UVI Falcon AAX discontinued / crossgrade to full version

[Guy Rowland]

I'm very late to this particular party, but I've only just seen this buried announcement. For a few years now, Pro Tools support and software subscribers have had access to an AAX-only version of UVI's Falcon 2. After Jan 31st this year that is no longer the case, but it will keep working for the remainder of a subscription.

However, in lieu UVI are offering a $100 crossgrade to a full Falcon 2 license, which also includes a $100 voucher to be used against any UVI soundware or expansion.

As a special way to say thank you for your continued support, we also include the $100 voucher good towards any soundware purchase on uvi.net (voucher code delivered by email after registering your Falcon license). Each license of Falcon, like all UVI products, can be activated on up to 3 systems concurrently via iLok, and will work in standalone and across all major DAWs (VST, AU, AAX).
UVI provide your personal Falcon voucher code
Code linked to your personal account and valid once at uvi.net for a month.

I haven't seen any of this posted anywhere on the UVI or Avid websites, but it seems legit as it's been discussed on the DUC forum for a couple of months - https://duc.avid.com/showthread.php?t=418809 . To claim, you have to submit a request here, selecting "Pro Tools AAX Crossgrade" from the drop down menu

https://support.uvi.net/hc/en-us/reques ... 9126176529

I've personally never been a fan of Falcon 2, so not sure if I'd go for it even so. Has anyone had any particularly good experiences or are there expansions worth getting?

[doctoremmet]

I don’t know why you’re not a fan of Falcon, could be many reasons of course. But as a fully modular synth it is one of the most capable synth platforms currently in existence. It offers very good versions of basically any and all synthesis paradigms in existence, and is a sampler that rivals Kontakt in terms of power. That power also translates to a very good and versatile sonic quality, which of course is ultimately the most important thing. The fx are also really good but that was to be expected, what with the UVI Sparkverb and other gems “in there”.

The UI can be daunting and the engine CPU-cycles challenging, so there’s that. And as a sample platform it doesn’t really hold a candle to Kontakt, especially not in any meaningful way in the “orchestral” or “film scoring” realms.

If you wanted a good showcase of what Falcon’s capable of as a sampler / scripting / modelling platform, check out the recent Acousticsamples V-series brass. Their vintage keys packs are also brilliant. As for synth sounds, the presets done by Simon Stockhausen are brilliant. Mini ambient album generators, each patch.

The main criticism I have of Falcon 2 is that it can be daunting at times. I think synths like Phase Plant and Equator 2 have workflows that are more user-friendly yet almost as capable.

[Guy Rowland]

I don’t know why you’re not a fan of Falcon

I think you answered that question pretty well in the rest of the post! I didn't get on with the UI at all, it felt daunting. I'm not super-interested in learning new sample platforms full stop I must admit, so it has to be very enticing to, un, entice me. Also all the factory preset sounds - and I mean pretty much all of them - were horrible, so it was quite demotivating. I've no doubt it is capable of much better, but it was a terrible showcase.

That VHorns brass does sound good - https://www.acousticsamples.net/vhorns - but that would equally run in Workstation, right?

[doctoremmet]

It definitely runs fine in their player - yes! And I do understand your reasoning. Makes a lot of sense.

(The presets have definitely improved over time).

[EvilDragon]

Factory library was updated a number of times, and IIRC it now also includes sounds from Simon Stockhausen etc.

Also there's a series of videos by Dan Worrall where he goes in depth with Falcon's features, which is worth checking out. It's really a great sound design tool.

[Guy Rowland]

I can't see me heavily getting into sound design on a new platform at this point in my life to be honest. I remember I didn't much like the workflow when I tried it a couple of years ago, and the presets in 2.0 seemed no better. And no tag browser, extraordinary in this day and age.

BUT the the presets in 2.5 do sound considerably better, and some of the expansions sound good - 40 euros per expansion and a 100 euro voucher all for 100 euros to crossgrade might yet push me over the edge. Anyone else here use it?

[Guy Rowland]

I decided to go for it - at about £80 with 2 expansions (and I also got Scratch Machine too) it seemed churlish not to.

It's probably another one of those purchases that seems like a no-brainer at the time but I have a feeling I won't get too much use out of it. I still don't like the UI, and the browser really is atrocious, circa 2003. Most of the sounds still don't inspire me, there's a digital clean-ness over it all that gets wearing quite quickly. There are bright moments though and I don't doubt it's an Aladin's cave if you get delving. I just don't feel very inspired to delve.

[Guy Rowland]

Incidentally, to fill up my 100 euro voucher, I got UVI's Scratch Machine which also works in the free Workstation. This is great! It's just record scratches, as bazillions of loops and individual samples. What I couldn't quite believe is many of them feel like the original recordings as wildly-overused in the 1980s in particular. I double checked the EULA, and it's crystal clear - these are all good to use commercially.

So if you ever need to sound like a 1980s rap act, it's a legally clear one-stop shop for $20 in the current sale.