Just got the UAD-1

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Just got the UAD-1

Post by @?,*???&? » Tue Apr 21, 2009 9:21 am

And

Holy Crap! This Pultec EQP1A sounds incredible!

The Bombfactory EQP1A SUCKED and I always knew it sucked. Never sounded like the real deal. The attentuation function was the trick with these and Bombfactory completely missed it. High end got edgy quick too.

This UAD is incredible sounding. Behaves EXACTLY like the real deal.

Good job guys. Very, very impressive. My acoustic guitar sounds just got 8 zillion times better!

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Post by mjau » Tue Apr 21, 2009 9:25 am

Wait until you try some of the other plugs. The Pultec's great, but the Helios eq is even more fun.

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Post by RodC » Tue Apr 21, 2009 9:52 am

OK, I'm going to say somthing here that I have been wanting to get out in the open.... I just don't get it.... I have a UAD 1 card, the Mackie version that includes the Project pack + the 1176ln and la2a plugs. The plugs sound good, but I just don't get the hype.

Guess Im not looking for color from a plugin.

Maybe its because they are going for the vintage color and all my pre's are pretty much there anyway?? The Pultec EQ is pretty nice but give me the Sonitus EQ any day.

Are the 1176ln and la2a plugs so popular cause ppl don't want to mess with Attack and release?? (Maybe same reason DBX 160 is so dang popular?) I get tired of trying out Comp plugs that are missing these controls. Again, give me the Sonitus comp plugin anytime.

I really want to try out the 140 plate and some of the mastering plugs.

I'm just glad I didn't drop down the extra cash for the 1176ln and la2a. These 2 plugs are the main reason I looked for a used Mackie, I got to tell ya, I'm disappointed.
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Post by farview » Tue Apr 21, 2009 10:14 am

RodC wrote: Are the 1176ln and la2a plugs so popular cause ppl don't want to mess with Attack and release?? (Maybe same reason DBX 160 is so dang popular?) I get tired of trying out Comp plugs that are missing these controls.
The 1176 has attack and release controls.

The LA2A is an optical compressor, some of those don't come with the controls because that's the point of that architecture.

I suppose it would depend on the type of music you tend to do. The 1176 is pretty aggressive and might not work for everything. If you want anything to be gloriously in your face, push in all 4 buttons.

Put the la2a on a bass track and set it so you are into the reduction about 3db or so. It will sit in the mix just right. It's also pretty transparent on vocals, even when you dig into the reduction. By transparent, I mean it doesn't ruin the vocals even when you are 12db into the reduction.

I use these two plugins all the time. The pultec I don't use very often, nor do I use the cambridge..

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Post by RodC » Tue Apr 21, 2009 10:33 am

farview wrote:
RodC wrote: Are the 1176ln and la2a plugs so popular cause ppl don't want to mess with Attack and release?? (Maybe same reason DBX 160 is so dang popular?) I get tired of trying out Comp plugs that are missing these controls.
The 1176 has attack and release controls.
Oops, sorry about that, pasted more in there than I wanted, too much ranting I guess.
farview wrote: The LA2A is an optical compressor, some of those don't come with the controls because that's the point of that architecture.
Can you really consider it an optical compressor, I dont think there is an opto coupler in there, just some bits being flipped. :lol:

Ill have to give the 4 button a shot, I dont like the la2a on Bass guitar, but then again I have a real DBX 165 that I like. I dont have a lot of vintage outboard comps and this is one of the reasons I tried these plugs out.
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Post by farview » Tue Apr 21, 2009 11:32 am

RodC wrote: Can you really consider it an optical compressor, I dont think there is an opto coupler in there, just some bits being flipped.
It's an emulation of an opto compressor. The plugin is supposed to work like the original. That's kind of the point.

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Post by newfuturevintage » Tue Apr 21, 2009 12:10 pm

RodC wrote: The Pultec EQ is pretty nice but give me the Sonitus EQ any day.
That's a bit like comparing Jesus to Spider Man.

Sure they're both EQs, but the similarities stop immediately there. I've got and like both, but for totally different reasons.

The sonitus EQ is a nice, low CPU use general use 5-band parametric EQ. Nothing special, but it fills that role nicely.

The Pultec for me fills two roles well: subtle sheen on top, and ridiculous overkill on the low end. I tend to use the Pultec for subtle coloration of busses, and the sonitus for surgical carving of individual channels.

The Sonitus (or any reasonably well implemented parametric) would be the one I'd keep if I could only have one, but I'd really miss the PEQ.

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Post by T-rex » Tue Apr 21, 2009 5:01 pm

I ma glad you like it Jeff. I didn't realize how bad my old plug ins sounded until I got the UAD. I hear the same consistantly good reviews whenever people talk about the Sonnex stuff too.

Hey RodC,
To me it's more important to have a simple set of controls that sounds good, rather than having a million options. Every DAW has built in fully parametirc EQ's and comps with a million controls, which sometimes are totally necessary. But for most mixing I kind of like the simple set. It's not so much that it looks like an LA2A, but that is reacts kind of like an opto and is a no brainer. You can get a good sound with it quickly, or move on to something else.
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Post by DryCounty » Tue Apr 21, 2009 5:18 pm

Jealous! I just ordered one from sweetwater for $99 with a $100 voucher. Don't know what I'm going to spend it on, I've always been intrigued by the LA-3A though. It arrives 4/24.

I think the PCI-e version (and thus all UAD-1 cards) are soon to be on clearance as UA has started writing plugs for the UAD2. Regardless, I think I'll be relatively happy for a while.

I don't have any of the hardware, but am intrigued by everything they've put out, and was sold not only by the price but by the recent interview with their designer, in TapeOp nonetheless.
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Post by mjau » Wed Apr 22, 2009 7:28 am

The LA3A is the least obvious, but most useful, of all the UA compressors, IMO (though I haven't used the VCA comp yet).

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Post by metanoiastudios » Wed Apr 22, 2009 9:46 am

mjau wrote:The LA3A is the least obvious, but most useful, of all the UA compressors, IMO (though I haven't used the VCA comp yet).
Ditto. I think it emphazises a nice punchy midrange as you push it further. I like it on bass and drums...sometimes in vocals can be cool too.
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