UAD Spark - no hardware, but…

[Guy Rowland]

This took me a moment to wrap my head around - forgive if I have any of this wrong, but it’s the best of my current understanding.

UAD Spark is Universal’s first ever plugin breakaway from hardware, with licensing via iLok. A subset of their plugins - and some new ones - can be had in one of two ways.

The first is via a subscription service. For the low low price of $19.99 per month (no sniggering at the back), you can have the following:

Effects
Neve 1073 Preamp & EQ Channel Strip
API Vision Channel Strip
UA 1176 Classic Limiter Collection
Teletronix LA-2A Leveler Collection
Lexicon 224 Digital Reverb
Studer A800 Tape Recorder
API 2500 Bus Compressor
Galaxy Tape Echo
Pure Plate Reverb

Instruments
Opal Morphing Synthesizer (Exclusive to UAD Spark)
Moog Minimoog D
Ravel Grand Piano
Waterfall B3 Organ (New)

The second way of getting any of these is by owning the regular version. I’m not sure if it is possible to buy plugins without owning any hardware, but if you have some on a main studio rig it now means you can also install them on a laptop, for example.

Each license has two activations, so one can be a physical iLok and the other in iLok Cloud. NOTE - currently the native versions are Mac-only, but Windows is coming later in the year apparently.

Details here - https://spark.uaudio.com/

[RobS]

that's a surprising decision, but 240$/year isn't exactly cheap, considering that the plugins will never be yours...

[Lawrence]

So I have some that I bought when I owned the hardware . Do I get to use them now that I don’t?

[Guy Rowland]

So I have some that I bought when I owned the hardware . Do I get to use them now that I don’t?

Ooh I'm not sure. If your plugins are still registered to you and in your account, you'd think so, right? Login to this Connect thing and see perhaps? That said, just seen on KVR that their servers are getting hammered and UAD have asked to wait for 3 days for things to calm down.

[Guy Rowland]

Incidentally, UAD v10 is released today too:

UAD Software Version 10.0.0 — March 30, 2022

Changes in this release

• Support for UADx plug-ins
• Support for macOS 12 Monterey and Windows 11
• UAD-2 plug-ins are grouped by category in VST DAWs
• Native Apple Silicon support for UAD-2 DSP plug-ins and Apollo Console
• Flex Routes are increased from eight to 16 with Apollo X Series rack models
• New Mix control for Teletronix LA-2A Collection
• (Mac) High resolution Retina display graphics for Teletronix LA-2A Collection

NB - seems like it's VST2 only for the powered plugins, but VST3 only for the native ones. Bit odd.

[Ashermusic]

If, like me you own a UAD 2 card, don't be surprised if what should be your free natives are not showing up in IA Connect or on your iLok.

Delays in Native (UADx) Licenses for Owners of UAD-2 Plug-Ins

If you already own a UAD-2 plug-in or UAD Instrument that has been ported to UADx, then you can get the UADx native version for free.

Please note that due to the high volume of UADx plug-ins that are being issued to UAD customers, it may take up to four days for the licenses to be fully deposited to your account. We expect that this process will be completed by April 4th.

Once the licenses are deposited, follow these instructions to use your UADx plug-ins:

Download and install the latest UAD Software including UA Connect
Open UA Connect and login to your uaudio.com account
Allow UA Connect to create a new iLok account or link your existing iLok account
Redeem your UADx plug-ins in UA Connect
Download and install your UADx plug-ins
For detailed instructions please see this article.

[Tanuj Tiku]

This is a good decision over all. Not many people will buy their hardware in the future. My guess is sales are down.

Now it depends on how quickly they can pivot to the native world and eventually just rely on the strength of their plugins and not worrying about the SHARC DSP's. That is done with it, as far as I am concerned.

UAD-2 OCTO owner here! The current offering is not that great and very expensive compared to the market. So, I am hoping that by 2023 it is a lot more flexible with many plugins already ported. It will be great to have all those plugins in native format.

[retroreel]

So glad I sold my UAD plug-ins and got out of their hardware infrastructure years ago. Firmly in the Acustica camp now and their far more realistic plug-ins (in terms of mix space, depth and saturation). And with a powerful Mac/PC they are much more usable these days. Depends what type of music you are producing, but for pop, rock, jazz and modern R&B Acustica plug-ins are better than most algorithmic plug-ins imo.

[wst3]

I am a UA fanboy, which I've demonstrated here more than once.

I am not impressed with UADx. Well I am impressed that they found a way to run DSP routines on general purpose CPU, two actually. It was not all that long ago that this would not have been practical. And without Console the plugins become somewhat less useful for recording. They'll be great for mixing.

When Windows folks can sign up I will probably get some of the native versions, which means I may never need additional Sharcs!

I have a quad PCI card, and Octo USB Satallite, and Apollo x6. I'm on the fence about adding a Twin X, I don't need the extra inputs right this moment, nor do I need the extra processing, but it would be nice to have the controls at my fingertips.

With this announcement I think I'll wait till the used gear market is flooded with used Twins.

I have no intent to abandon the UA ship. I do worry a little bit that they shot themselves in the foot, but they are some pretty smart folks, with a great track record. They'll be around for a while!

[Ashermusic]

Another UAD fanboy here.

[wst3]

Another UAD fanboy here.

Whattayaknow... I'm in good company!

[Guy Rowland]

And without Console the plugins become somewhat less useful for recording.

Well of course it's the real time processing that makes it useful for recording, not Console per se. Needless to say, a native version will behave like all other native plugins!

With this announcement I think I'll wait till the used gear market is flooded with used Twins.

Yes, the 2nd hand market will get quite interesting. Buying the cheapest anything-you-can will mean you can buy powered plugins just to use the native version, and not be tied to hardware or subs. They've been quite canny about this, reflecting on it. They've not rendered their hardware obsolete (just yet, anyway).

Overall, I do like UAD although I wouldn't call myself a superfan. I don't find their plugins quantitively different from the competition by and large (and there is the odd dud like the Softube Vocoder), and I've always had more than a sneaking suspicion that the official branding and perfect UI recreations are just as important - maybe more so - than the sonics. They're usually good stuff, mind - the LA-2A is in every vocal channel I have, pretty much.

[JohannesR]

Curious about latency on these new ones that run natively. Latency has always been a deal breaker for me when it comes to the hardware based versions

[Guy Rowland]

Curious about latency on these new ones that run natively. Latency has always been a deal breaker for me when it comes to the hardware based versions

The early reports say CPU use is pretty reasonable. Of course it varies wildly from plugin to plugin - on the UAD website there's a chart somewhere for the powered versions, and I'd expect these to track that (relatively).

That's given rise to some silly posts on forums that the hardware was only ever a glorified dongle. UAD-2 is 15 years old - at the time it was a great solution to offload precious resources, but of course 15 years of CPU development means now it's struggling to justify its existence. If you have an M1 processor, it'll surely leave that old hardware for dust. Again though, this is where Console hosted plugins come in handy, as they can be used when tracking and there's no equivalent for Native.

[Ashermusic]

I just ran a test comparing the new UAD native plugins vs the DSP based versions. I loaded the Neve 1073 on 32 tracks playing audio files on my 2018 Mac mini in Logic with a 128 buffer and it didn't break a sweat. I then tried to swap them out for the DSP based ones using my UAD-2 Quad and got the message that some had been disabled. When I get an M1 Mac there simply will be no point in using the DSP although I think I have to keep the hardware to use the free native versions without a subscription?

[Guy Rowland]

Wow, that's amazing Jay - a 2018 Mac Mini is fairly lowly by current standards, eh?

It's a good question on whether or not you need to keep the hardware. I think it should work as long as you don't sell the plugins with the hardware. Buying them in the first place is the trick, without hardware you can't. Anyway, definitely worth clarifying first.

[Ashermusic]

Wow, that's amazing Jay - a 2018 Mac Mini is fairly lowly by current standards, eh?

It's a good question on whether or not you need to keep the hardware. I think it should work as long as you don't sell the plugins with the hardware. Buying them in the first place is the trick, without hardware you can't. Anyway, definitely worth clarifying first.

Yes, the mini is OK but not a beast by any means.

I was a beta tester for UA for many years and they were very generous with me, so I have a boatload. I also bought a couple later, like the Capitol Chambers. Hopefully they will roll more out.

[Guy Rowland]

The “but” in the title can be dropped. Native plugins now available to purchase, not just subscribe or be add-ons for existing customers (click the Native switch to see what’s available).

https://www.uaudio.com/uad-plugins.html

[Guy Rowland]

Resellers have them too now, Sweetwater, Plugin Boutique etc.

I think UAD just became a lot more like everyone else.

[trumpoz]

Looks good.

Now to keep the credit card in the pocket and not give in to GAS.

Me talking to myself.
No I don't need another reverb. No I don't need another EQ even though it is an emulation of the Pultec EQ I have wanted. No I certainly dont need another compressor.