UAD still worth it?

[jamcat]

OK. But you'd rather have those instead of Ampex ATR-102, or Lexicon 480L, or Helios Type 69, or Neve 1084, or EMT 250, or Ocean Way Studios, or Manley Variable Mu, or...?

[Razzia]

OK. But you'd rather have those instead of Ampex ATR-102, or Lexicon 480L, or Helios Type 69, or Neve 1084, or EMT 250, or Ocean Way Studios, or Manley Variable Mu, or...?

Obviously those are more exciting and probably better than most of the precision mix stuff, but honestly, the precision de-esser is really good.

[jamcat]

According to Drew (the Official UA Representative) on the UAD forum this morning, today’s scheduled new release drop has been postponed.

https://uadforum.com/community/index.ph ... ost-504139


And the same post verbatim on Gearsputz

https://gearspace.com/board/showthread.php?p=16869154

[jamcat]

I'm guessing Helios next or very soon. ATR? Also likely. FATSO or Ocean Way are other strong possibilities. I base this on nothing in particular.

Looks like it’s Helios.
There was another classic UAD cock-up where the release was delayed and dealers ended up posting sales that don’t exist yet and had to pull them back after the cat was already out of the bag.

[_leras]

OK. But you'd rather have those instead of Ampex ATR-102, or Lexicon 480L, or Helios Type 69, or Neve 1084, or EMT 250, or Ocean Way Studios, or Manley Variable Mu, or...?

To be honest I'm not fussed personally as I have UAD cards.

Was just saying the precision stuff is generally very decent.

[Funkybot's Evil Twin]

I'm guessing Helios next or very soon. ATR? Also likely. FATSO or Ocean Way are other strong possibilities. I base this on nothing in particular.

Looks like it’s Helios.
There was another classic UAD cock-up where the release was delayed and dealers ended up posting sales that don’t exist yet and had to pull them back after the cat was already out of the bag.

The reason I thought it was the Helios: it was DEEPLY discounted in the sale ending just prior to when the new Spark ports were originally expected to drop. It was $29.99. I seldom use any of the dozens of channel strip plugins I already have so I passed. I'm trying to make a point of only buying things I'll actually use and not just buy stuff because it's deeply discounted and I don't have it.

[jamcat]

Yes, and the marketing info on those pages were saying “HELIOS TYPE 69 NATIVE PLUGINS” and such.

This page was pulled:
https://vintageking.com/universal-audio ... c-delivery

[Funkybot's Evil Twin]

Yeah, UAudio tends to time the end date of their sales with the day before new Spark ports are set to drop. If there's a deeply discounted UA-developed-DSP-only plugin during a sale, I think it will be a good candidate for being one of the ported plugins in the next Spark batch.

Don't make any buying decisions based solely off that assumption/statement, but I think it's a potential clue.

[.jon]

I got my eyes on a second-hand Apollo Solo (TB3, I'm on a M1 Pro MBP), looks like a really neat solution for me. Decent audio quality (pres and converters), buss powered, and just enough DSP juice to run (close-to-zero latency) tracking plugins for single inputs, which is all I need as a solo musician. I record guitar, synths and vocals one track at a time. Normal RTL also looks decent.

I'd probably pass on it at MSRP, but this used unit is not more than a MOTU M2 and I quite like the prospects the DSP brings to the recording process. Am I missing something? Anyone using the Solo?

[jamcat]

We’re now in the 3rd week of this “snag.” It’s becoming quite a fiasco, and Universal Audio is doing everything wrong as far as crisis management goes.

Rather than being up front about why there is a delay and reassuring people that the release will be forthcoming, Drew is doing the exact opposite.

He’s now sending mixed messages that are casting doubts on the future of native ports, causing a lot of anxiety and uncertainty, and undermining customer faith in Spark/UADx.

It’s the absolute worst customer relations I’ve ever seen. And I’ve seen Peter from IK.

[Andrei Marchenko]

...
He’s now sending mixed messages that are casting doubts on the future of native ports, causing a lot of anxiety and uncertainty, and undermining customer faith in Spark/UADx.

It’s the absolute worst customer relations I’ve ever seen. And I’ve seen Peter from IK.

You think that UAD can abandon native plugins or I'm wrong here?

[jamcat]

I don't know. But Drew really seems to be backing away from "1 to 2 new plugins every 4 to 6 weeks" on other forums that he deems worthy of his participation.

Now he's talking about native plugins as a "bonus" that we're lucky to get at all, and how DSP-based plugins are their core business and that's not going to change.

People are starting to ask if this means only select plugins will get ported. Added to all of this uncertainty is the fact that the Ampex ATR-102 LUNA extension was ported to native, but the normal VST3/AU plugin hasn't been.

And no one has any idea if Helios Type 69 is still going to be released native at all, or if it's been pulled.

[noiseboyuk]

Interesting. Maybe they belatedly realised they blew their business model.

[Flatwound]

Helpful discussion here as I will probably upgrade my interface and am considering diving into UA world. I do like the idea of streamlining tools and leaning on a channel strip or certain pre/eq/comp combination. Seems like the plug-ins that come with the interface along with some strategic on sale purchases could end up being a reasonable path.

[mementus]

edit: solved