UAD still worth it?

[noiseboyuk]

Whilst, personally, I'd rather not have all of these managers that want to permanently run and think they know what they’re doing - until they don’t, I wouldn’t let it put you off the UA plugins overall. They’re fairly solid, usually good on CPU, and the rename “trick” is an annoyance but easy enough. IMO UA Connect is far from the worst of its type.

I have a ton of their powered plugins on the main rig, but tbh there's not that many that are essential for me. I'm lucky to have a bazillion alt plugins that are good. The LA-2A is always on a vocal channel, but that's mainly habit and I could likely replace with one of the other clones I have from Waves, NI or IK. I like the RXM16 Expanded, that's probably the only other one that I'd like Native to use on the macbook as and when it eventually comes available, but I don't care enough to jump through these hoops.

EDIT - before anyone else says it, Waves Alchemy Glow would sort me out for the RMX16. Currently on offer at £39.

[PAK]

I have a ton of their powered plugins on the main rig, but tbh there's not that many that are essential for me.

I'd like Native to use on the macbook as and when it eventually comes available, but I don't care enough to jump through these hoops.

Not sure I’d class renaming a single file, when you want to manually check for updates (Plus maybe the service on Windows) as a whole lot of hoop jumping - though I tend to shut off most of this manager stuff until manually updating, so maybe I'm just used to it.

If you have their DSP based plugins you should have received free native licenses for them? There’s certainly plenty of alternatives these days, with many arguably better. However, native wise, I found UA usually do quite well in terms of CPU use. EG Arturia’s LX 24 is (at least) on par, and its interface is miles ahead of UA. But it appears to use close to double the CPU of UA.. So I'd likely use UA over it.

[noiseboyuk]

I have a ton of their powered plugins on the main rig, but tbh there's not that many that are essential for me.

I'd like Native to use on the macbook as and when it eventually comes available, but I don't care enough to jump through these hoops.

Not sure I’d class renaming a single file, when you want to manually check for updates (Plus maybe the service on Windows) as a whole lot of hoop jumping - though I tend to shut off most of this manager stuff until manually updating, so maybe I'm just used to it.

If you have their DSP based plugins you should have received free native licenses for them? There’s certainly plenty of alternatives these days, with many arguably better. However, native wise, I found UA usually do quite well in terms of CPU use. EG Arturia’s LX 24 is (at least) on par, and its interface is miles ahead of UA. But it appears to use close to double the CPU of UA.. So I'd likely use UA over it.

I presume you need Connect for the iLok Cloud authorisation process? The LA-2A is the only one that deosn't actually need the Cloud (or a dongle). But if it works without it, I guess it's not too bad to uninstall Connect on the PC after you first install it (the renaming thing doesn't work on the PC, you've got to stop another service and it's easier to just uninstall the damn thing).

My powered licenses are part of a group share so I don't have access to the native versions otherwise. Kind of a special case.

Any which way, pretty much all my other products are simpler in use that faffing with all that. Never say never, but my experience with UAD is that they're really good but so are tons of other devs. There's honestly nothing for me that is so good and so unique I have to have it. The realistic branded UIs are nice to look at though, so there's that.

[Uncle E]

Not sure I’d class renaming a single file, when you want to manually check for updates (Plus maybe the service on Windows) as a whole lot of hoop jumping - though I tend to shut off most of this manager stuff until manually updating, so maybe I'm just used to it.

Plus, UA rarely does significant updates.

[Dave Y]

Not sure I’d class renaming a single file, when you want to manually check for updates (Plus maybe the service on Windows) as a whole lot of hoop jumping - though I tend to shut off most of this manager stuff until manually updating, so maybe I'm just used to it.

It’s a bit of a hoop though, at least for people like me who are maybe less confident renaming files etc, and for all I know if the plug-ins launch the damned thing they might at some point decide to make it compulsory.

Main reason for this being, as you so aptly put it before, UA being uppity.

[Uncle E]

It’s a bit of a hoop though, at least for people like me who are maybe less confident renaming files etc

Are you on Mac or Windows?

[PAK]

I presume you need Connect for the iLok Cloud authorisation process?

I’m dongle only, so haven’t tested. But it should work without it as all licensing is still via iLok. UA Connect (and other equivalents) are just branded front-ends which link to it. So you can use iLok's own manager instead.

Any which way, pretty much all my other products are simpler in use that faffing with all that.

I appreciate what you mean, in that you just want something to work, and I don’t disagree. But I’ll defend UA a bit here.. Other iLok managers (EG Softube’s) haven’t implemented ANY way to assign license type priority. So UA’s solution (your issues with their free plugin aside), actually has a superior implementation in this regard.

I don't think you said if you tried to set the license type priority, in UA Connect, and what it showed you? I’m just assuming you tried it, and it didn’t work, or it only offers an ability to assign dongle/cloud priority (Which means it'd work for their paid plugins but not the free one). If you didn’t try to set this (on both machines) then that's actually the issue. Either way, doing without UA Connect also works

As I said, I don’t appreciate plugins running a bunch of permanent crap I didn’t ask for in the background, for literally no reasons I find justifiable. Whilst I’m not UA Connect’s biggest fan, for that reason, I do consider it far from the worst, and better than something like Native Access. But that’s a discussion for another thread

[PAK]

It’s a bit of a hoop though, at least for people like me who are maybe less confident renaming files etc, and for all I know if the plug-ins launch the damned thing they might at some point decide to make it compulsory

If you’re very uncomfortable then it’s often best to leave stuff alone. The only thing worse than “assistant applications” you don’t want are half-broken assistant applications you don’t want.

You’re right that things could be made compulsory. For downloading multiple updates these sorts of apps can be very useful. For me the issues only really begin when companies don’t want to make running things optional, or launch just because you load a plugin. In those cases it doesn’t take much to go from “keeping products up to date and assisting installs” to leaning more towards making you aware of “additional products and services”.

I’m actually ok with any of it - provided the user is left in control, rather than being forced to do so if they want to use a product.

[Dave Y]

Are you on Mac or Windows?

Mac and tbh I probably could cope with renaming the file. Academic for now as I have DSP and don’t need native.

I’m just mystified at the liberties some companies think it’s ok to take. Latest on the UAD forum was Connect popping up an auto-updater in someone’s session.

[Dave Y]

I’m actually ok with any of it - provided the user is left in control, rather than being forced to do so if they want to use a product.

Exactly - same here.

[jamcat]

Is anyone excited about UAD Verve?
Anyone at all?

[HM]

Is anyone excited about UAD Verve?
Anyone at all?

The toy-look, and the fact that I, like many, got plenty from that corner allready makes me so tired

Also UAD has abused my mail-subscribtion to flood me shameless lately, makes me tired as well

When you download these toys you will likely have 100 extra spam-mails about upgrade offers

Honnestly I dont even whant, or dare, to try them out

And guess I will soon unsubscribe from anything UAD

[Funkybot's Evil Twin]

Is anyone excited about UAD Verve?
Anyone at all?

I tried the free version yesterday and it sounded great. Was not expecting UA to do something like that but it's actually quite cool sounding. Glad they're stepping out their comfort zone a little and doing something new.

[akaiguy86]

Is anyone excited about UAD Verve?
Anyone at all?

Yep, I AM!

[Uncle E]

I've been using the Warm setting with Drive under 50%. I don't see the point in buying the full version since Thicken and Vintagize are already too over-the-top for me.