UAD Spark: Get 30+ of the best UAD plug-ins for a low monthly price. Learn More ›

Get the rich analog sound of UAD plug-ins over Thunderbolt.

The UAD-2 Satellite Thunderbolt is a powerhouse DSP accelerator that gives Mac and Windows 10 users complete access to the world’s most detailed and authentic analog emulation plug-ins, available exclusively on the UAD platform.

Bolstered by next-generation connectivity, UAD-2 Satellite Thunderbolt 3 lets you run large professional mixes with the rich analog character of award-winning UA-developed plug-ins, including exclusive titles from Neve, Fender, Lexicon, Studer, and many more. Plus, it’s backward-compatible with Thunderbolt 1 and 2 UA devices.

Run UAD Powered Plug-Ins on compatible Thunderbolt Mac or Windows 10 systems

Get a massive DSP boost for powering large professional mixes

Access over 100 plug-ins from Ampex,® Lexicon,® Helios,® Studer,® Neve,® Manley,® Capitol Studios,® API, and more

Start mixing right away with the included Analog Classics Plus plug‑in bundle

Get the sound of a professional analog studio “on the road,” courtesy of UAD plug‑ins

Combine with other UAD-2 devices, including UAD-2 PCIe card(s) and Thunderbolt-equipped Satellites and UA Audio Interfaces

UAD: The Industry’s Most Respected Collection of Audio Plug-Ins

UAD: The Industry’s Most Respected Collection of Audio Plug-Ins

From serious home recordists to multi-platinum mix engineers, UAD Powered Plug-Ins have been winning over audio professionals for more than 15 years. The reason is simple. No other plug-ins so faithfully capture the sound and behavior of classic analog equipment — from rare compressors and equalizers, to vintage reverb processors and tape machines.

The UAD library features over 100 plug-ins, co-developed with the biggest brands in audio. These plug-ins can be purchased with UAD-2 hardware from retailers as part of bundled packages, or you can buy UAD plug-ins à la carte from UA’s Online Store.

Learn More About UAD Plug-Ins ›

Powerful, Expandable Processing

Powerful, Expandable Processing

UAD-2 Satellite Thunderbolt 3 is available in QUAD or OCTO models with either four or eight SHARC processors, respectively. It can also be integrated alongside UAD-2 PCIe DSP Accelerator cards and Thunderbolt-equipped UA Audio Interfaces, including Arrow, Apollo Twin, and Apollo X interfaces for truly scalable mixing power.

UAD Plug-In Craftsmanship: The Science Behind the Scenes

UAD Plug-In Craftsmanship: The Science Behind the Scenes

In developing UAD plug-ins, UA’s acclaimed engineers undertake intensive physical modeling of classic audio hardware — “rebuilding” vintage analog gear in the digital world, component by component. UAD plug-ins replicate the exact, sometimes quirky behavior of the most prized analog hardware in existence, bringing you rich, three-dimensional sound and harmonics "in the box.”

What Makes UAD Plug-Ins Different? ›

Upgrade to the Ultimate Collection of UAD Plug‑Ins

Upgrade to the Ultimate Collection of UAD Plug‑Ins

UAD Accelerators include a suite of plug-ins right out of the box, with Teletronix® LA‑2A and UA 1176 compressors, Pultec® EQs, and more. Upgrade to the UAD Ultimate Bundle to get a fully-stocked analog studio at huge savings, with over 100 exclusive titles from Neve,® Ampex,® Lexicon,® SSL,® Fender,® and more.

See what’s included in Ultimate ›

Analog Classics Plus Bundle

With the Analog Classics Plus plug-in bundle, you’re ready to start mixing with legendary tube gear like the Fairchild® 670 and the Pultec® EQP-1A EQ. You also get a dedicated suite of powerful mixing plug-ins and UA’s landmark 610-B Tube Preamp and EQ plug-in.

  • UA 610‐B
  • Fairchild 670 Legacy
  • Teletronix LA‐2A Legacy
  • UA 1176LN Legacy
  • UA 1176SE Legacy
  • Pultec EQP‐1A Legacy
  • Pultec Pro Legacy
  • Precision Channel Strip
  • Precision Reflection Engine
  • Precision Delay Modulation
  • Precision Delay Modulation L
  • UA Precision Enhancer Hz
  • RealVerb‐Pro

UA 610-B Tube Preamp and EQ

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.

Fairchild<sup>®</sup> 670 (Legacy)

Fairchild® 670 (Legacy)

The world’s most coveted compressor, the classic Fairchild 670 tube limiter will give your tracks and mixes unmistakable tube warmth and character. Whether you’re looking for subtle compression on a lead vocal, or grittier textures that can work on guitars, bass, or a drum bus, the Fairchild 670 plug-in adds a classic “glow” to anything you run through it.

Teletronix<sup>®</sup> LA-2A Classic Leveling Amplifier (Legacy)

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<sup>®</sup> Classic Limiting Amplifiers (Legacy)

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<sup>®</sup> Pro Equalizers (Legacy)

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 offer smooth and silky EQ curves with an abundance of warm analog character.

Precision Mix Rack Collection

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.

UA Precision Enhancer Hz

UA Precision Enhancer Hz

Expertly dial-in your music’s low-end frequencies with the Precision Enhancer Hz plug-in. Able to yield exacting results with minimal adjustment, the Precision Enhancer Hz can add weight to kick drum samples, fatten up a synth bass, or simply make the low-end of your tracks more audible on smaller speakers.

RealVerb Pro

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.

Key Features

Run UAD Powered Plug-Ins via Thunderbolt 3 on modern Mac and Windows 10 systems (backwards compatible with Thunderbolt 1 and 2 devices)

4 (QUAD) or 8 (OCTO) SHARC processors provide a massive DSP boost for running large professional mixes

Access over 100 plug-ins from Ampex, Lexicon, Studer, Neve, Manley, SSL, EMT, Helios, and more

Includes Analog Classics Plus bundle featuring Legacy editions of LA-2A Classic Audio Leveler, 1176 Classic Limiting Amplifiers, Pultec EQP-1A, Pultec Pro, and Fairchild 670 plug-ins, plus 610-B Tube Preamp & EQ, and more

Compatible with Pro Tools, Logic Pro X, Cubase, Live, and more

Combine with other Thunderbolt-equipped UAD-2 devices including PCIe card(s), UA Audio Interfaces, and additional Satellites

Dual Thunderbolt 3 ports for daisy-chaining of Thunderbolt peripherals

Also available with Custom software packages featuring user-selectable plug-ins

To see full system requirements, click here.

Customer Reviews

UAD-2 Satellite Thunderbolt 3

Overall Rating

a. dorrat

March 26, 2023

Works flawlessly

Exactly what it says on the tin. More DSP. And lots of it. Simple box but works flawlessly.

D. Poe

March 18, 2023

Disappointing

Multiple crashes, Force Quits on Logic Pro X since getting Apollo/Satellite (after almost no crashes in 15 years of near-daily use.)
Ghosted by UA customer service, to the point where I wonder if UA even employs customer service specialists.
Yeah, the UA plug-ins sound nice … if and when they work.

S. Quadros

March 8, 2023

Sattelite Octo

Perfect combination for the Apollo Twin!! It’s incredible to see how more DSP’s make the whole difference in your sound. I also love the design of the UAD equipment!!!! The best part….. Works!!!!!!!!!!!!

S. Scarcella

February 26, 2023

music production

Satellite octo is ideal for my project studio...I can work with all my plug ins. Universal Audio my best choice for my productions. Santi Scarcella

D. Alley

February 11, 2023

Satellite

Works great! Allows me to use more UA plug-ins while mixing.

I. SHAW

February 2, 2023

It's actually a 2nd hand Thunderbolt 2 Quad Satellite

Does what it says on the tin! :). Not the sexiest piece of gear I've ever bought, but integrated easily into my studio system and works flawlessly.

w. gause

January 31, 2023

More Dsp

Great for more dsp for a home studio

C. Bors

January 24, 2023

As UAD plugin user, this is a must-have unit :)

I thought a lot before I bought the QUAD version, because I thought it wouldn't have enough power for my work compared to the OCTO version. My fear was unfounded, because it is a real powerhouse.

S. Trazos

January 17, 2023

Perfecto

Tengo un octo y ahora un quad son la mejor inversión de mi vida! I love UA ✌️

c. rosario

January 16, 2023

Power

Power

S. Cordingley

January 12, 2023

Unleash your Inner Plugin Demon!

Once I figured out the correct button to push, this thing installed itself and started toiling away flawlessly in the background. I love being able to monitor my chip usage, and I can’t complain about the amount of available DSP power. It might take a help ticket to get you setup, but once it starts, it’s excellent. (Note that it provides mixing/post recording not tracking DSP.) Good job, UA!

h. perera

January 11, 2023

Love Satellite

Recently purchased a T3 UAD-2 Satellite Octo and so far I'm impressed. Before, just using my Apollo X8 to record, I was regularly running out of DSP. Now with the Octo Satellite connected, I've just completed a mix running up to 21 plugins, while using only 36% of available DSP. Better than I expected.

지. 김

December 31, 2022

necesary

to use good quality plugin

S. Pettersson

December 31, 2022

Good looking work horse.

Does the job without complain. And looking good doing it!

C. Laroche

December 30, 2022

Perfect solution to complement my Apollo Twin X.

Perfect solution to complement my Apollo Twin X. It has allowed me to considerably increase the number of plugins I can use simultaneously. The installation is very simple. Everything works perfectly. Another great point is that it takes up very little space on a desktop and I can put my Apollo Twin X on it. Which for me was important. Thanks to the whole team.

J. Neilis

December 29, 2022

Plug-in number Cruncher.

Great price of kit. Handles my UAD plug-in processing leaving the computer free for doing over things.

F. Bernier-Taillon

December 28, 2022

Uad-2 Satellite

Finally no more limit to Dsp !!! I can bring beautiful mix with the best UAD plug in !!!

A most have for anyone who want to sound professional !!!

M. Thielges

December 28, 2022

Works great

Still useful in 2023 as many plugins are not on Spark

A. Kostasenko

December 27, 2022

Fast and powerful

Using only my Apollo twin duo I could to load maximum 4-5 auto tune plugins, with satellite I load around 17. Massive difference! As well I can mix and master my projects without any problem. Happy with that so much

M. Morgan-El

December 25, 2022

More DSP

Now I can use more UAD plugins! Seemless integration. Makes my workflow that much more simple