UAD still worth it?

[AC222]

I thought I would add that I am brand new to the UAD universe and recently contacted their support and was highly disappointed. It is making me second guess my willingness to purchase any stick with UAD in the future

[jamcat]

who records string sections, as individual channels?
stereo mic set up for that.

When I do strings, I use physically modeled SWAM solo strings and place them on a stage as a group, using Virtual Sound Stage 2. From there they all go to a bus where they are treated as a single stereo audio track with a single Tape Machine instance. It could be a quartet or a full orchestra section.

[vurt]

who records string sections, as individual channels?
stereo mic set up for that.

When I do strings, I use physically modeled SWAM solo strings and place them on a stage as a group, using Virtual Sound Stage 2. From there they all go to a bus where they are treated as a single stereo audio track with a single Tape Machine instance. It could be a quartet or a full orchestra section.

do you mix it down to a single stereo wave file?
and all the other channels too, then mix with audio?

[zerocrossing]

I thought I would add that I am brand new to the UAD universe and recently contacted their support and was highly disappointed. It is making me second guess my willingness to purchase any stick with UAD in the future

Highly disappointed in what way?

[jamcat]

Yes, on the drums as on (almost) every other track.

How many tracks? That depends on the song, but certainly not many...

contrary to both better knowledge and common sense the notion is quite widespread that more is more. But of course it usually really isn't - if your mix sucks, adding more tracks won't fix that - likewise, if your tracks sucks, adding more plugins most probably won't help either - and if your line sucks, adding more notes neither will fix that - so really not many tracks...

so to summarize: I really don't think it's fair to blame IKMM for your mixing sins.

I use the number of tracks I require to make the music I want to make. Each drum mic gets a channel, which means a Tape Machine instance for each, because that’s how you would record drums. So that’s around 10. Typically there are 2 guitars and a bass, so another 3. Another 1 or 2 synths, so that’s another 1 or 2 tape plugins. Vocals are typically 2 tracks, so another 2 tapes. And if there is a string section of any size, that’s another 1 tape. So in total, that’s around 16 to 18 Tape Machine instances for tracks. Then there is the 440 on the master for the mixdown to tape. That one is a real killer because it’s summed.

You still haven’t made it entirely clear if your putting an instance of tape on each drum mic, or just one on your drum buss.

[jamcat]

who records string sections, as individual channels?
stereo mic set up for that.

When I do strings, I use physically modeled SWAM solo strings and place them on a stage as a group, using Virtual Sound Stage 2. From there they all go to a bus where they are treated as a single stereo audio track with a single Tape Machine instance. It could be a quartet or a full orchestra section.

do you mix it down to a single stereo wave file?
and all the other channels too, then mix with audio?

I don’t do any rendering to stems, so everything is always still real-time and editable.

The individual SWAM instances will be accessible together in their own “String Section” mixer view, but in my “Tracking Console” mixer view, I only have the stereo group buss. This is where tape is applied as if it’s a single stereo event.

[vurt]

I don’t do any rendering to stems, so everything is always still real-time and editable.

so youre not actually working as you would in a studio then?
sort of half n half?

[jamcat]

The signal flow is 100% the same as it would be if it was going from mics to a console to multitrack tape for tracking, and then from tape to another console for mixing.

But I still reserve my right to enjoy the full advantages of a DAW.

[vurt]

But I still reserve my right to enjoy the full advantages of a DAW.

who is trying to stop you?
im just trying to find out what you actually do

i thought next stage would be, audio as thats what state the audio is in, in a studio environment, its printed to tape.
so you then work on prerecorded audio.

[El°HYM]

Wouldnt it be Mic>Console>Multitrack and then Multitrack>Console>2-Track?

[jamcat]

But I still reserve my right to enjoy the full advantages of a DAW.

who is trying to stop you?
im just trying to find out what you actually do

i thought next stage would be, audio as thats what state the audio is in, in a studio environment, its printed to tape.
so you then work on prerecorded audio.

Working with stems would be unnecessarily limiting to the creative process, though it would certainly solve any CPU issues.

Instead I segregate the process into 3 distinct stages using mixer views and routing.

[jamcat]

Wouldnt it be Mic>Console>Multitrack and then Multitrack>Console>2-Track?

Yes. That’s what it is. Plus any “printed” effects in between the console channel and tape.

The 2-track is a given, since that’s the master. As I said, I put a Tape Machine 440 on it.

[El°HYM]

Also my favorite on the Master - Bus out of the IK - Bundle.

[jens]

Each drum mic gets a channel, which means a Tape Machine instance for each, because that’s how you would record drums.

Nope lad, of course not.

At least not for the bulk of the analog decades - they comitted lad, they commited.
(i.e. Only because they used (say) ten mics that did not at all mean they neccessarily recorded these onto ten tape tracks lad - after all that's what mixing desks are for, you see?)

Still in the 70's they typically mixed it down to four to six tracks (so before that they never used more than max three tracks) - but personally I'm always using the Decades SDX and Al Schmitt to his last working day mixed drums down to something like three tracks... )
and especially since I of course have SD's built-in mixer to adjust levels, I'm perfectly fine with stereo. So it's one instance of the 24 and I'm golden.

[jamcat]

duplicate