be worth it.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bHPRz7DvmQI

For autotune in real time at 300 was ok I would accept that . but shit. 300 for a reverb software for which I had already paid a Premium on the hardware is dumb.

For 800 (500 + 300) i could build a slave machine for me and offload my vst to that machine

redlester · Post by **redlester** » Sun Mar 18, 2018 12:10 pm

As I said on another thread the RMX-16 is by far the most tempting thing with UAD. I think the original hardware had a unique sound and the demos I’ve seen of the UAD suggest it has nailed it?

I don’t want an Arrow or Apollo because they don’t have enough inputs for my liking, and I don’t have physical space for a hardware mixer, so I would have to go with either a Satellite unit or one of the PCI cards, probably the latter. Either way looking at a minimum of around £900 GBP to get the RMX-16. Even though I adore the sound of it I cannot justify that.

jens · Post by **jens** » Sun Mar 18, 2018 1:47 pm

electro wrote:An Arrow just for access to UAD Reverb and Delay exclusives + ATR-102 IMO would be worth it.

Imo it wouldn't.

And you also admit that yourself:

electro wrote:Do a little research on the creation of the UAD RMX-16 extended which is a duplicate of a very unique outboard reverb.

If you need to "do a little research on the creation" of a plugin in order to evaluate its value, then there is no adecuate intrinsic value to speak of. Everything you can not hear when using said plugin is actually irrelevant when a reality check knocks on your door. It's just marketing blurb for the weak and insecure and gullible.

soundmodel · Post by **soundmodel** » Sun Mar 18, 2018 2:52 pm

Even though UAD might be the old standard, I'm again leaning toward staying in the native route.

There are such great products made for native that are no as authentic as UAD, but who cares, if they work.

Having too much plugs just clutters the workflow. One can make amazing records using the same tools over and over again. Then it's merely a choice of choosing what one wishes to use.