UAD PolyMAX - This thing is Sick

[Uncle E]

UA has been making processing plugins for 25 years. They made their first instrument plugins 4 years ago.

[koalaboy]

Considering UAD hardware never worked on Linux (a real shame), iLok isn't really a deal-breaker for any of their customers.

Do I like iLok ? Not really. I use it though, as it allows me to run a lot of software I couldn't otherwise. Just like using Windows for some things, or Mac for others, or Linux for others. It's a choice.

Do I wish everything worked on Linux ? Of course. But then do I also wish nobody ever pirated/copied software ? Yes also.

So there's the quandry. Why can't you have 'nice things' ? Because many people in the world will just take advantage wherever possible, and if you're running a business (and want to stay in business) you do whatever you need to.

I don't have any of the UAD synths... at least I have never installed them - I'm not sure what I have gained as a UAD hardware owner over the years in the 'native' side of things... but I wouldn't let iLok stop me if I wanted them.

The biggest worry should be the push to move everything to 'the cloud'. At least iLok hardware is local, and portable at will between machines without an internet connection in sight.

Regarding UAD in general, they've been annoying over the years as they're far more mac-centric than I'd like, being a Windows user for audio, and they seem to be struggling in the 'new age' of high powered machines for obvious reasons, but their hardware has always been pretty good, they have deep sales, and I don't regret any of my purchases.

The Moog filter is one of my favourite effects of everything I have.

I hope they continue, but would also love to see them (and others) become truly platform agnostic (including Linux).

[Introspective]

I suppose I don't want to turn this thread into a referendum on iLok either, but I feel compelled to at least argue that plenty of other companies, large and small, seem to be doing just fine without iLok. I am not corporate-minded at all (in fact, I seem to be wired to hate corporations), so I'm not going to pretend to know why iLok is necessary for some and not for others. ...but I can certainly say that it has always felt much more like punishment than protection to me. I also have an iLok <points to it sitting next to him> because, like you, I wanted access to synths I otherwise couldn't have. ...but, having bought one, I think I'm more entitled to say: I shouldn't have had to.

It's like that !@#^ing plastic packaging that everything used to come in: the stuff you can only open with a knife and one in ten of them ends up poking or cutting you when you try to open it. It's just a way of saying "we hate our customers." I still BOUGHT the stuff--I wanted the stuff!--but was insulted by the whole process. I'm glad that's starting to go away.

I guess this is pretty similar to the whole "anti-cheat" war raging in PC-gaming communities right now. I hate it; some people love it. Most people think "it's a necessary evil," but I am not one of them. <shrug>

(I mean: I have even had people tell me that using an ad-blocker is stealing. People will put up with a lot of enshittification.)

Anyway, I ... don't actually mean to derail the conversation with iLok, there's plenty of this argument over KVR already.

I *also* hope they keep making synths, even if they keep iLok, because they really are creative and excellent pieces of software and I recommend them to everyone I can. ...Most (if not all) of my musical friends won't touch anything with iLok, though!

[noiseboyuk]

This thing is FREE!

Allegedly til June 30. Lovely - but when I add it to cart I go right to checkout and it still says $29. No code anywhere in the email or the website as far as I can see.

I'm sure it'll turn up.

EDIT 15 mins later - it turned up. Now appears as $0 at checkout.

The newsletter said something about existing owners getting a something too.

[Cuauhtli]

Took a few refreshes of UA connect for it to show up. I really love how UAD doesn't keep track of your licenses in your account page. I have a few perpetual licenses that won't transfer to my pc for offline use. Support was pretty useless as they apparently can't check on what licenses you do or don't have.

[Nug Wrangler]

I'm impressed. This thing sounds really good!

[_leras]

That's ridiculous that UAD are giving this away for free. One of the most real and present sounding vst synths out their.

Yes, it's super clean etc, but it's really a top tier synth.

I would suggest everyone grab this.

[Aloysius]

It's a lovely synth, that's why I purchased it.

[Echoes in the Attic]

Weren’t they giving this away last year too? I have it and don’t purchase it. Or maybe it was given away at plugin boutique? I think I bought something for about three dollars to get this.

But yeah it’s nice. Sort of an oberheim/prophet type thing it seems to me.

[Rastkovic]

Weren’t they giving this away last year too? I have it and don’t purchase it. Or maybe it was given away at plugin boutique? I think I bought something for about three dollars to get this.

But yeah it’s nice. Sort of an oberheim/prophet type thing it seems to me.

It was in 2023 for free, with a Loopcloud trial subscription.

https://synthanatomy.com/2023/08/get-un ... ption.html


But I didn't. Now that it's free, I couldn't resist. So tadaaa, my very first UAD plugin!

[Morty-C-137]

Weren’t they giving this away last year too? I have it and don’t purchase it. Or maybe it was given away at plugin boutique? I think I bought something for about three dollars to get this.

But yeah it’s nice. Sort of an oberheim/prophet type thing it seems to me.

It was in 2023 for free, with a Loopcloud trial subscription.

https://synthanatomy.com/2023/08/get-un ... ption.html


But I didn't. Now that it's free, I couldn't resist. So tadaaa, my very first UAD plugin!

Yes but now it's free without all that LoopHole fuss (I got it back then for free as well BTW.. I gamed it.. as did many )

[Rastkovic]

Sound is amazing. In my opinion, in the same league as Softube. It's a shame, that iLok hater will never experience it.

[D-Fusion]

Sound is amazing. In my opinion, in the same league as Softube. It's a shame, that iLok hater will never experience it.

I have Ilok but I have never been able to use my UAD Plugins for some strange reason.
The plugins show up as authorized for a split second and then they got unauthorized because of the dual protection system they use (Ilok + The app).

When they offered the new offline option i tried that but this time it shows up as installed in the app but there was no uad Plugins to find in my vst 3 folder.

I have tried everything.
I Even reinstalled windows and have tried newer versions of their app when they have been released but that evil Uad app seems to hate me.

[Aloysius]

I opened the UA app' for the first time in a long time. It wanted to move my authorizations to my computer. Without thinking, I allowed it to. Now I realise that it meant my iLok Licenses. When the app' is finished, I'll have to move everything back to my hardware iLok again. It's only been a half an hour, so far ...

[Rastkovic]

Sound is amazing. In my opinion, in the same league as Softube. It's a shame, that iLok hater will never experience it.

I have Ilok but I have never been able to use my UAD Plugins for some strange reason.
The plugins show up as authorized for a split second and then they got unauthorized because of the dual protection system they use (Ilok + The app).

When they offered the new offline option i tried that but this time it shows up as installed in the app but there was no uad Plugins to find in my vst 3 folder.

I have tried everything.
I Even reinstalled windows and have tried newer versions of their app when they have been released but that evil Uad app seems to hate me.

You could try to uninstall UA Connect, after the plugin install. I mean, it's an iLok license, there is no reason why you need to keep the app.

edit: But you're able to install the VST3 plugin at all?