WHAT YOU GET
“UAD-2” actually refers to a product family — download a detailed price list under the “Buy” menu at www.uaudio.com. In a nutshell, Solo, Duo, and Quad versions have one, two, or four DSP chips. All come with the Mix Essentials II plug-in bundle: CS-1 channel strip, RealVerb Pro reverb, Pultec EQP-1A equalizer, and 1176SE limiter. Beyond that, the “Flexi” bundles add vouchers for buying more plug-ins from UA’s website, and the Nevana bundles showcase a fully-licensed emulation of the channel strip from Neve’s acclaimed 88RS mixing console. This is really significant: Not only can you get “that sound,” but with a Quad card providing up to 128 instances, you can get “that sound” on all your channels. Another plug-in that’s made it over from the UAD-1 as of press time is the Type 69 console EQ from the Helios, a vintage analog mixer revered by audiophiles who crinkle their noses at Neve and SSL.
COMPATIBILITY
Universal Audio chose a PCIe card instead of a FireWire or USB2 box because the PCIe bus has enough throughput to take advantage of the new DSP chips’ full potential. However, not all computers have PCIe slots, and to confuse matters, some computers have PCI-X slots, which are not compatible with PCIe. For example, some later Mac G5s have PCIe, but most have PCI-X.
Fortunately, UA’s website details known issues with particular motherboards, computers, and software. Before you buy, check there to make sure your computer is up to the task. UA also lists which hosts they’ve tested with the UAD-2. All the biggies are there. You won’t find Reaper, Cakewalk Project5, Acoustica Mixcraft, and some others, but that doesn’t mean the card won’t work with them — for example, I tested the UAD-2 with Project5 and it worked fine.
If you have a UAD-1, you can transfer every plug-in you own to the UAD-2 for free, until the end of 2008. After that, you’ll pay a nominal fee per plug-in. After porting your plugs over, projects created with the UAD-1 will open up with every plug-in on the UAD-2. Sweet. You can also still use UAD-1 plugs with a UAD-1 card, which can work alongside UAD-2 cards.
IN USE
If you’re wondering why I haven’t talked about sound quality yet, it’s because these are (so far) the same plugs used in the UAD-1, and they still sound more like the big-bucks analog gear they emulate than any other plugs on the planet.
When a company says you can load “up to” 128 instances of a plug-in (in this case, the Neve 88RS), I assume that’s under ideal conditions and it’ll be less in the real world. My computer isn’t exactly optimized: Every PCIe slot is taken up, so the bus is as loaded as can be, I run hosts at a demanding 6ms latency, and I use lots of automation. But when I followed UA’s guidelines (44.1kHz/24-bit files, mono instances, compressor/all EQs/all filters engaged, and “loadlock” — which reserves DSP — turned off), I could indeed load up a Quad card with 128 Neve 88RS plugs in the latest versions of Cubase, Sonar, Live, and Acid. There were no hiccups, dropouts, crackles, or other audio problems. DSP demand is handled progressively: Once one chip hits 99 percent use, the next chip kicks in until it hits 99 percent, and so on.
Suitably impressed, I then tested how many stereo versions of the Neve plug-in I could load, and got 84 instances before I hit the ceiling — which exceeded expectations, because I’d assumed stereo would only give me half the mono instances. Very cool.
CONCLUSIONS
While it’s not a new concept that the qualities people love about hard-to-find analog gear are in a virtual environment, being able to run 128 top-quality channel strips certainly is new. That’s an entire virtual console or two — minus preamps, of course, which need to be hardware in order to get audio into your computer.
Really, what we’re talking about is “more:” For a long time, computer musicians have been wondering when we’ll be able to mix music entirely “in the box” with no horsepower worries, and without investing five or six figures in a dedicated, cardbased recording system. With the UAD-2 (even the Solo version) that tipping point has been reached. If you’re power-hungry enough to get multiple Quads, it’s been passed by miles.
For analysis of how the UAD-2 affects the big picture of today’s recording studio, see the November 2008 issue of EQ magazine.
PROS
Much more powerful than the UAD-1. Universal Audio plug-ins’ sound quality is second to none. Compatible with latest operating systems, including Leopard and Vista. Easy to install and authorize.
CONS
No RTAS compatibility yet for Pro Tools. Only works on computers that have PCIe slots.
INFO
$649–$2,499 list, depending on model. Visit UA’s website for complete pricing details. www.uaudio.com
HANDS-ON
The CS-1 Channel Strip is a do-all kinda plug-in: Five stages of EQ, compressor, delay, and reflections (basic reverb).
The Pultec EQP-1A emulates a classic, coveted EQ that happens to be one of my personal favorites.
RealVerb Pro is a very flexible reverb.
The 1176SE Limiting Amplifier gives vintage-style dynamics control. Make that kick drum go “Unh!”
In addition to the four included plug-ins, you get control panel software and a meter that shows how much of the card’s DSP power is being used.
This Mic button initiates LiveTrack mode for the lowest possible latency.
Tempo sync is available on effects where it makes sense.
NEED TO KNOW
What it is A PCI Express card for Mac and Windows computers, with DSP that runs Universal Audio’s “Powered Plug-Ins.”
Why do I need a card to run plug-ins? It lightens your computer’s CPU load, and lets designers use more processing power than for native plugins, often resulting in better sound.
What can I run it on? Mac OS 10.4 and later (including Leopard), Windows XP, x64, and Vista (32- or 64-bit). For full compatibility info, go to
www.uaudio. com/support/uad/compatibility.html".
Is my UAD-1 obsolete? Not at all — you can combine UAD-1 and UAD-2 cards in the same computer, up to 4 of each. Of course, you need enough PCIe slots or an expansion chassis. Can it run my UAD-1 plug-ins? Yes, but you have to crossgrade them, or just keep the UAD-1 card in your computer alongside the UAD-2.
Can it run native plug-ins, like VST and AU? No, but Universal Audio’s plug-ins are so good you probably won’t care.
Can I run it inside Pro Tools? Not yet, but Universal Audio says that RTAS versions of their plug-ins are a priority.
Can it run soft synths? None exist for it at this writing, but a great strategy is to use the UAD for your mix processing and effects, freeing up your host CPU for more soft synths.
Does it do hands-on control? The plug-ins work with host automation; whether you can tie MIDI to automation so you can use hardware controls depends on the host. Most hosts can.