It had to happen... || Universal Audio Spark 

Correct 🤟🏼😎

Yes!!!

The Gain knob adds extra distortion no matter the position ofthe peakcontrol, thats why he talks about of a needed output control . Try it, it doesnt sound the same with the gain cracked all the way up.

Easy enough to test this with plugin doctor or with a null test.

@@blacksaonamusic ofcourse it doesn't, but why would you crank it all the way up? If you have some db's of reduction you give it a bit of gain. And if the gain knob colors the sound while doing that and you don't like, you probably weren't looking for an LA-2A type compressor.

that critique had to be satire haha

Yeah can't even support ray tracing or HDR smh

If he had only read the manual!

I wonder if this move has something to do with the chip shortage? Maybe the writing is on the wall. Obviously UA wouldn't want to make this knowledge public because a huge chunk of their business has been based upon this model, but I wouldn't be surprised that this is out of necessity.

Exactly what I am wondering about the chips. I fear a repeat on the powercore units.

Perfect!!!

In the case of compression, I don't entirely agree with this. Compression can really bring out reverbs and the 'impact' they have on a sound. Case in point, when I'm mixing in a DAW (I use Ableton), I always add a bit of compression after a reverb in a send buss because it makes it 'smack' more by bringing out the transients - which is effectively what compression does. I understand what you mean, but sometimes certain sounds benefit from compression and make it sound that much more 'drastic' and as an audio example are much easier to prove a point, versus having something that is more subtle and dry.

That’s a good point, as I use an Apollo interface and console I already have processing of some form on every track coming into logic. As I have templates set up in console it speeds up the process but also has distinct disadvantages too.

@@MrHoogoorock what are the disadvantages? Are you referring to your templates or using the Plugs ins -- just asking cause Im finally looking at videos of all these UA plug ins in an attempt to get better, and I just was unclear what you meant. Thanks!

@@jgwire I was referring to the point of all the plugins on the interface console which use the dsp from the Apollo and bring all the colouration across on production or recording. Once done can’t be removed the colouration that is Mostly delay reverb but also many others. So the advantages are obvious but the disadvantages are your rarely starting with a clean palette, you can’t take your mix on the road if you want to use the UAD plugins unless you have a mobile UAD and if you start a production tweak the console plugins settings and structure but forget to save the session you have a bit of work to do to try and recall it.

WEF - "You'll own nothing and you'll be happy" I sure as heck hope not. I think we have to express to these companies that we don't like that idea or nothing will change..

You can still buy plug-ins from UA. If you buy it, you get you get both a UAD2 and Native license (even if you never use/need the UAD2 license), whereas if you rent them, you only get the Native license. So UA is giving you choices.

@@c3r1c38 Only a matter of time my friend.

@@c3r1c38 so to clarify, does that mean I can buy the plugin from UA, without an interface, and use the plugins perpetually?

@@Rhuggins only for the plug-ins in spark i had the same question aswell

The guy is constantly bashing on vst representations of legendary audio gear because he doesn't know how the original units actually work.

Fucking annoying you don't know how a legendary La2A works.

You are 100% correct sir. What makes it even more obvious is that increasing the gain knob does not increase compression. Dead giveaway right there alone.

@@devianthousend dont be mean

@@devianthousend uncalled fooor, its subjective and i think he is a great audio engineer, he has a ton of videos out just mixing and he has an great ear

Yeah, I made an oopsie there 😅… Guess I’m still human 😂

That’s some strong kool-aid man. Don’t even need to adjust the volume during mix down? We need proof of this otherwise it’s not true.

10:20 he looks genuinely shocked & surprised!

I still have my UAD 1. All the plugins mentioned on this channel sounded less than the 25 euro UAD 1 you could get for years.

@@Madrrrrrrrrrrrare u saying the uad plugins sound bad? because there’s no way that’s real

@@onstandard you clearly can't read.

@@Madrrrrrrrrrrr it’s difficult reading it

Yep. I’d put Kush in the same category

He did a review about AO and was quite surprised. He liked the plugins he tried (brit bundle)

@@Mansardian brit bundle is great, but the most tasty thing about AO is the vintage compressors. U know, when I see shock on his face about UAD 1176 and La-2a... Like, cmon, analog obsession does it at least at the same level for free!

Too bad it doesn't support axx

​@@chode2bthey do now

just get the slate bundle. at least they're a consumer friendly company. (also the prices are much fairer and the modelling is as good)

​@@TheJohnsofDoes says who? not the audiophile community that's for sure. I think you'll find they are. In fact at one point Fabric's algorithms were a league above UA's.. How quick you forget it is because of Fabrice that we now have full path modelling in our UAD plugs. I was there at the beginning, I have both and use them professionally. When Slate introduced the rack they embarrassed UAD on realism to the actual hardware as they were including transformer and pre-amp modelling not just eq curves/compression curves. UAD went back to ALL their plugs like neve, pultec, 1176 and LA2A and remade them to include the full path (at which point I might add they upped the price on us to $300 per plug, and those pathetic sharc chips could only run 2 of some plugs total on an $800 dollar card). It was UAD that had to catch up to slate, not the other way round. Don't get me wrong UA plugs are still good, but they are both very much in the same league, unfortunately UA's business model (like pro tools) is predatory, and extortionary and they've brainwashed people like you into believing the dsp hardware was necessary when it was outdated a decade ago never mind now. lo and behold they are now trying to catch up to slate again by copying the business model.

​@@TheJohnsofDoes in fact all of them (almost) are superior :D

If youre lucky you can get the odd deal below 100$. I think I paid 75 for autotune and the manley voxbox

They come with free unison plugins right? Is it only free for a limited time?

@@maddmarkmusic no they come with a few legacy version plug ins and the us 610b but the other 99% are to be paid for after

Easily the best audio channel I reckon!

I accept this gift, thank you! 😄

Well, it's ported to Windows now. Are you still going to return? I'm thinking of giving it a go as I've always wanted to try the UAD stuff but never bought into the hardware aspect to be able to.

@@commonsense5188 Yeah, Ill probably give it a go. I have loads of plugins and wouldn't mind seeing what I have access to. I miss the Moog filter, the LA2A and a couple of others.

@@Vikotnick Funny enough, I was sitting here in the studio watching some shootouts and decided to download the plugins for Spark and play around. I was extremely impressed. This might be lengthy. First thing I did was load up a kick, snare, 808, synth and some hats from a new track I'm doing. I threw Slate VTM across all channels, including the master out and dialed to taste. I then did the same with the Studer from UAD. I was just going by ear as that's how I do things. I did gain stage prior. Hands down, no comparison. VTM sounded flat, and thin which really got me intrigued. I then loaded up the Lindell 50 Channel on the tracks, along with PA's version of the 2500 on the drum buss. Dialed to taste. Then I threw on the UAD API Vision strip, and the API 2500 on drum buss. Matched settings as closely as I could and shit man, it was no contest. I shit you not, and I don't get all stoked over shit like this. I was able to dial in the sound I wanted in a fraction of the time with the vision strip vs any of the bx consoles I've tried along with others. The 50 channel didn't sound bad, but compared to the API vision it was night and day in my studio. I listened on my CLA-10A's, Genelec 8030c's and my Nuemann NDH 30's. The 50 channel came up flat, sounded choked, and lacked depth and stereo image. The API vision was fantastic and that was literally after just twiddling knobs for a few minutes. I immediately uninstalled all my SSL bundle plug ins, (yes I had the sub) deleted 50 channel and some other PA plugs and from this point on, the API vision and the Studer will live on all tracks along with the API 2500 on drum buss etc. It was that easy for me to make the decision and I haven't even messed around with any of the other UAD plugs that came with the trial. The sound I always hear in my hear starting a mix came together so fast with those 3 tools. Really threw me for a loop. I'm thinking about grabbing the new "A-Console" from Sonimus tonight and throwing that into the mix which is their new API offering for console emulation. Studer-A-Console-API Vision, on all tracks would be superb. At least I think so. I really only mix my own music, so I don't need a wide variety of channel strips etc. The API stands firm between the Neve and SSL flavors so it's really all I see myself needing from this point on. Of course I do have the random things that I like for FX and little things like Karzog true iron etc etc. But the meat and potatoes of my templates will now be API oriented thanks to UAD. The vision strip workflow was really fast so I'm content now. Sorry for the rant, but nothing software related has gotten me this inspired in quite some time.

@@commonsense5188 That is great! Thank you for the long reply. I will check it out tonight when I'm in the studio!

yeah, but why would they make something native if that thing is already native? I think that by now everything 3rd party on UAD has Native versions as well. Brainworks and Softube have all ported, I think.

They make a lot more, and they are not converted. The ones that they don't make already exist natively..LOL

@@gffg387 I’m assuming this is just through their own plugins and licenses with manufacturers that currently don’t have their own version of the plugins like Manley along with companies they bought out like Townsend Labs not with manufacturers they have licenses with that also have their own native versions.

But Brainworx native versions are exactly the same as the UAD version. It's just compiled for a different processor. We have to get real with the UAD stuff. The reason it *seems* like these plugins are so powerful is because the SHARC chips are so weak compared to modern x64 CPU's. The API Vision uses about 20% of my twin core Apollo for ONE instance but one in my 2015 MacBook i7 is about .2% CPU according to Reaper's resource meter. The same plugins. UAD has reached point of admitting, "Yeah, they're just plugins, man". We have to accept it.

“Gain” is output volume on the LA2A

There are a bunch of issues using a GPU for audio processing, esp. if said GPU is being used by the OS/other software. Additionally, GPUs are fairly inefficient on the power draw/heat output/noise generated vs DSP (i.e. chips specifically built to process audio). I seriously doubt someone wants the noise of a RTX 3060 (or even worse a 3090) running at full blast in their studio space.

@@c3r1c38 UAD1 was a graphics chip. 2 onwards (2008) has been just sharc dsp. very weak and capable of x86 all along. they could have gone native a decade ago.

I’m pretty sure you can’t sync in native version

You can do this with any plugin in REAPER

keep the bag up

Subscription models are for metro sexuals

Its a Lewitt LCT 1040. He has a whole video about it :)

DMG Track Comp 2k (API) NI Softube VC2A IK Media Tape Collection, Including Tascam Pulsar 1178 iK Media Sunset Sound PA Lindel 80 and 50 and for Instruments Auturia Synth Collection and Roland Zenology these all sound better than UAD plugins and they are very accessable and more dsp friendly..... Point in Case...UAD is a waste of time.....

⁠​⁠@@johnisrael5183to each their own honestly, i’ve tried all these plugins and UAD. I like uad but i wouldn’t say that these plugins that you named are better. They’re nice and accessible though.

How many tracks and plugins are you running before you M1 mini starts choking out? How low is your buffer? Oh, and what daw?

@@Labyrinth1010 I use mostly logic, Softube Console 1 on every channel and every bus, studer on most channels, plus number of reverbs and delays. That’s default, nothing crazy. Buffer depends on the load.

Just at that point. Longtime user of the PC Card and finally getting an Apollo. Not only for tracking but I’ve never had that UNISON option! that’s supposed to really help emulate the experience of using the real thing.

After trying Fabfilter Volcano 3, there's no point using a Pultec plugin.

@@saricubra2867 Fabfilter's amazing! I'll check it out!

Yup; Gain is the output gain.

I know one thing, waves's simulation of the 1176 is terrible. The Arturia and Native Instruments are the ones closest to the UAD and a real 1176 Rev A. But, i prefer the Pulsar 1178 over any 1176 emulation.

I had purple audio mc77 and refund it, its really Bright and I dont really like it

People have A/B'd and NULL-tested the UAD2 vs. Native versions and they null, so whatever is happening behind the scenes the results are audibly and mathematically the same.

Very compelling. The mcdsp ab16 is tempting

oh please, not today. even a decade ago I did a comparison with the Sony oxford plugs then they ported native to uad. on a poultry core 2 duo even back then it was 300+ instances vs uad capped at 48 and that was on the $900 quad card. Worse still anyone in dsp could tell you that uad's 2 cards only ran sharc 3rd party chips anyway which were capable of running x86 code all along. only the first uad1 in the early 2000s was a bespoke processor. the only reason they are doing this now is Slate have been embarassing them on both analog modelling and fair consumer pricing options for years now..

@@Bthelick slate vm1 is solid too. Definitely killing it with the plug-ins. Have you tried the FGx mastering processor?

@@bigstevedzn2353 If I have to use limiting,. I like the fx on rock and live stuff, prefer izotope for electronic, but I don't like limiting usually.

What is the “alternate interface” you speak of?

Damn i only want the chambers but to get it I need to buy their devices then buy the plug-in 😐

Hold up Analog Obsession And Plug-in alliance Sounds as good OR better And no DSP bs 😆😆

just get Slate. thats the only reason UA are finally going native. Slate is better models, cheaper and fairer pricing options. and they never charged $800 for a dongle.