Avalon VT-737 Tube Channel Strip
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The larger-than-life sound of pop, hip-hop, and R&B — now on UAD.
The dominant player in chart-topping pop, hip-hop, and R&B productions, Avalon's flagship VT-737 channel strip is the best-selling standalone channel strip ever made. From Jay-Z and Dr. Dre, to Babyface and Beyonce, to Eric Clapton and The Rolling Stones, the VT-737 delivers consistently polished results, with radio-ready gloss and detail.
Exclusively for UAD hardware and UA Audio Interfaces, and fully endorsed by Avalon Design, the Avalon VT-737 Tube Channel Strip plug-in captures the entire hit-making essence of the channel strip that defined the sound of modern music.Now You Can:
Track and mix through an exacting emulation of the Avalon VT‑737 analog channel strip
Get the full character of the original hardware’s tube mic preamp with Unison technology
Add legendary Avalon gloss and presence to bass, vocals, voice‑over, and more
Sculpt your sources with a vocal‑flattering optical compressor
Tweak sounds with four-band EQ and add high‑end detail with 32k "air" band
Mix with artist presets from Eric J Dubowsky, (Flume, Odesza), Hector Delgado (A$AP Rocky, Lana Del Rey), Michael Brauer (Coldplay, My Morning Jacket), and more
Take a Listen
Capturing the Sound of Modern Music
After carefully auditioning multiple Avalon 737 hardware units, the UA team selected a "golden unit" with the ideal optical compression response. UA's DSP team then artfully captured the target hardware's class-A tube amplifier section with custom-wound transformer, LED-style optical compression, and discrete four-band EQ — the signature Avalon sound heard on thousands of chart-topping hits.
Unison™ Technology for UA Audio Interfaces
Harnessing UA’s groundbreaking Unison technology, the Avalon VT-737 plug-in captures the hardware’s mic preamp impedance, gain stage “sweet spots,” and exact circuit behaviors, giving you all the detailed sonics of the original Avalon hardware — including its gentle high-pass filter for removing mud and low-end gunk. And because the VT-737's front-panel Hi-Z input is a legendary bass DI, the VT-737 plug-in's Unison-enabled Hi-Z input endured rigorous evaluation, ensuring it was virtually indistinguishable from the original hardware.
Versatile Optical Compression
Excelling on vocals, bass, acoustic guitar, and voice-over work, the VT-737 plug-in's dynamics section emulates the hardware's gentle touch, rather than adding squash or crunch. Its relatively transparent compression also make it perfect for "stacking" the compressor again at mixdown, expertly controlling the dynamics of a vocal in a dense mix. An exclusive plug-in only, super-fast mode gives you “X4” faster attack, pushing the VT-737 beyond its physical limits, affording you tons of new dynamic versatility.
EQ with Details
The Avalon VT-737 Tube Channel Strip plug-in expertly emulates the hardware's discrete four-band EQ, allowing you to sculpt lead vocals with a visceral, larger-than-life presence and sophistication, placing them front-and-center in any mix. Like the hardware, the EQ can easily be placed before or after the compressor, and the mid bands can be engaged as sidechain filters for laser-focused compression. And with the 32k high frequency "air band," you can add delicate shimmer to everything from strings to background vocals to acoustic guitars.
Add Chart-Topping Sheen with Any UAD Hardware
Of course, the Avalon VT-737 Tube Channel Strip isn’t just for UA Audio Interface owners. UAD hardware owners can use the VT-737 Tube Channel Strip plug-in on any mix, giving your sources legendary fat bottom, "glassy" top-end textures, and a bevy of clear-eyed color — without ever going outside the box.
“The UAD Avalon VT‑737 plug‑in captures all the details of the hardware — from the preamp to the EQ and compression — this emulation is spot on. UA nailed it with this one.”
– Mike Larson (Pharrell, Ariana Grande, Migos)
“The Avalon VT-737 Tube Channel Strip plug-in captures the hardware perfectly. Plus, it's incredibly versatile, allowing me to add polish to vocals or warmth to bass.”
– Eric J Dubowsky (Flume, Odesza, Weezer)
“The UAD Avalon VT‑737 plug‑in is an indispensable recording and mixing tool with texture for days.”
– Hector Delgado (A$AP Rocky, Selena Gomez, Lana Del Rey)
“The UAD Avalon VT-737 Tube Channel Strip is an amazing sounding emulation. It’s a must have in any modern engineer’s toolkit.”
– Ian Boxill (Lenny White, Prince, 2Pac)Customer Reviews
P. Pendlebury
December 10, 2019
Yes!
Great sound and GUI. Just like the original. Very desirable hardware and now we can use it as many times as we want, in the box.
Read MoreS. McClure
December 9, 2019
Killer Bass Must Have Plugin
Love it! Always wanted to have a Avalon for my studio, and thanks to UA I have one! Very punchy, clean, responsive. Definitely one of the best purchases made this year! Thanks UA
Read MoreA. Wilhelm
December 7, 2019
The best Channelstrip you can buy
This Channelstrip is amazing - perfect Sound *****
Read More -
Key Features
VT-737sp exclusively licensed by Avalon Design, modeled by Universal Audio
Made famous as the ultimate pop, R&B and hip-hop performance and production tool specializing in tight, focused vocals and bass guitar
Best of Avalon's design: high headroom tube mic preamp, optical compressor, and discrete four-band EQ
Feedback-style 58 dB tube mic preamp with Mic, Line, or Hi-Z input with Unison technology
Models entire VT-737sp “Special Performance” circuit path, including transformers, tube amplifiers, active and passive EQ filters, and optical gain reduction
Compressor Sidechain Unlink/Link and EQ Pre-Dynamics, EQ Sidechain filtering, Hi Q and Frequency multiplier
Physical input impedance and front panel control of gain staging and other preamp parameters via Unison
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Customer Reviews
Avalon VT-737 Tube Channel Strip
P. Pendlebury
Yes!
Great sound and GUI. Just like the original. Very desirable hardware and now we can use it as many times as we want, in the box.
S. McClure
Killer Bass Must Have Plugin
Love it! Always wanted to have a Avalon for my studio, and thanks to UA I have one! Very punchy, clean, responsive. Definitely one of the best purchases made this year!
Thanks UAH. Ataka
There is no choice but to buy
This has never been before!
r. duhaubois
Fidèle a lui meme!!!
Genial!!! Fidèle au hardware!!!
A. Wilhelm
The best Channelstrip you can buy
This Channelstrip is amazing - perfect Sound *****
C. Young
Must have!
All I can say is WOW!
D. Rogers
Game Changer
This is a great channel strip the Avalon VT-737 is one of the most sought out pieces of gear and you will find it in almost every major studio I don't own the hardware piece but have used it in the past and this plugin is darn close so transparent I love it I use it mainly on vocals but a great weapon to have in your arsenal.
B. Schulz
This is the real deal
Very very musical compressor, an eq that seems to be made to make tracks fit into the song context and a preamp that improves every sound source. This is a valuable plugin that really makes a difference. Thank you very much!
J. Moore
OUTSTANDING!!! WHEW!!
IM IN LOVE!!! UA HAS DID IT AGAIN! Man this plugin sound so much like the original and the vocals are so clean! I mean I used it within my mix on drums and it’s killer!!!! WHEW!!!
D. Warren
A1
Not the analog version but a very close second!
А. Лозовец
Лампа - есть лампа!
Хорош!
H. Way
I Welcomed This Plug-in!
I have been hearing a lot about this channel strip for years! What an awesome addition to the UA line up. This plugin definitely filled in the whole for the Gospel, R&B, Rap, and Hip/Hop Genre! Goo move UA!
S. Teaca
Avalon VT-737
For me Best software EQ for vocal.It can be pressed hard, but it still sounds very musical !
G. Ramsey
Perfect Emulation, well done uad
The opto-compressor and sweep equalizer emulations are 99% the original unit.
I gave uad 10/10.A. Norris
Real Vs the Plug
It was sort of romantic to see my AV737SP appear on the latest update of UA-2 plugs. I have run a matched pair since 1997 and love the timbre these units provide. Whilst the +10dB gain boost to the valve-stage embeds some greater "velvet" than the plug I am very happy the "Baby-Face Mod" has been included in the software.
I had my units modified many years ago to multiply the compressor attack time by 4, making the units far more versatile than the stock fastest time of approx' 2 ms.
Love this company's attention to detail - Congrats UA.B. Schumacher
All-in-one unit
I don‘t know why they emulate such an all-in-one unit? There already are better vocal compressors available on UAD and do we really need more EQs? Of course you can get some decent quality from this plugin but we also can get that when using the stuff we already have. Not a must-have for me.
R. Eydner
Finally
Back in the day i had one of these bad boys...but after it broke down and got fixed it never sounded the same again.
But finally i never have to worry again.
Fantastic modelling paired with the digital workflow is a blast!
thanks uad...C. Smith
Amazing on vocals
This plugin really brings out the high crispyness in a voice in such an amazing way, adds a nice warmth as well! Not too crazy about it on guitar or bass but sounds good on drums as well.
My only issue is the overall volume is pretty low and Sometimes I don’t want to crank the pre gain that much. I notice it the most using mic to record things other then my voice a little bit farther away like percussion, claps, etc . In those examples I tend to use a different compressor and turn off the avalon compressor. To my ears the avalon compressor sounds best on drums and maybe bass (although I prefer the voxbox for that)A. Lifeson
I know where Jimmy Hoffa is buried.
Actually, I don't but what a great title for a review! The UA Avalon VT-737 is a solid addition to the growing stable of pre-amps from UA. I use the Neves quite a bit and have had interesting results with the darker Helio Type 69. The Avalon has a warm, round character that mates well with vocals and soft acoustics. A buddy of mine who plays bass has used the hardware for years in his rig so it'll be interesting to compare the two.
l. laing
great job
excellent work as always UAD. Small request tho. The 737 has been used heavily in R&B and Hiphop since it came out. No offense to the engineers you used for presets, but can we see some engineer presets from those who specialize in hip hop, r&b? There are many out there and this unit would have been perfect to see how they use this box....
