# If you Could Pick 3 UAD plugins?



## fritzmartinbass (Apr 5, 2014)

Hi,
Well, i bought a UA Twin Duo yesterday and the package for 3 plugins. If you could only pick 3 what would they be? 

This is what I already have: 

1176LN Classic Limiting Amplifier Plug-In 
1176SE Classic Limiting Amplifier Plug-In 
CS-1 Channel Strip 
Helios™ Type 69 EQ 
Pultec EQP-1A Legacy 
Pultec Pro EQ Legacy 
RealVerb Pro 
Softube® Amp Room
Teletronix® LA-2A Classic
UA 610-B Tube Preamp and EQ

I was thinking about getting:

Lexicon 224
Fatso 
1176 Collection

I mainly write orchestral music, Jazz, and ambient type stuff. I originally wanted the Studer or the Ampex, but so many people speak very highly of Fatso. The reverb choices I had were between Lexicon, EMT 140, or DreamVerb.
Anyway, I would appreciate any input you may have.


Thank, Fritz


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## Jetzer (Apr 5, 2014)

Bought a whole collection of UAD plugins from member Rv5 last year. The Fatso is definitely one of my favs. 

I like the lexicon (a lot) on drums especially. I don't have the EMT 140 though, so I can't make the comparison.


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## Patrick de Caumette (Apr 5, 2014)

Those three are great.
The Ocean Way is also excellent, as are so many others.
I would get the pricey plugins for best bang for buck though...
1176 is fantastic but not very expensive...


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## TheUnfinished (Apr 5, 2014)

Yeah, get the most expensive ones for these three freebies. Plus maybe avoid the 'best sellers' because they do have a habit of being on sale more often - unless you really want them, of course!

But most of all... look forward to realising you want more power than the Duo card offers! 

Of the ones you've mentioned, I don't have the Fatso. But the Lexicon reverb is very nice, especially when used subtly.

I prefer both the LA2A and Fairchild compressor collections to the 1176s.


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## wst3 (Apr 5, 2014)

Man, if I had to pick three I think my head would explode<G>!

From you list...

the difference between the legacy 1176 and the collection is subtle to my ears (on my monitoring system), I'd reserve that purchase for later.

Fatso - you mentioned the tape emulators, and that's probably where I'd start. Fatso is amazing, and does quite a bit, but the Studer is even more amazing, again to my ears. I'd get the Studer first, and pick up Fatso later, especially given your current applications.

Lexicon 224 - it is amazing! But for acoustical sources I find I use the Plate 140 more often than the 224. There is something magical that happens when you use the plate on sample libraries. Demo them both and see which you like better?

You did not mention the Ocean Way plug-in, that has become an essential part of my arsenal.

Two other plug-ins that I find I use frequently are the Maag and Cambridge EQs. The Maag provides some really cool 'effect" type equalization, adn the Cambridge is my correction tool because it only does what I ask it to do.

So if it were me, based on what you already own, and what you want to do I'd go with:

EMT Plate 140 or Lexicon 224 - you'll have to demo them to figure that one out. For sample based stuff I'd choose the Plate, but that's my ears, and my experience.

Studer Tape (or maybe Fatso, again you can demo them both) Again for sample based stuff I'd go with the Studer, and again that's my ears.

The third - the Pultec and Helios give you good choices for colorful EQ, so I'd think about the Cambridge, but I'd probably still go with the Ocean Way Rooms.

Yup, Plate 140, Studer, and Ocean Way - none of which were on your list, sorry about that!


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## fritzmartinbass (Apr 5, 2014)

thanks guys!,

I'm here to learn, so please let me know what YOU think. Actually, my first initial choice was the Studer. I was looking for some warmness and glue for my mixes. I don't do EDM, so I'm not really looking for a super heavy, in your face, bass heavy sound. I'm really looking for plugins that will help the orchestral libraries sit in the mix better.


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## fritzmartinbass (Apr 5, 2014)

And yes, my head is about to explode! >8o


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## stonzthro (Apr 5, 2014)

I use the Massive Passive a lot, and the Neve 88RS is plugged on every channel when I mix. For orchestral, those get my vote. 

For synth effects, the Moog filter is really great but that's off topic...


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## wst3 (Apr 5, 2014)

Ah yes, the Massive Passive is gorgeous! I don't own it yet, and sometimes I am sorry I tried it<G>!

The worst part of the 14 day trials is that they don't have a bad plug-in!!


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## EastWest Lurker (Apr 5, 2014)

Plate 140, Ampex, and Precision Multiband for me.


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## jsaras (Apr 5, 2014)

You're likely to get as many responses are there are UAD owners. Just as with the hardware units they've modeled, some people just get along with certain things more than others. The common thread with all their plugins is that the sonic imprint that they impart isn't an overdone "CGI cartoon", if that makes any sense.


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## JT3_Jon (Apr 5, 2014)

wst3 @ Sat Apr 05 said:


> You did not mention the Ocean Way plug-in, that has become an essential part of my arsenal.



May I ask how are you using it? You have me very interested now! 



fritzmartinbass @ Sat Apr 05 said:


> I was thinking about getting:
> 
> Lexicon 224
> Fatso
> 1176 Collection



OP: If you are looking for tape, consider the Slate VTM - I've seen it go for $99 and offers both a tracking and master tape decks - "equivalents" to the UAD Studer and Ampex. I must admit I like the AMPEX from UAD better on my 2-buss, but I use VTM tracking tape more than Studer, mainly so I can save UAD resources for other needs. If you are only on a duo, you do not want to use up all your UAD processing on a tape sims IMO.

Pickup the most expensive plugins YOU like. You can always buy the great, but less expensive ones like the Dim D, Cooper Time cube, EMTs, etc during one of their frequent sales (they have promos every month with big store wide sales during the summer and winter, usually July & December). I personally would even hold off upgrading the 1176, as its only $150, and often on sale for $99. Spend that "free plugin" on something thats $299 at least.


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## wst3 (Apr 6, 2014)

JT3_Jon @ Sat Apr 05 said:


> wst3 @ Sat Apr 05 said:
> 
> 
> > You did not mention the Ocean Way plug-in, that has become an essential part of my arsenal.
> ...



You may ask - hope the answer is helpful<G>...

I should probably mention that I have two solo cards, so I am a little bit constrained on horsepower at the moment, which leads to some unorthodox (by today's measure) processes.

Anyway... I use it almost entirely in "re-mic" mode, and I use it mostly in one of two scenarios:

1) working with live players - my current "studio" arrangement is not yet optimal. Sometimes I can capture a killer track, sometimes the room just fights me, and wins. 

In those cases I will take the recorded tracks and insert OWS in-line and clean up the track - by which I mean place it into a more pleasing acoustical environment. What I'm aiming for here is a natural - and pleasing - room tone. It's remarkably effective, I still think someone went down to the crossroads for the code.

I print each of these processed tracks as a new track, mute the old one, and then use the processed ones as my tracks. Sometimes the effect will be a tad too much no matter what I do - still trying to figure out what I'm doing wrong in those cases - so I can always unmute the original track and add it back in at a low level to help.

Sometimes I get tracks from other folks where I need to get rid of the room entirely. OWS can do that to a point, but if you need to completely remove the room signature you have to use a tool like UnVeil from Zynaptiq. A potent combination!!

2) Probably more interesting to folks here... when I am working with virtual instruments I can still use the approach described above - I'll place each instrument into it's own discrete track (which I do anyway), and place OWS inline. The only thing that OWS can not do is change the perceived position within the room. Otherwise it does a nice job of unifying the room signature if you are using lots of different libraries.

Again I have to print the tracks to preserve horsepower.

The alternate to this, which I am starting to use as a bit of a time saver, is to use the plug-in as a reverb. I will send all the strings, for example, to an effects buss that contains the OWS plugin set to reverb mode. Even if I am using libraries from different developers the overall effect is to glue the players together in space. It's a LOT more work to get a convincing tone - at least it is for me.

And once again I print that track, but usually I keep the originals live as well because the 100% wet sound really doesn't work for me.

A quick aside... when I first started recording both tracks and processors were rare, meaning 8 tracks was pretty common, 16 was a bit of a luxury, and having more than a couple of compressors or delays was almost unheard of.

So we printed a LOT of stuff. If we weren't absolutely certain we'd keep the original tracks, and pre-mix. All in the name of preserving scarce resources. It's a lot easier now, but the approach can still help. Until I get that Octo card of course<G>!


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## Jetzer (Apr 6, 2014)

We have way too many choices. A curse and a blessing


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## JT3_Jon (Apr 6, 2014)

Wow wst3!! Thank you for the awesome reply! I'm going to have to give the Ocean Way a test. Sounds like it could be very interesting indeed!


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## Blackster (Apr 7, 2014)

Here are my favorites:
1) Studer A800
2) Precision Maximizer
3) OceanWay

And yes, I use all of them in an orchestral setting


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## stonzthro (Apr 7, 2014)

I have the A800 but haven't included it much in my orchestral mixing. How are you guys using it? Plug on every channel at a certain speed? Plug on the master? All of the above?


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## EastWest Lurker (Apr 7, 2014)

stonzthro @ Mon Apr 07 said:


> I have the A800 but haven't included it much in my orchestral mixing. How are you guys using it? Plug on every channel at a certain speed? Plug on the master? All of the above?



I bounce all my MIDI to audio stems and bring them into my Mix template which has audio track with the Studer for each and the Ampex on the 2 buss.


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## Blackster (Apr 7, 2014)

EastWest Lurker @ Mon Apr 07 said:


> stonzthro @ Mon Apr 07 said:
> 
> 
> > I have the A800 but haven't included it much in my orchestral mixing. How are you guys using it? Plug on every channel at a certain speed? Plug on the master? All of the above?
> ...



Yep, that's my way of working, too.


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## stonzthro (Apr 7, 2014)

I'll give that a try and see how it sounds - thanks for the tip!


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## no3no4 (Apr 19, 2014)

I would like to get some good reverbs from UAD and also some compressors. These could be the strongest point for UAD plugins


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