Universal Audio UAD1 Studio Pak DSP Card (Macintosh and Windows)

Includes 20 professional hardware-accelerated plug-ins.

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Universal Audio UAD1 Studio Pak DSP Card (Macintosh and Windows) reviews

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41 People rated this product : * * * * * * * * * * 7 out of 10

 

4 People wrote reviews

Read all Universal Audio UAD1 Studio Pak DSP Card (Macintosh and Windows) reviews...
* * * * * * * * * * 8 out of 10

"Great Sound, Good Value."

Feature:
These are the most useful plugins I've used. The unfortunate part about this card is the number of simultaneous plugs you can run when processing 24/96 audio. You can only run 2 or 3 of the high-powered plugs at that quality with a single card(1176LN, Fairchild, Nigel). I eventually bought a second card so I could run more plugins simultaneously. If you have a powerful computer, don't buy this card to take the burden off your processor as the UA suggests. I can run many more native plugs than UAD-1 plugs with my PC. Buy this card for the plug-ins.

Quality:
No problems here. They work great. Anyone who says they have noise and crackle with this card doesn't have a properly configured system.

Value:
For what these plugins cost, you can't beat them. These are not the same as the hardware they are modeled after, but they sound very, very similar. Imagine how many tens of thousands of dollars you'd have to pay to have actual hardware. For the best value, I personally don't recommend the Studio Pak. I initially bought the Studio Pak, then went back and bought the Plate and the Precision mastering bundle, along with a Project Pak to get a second card. Once you start using these, you're going to want them all.

Desirability:
These are very appealing plugins. I don't mix without them.

Sound:
Sound is fantastic -- other plugins in this price range do not sound as smooth or distintictive as these. I record and mix with Nuendo. I also own the Waves plugs, and these sound better. I use the Waves plugs primarily for utility purposes, and the UAD ones for special or distinctive effects like the 1176 or the Plate 140 (I purchased this plug separately about a year after I bought the Studio pack, and it's well worth the price).

Ease of Use:
These plugins are easy to get good sounds with. Most have just a few knobs and meters, and are much more fun to use than the down-to-business Waves plugs. If you're a novice, you'll probably find these easier to use, and if you've been mixing for a while, you'll probably find that you can get cool, distinctive sounds much faster with these plugs than most others.

Support:
I have used UA's support once, and they are very helpful. When you call, the phone is answered by an actual person, and you're transferred to the tech support department in seconds, unless he's at lunch. i'm not kidding.

Overall:
I keep buying plugins and cards, so I don't think I'm going to migrate away from these plugins anytime soon. There is no single bundle of plugins that will solve all of your needs, so you will almost certainly want to supplement these with something else. For the mixing I do, I find I get great results with the UAD-1 and the Waves bundle.

Submitted: 5/23/2006

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* * * * * * * * * * 10 out of 10

"Best investment for serious mixing"

Feature:
Most of the effects are very simple, but don't need complex controls. For instance, the LA2A has but two knobs, but I've yet to find an instrument track that doesn't benefit from it.

Quality:
The plugs look good and sound great. The only dissappointment is the Nigel guitar processor, which falls short on high-gain guitar tones, but it's still very useful for light tones and especially for giving edge to synth and drum tracks, not to mention the fact that it comes standard. The stars of the show, however, are the 1176, LA2A, and Pultec. If you're wondering what your mixes are missing...

Value:
Let's see... dead ringers for the $30,000+ Fairchild, the $4000+ LA2A, the $3000+ UREI 1176LN, and the $5000+ Pultec, all used on more classic albums than I can count, for less than a grand? That's value, not even mentioning the reverbs, guitar FX, and channel strips.

Desirability:
You want it. Hop over to UAD's forum and ask around if you don't believe me.

Sound:
The compressors alone are worth the asking price. No native plug comes close to the 1176 LN, the LA2A, or the Fairchild 670. Additionally, the Pultec EQ makes anything sound better just by inserting it, and the CS-1 Channel Strip, while not a vintage emulation, is far more flexible and better sounding than any sequencer's. Did I mention it takes up none of your computer's CPU?

Support:
I've never had a problem with the card, and the plugins are rock-solid. UAD releases a few new plugs every year, and with each one comes driver updates. Each optional plugin has an unrestricted 14-Day demo, after which you simply purchase an activation code to continue using it. Simple.

Overall:
I'm considering maxing out my computer with four UAD cards, because I want every track I ever record from now on to be compressed, EQ'd, and reverberated by UAD plugs.

Submitted: 1/14/2005

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Read all Universal Audio UAD1 Studio Pak DSP Card (Macintosh and Windows) reviews...

Additional Images:

Main
Main
Plug-ins
Plug-ins
Nigel Trem Mod Echo
Nigel Trem Mod Echo
Nigel Phasor
Nigel Phasor
NIgel Mod Filter
NIgel Mod Filter
DreamVerb
DreamVerb
Pultec EQP-1A
Pultec EQP-1A
LA-2A
LA-2A
DSP Card Top
DSP Card Top
DSP Card Angle
DSP Card Angle
Nigel GateComp
Nigel GateComp
RealVerb Pro
RealVerb Pro
Nigel Preflex
Nigel Preflex
1176LN
1176LN
CS-1
CS-1
Nigel
Nigel
Fairchild 670 & 670M
Fairchild 670 & 670M
1176SE
1176SE
Cambridge EQ
Cambridge EQ
Nigel Tremelo
Nigel Tremelo

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About This Product!
Description
Docs
The UAD-1 Studio Pak is the most powerful combination of DSP hardware and high-quality software plugins available for host-based Macintosh and Windows DAWs. At heart of the UAD-1 Studio Pak is the revolutionary UAD-1 DSP card. Because of its high resolution, floating point processing, ultra high-speed memory and hardware dithering, the UAD-1 delivers outstanding high-headroom sound quality at sample rates from 44.1 to 192 khz. Unlike other DSP cards, the UAD-1 uses a single, unpartitioned processor allowing for larger and more sophisticated plug-in algorithms offering a new level of power and complexity not found with host-based plug-ins. By greatly reducing the burden on your computer's CPU, your host application can now deliver more tracks, automation and native effects.

The UAD-1 Studio Pak is a sonic powerhouse including a complete suite of 20 UA plug-ins including the famous UA vintage emulations which utilize UA's cutting-edge -Virtual Circuit modeling techniques that capture every nuance of these classic hardware tools; the 1176LN, LA-2A, Pultec EQP-1A, and Fairchild 670. The UAD-1 also includes UA Original innovative plug-ins to enhance your productions including the Cambridge EQ, Nigel Guitar Processor, Channel Strip and the award-winning professional reverbs, RealVerb and DreamVerb.

Features
Single unpartitioned super-computer DSP Chip

Bus mastering DMA for zero host load and maximum transfer rate

Fully PCI 2.1 compliant, supports 66 MHz and faster bus timing

7 in. form factor (PCI short card)

Compatible with the Magma PCI Expansion Chassis

More DSP headroom per plug-in than other multi-chip DSP cards

Supported sampling Rates from 32 kHz - 192 kHz

Best Sounding Plug-In Collection

Technical Info

Basic System Requirements
Windows:
Windows computer with available PCI slot for each UAD-1 card

Microsoft Windows 98SE/ME, 2000/XP, or Server 2003

128 MB of RAM (256 MB is strongly recommended)

70 MB of available disk space

CD drive or internet connection for software installation

VST compatible host application software, such as Steinberg Cubase, Nuendo, or Emagic Logic Audio

DirectX is supported under Cakewalk Sonar and Project5, and Sonic Foundry Sound Forge, Acid, and Vegas

1024 x 768 or higher resolution monitor

An AGP graphics video adapter (PCI graphics is not recommended)

Macintosh:
Mac OS PowerPC computer with available PCI slot for each UAD-1 card (G3 or better recommended; processor upgrade cards are not officially supported)

Mac OS 9.x, 10.2.x, or 10.3.x

128 MB of RAM (256 MB is strongly recommended)

70 MB of available disk space

CD drive or internet connection for software installation

VST version requires VST-compatible host software, such as Steinberg Cubase or Nuendo

MAS version requires Mark Of The Unicorn MAS version 2.3 or higher, and Digital Performer or AudioDesk host software

Audio Units version requires AU-compatible host application such as Emagic Logic Audio

1024 x 768 or higher resolution monitor

An AGP graphics video adapter (PCI graphics is not recommended)

Host Application Support
Windows VST:
Steinberg Cubase, Nuendo, Wavelab

Ableton Live

Emagic Logic Audio

D-Sound RT Player Pro

Image-Line Fruityloops

Magix Samplitude

Celemony Melodyne

Mackie Traction

Tascam GigaStudio 3

E-mu Paris is not officially supported but currently works

Windows DirectX:
Cakewalk Sonar. Project5

RML Labs SAWStudio (2.6e and higher) is not officially supported but currently works

Sonic Foundry Sound Forge, ACID Pro, Vegas

Mac OS X VST:
Steinberg Cubase, Nuendo

BIAS Peak, Deck

Ableton Live

TC Spark

Celemony Melodyne

Mackie Tracktion

D-Sound RT Player Pro

DSP Quatro Pro

Sagan Metro

Mackie Tracktion

E-mu Paris is not officially supported but currently works

Mac OS X Audio Units:
Apple/Emagic Logic Audio (6.3 and higher)

Mark Of The Unicorn Digital Performer (4.11 and higher)

Apple Final Cut Pro, Soundtrack, Garage Band

Mac OS 9 VST:
Steinberg Cubase, Nuendo

Emagic Logic Audio, Waveburner Pro

BIAS Peak (2.63 and higher), Deck, Vbox

Ableton Live

Opcode StudioVision

Spark FX Machine

Mac OS 9 MAS: Mark Of The Unicorn Digital Performer, AudioDesk

Digidesign RTAS/TDM:
RTAS: Supported via special UAD-1 version of FXpansion's VST to RTAS Adapter.

TDM: Not supported
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