Arrow
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Shape your Recordings Into Records with Genuine UA Conversion and Classic Studio Sounds.
Arrow is the world’s first Thunderbolt 3-powered desktop recording audio interface for Mac and Windows — delivering class-leading audio conversion, two Unison™ mic preamps, and a suite of onboard UAD plug-ins for album-quality results.
This compact 2x4 interface starts with esteemed UA conversion derived from UA’s flagship Apollo interface range, to sonically outperform anything in its class. With its Unison technology and built-in UAD-2 SOLO Core processor, you can record through classic audio tools including the 610 Tube Preamp, LA-2A and 1176 compressors, and a genuine Marshall Plexi amp plug-in — at near-zero latency, regardless of your audio software buffer setting.
Now You Can:
Record with class-leading A/D and D/A conversion — as heard on hundreds of hit records
Track with near-zero latency through mic preamp and guitar amp emulations from Neve,® API,® Marshall,® Fender,® and more using Unison™ technology*
Mix with included UAD plug‑ins like the Teletronix® LA‑2A and 1176 compressors, Pultec® EQs, and more
Create on-the-go with a sonically superior, bus-powered interface with rugged all-metal construction
Unison™ Technology for Stunning
Mic and Guitar Preamp EmulationsArrow’s Unison technology gives you the tone, touch and “feel” of world’s most sought-after preamps. These include the bundled 610-B Tube Preamp, plus authentic mic preamp emulations from Neve® and API,® as well as guitar amp emulations from Fender® and Marshall® — complete with their signature impedance, gain stage “sweet spots,” and component-level circuit behaviors.*
The secret to Unison is its hardware-software integration between Arrow’s mic preamps and its onboard UAD-2 SOLO Core processor. Simply place a Unison preamp plug-in on your mic input in Arrow’s Console software, and it physically reconfigures Arrow’s impedance — so you can tap into the classic tube and transformer sounds of the world’s most recorded mic preamps and guitar amps.
Watch the Unison Shoot Out (hardware vs. software) video
A Full Suite of Classic
Studio Processing OnboardRight out of the box, Arrow provides a suite of incredible analog emulation plug-ins including the world’s only authentic Teletronix LA-2A, 1176LN, Pultec EQs, and the Unison-enabled UA 610-B Tube Preamp. Developed by UA’s world-renowned team of algorithm engineers, these Realtime Analog Classics plug-ins set the standard by which all other hardware emulation plug-ins are judged.
From the tube warmth of the Pultec EQ on guitars, to the gentle limiting of the LA-2A on vocals, your recordings will take a giant leap forward in rich, sonically complex analog sound.
See Included Plug-Ins | Watch the live tracking video
Vintage Guitar and Bass Amps
For guitarists and bassists, Arrow includes Unison technology on its front panel instrument input — giving you access to dead-on emulations of amps like the Fender® '55 Tweed Deluxe, Ampeg® B-15N Bass Amplifier, Eden® WT800 Bass Amplifier, and the included Marshall® Plexi Classic — all available at near-zero latency for songwriting and recording.
Access the World of UAD Powered Plug-Ins
Beyond the included Realtime Analog Classics plug-ins, Arrow lets you tap into the full library award-winning UAD Powered Plug-Ins — including vintage EQs, Compressors, Reverbs, Tape Machines, Auto-Tune and more — in real time, and without taxing your computer’s CPU. With exclusive emulations from Neve, Ampex, Lexicon, Fender, Marshall, Antares, KORG, Moog, and more* the creative possibilities are nearly endless.
*Arrow includes the “Realtime Analog Classics” UAD plug-in bundle. Other UAD plug-ins sold separately.
Ready to Go
With its robust all-metal construction and bus-powered Thunderbolt 3 operation, Arrow is the only "clutter-free" portable audio interface that truly delivers album-quality results. It’s like having a virtual analog studio that fits onto any desktop, and easily travels in your laptop bag.
Getting Started with Arrow
Learn how to quickly connect, setup, and start recording tracks with real time UAD plug-in processing using an Arrow audio interface.
Watch The Reviews
Arrow requires a Thunderbolt 3-equipped Mac or Windows machine, and is not backward compatible with earlier versions of Thunderbolt. For more information, click here.
Customer Reviews
A. Bouillot
January 15, 2019
Best thunderbolt 3 soundcard!
Professional sound quality for an affordable price, simple and effective + amazing UAD plugins, many thanks UAD team
Read MoreR. HUBER
January 13, 2019
Great Intro to UAD
Wish it had more DSP but ultimately this is a great entry level interface. Pair it with a satellite, and you’re good to go wherever you are. Bus power is a very nice feature.
Read MoreR. Lehner
January 12, 2019
What I needed
Arrow is simple and effective for my home studio setup or to take it with me. Audio Interface and UAD plugin in one is amazing. Also with USB-C/TB 3 u don't need that much cable....
Read MoreR. PRASANNA
January 6, 2019
Last audio interface i will ever buy
This is the last interface i will ever buy. The fact that i can now travel with uad plugins and a really solid audio interface is overwhelming. Arrow is a beast of a machine much better...
Read More桂. 曾
January 4, 2019
About arrow sound card
Others are OK, that is, for the wondows platform, the compatibility of Thunderbolt interface is not too good. Especially WDM input driver. Hope it can be repaired as soon as possible!
Read MoreR. Feldman
January 1, 2019
Great!
Love the interface and sound quality. Being able to dial in effects and record directly helps cover the lack of DSP processing later on. I was also able to transfer my UAD-1 plugin...
Read More -
Realtime Analog Classics Bundle
With the Realtime Analog Classics plug-in bundle, you get legendary compressors like the Teletronix® LA-2A and EQs like the Pultec® EQP-1A, stunning guitar and bass amp emulations from Softube, as well as UA’s landmark 610-B Tube Preamp and EQ plug-in.
- UA 610‐B
- Marshall Plexi Classic Amplifier
- Teletronix LA‐2A Legacy
- UA 1176LN Legacy
- UA 1176SE Legacy
- Pultec EQP‐1A Legacy
- Pultec Pro Legacy
- Ampeg® SVT-VR Classic Bass Amp
- Precision Channel Strip
- Precision Reflection Engine
- Precision Delay Modulation
- Precision Delay Modulation L
- Raw Distortion
- RealVerb‐Pro
UA 610-B Tube Preamp and EQ
Impart your tracks with the iconic warmth and character of the classic hardware used to track everyone from Duke Ellington to Coldplay. By emulating the entire signal path, including tube amplifiers, transformers, and circuit nonlinearities, the 610-B Tube Preamp and EQ plug-in injects organic detail and saturation to any signal — whether you’re re-amping or tracking through the 610-B via Universal Audio’s Unison™ technology.
Marshall® Plexi Classic Amplifier
The undisputed alpha dog of rock and roll guitar amps, the Marshall “plexi” amplifier is as legendary as the music it helped create. From Jimi Hendrix to Jimmy Page, Duane Allman to Eric Clapton, the Plexi’s punishing melange of snarl, sustain, smoothness, and raunch defined the sound of rock. Developed by Softube, the Marshall Plexi Classic Amp plug-in gives you the sound of this iconic amp with a perfectly placed microphone from engineer Tony Platt who recorded AC/DC’s Back in Black and Highway to Hell.
Teletronix® LA-2A Classic Leveling Amplifier (Legacy)
With its gentle, program dependent optical compression and meticulously designed tube amplifier, the LA-2A is the go-to compressor for professional mixers around the world — especially for vocals. Incredibly easy-to-use Peak Reduction and Gain controls gives you the ideal optical compression sound for guitar, bass, drums, and more.
1176SE/LN® Classic Limiting Amplifiers (Legacy)
Get classic, ultra-fast FET compression from the world’s most recognized compressor. The 1176 will impart punch, presence, and character as well as its signature distortion overtones on drums, vocals, guitars, and bass. The 1176LN has graced countless recordings, from Led Zeppelin, to the White Stripes and Michael Jackson.
Pultec® Pro Equalizers (Legacy)
Mix with two of the most sought-after hardware EQs ever made — the MEQ-5 Midrange Equalizer and the EQP-1A Program Equalizer. Both of these tube-based icons deliver smooth and silky EQ curves with an abundance of warm analog character.
Ampeg® SVT-VR Classic Bass Amp
Introduced in 1969, the Ampeg SVT bass amp is still the reigning king of high-powered tube bass tone. Developed by Brainworx, the Ampeg SVT-VR Classic Bass Amp plug-in perfectly captures the raw power and punch that has made this the go-to amp for rock, funk, and soul players. Track in real time using Unison™ preamp technology for the tone, touch, and feel of a real SVT bass amp, or transform bland DI tracks with the thunderous roar of a stone cold classic.
Precision Mix Rack Collection
Featuring the Precision Channel Strip, Precision Reflection Engine, and Precision Delay Modulation plug-ins, the Precision Mix Rack Collection offers four modern, high-fidelity plug-ins for recording and mixing. Powerful and intuitive, Precision Mix Rack Collection gives you an impressive tool set — perfect for beginners and seasoned professionals alike.
Raw Distortion
Modeled from a vintage early-’80s Pro Co Rat, Raw Distortion delivers all the gritty dynamic raunch of the legendary stompbox. And with Unison™ technology, you can plug in to Apollo Twin, 8, or 8p’s front-panel Hi-Z instrument jack and experience the same circuit interaction, gain range, and clip points for the true tone, feel, and response of the original hardware.
RealVerb Pro
RealVerb Pro is a flexible, natural sounding reverb based on UA’s own unique set of algorithms. Allowing you to design the room just as you hear it, the RealVerb Pro goes beyond simply big/small or dark/bright, giving your sources distortion-free, smoothing diffusion control and ultra-long reverb tail.
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Features
Desktop 2x4 Thunderbolt 3-powered audio interface with class-leading 24-bit/192 kHz audio conversion
Unison mic preamp and guitar amp emulations from Neve® , API® , Manley® , Marshall®, Fender® , and more*
Realtime UAD Processing allows near-zero latency tracking with classic UAD plug-in effects, regardless of software buffer setting
Includes studio compressors, EQs, reverbs, and guitar amp emulations, and more as part of “Realtime Analog Classics” bundle
Bus-powered connection to Mac and Windows systems for easy portability and reduced cable clutter
Arrow System Requirements
For complete compatibility information, please visit help.uaudio.com
- Mac or PC computer with available Thunderbolt 3 port
- Thunderbolt 3 cable (sold separately)
- (Mac) macOS 10.12 Sierra or 10.13 High Sierra
- (Win) Windows 10 w/Fall Creators Update (64-Bit Edition)
- 6 gigabytes available storage
- Internet connection to download software and authorize UAD plug-ins
- Quad Core i7 or better processor recommended
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Customer Reviews
Arrow
S. Stevens
Good basic unit, that's all... Very limited with what it can do. Disappointing...
When this came out a few months ago, all the reviews were great, but this unit is far from that. If you plan on using any more than one or two plugins, especially if you are paying the high prices to buy neve unison plugins or anything else they sell. Just one Neve unison plug in takes up 85% of the available memory of the arrow's ability. I called and talked to customer service after waiting for 2 hours on hold over the course of 2 days and they basically told me that this unit only has one DSP chip and that's all it's supposed to do and that I should buy a more expensive unit. I already bought a $3000 new macbook pro and spent a lot of money on this Arrow to go with it, plus buy the Thunderbolt cable it doesnt come with. It's fine if you do VERY basic recording with almost no processing, but it's super limited with what it can do. Also, I A/B'd it with my Focusrite 18i20 and it sounds basically the same. I really wish I could return this unit, but I didn't figure out it's huge limitations until I spent another $600 on plugins to actually USE this thing the way I want to and that it should work in my opinion. I wouldn't buy this unit again and I'd advise anyone planning to do anything more than just very basic recording with almost no plugins not to buy it. I would bet all the 5 star reviews are either written by employees or people that are just starting out recording that don't know better. It does work well and sounds pretty good though, so that's why it didn't get 1 star.
A. Bouillot
Best thunderbolt 3 soundcard!
Professional sound quality for an affordable price, simple and effective + amazing UAD plugins, many thanks UAD team
R. HUBER
Great Intro to UAD
Wish it had more DSP but ultimately this is a great entry level interface. Pair it with a satellite, and you’re good to go wherever you are. Bus power is a very nice feature.
R. Lehner
What I needed
Arrow is simple and effective for my home studio setup or to take it with me. Audio Interface and UAD plugin in one is amazing. Also with USB-C/TB 3 u don't need that much cable. Furthermore, you got everything u need, Mic-PreAmp, Line In, simple volume knob, HPF connector and it's easily to switch in between all these knobs.
two downsides:
- weight, could bit more lighter (but it's not a killer criterion)
- when I turn my Mac on which Arrow is connected to, crackling noises come out of the speakers when they turned on. not sexyP. Millson
Do your research!
This is a very well made unit with professional sound quality at an affordable price. But do your research. There's little point in buying a UAD interface unless you're going to use the proprietary plug-ins, which are superb. But this unit has very limited processing power. One guitar amp plug-in and a compressor will take you close to the DSP limit. The first time I got the 'you're exceeded the DSP limit so plug-ins have been disabled' I thought it must be a mistake. The only way round this is to print the processed sound as you record so you have no control at mixdown, or to freeze and unfreeze tracks over and over again. Hugely frustrating. The other issue, as noted by others elsewhere, is that there is no power switch and the usb-powered unit constantly turns itself off and on again during sleep. Only way round this is to unplug whenever you're not using. To sum up, this is an excellent bit of kit, but it's only really useful for doing sessions away from your studio. For me, it was a complete waste of money but by the time I'd worked that out it was too late to return. I'd recommend you either dig much deeper and buy an Apollo Twin Quad or don't bother with UAD hardware because you won't be able to exploit the benefits of the software.
R. PRASANNA
Last audio interface i will ever buy
This is the last interface i will ever buy. The fact that i can now travel with uad plugins and a really solid audio interface is overwhelming. Arrow is a beast of a machine much better than my previous two portable interface. Apogee duet and id4. Apogee is just broken it hs so many bugs. Id4 is nice but it doenst comes with plugins i want for quickly capture a idea. I love universal audio. Love arrow. Good work guys
桂. 曾
About arrow sound card
Others are OK, that is, for the wondows platform, the compatibility of Thunderbolt interface is not too good. Especially WDM input driver. Hope it can be repaired as soon as possible!
R. Feldman
Great!
Love the interface and sound quality. Being able to dial in effects and record directly helps cover the lack of DSP processing later on. I was also able to transfer my UAD-1 plugin purchases seamlessly. The sound is just tremendous.
I. Alvarez
Love It
Exactly what you expect.! Love this interface. Small, light, easy to travel with and it sounds Great! Plus, for the price, it’s very affordable. You definitely won’t be disappointed.
L. Costa
Fantastic
Completely Fantastic
J. O'Rear
I’m in love with this interface
Just fantastic. If UA release thunderbolt 3 satellites, I’ll probably be getting one of those down the line because I find I bump up against the Arrows limits and still want to use a few more plugins.
T. Byrne
Sexy Arrow Thunderbolt 3
Seems like a solid interface. I have been using it for a couple of weeks now. Good latency. Sound is transparent. I do not use any of the plugins because I have a Macbook Pro I take everywhere and mix in Logic Pro X. I'm not going to carry around the interface because I have to use it's internal DSP. I wish the plugins could be hosted as well When you install the included plugins for the Arrow, all of them are installed. I find it very difficult identifying the ones that work. Altogether nice interface with good layout and solid construction.
J. Andrasek
First UA Buy
Primarily using for vocals, so far I love the sound I’m getting out of the unit. Looking forward to mastering with the UA plugins. First time using a DSP device like this and I absolutely love it! I can see upgrading to the multi-core DSP’s in the future.
C. Stave
UAD Arrow vs. Edirol Fa66
After using the Edirol Fa66 with firewire for many years, I was in a trap with the TB3 on my new IMac (2017). I missed my Audiologic studio, no way to use any adapters on the Edirol. Then I looked foreward for a new audiointerface with TB3 an found the UA Arrow. I had to spend some money but the result was much better then before. The plugins are very well, I love the plexi Marshall with the pure plate reverb for guitar. I give 4 stars, would have given 5 if there where more space for loading plugins.
R. Twiddy
Upgrade from Presonus Firemobile
I have been using a Firewire Presonus Firemobile which I have been using for 5 years. I bought the UA Arrow to ensure no latency through the audio interface into my Apple Mac mini 2018, 64gb, 4.6GHz, 256gb SSD. I liked the idea of using the Console with UA plugns, but I get overload message and yet to run more than one plugin together. So for plugins I do not think it is powerful enough. So I run the plugins in Logic one the Mac especially the PT100 with Precision Delay which are excellent. I like the controls and no doubt the audio output through my Presonus E5 are superior to the Firemobile. I also like the guitar input on the front and I have used line in with my iPad on the back to produce pad backing. Price wise in Thailand it is too expensive 22900b, I bought it through Thomann after duty, tax and shipping it was 17500b so UA ought to look at that. I would have given it 5 stars if I could use 2 plugins together yet to find two in the freebies that don't overload the Arrow!
A. Ishchenko
Best audio interface for home.
It’s best audio interface for quality- price.
Very good service UAD plugins. Work fine and stable. Low latency.T. Gangsøy
Great interface for the guitarist!
Highly recommended if you like to play guitar with low latency!
P. Newman
Loving this little beast so far
Didn't buy it for the plugins. Bought it to have a good quality Thunderbolt bus-powered interface that could power two preamps. Have of course been blown away by the integration of hardware and DSP accelerated effects. Fantastic interface.
T. Cox
Game Changer!
I love this thing! Upgraded from a well known and loved FireWire box to this little number and it’s like I had blankets over the speakers previously. The sound out of my set up has opened up and taken on new depth. Love the tones, love the box, love the software....and those plugins. Hands down the best Plexi emulation I have ever heard.
J. Douglas
Rockin Box
The sound you get from the Arrow is just pristine for such a small foot print. I have it hooked up to my brand new MacBook Air. I’m able to run several plugins without any problems . Will throw this in my bag along with my Mac and use it while I’m away from studio. Thanks UA
