By Dave Crane
Pro Tools users rejoice! Universal Audio has released version 2 of the Fxpansion VST to RTAS Adapter. Version 2 provides many improvements over version 1, and is compatible with Pro Tools LE, Pro Tools TDM, and Pro Tools M-Powered. It also provides official support for version 7.x of Pro Tools LE and HD. Users of Pro Tools versions that are pre-7.0 should use version 1.07 of the Adapter. Please see the UAD VST to RTAS Adapter information page for more info about setting up the RTAS adapter in versions of Pro Tools previous to 7.0, as well as other information about version 2.
"Version 2 provides many improvements over version 1, and is compatible with Pro Tools LE, Pro Tools TDM, and Pro Tools M-Powered."
Probably the most noticeable feature is that the entire process of “adapting” the UAD VST plug-ins to work like RTAS plug-ins has been automated by the installer. No serial number or separate download is required. There is now one Mac installer that installs VST, Audio Units, and RTAS. Of course, you can choose a custom option and install just the RTAS plug-ins (figure 1).
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Figure 1: UAD Software Installer |
Among the improvements in version 2 of the VST to RTAS adapter is that the plug-in latency is now set by the hardware buffer size. In the previous versions, you had to set the buffer size separately in the VST to RTAS Configuration application.
"The entire process has been automated by the installer. No serial number or separate download is required."
Other improvements include:
Tempo Sync support: Now all your favorite UAD-1 plug-ins with tempo settings sync up with the clock in Pro Tools.
Accurate display for automation values: Automation values no longer display as a value between zero and one.
Improved control surface support: Control surfaces' values now show correctly.
Mac Intel, Universal support: Version 2 of the Adapter supports Intel Macs as well as Power PCs.
Save Bank/Preset button support: Users can now save Presets and Banks in VST format for use in other hosts.
Key command retention: No more loss of key-command control for Pro Tools while a UAD-1 plug-in window is selected.
But one thing that has not changed, unfortunately, is the need for delay compensation. Just to refresh your memory, since audio travels to the UAD card and back, this causes a certain amount of latency per plug-in, and this figure is typically two times the hardware buffer size. So if my hardware buffer size is 1024, for example, then each UAD plug-in will generate 2048 samples of latency.
Because Pro Tools LE does not have any plug-in delay compensation, users have to do it manually. There are a few ways to do it, but they fall into two main categories: Either physically move the tracks that are delayed forward in time, or use UAD Delay Compensation plug-ins to delay the tracks by different amounts so that they all line up. In the videos below, I demonstrate the second method.
In the first example, I use delay comps on a per-needed basis, and in the second video, I put delay comps on every track and replace them with UAD plug-ins.
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Delay Comp Example 1 |
Delay Comp Example 2 |
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