Universal Audio | UAD Powered Plug-Ins Release Notes

This page contains important technical information about each UAD software version.
Please review the information before contacting technical support.

For the complete list of changes in each release, please see the UAD version history page.

A new authorization file must be loaded for each release. After installation and reboot, you will be prompted to automatically obtain the new authorization file the first time the UAD Meter & Control Panel application is launched. Alternately, after installing the software and rebooting, simply click the "Authorize Plug-Ins" button in the UAD Meter & Control Panel "Plug-Ins" pane to obtain the authorization file. Then double-click the downloaded file to load it.
See the section titled "Authorization" in Chapter 2 of the UAD User Manual for complete authorization information and detailed procedures.

Host Application Notes (Windows | Macintosh) - Detailed optimization information for specific audio hosts.
Technical Bulletins - Specific notes for RTAS, UAD-2 SOLO/Laptop, PCIe, Mac G5, incompatible motherboards, and more.
UAD User Manual - Complete installation and operation guide for UAD Powered Plug-Ins.

UAD Plate 140 is now UAD EMT 140
As of UAD v5.6.0, the prior "UAD Plate 140" reverb plug-in is renamed to "UAD EMT 140." Our plate reverb plug-in is now offically sanctioned and licensed by EMT Studiotechnik GmbH, and it offers several additional controls over the prior plug-in. Please be aware of the following conditions when loading sessions created with UAD v5.5.0 (and earlier).

Plate 140 >EMT 140 Session Compatibility
There are a few known cases where a host application is relying on the plug-in name rather than its unique identifier key. In these cases the host will not be able to find the "new" plug-in in v5.6.0 and use it in sessions created with earlier versions (a workaround is below). These known hosts are:
- Magix Samplitude
- Sony Acid
- Presonus StudioOne (Mac and Win)
- Steinberg Wavelab
- BIAS Peak Pro/LE (applies only to Vbox presets)

The workaround for these hosts is:
1. Quit the host application.
2. Make a copy of the UAD EMT 140 plugin file/bundle.
3. Rename this copy to "UAD Plate 140" (retain the file extension).
4. Relaunch the host application. You should now have a EMT 140 plug-in and Plate 140 plug-in available in the host.
5. Copy settings from the session's active Plate 140 using the UAD Toolbar (in the UAD plug-in window).
6. Replace the Plate 140 instance with the EMT 140.
7. Paste the copied Plate 140 settings into the EMT 140 instance.
Note: This workaround does not work for the Audio Units under Presonus StudioOne on Mac. There is currently no known workaround for this host.

UAD EMT 140 Preset Location
With the renaming of Plate 140 to EMT 140, your host application may load/save presets from a different location than was previously used for Plate 140. If you saved Plate 140 presets using the UAD Toolbar (in the UAD plug-in window), you may want to move any existing presets from the old location to the new "UAD EMT 140" preset folder in the same parent folder:

Macintosh
Old path: Macintosh HD/Library/Application Support/Universal Audio/Presets/UAD Plate 140/
New path: Macintosh HD/Library/Application Support/Universal Audio/Presets/UAD EMT 140/

Windows
Old path: C:\Program Files\Universal Audio\Powered Plug-ins\Presets\UAD Plate 140\
New path: C:\Program Files\Universal Audio\Powered Plug-ins\Presets\UAD EMT 140\

Note: Your host application likely saves presets in a similar manner and the same preset migration is recommended for wherever those presets are stored (the location varies for each host).
UAD 4K Channel Strip Q Control Changes
The UAD 4K Channel Strip in UAD v5.6.0 has minor changes to the taper of its Q controls which more accurately emulate the hardware. Sessions saved under UAD v5.5.0 (and earlier) will load under v5.6.0 with new/correct knob positions, but the processing is not affected and resulting audio will not be different from v5.5.0.
UAD EL7 FATSO Sr. Interface Changes
- The color order of the LEDs for HP Filter, Attack, and Release have been reversed from earlier versions. Existing saved settings/sessions are preserved.
- The 100ms Attack Time label has been changed to 60ms to better reflect actual attack time. Audio processing has not changed, only the interface.
- Minor changes have been made to the Attack and Release compression curves to more closely match the Emprical Labs reference hardware.
Windows UAD-2 Driver improvements
The "Clear CPU Affinity" setting that was introduced in UAD v5.5.0 has been replaced with "Enable CPU Optimization" (clearing the CPU affinity is no longer necessary with the new option). The new"Enable CPU Optimization" option enables significant UAD-2 driver performance enhancements (reduced host CPU loads and host CPU spiking) for all Windows OS platforms, particularly in cases where a low ASIO buffer size is in use and/or heavy graphics activity. This setting is enabled by default and recommended for all UAD-2 users running Windows.
UAD-2 Firmware Update
The UAD-2 firmware update in UAD v5.6.0 ensures the UAD-2 DSP card properly re-initializes itself during a computer reboot/restart. Prior to this firmware update, the UAD-2 may not re-initialize itself during the computer's restart sequence and could result in the hardware not being recognized, or the DSPs crashing on launching of the UAD Meter or UAD plug-ins. This should also resolve cases of DSP Code "Error 74" occuring while using UAD plug-ins. This firmware update is recommended for all UAD-2 users.

The firmware is updated automatically by the UAD installer. If the UAD-2 is not installed when the UAD installer is run, the firmware will be updated the next time the UAD Meter & Control panel is launched and the UAD-2 is installed. Be careful not to interrupt power to the computer while the firmware is updating!

Important note for RTAS users running Windows Vista: The Mellowmuse ATA v1.4 plug-in for RTAS included in the UAD v5.5.0 installer will not load under Windows Vista, causing an "invalid authorization error" when Pro Tools scans the ATA plug-in. This issue does not occur under Windows XP.

If you run RTAS under Vista, we recommend obtaining the currently available ATA plug-in version directly from the Mellowmuse ATA website. This issue will be resolved in a future release and we apologize for any inconvenience.

The UAD installer overwrites the currently installed ATA version with the 1.4 version. Therefore, install any ATA version other than v1.4 AFTER installing UAD v5.5.0.
(UAD-2 SOLO/Laptop) UAD v5.5.0 requires a firmware update. The SOLO/Laptop firmware is updated automatically by the UAD v5.5.0 installer. If the SOLO/Laptop is not installed when the UAD installer is run, the firmware will be updated the next time the UAD Meter & Control panel is launched and the SOLO/Laptop is installed.
Be careful not to interrupt power to the computer while the firmware is updating.
(Mac) The UAD v5.5.0 firmware enables “Higher Performance” graphics mode support on MacBook Pro "unibody" systems with UAD-2 SOLO/Laptop. Prior UAD versions required “Better battery life” graphics mode. The graphics mode is set in the System Preferences>Energy Saver pane (this option is not available on all systems).

IMPORTANT: FATSO Jr./Sr. v5.4.1 session and preset settings are not backwards compatible with v5.4.0.

If a session containing UAD FATSO Jr./Sr. is loaded under v5.4.1 and saved, then if the session is reloaded under v5.4.0, the FATSO settings from v5.4.1 will be permanently lost. This applies to FATSO presets as well (there is no way to transfer FATSO settings from v5.4.1 back to v5.4.0).
(UAD-2 Windows) UAD v5.4.1 introduces the new "Clear CPU Affinity" setting in the UAD Meter & Control Panel "Configuration" pane. Enabling this setting automatically clears processor affinity settings when UAD-2 plug-ins are loaded on multiprocessor systems. This may help reduce CPU overloading and spiking behavior in certain hosts, by forcing UAD-2 plug-ins to run all processors instead of having an “affinity” (preference) for one particular processor.

The default value is OFF. If UAD-2 plug-ins are already loaded when the Clear CPU Affinity setting is changed, the host application must be restarted for the change to take effect. Clear CPU Affinity has no effect on single processor systems.

If the multiprocessor setting in the host application preferences is disabled then re-enabled, the Clear CPU Affinity setting will no longer have any effect. Therefore, for best results, enable the UAD Meter's Clear CPU Affinity setting AFTER changing the host multiprocessor preference setting.
(RTAS) UAD v5.4.1 does not include the latest version of the Mellowmuse ATA RTAS plug-in. We recommend downloading and installing the latest ATA version after updating to UAD v5.4.1. The latest ATA version is available directly from the Mellowmuse website.

(Mac AU) Fairchild Mono has been removed from UAD v5.3.1 (and higher). Loading a session containing Fairchild Mono with UAD v5.4.0 (and higher) will cause a "plug-in not found" error, and the Fairchild Mono settings will be lost if the session is then saved. To convert v5.3.0 (and earlier) sessions that use Fairchild Mono for v5.3.1 and higher compatibility:

1. Install UAD v5.3.0 (or earlier) before opening the session containing UAD Fairchild Mono.
2. For each UAD Fairchild Mono instance, load a regular UAD Fairchild in the same track, group/buss, or output.
3. Use the UAD plug-in toolbar to copy/paste the settings from each Mono instance to its corresponding regular instance.
4. Delete the Fairchild Mono instances.
5. Save the session. The session will now load properly using UAD v5.4.0 and no settings will be lost.

(UAD-2 only) UAD v5.3.0 requires a firmware update. The UAD-2 firmware is updated automatically by the v5.3.0 installer.
Be careful not to interrupt power to the computer while the firmware is updating.

UAD RTAS implementation is significantly enhanced in UAD v5.2.0. All Pro Tools users should review the updated RTAS/Pro Tools/Mellowmuse information page for complete details. Note: A new UAD RTAS ReadMe.rtf is placed into the Powered Plug-Ins Tools when the RTAS option is specified during UAD installation.

(UAD-2) Sleep/Standby/Hibernation modes are not officially supported in v5.1.0. The system may crash when entering sleep if UAD-2 plug-ins are running.
Sleep is fully supported in v5.2.0 (and higher).
(UAD-2 RTAS) Pro Tools LE and HD are not officially supported with the UAD-2 in v5.1.0 due to crash and/or performance issues. If you elect to use the UAD-2 under Pro Tools, select a Hardware Buffer Size setting of no less than 1024 and use as few RTAS Processors as possible (set in Playback Engine settings in Pro Tools).

The UAD product user manual (UADManual.pdf) has been significantly revised and enhanced for v5.0.0. Please refer to the new manual for instructions on how to install and operate UAD Powered Plug-Ins v5.0.0.
The Authorization process is significantly streamlined as of v5.0.0. Simply click the "Authorize Plug-Ins..." button in the new UAD Meter & Control Panel application "Plug-Ins" pane, then load the downloaded authorization file. See page 27 in the v5.0.0 manual for detailed procedures.
(UAD-2) Sleep/Standby/Hibernation modes are not officially supported in v5.0.0. The system may crash when entering sleep if UAD-2 plug-ins are running. Sleep will be fully supported in a future release.
(UAD-2) Performing rapid parameter changes (either by hand or using automation) in UAD Plate 140 at a buffer size of 64 samples may cause a crash. This will be fixed in a future update.
(UAD-2) LiveTrack processing is not enabled properly in Nuendo/Cubase v2 and v3. After enabling and disabling LiveTrack for a UAD-2 plug-in, you must toggle the Nuendo/Cubase plug-in disable ("Power") button for processing to work again. This is not an issue in Nuendo/Cubase v4.
(UAD-2 RTAS) Pro Tools LE and HD are not officially supported with the UAD-2 in v5.0.0 due to crash and/or performance issues. If you elect to use the UAD-2 under Pro Tools, select a Hardware Buffer Size setting of no less than 1024 and use as few RTAS Processors as possible (set in Playback Engine settings in Pro Tools).