UAD-2 PCIe DSP Accelerator Cards

I just HAD to jump onto the UAD platform. When compairing my mixes to others that I knew used UAD, there was this silent magic I wasn't quite managing to conjur. Simple reason, UAD is king for of DSP.

The UAD-2 Duo is not powerful enough to justify its cost. Like everything else at Universal Audio, it is over priced. Fortunately, I didn't have to purchase it - it came free with my LA-610 MkII, which is also over priced (like all Universal Audio Products). Getting the combination for just the price of the LA-610 MkII amounted to a reasonable purchase so I would recommend only buying these products when there is a comparable sale. Also, the UAD-2 Duo will prove frustrating due to its lack of power (I can't image what a one-processor version would be like let alone the original UAD-1!!). Wait until the Quad version is offered free with another product you're interested in before purchasing. Unfortunately, the plugins are also very expensive so you're committing to a pretty expensive endeavor. As for the performance of the plugins, they are generally good. You can find most of them in less expensive versions from other companies however that are just as good. UA's unique ones are where the value is (Cooper, Massive Passive...) so if you get a Quad for free and stick with those, it can be a reasonable investment.

Fantastic! Simply stunning quality and work flow with the wonderful plugins UA provides.

My UAD-2 system is integral to all my mix and mastering sessions. Since moving to a UAD-2 Quad from my earlier multi-card UAD-1 system, everything has functioned much smoother and more efficiently. While I have quite a few of the plugins, a few stand out for me for their sound quality and usefulness. The Precision Limiter is strapped across all my post-production mixes and music masters. It is far more transparent than the Waves limiters I used previously, and the K-System metering offers excellent and meaningful visual feedback. I frequently use the PL in bypass mode just for the meters. The EMT 140 plate reverb is my most-used plugin verb. I have compared it against my Lexicon 300, and the plugin loses nothing in terms of depth, richness and smooth decays. The Cooper Time Cube is my favorite short delay, plugin or otherwise. It has an intuitive interface that responds as one would expect, and somehow everything that this plugin touches takes on a bigness that is hard to describe. I've found the slight warming vibe of the LA-2A particularly useful on sources that have digital harshness or edginess, such as sampled strings. The dbx 160 is the baddest plugin compressor for aggressive bass. And the Transient Designer wears many caps in my work. I frequently call on it to provide ambience reduction in post work, while also using it for extreme drum envelope shaping in music mixes. While I have a zillion plugins from many providers, all in all I'd say my UAD-2 suite is most responsible for shaping "my sound."

Great card for the price! Plugs are very usefull, could't live without it:.!

the best models I've heard mostly helios Harrison and my favorite that I will soon buy
When the reverb a pure joy (as soon as purchase)

Stable et efficace, les plug in sont de qualité
Seul inconveignant la limite du nombre de plug in chargés souvent atteinte sur des grosses session...mais c'est deja enorme

We use at least some of the UAD plugs on just about every project, and sometimes many more. They're usually the most "go-to" solutions for us. We own most of them and currently have two UAD 2 cards and several older UAD 1's.

We also use plugs from other folks, but for many things we simply like how the UA plugs sound the most. We do a lot of varied types of work from full production of material we originate to often being asked to rework stuff done by others and fix problems. The UA stuff is especially invaluable for that kind of work.

We have quite a bit of vintage analog hardware as well, including several of the units modeled by the UA plugs. The UA plugs are really on the money when you A/B them against their analog counterparts.

We also use some UA "new vintage" hardware often at outside studios and it's great.

All told, at least for us, UA products are things we swear BY,not swear AT! I can't say enough nice things about them, their business model and great support - these guys set a standard many others could learn from. And they keep evolving the platform all the time with new innovations. It's a pleasure to be their customer.

Sometimes I need more memory. Got to be creative on that issue. I you can afford it buy a dual or quad core. For me the solo works fine, got to bounce the tracks, especially using the fatso or EP-34the. Sounds great though and keeps my cpu running.

Love the way the plugins give a pleasent analog sound to my daw recordings. Especially the studer A800, the la-2a and the harrison eq are a must have to me.
No other brand plug in does the job this well.

The UAD2 contains plugins excellent quality both in sound and graphically. I use them all the time. It's the best I've ever had either mixed as in mastering. Thanks Universal Audio.

A-W-E-S-O-M-E!!!

I could not live without my UAD plugins...
Whenever I'm looking to get sounds very quickly, much like hardware I've used in the past I go for my UAD plugs, usually as my first and last stop. I'm able to get the sounds I need very quickly.

So much so I've stopped using quite a few of any of the vast collection of other plugins I have...

Hi Folks,

to me you're doing a sensational work !!!

you're plug-ins ( the new ones of course ) always help me to achieve new
levels and new goals

i'd like to see more new special mastering staff ( like manley compressor or thermotronics ) or avalon mastering equalizer

what can i say in beetween???

keep up that good work !!!

best Regards

Roberto Savelli ( Ceo & Resident Engineer )
OroVivo Recording Studio ( Gatteo Italy )

https://www.facebook.com/pages/OroVivo-Digital-Recording-Studio-Studio-di-Registrazione/55181538991

Complete miss understanding.
I thought I get a review from you.

But in general - try get TC's reverb and delays on your platform. Out of my perspective TC is on these points’ miles ahead from your sound quality (also third party) for reverb/delays. TC sounds more natural. UA sounds more artificial.

Another point - I don't like your business model of buying additional plugins in your online shop.
As a musician I get usually discounts from my local/online music shop. It is a long time ago I paid street price/ list price for equipment. So the investment in UA plugin stuff is on the end of my list. Because I have to pay in relation the highest price for UA plugs.

I like very much your product quality. I need a few clicks to come to good result.

Sometimes you use special words/expressions in your descriptions which can't really good translated in German or French (I know this from French friends). Please have look on this and try to find other words. Product videos on youtube in German, French or Spanish would be great!

The/my rating is maybe wrong - because in EMEA we use other rating systematics. Or better - I do not fully understand your rating systematics. As a EMEA citizen this is to me non logical.

Everything's fine, except a little annoying thing.

It's seem unfair to me, that me as an old customer and UAD user who had almost all the plug-ins, I don't get any introductionary offer for the new stuffs. The special offers usually don't satisfy my needs.

But your plug-ins are great anyway!

This card is a good starter UAD-2 card. I love working with the plugins that I also purchased since having this card. I really want to invest in another UAD-2 card, another solo or duo, but I would like the kinks to get worked out between UA and Avid PT 9. Overall it delivers!

I was in a session with a producer and he was amazed that we could just grab a "Fairchild", or a "Massive Passive" and just throw it into a track.
The quality of sound has transformed me from a guy who did not like plug ins to a guy who spends a lot of time tweaking parameters.

I am very happy as well that you have been including classic FX(EP 34) and modern miracles (IBP,Transient Designer).

There was a point in time where i figured i needed to spend $50-1000k on outboard gear to compliment my studio, and while i would still love to have some hardware, i believe this system is top notch.

One nice side grade option would be say if owners of the quad systems could purchase the fire wire system at a friendly price for their portable systems.

Please keep on bringing out classic FX processors like the weird Lexicon stuff(Vortex) and crusty old Prime Time Delays.

Your attention to detail is astounding!

I've just recently purchase this card and so far I'm impressed! I'm hoping to purchase additional plug-ins for it shortly to increase my toolbox. Installation was easy and the control panel interface is straight forward and easy to use. Integration with Pro Tools 9 was seamless. It would be nice to have the plug ins appear under the different categories (ie, compressors, EQ, etc) in Pro Tools but they're easily found under the manufacturer's category. It's just difficult to pick out which plug ins are what sometimes, but that's why there's a manual. :-)

Overall, I'm very happy with the card and I'm looking forward to making it an integral part of my mixes going forward.

Thank you for a great product!

Thanks to the UAD-2 Q, I can make professional productions in my home studio. I love the analog feel of the sound, it gives me a great inspiration. The power of UAD-2 Q means that I never have to compromise. Many thanks. Leif Eriksson

These are by far the best plug ins i have in my Mac. Every time i open a UA Plugin in Logic i am amazed how good the sound-quality is. I never had to worry about the latency or how much more Plugins i can open. This is simply great.