UAD PolyMAX - This thing is Sick

[perpetual3]

Roland synths are excellent, but at least the SH2 aliases like crazy. Softube did a better 101 and 106 and ABL is still the king of 303. The RC 808 is excellent too, but I wish they would allow for more parameters like the TR8s. Roland can be so frustrating.

All this low effort emulation from big names as UAD and softube are really boring, they are like 10 years late to the game and emulate the same shit that has been done to death with even fewer features. At least arturia tries stuff that wasn't done before.

As for the sound, Roland plugouts sound way more fat, warm, punchy and all that gibberish people love to say.

UAD, by boomers for boomers

[darkinners]

They don't want to talk about the synth

Well, I'd LOVE to talk about this synth but unfortunately, I'm not willing to buy a UAD Apollo dongle (or whatever hardware) or go the sub route.

If they ever change their policy I'd most certainly buy it as I like the demos.

You know you are technically making yourself look childish by still calling it a dongle?

I'm distraught that I look childish - Zero fuxx given!

And you can suck my Apollo!

Could it be that the grape is sour because it’s just not affordable for you? Which is ok. If you are in music production professionally the cost of a freakin UAD Apollo is nothing. Like literally nadda. If you just do it us a hobby that’s absolutely fine but stay quiet if you don’t know what you are talking about. You even admitted that you like the sound of PolyMax but don’t want the interface. Cause it’s expensive I imagine? So you are just angry and call it a dongle.

By the way what is fuxx? Is it like a new currency again?

Anyway I’ll just let people form their own opinion. I trust most now what UAD is. I’ll stay on topic and only comment on PolyMax. And I know I know. Zero £fuxx given

Who hurted you? How do you know people can or cannot afford UAD hardware? People don’t like it because of sour grape?

I also think UAD interface/satellite are hardware dongle . Those Sharc processor are just outdated hardware that UAD still using them just trying to keep their plugin behind the protection paywall.

The birth of UAD spark proved they don’t need those outdated Sharc processor to run their plugin at all.

take a piss at me too if you like. I’d start calling UAD hardware are dongles. I find this description very fitting.

[Modular Manfred]

They don't want to talk about the synth

Well, I'd LOVE to talk about this synth but unfortunately, I'm not willing to buy a UAD Apollo dongle (or whatever hardware) or go the sub route.

If they ever change their policy I'd most certainly buy it as I like the demos.

You know you are technically making yourself look childish by still calling it a dongle?

I'm distraught that I look childish - Zero fuxx given!

And you can suck my Apollo!

Could it be that the grape is sour because it’s just not affordable for you? Which is ok. If you are in music production professionally the cost of a freakin UAD Apollo is nothing. Like literally nadda. If you just do it us a hobby that’s absolutely fine but stay quiet if you don’t know what you are talking about. You even admitted that you like the sound of PolyMax but don’t want the interface. Cause it’s expensive I imagine? So you are just angry and call it a dongle.

By the way what is fuxx? Is it like a new currency again?

Anyway I’ll just let people form their own opinion. I trust most now what UAD is. I’ll stay on topic and only comment on PolyMax. And I know I know. Zero £fuxx given

Who hurted you? How do you know people can or cannot afford UAD hardware? People don’t like it because of sour grape?

I also think UAD interface/satellite are hardware dongle . Those Sharc processor are just outdated hardware that UAD still using them just trying to keep their plugin behind the protection paywall.

The birth of UAD spark proved they don’t need those outdated Sharc processor to run their plugin at all.

take a piss at me too if you like. I’d start calling UAD hardware are dongles. I find this description very fitting.

Not everyone buys UAD for the plugins exclusively, just saying. Unison preamps? World class audio conversation? Read the previous posts mate. The focus was not on whether you can afford it or not. It was about don’t call it a dongle because that sounds ignorant and incompetent. It’s still not a dongle. It’s a ***** audio interface. E-licenser and iLok are dongle ffs It’s only a dongle for people who think about buying it just for the plugins, but it’s still not a dongle technically. With this analogy your keyboard is a dongle. You can’t use your pc without it can you.

[kmonkey]

Probably all the same conditions as if it were running on DSPs. I see no reason why they wouldn't oversample.

That said... this is yet another very simplistic 2 osc 1 filter 1 LFO synth... yawn :/

Exactly! Super 8 easily tops this. Seems to me like the UAD crowd which I am part of - when it comes to synths - is living under a rock and then the company can sell them "revolution" when in fact same or better synths (not to mention U-he) can do same even better at a fraction of a price.

Silly but fine I guess.

edit: I just saw you mentioned Super 8 as a reference - later - same as I did

[Modular Manfred]

I personally don’t want any revolution. Just wanted THAT sound which Super 8 did not deliver as far as I am concerned nor did U-he, sorry. PolyMax to me has that sound which is more important than revolution and features, to me. Maybe only people will understand this who actually use vintage analogue poly synths, not just plugins.

[kmonkey]

I personally don’t want any revolution. Just wanted THAT sound which Super 8 did not deliver as far as I am concerned nor did U-he, sorry. PolyMax to me has that sound which is more important than revolution and features, to me. Maybe only people will understand this who actually use vintage analogue poly synths, not just plugins.

If you can not achieve the same sound with say Super 8 or pretty much any similar synth released within the last 10 years - then you simply don't know how to program synth. Sorry.

Or if you still think the UAD synth is some sort of next-generation DSP achievement post a dry non processed sample. Then post a midi file, post a screenshot of a patch.

Don't post a video on youtube, because most likely people won't want to waste time figuring it out by ear.

post a screenshot of a patch and sound file with midi.

You will see and quickly realize most people will be able to mimic exactly the same sound with pretty much most of their synths from their 6 years old portfolio or with stock DAW synths. Seasoned sound makers will be able to post indistinguishable sounds.

It really is nothing special.

[kmonkey]

Free U-He Tyrell could "mimic" most of the sounds of this "beast".

[Modular Manfred]

I personally don’t want any revolution. Just wanted THAT sound which Super 8 did not deliver as far as I am concerned nor did U-he, sorry. PolyMax to me has that sound which is more important than revolution and features, to me. Maybe only people will understand this who actually use vintage analogue poly synths, not just plugins.

If you can not achieve the same sound with say Super 8 or pretty much any similar synth released within the last 10 years - then you simply don't know how to program synth. Sorry.

Or if you still think the UAD synth is some sort of next-generation DSP achievement post a dry non processed sample. Then post a midi file, post a screenshot of a patch.

Don't post a video on youtube, because most likely people won't want to waste time figuring it out by ear.

post a screenshot of a patch and sound file with midi.

You will see and quickly realize most people will be able to mimic exactly the same sound with pretty much most of their synths from their 6 years old portfolio or with stock DAW synths. Seasoned sound makers will be able to post indistinguishable sounds.

It really is nothing special.

I can reassure you that I would have no problems tweaking a pretend analogue sound from Super 8. Read back the thread, the differences in the sound properties have already been explained. I will actually post a sample! But why don’t you also demo PolyMax in the meantime? Cause without actually trying it, you can’t possibly know what you are talking about..

[_leras]

All this low effort emulation from big names as UAD and softube are really boring, they are like 10 years late to the game and emulate the same shit that has been done to death with even fewer features. At least arturia tries stuff that wasn't done before.

As for the sound, Roland plugouts sound way more fat, warm, punchy and all that gibberish people love to say.

UAD, by boomers for boomers

I doubt very much they are really low effort synths. I'm sure they have circuit modelled and applied their usual high standards, as all their synths sound fantastic so far.

They've been the highest quality FX company for some time. I'm happy to see them make synths too.

What would a boomer be in this situation? Anyone who bought a UAD card or interface?

I get that the subscription is a barrier, but if the price stays the same it will be a bargain as more plug ins get added. For someone starting out to get a full high quality studio worth of FX for a year for £149, it's amazing really. That's the cost of one plug in.

[kmonkey]

I can reassure you that I would have no problems tweaking a pretend analogue sound from Super 8. Read back the thread, the differences in the sound properties have already been explained. I will actually post a sample! But why don’t you also demo PolyMax in the meantime? Cause without actually trying it, you can’t possibly know what you are talking about..

I actually did it this morning. You probably missed when I said I am a longtime UAD user.

Please post a sample (without FX), post a patch file and a screenshot + midi. Screenshot for people who don't want to install Spark software so they don't have to guess osc settings, patch file for people who installed UA synth so that they can load and verify your dry sample and recreate with their synth.

You'll see people will be able to match it with probably free synths to the indistinguishable degree. Then we will see super duper subtle phase differences which can be seen only on analyzers and then people will argue that there is a difference.

And then if someone has time to post a real AB shootout of UA vs XY you will see 5000 people will listen to examples but only 13 will actually vote with the results. None of these will be statistically consistent to prove any meaningful and practical difference.

Then when the results are published you will see the rest of the 4987 people will post saying how the difference is obvious and how they are able to hear which one is UA.

That is happening at Gearspace EVERY TIME!

In my personal opinion, there is no denying that UA has one of the best FX suites of all time. When it comes to their Synth portfolio they are no doubt high quality but beaten by far with products from NI, U-he, or put many other vendors here.

[kmonkey]

A bit off-topic: does anyone remembers a time when an army of people (literally thousands of users) for more than a decade claimed on former Gearslutz and UA forum how UA SHARC and the code running on it is some sort of second coming of Jesus? And that Native will never be able to run such high-quality stuff on a native CPU.

Today we have the same plugins, literally phase-canceling DSP vs native. I couldn't believe when Spark was released and when people claimed sound difference with Sharc DSP a UA staff member said it's the same code, some people on the UA forum still said there's a difference and that UA DSP sound is warmer and more 3d. What the?!

Anyway, my point is - it is exactly that pool of users thinking that UA is some miraculous DSP generator and no shit they will believe this is a next-level DSP synth. But so be it it's nothing wrong especially if they enjoy it.

I am not going to change my opinion unless they release something different - in the Synths arena, they are beaten by pioneers in this industry for decades ago.

[Modular Manfred]

Anyway, my point is - it is exactly that pool of users thinking that UA is some miraculous DSP generator and no shit they will believe this is a next-level DSP synth. But so be it it's nothing wrong especially if they enjoy it.

Nobody was talking about UAD in general mate. It’s only about PolyMax.. And Sharc and native UAD don’t always phase cancel either = SPL TRANSIENT DESIGNER

[Modular Manfred]

I can reassure you that I would have no problems tweaking a pretend analogue sound from Super 8. Read back the thread, the differences in the sound properties have already been explained. I will actually post a sample! But why don’t you also demo PolyMax in the meantime? Cause without actually trying it, you can’t possibly know what you are talking about..

I actually did it this morning. You probably missed when I said I am a longtime UAD user.

Please post a sample (without FX), post a patch file and a screenshot + midi. Screenshot for people who don't want to install Spark software so they don't have to guess osc settings, patch file for people who installed UA synth so that they can load and verify your dry sample and recreate with their synth.

You'll see people will be able to match it with probably free synths to the indistinguishable degree. Then we will see super duper subtle phase differences which can be seen only on analyzers and then people will argue that there is a difference.

And then if someone has time to post a real AB shootout of UA vs XY you will see 5000 people will listen to examples but only 13 will actually vote with the results. None of these will be statistically consistent to prove any meaningful and practical difference.

Then when the results are published you will see the rest of the 4987 people will post saying how the difference is obvious and how they are able to hear which one is UA.

That is happening at Gearspace EVERY TIME!

In my personal opinion, there is no denying that UA has one of the best FX suites of all time. When it comes to their Synth portfolio they are no doubt high quality but beaten by far with products from NI, U-he, or put many other vendors here.

I think we misunderstand each other. I’m not comparing PolyMax to other plugins. I am comparing everything to real analogue polys. Just for reference, what real analogue polys do you have and compare too?

[bite_me]

HOW CAN ONE DEMO THIS SYNTH WITHOUT SUBBING THIS SPARK DOGSHEIT???
It´s tactics to push users into that direction... Free demo???
2 hours of wasted time of googling and looking for SIMPLE INFORMATION.
U - you
A - are
D - d!xx

[aMUSEd]

So do you need an Apollo or UAD DSP card for these or can you qualify even with one of their cheaper audio interfaces?