So my birthday is coming up, and I'm debating what to get. I was planning on getting a UAD 2 quad, but now I'm thinking of replacing my audio interface (EMU 1820m). They really don't maintain the EMU anymore, my windows 7 drivers are still on beta, and while it usually works ok for music, it sometimes crackles then shuts down when I video game (yes same comptuter, I'm not buying two). Anyway, thoughts on which to get, also if sound card which one? I don't need a bunch of ins or outs because I hardly ever record, and when I do, it's just one vocal. Thanks,

To me that's a no brainer. Get a new AI. UAD has the Apollo interface with either a duo or quad built in. I don't know if it works with Sonar well but it looks amazing. Of course, it means a bit more than the quad. There are interfaces out there for the price of the quad, RME, that are excellent.

As for gaming, to be honest don't expect to not have issues with some games with any pro audio card. That has been my observation at least. IMO just use one of these while you're gaming and unplug it when not gaming would be my suggestion. I would grab that quad also.

Forget UAD. I just sold mine with all the plugs.  It's an expensive dongle that keeps you from running as many instances as you want to.  My other plugs are all as good or better and I can run as many as I need. The TRacks compressors blow away my UAD ones.  UAD was one of the best solutions years ago but now they are just beating a dead horse.

Although I'm more in vintagevibe's camp - there are plenty of pros that make more money than me that swear by UAD.

But if you are having crashes etc. by unsupported hardware, well, partner, I suppose it is time to get a new interface.

I think it is Martin Walker who used the emu as his "bog standard" interface comparison - he found the TC Konnekt series better.  The TCK 6, I think.  I can't tell you what to buy - that is your decision and how much you want to pay for it.  I'd get something else before I sprang for the UAD.  You can always add that latter, but if you are having difficulties hearing or recording, all the DSP in the world won't right that wrong.  The UAD Apollo seems like good kit and includes the DSP which would seem a no-brainer, except it has more in/outs than you need.  Of course, you never know and I'd rather have the ins and not need them than need them and not have it - even once a year.  And I'm definately of the opinion to get the best hardware you can so you don't replace it for that last few percentage of sound. 

Good luck.


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I cannot recommend RME interfaces highly enough.
I cannot recommend UAD Quad highly enough. Is it an expensive dongle? Yeah, but I don't care. I have two quads and I can run more than enough UAD plugs. They do have some very nice plugs. Helios, EMT 140 & 250, Pulteq, Precision series, Studer tape....

bapu


I cannot recommend RME interfaces highly enough.
I cannot recommend UAD Quad highly enough. Is it an expensive dongle? Yeah, but I don't care. I have two quads and I can run more than enough UAD plugs. They do have some very nice plugs. Helios, EMT 140 & 250, Pulteq, Precision series, Studer tape....

With 2 Quads you should be fine but the expense-to-plugin ration is seriously out of whack.  For high budget studio users it may still make sense.  If you were just starting out and had no plug-ins would you go with UAD or Waves?  The UAD Octo goes for $1500 without any plugs (to speak of).   For $1200 you could get WAVES Platinum Bundle with 40 plugs.  Not to say UAD isn't good ... its just way overpriced.

I don't think that UA plug-ins are over priced. I wish they were cheaper, but I (grudgingly) acknowledge that they are worth the asking prices - especially if you are patient and wait for the sales.

I think a bigger problem is that we've all made the tools we use into commodities. I think that's a big mistake, and will spell doom for some companies that can't compete in the commodity space.

UA chooses not to follow that path, and I think it is a good for them, and ultimately, for me.

There are a handful of companies that make what I'd call world-class plug-ins...
(please keep in mind that these are my opinions, they are not facts!)

UA makes the best hardware emulations, hands down. (The PSP Lexicon 42 is convincing, but I have this sneaking suspicion that if UA emulated the 42 it'd be way cool.)

Waves has the widest range of plug-ins, they cover emulations, which I haven't purchased, but I love their take on compression, equalization, and effects. I have owned their Gold collection since it was called Native I and II - and used a parallel port dongle<G>!

PSP Audioware makes terrific delays, both modeled and more modern takes on the concept.

Voxengo has a wonderful suite of tools, some of which approach emulation, but they do quite a bit more.

One other thing these companies have in common is that none of them have gone the dirt-cheap road. Waves has, recently, undercut their pricing a bit, and I'm sorry to see that, but they probably know what they are doing - they've been around for a long time!

UA makes the best hardware emulations, hands down.

wst3


I don't think that UA plug-ins are over priced. I wish they were cheaper, but I (grudgingly) acknowledge that they are worth the asking prices - especially if you are patient and wait for the sales.

I think a bigger problem is that we've all made the tools we use into commodities. I think that's a big mistake, and will spell doom for some companies that can't compete in the commodity space.

UA chooses not to follow that path, and I think it is a good for them, and ultimately, for me.

There are a handful of companies that make what I'd call world-class plug-ins...
(please keep in mind that these are my opinions, they are not facts!)

UA makes the best hardware emulations, hands down. (The PSP Lexicon 42 is convincing, but I have this sneaking su****ion that if UA emulated the 42 it'd be way cool.)

Waves has the widest range of plug-ins, they cover emulations, which I haven't purchased, but I love their take on compression, equalization, and effects. I have owned their Gold collection since it was called Native I and II - and used a parallel port dongle<G>!

PSP Audioware makes terrific delays, both modeled and more modern takes on the concept.

Voxengo has a wonderful suite of tools, some of which approach emulation, but they do quite a bit more.

One other thing these companies have in common is that none of them have gone the dirt-cheap road. Waves has, recently, undercut their pricing a bit, and I'm sorry to see that, but they probably know what they are doing - they've been around for a long time!

IMO everything else I use regularly is as good or better than UAD.  "best hardware emulations, hands down" is subjective and debatable.  Dirt cheap is about perception and not about quality.  If I can buy dirt cheap plugs as good or better than UAD then dirt cheap is the logical choice.  If I want a great LA2A emulation the newer UAD version are good quality but it will cost $450 for a solo card and the plug.   And I will be limited in how many instances I can use.  I have several other choices that will cost me +/- $100 and I will be able to use as my instances as I can possibly need.  For me that's argument over.

vintagevibe

IMO everything else I use regularly is as good or better than UAD.  "best hardware emulations, hands down" is subjective and debatable.  Dirt cheap is about perception and not about quality.  If I can buy dirt cheap plugs as good or better than UAD then dirt cheap is the logical choice.  If I want a great LA2A emulation the newer UAD version are good quality but it will cost $450 for a solo card and the plug.   And I will be limited in how many instances I can use.  I have several other choices that will cost me +/- $100 and I will be able to use as my instances as I can possibly need.  For me that's argument over. 

Please re-read my post... I stated very clearly that it was my opinion. Specifically, I said:

(please keep in mind that these are my opinions, they are not facts!) 

Here's the thing, I've tried a bunch of plug-ins that emulate hardware. Some used DSP accelerators, some didn't. And the prices ranged from free to nearly painful.



I also spent almost ten years repairing or refurbishing hardware, including quite a few LA-4's and 1176's, 1178's, and even a few BL-40's (guess they were just getting popular again.) I really doubt that any two of them sounded exactly alike. But they did share certain 'signature' qualities.


To my ears (which are much abused, I'll confess), nothing gets as close to the vibe as the UA models of these devices. Now my studio is no where near good enough to hear much of a difference between the original plug-ins and the recent ones. So I have not invested in the newer plug-ins yet.


Part of the equation is how the controls react to your input, and how the processing reacts to your program material. I think that's probably a big part of the equation.


But the single most important thing is that I like them, and therefore I bought them.

No one else needs to like them, or buy them.

Music production, like music, is highly subjective, and when someone comes to a forum to ask a subjective question they need to expect subjective answers. And those answers will almost certainly cover a lot of the bases.

One of the biggest disadvantages of the UA family of plug-ins is that you must buy into the hardware in order to demo them. Once you do, well, then you are set, but it's a huge investment, and a huge risk for the purchaser. But with the demise of local music stores it is nearly impossible to demo anything anymore, so we come to public forums and ask questions, in the hopes that at least one answer will resonate!

FTR, I was able to demo the UAD-1, back when it was sold by Mackie, at my local music store. They had a great production room where you could audition microphones, preamplifiers, processors, software, libraries, etc. I really miss that, since back then I had a chance to make a more informed decision. And sometimes they let me take stuff home to try it - not software, but microphones and loudspeakers were fair game!