Hi,

Seems good already to me. I am using it for Precision Limiter and Precision EQ. The pultec sounds pretty good too. I am not using it for other plugs.

Yes, I believe that you can download the demo for each plugs for a 15 days trial if I recall correctly.

Cheers.

Cucco wrote: Which plugs do you guys like the most out of the UAD bundle?

I regularly use the 1176, Pultec and Plate 140 for mixing. Other UAD-1 plugs like the Fairchild and Roland Space Echo often make it into mixes as well. For home mastering, I always use the Precision line (EQ, Multi-comp and Limiter).

Is there a trial period on their various plugs? I hate to buy one that I may not like or never use...

All of the plugs ship with the UAD-1 software. Any of which you don't have a license can be test-driven for a short while.

I couldn't get by without the Precision EQ... Without question, my "go to" *digital* EQ for mastering purposes. Too much horsepower for mixing...

The limiter is quite good also (although I tend not to use digital limiters most of the time).

The maul-the-band compressor mauls the band less than most, but makes an absolutely stellar frequency-conscious noise gate with a mix control. I still wish they'd come up with a really decent mastering compressor... Although I'm still fairly convinced that digital dynamics aren't anwhere near as advanced as digital equalization...

Either the Pultec or the Precsion EQ alone is worth twice what they ask for the entire collection.

I don't mix much anymore, but no doubt the LA2A, 1176 and Pultecs get a workout...

Massive Mastering wrote: I still wish they'd come up with a really decent mastering compressor...

This would be great.

The EQ (Cambridge and Presicion) and the Limiter are great

Massive Mastering wrote:

The limiter is quite good also (although I tend not to use digital limiters most of the time).

Where I use them is as the final step in the chain. Usually only if the client wants that crushed loud sound or if I feel I can squeeze some of the transients down just a little bit more. The Manley does great on the whole signal, but ultra fast transients, it has a tendancy to overlook.

Massive Mastering wrote: Although I'm still fairly convinced that digital dynamics aren't anwhere near as advanced as digital equalization...

I'm glad to hear you say that! I agree whole heartedly. A good digital EQ (along the Algorithmix line or even outboard like the Weiss or Z-Sys) can be simply amazing and stunning. I have yet to discover a digital compressor that does anything worth a damn! I feel as though they treat the signal completely differently than hardware devices. Almost as if the hardware device looks at the peaks in reference to the RMS or average signal whereas software devices look at peaks in reference to 0dBFS.

To me, it makes the difference between (hardware) - a full sound which can be loud or (software) a loud sound which is often not full. Usually the hardware version sounds louder yet more dynamic.

BTW - have you tried the Fairchild plug-in?

I'll give it a run through on the trial process, but I suspect it's much like other software comps/limiters.

The Lat/Vert function seems worth the money though! (I do M/S processing all the time - I would say at least 70-80% of my sessions. It's often a pain though. Perhaps this could make the process easier.)

J.

Pultec - great for giving that magic sparkle, and for subtle low end corrections ("more" or "less" bass). I tend to regret using the Pultec Pro on the full mix though. The mid bands on it always seem to trick me into doing something that doesn't translate as well as I had hoped. A bit too extreme (and imprecise?) or something for adjusting the midrange of a full mix.

Precision lim - I dig it! Not so much if you try to do some kind of near-constant gain reduction junk, or too-fast-release kind of junk. But I really have a hard time hearing it work when pushing down just a few db's.

Precision EQ - I shoulda put this one through some more paces before the demo ran out. I just did a quick check, and it sounded good...but I wasn't instantly blown away. I thought at the time I could get similar results with other stuff I had. I dunno

Fairchild - I typically only use it for bass gtr, and sometimes my overheads group in the mix. Occassionally I will like it over a full mix, but not too often. There are other software compressors that I like better for this; and as stated, none sound good like hardware yet.

Of course, all the other stuff is great for mixing. I need another card!! Grrr!!

@ Cucco -

The Fairchild is somewhat of a different beast... It's "clever" for M/S use, but I still tend to break it up into a matrix and do it manually. It's a pretty thick compressor though... Comes in handy on acoustic stuff, folk music, etc. here and there.

I think the EQ vs. Compressor thing (digitally) comes down to the huge amount of variables - EQ is so "linear" so to speak - "Reduce this frequency this much all the time no matter what" vs. a compressor where *everything* affects the way it handles... The speed, the volume, the transients, the changes in the speed, volume or transients, the "bulk" and "weight" of the core sound...

I'm not a programmer, but I would think that if you wanted to truly emulate a particular compressor, you'd have to simulate every sound ever made and run them through at every level ever used.

Massive Mastering wrote:

I'm not a programmer, but I would think that if you wanted to truly emulate a particular compressor, you'd have to simulate every sound ever made and run them through at every level ever used.

Oh...that should be easy... :lol:

Well, I spent the evening playing with my new UAD card. I got the precision mastering bundle plugs as well as the Pultec Pro.

Wow, this stuff is addicting.

The mastering limiter is nice for peaks. As transparent or more than the built-in one in Sequoia.

The precision EQ is nice. I see it being used on the occassion that I am using all bands of the Ibis for other things or when I want pre AND post comp/limiter EQ. These times are few and far between, but they both do exist.

The multi-band - didn't play with that much - probably never will.

The Pultec- downright addicting! Wow! A little bit goes a LONG way too!!!

I'll downright enjoy this plug in, but I'll definitely have to take it easy!

Thanks for all the advice guys!

J. 8-)