Includes 20 professional hardware-accelerated plug-ins.
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41 People rated this product : 7 out of 10
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4 People wrote reviews |
Read all Universal Audio UAD1 Studio Pak DSP Card (Macintosh and Windows) reviews... |
![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() 8 out of 10
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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
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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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