I was excited to see it added to the PA family. I have a subscription so I've been meaning to test it out. I've been using the SKnote Audio Disto version for a while now, so I'm interested to see the difference. Not many people even knew about the Disto one, kinda a Gearspace nerd cult classic.
Been wanting to grab it. their stuff rarely goes on sale, or at least not the massive wacky black friday sale game we all play each year. I wanted Diva forever and finally got it, but of buddy of mine grabbed Satin as well at the same time and said he was blown away (and he owns a sh*tload of tape machine plugins). I hear nothing but good things about that plugin.
hair splitting stuff. It's like wine tasting, You go out to the vineyards and taste different wines and after about an hour you don't really care. That's why I often just grab "compressor" when I'm searching for a compressor to use. The Steinberg one has a Peak / RMS blend knob that tells the compressor what to react to, which is very cool. Anyway, in the end, this stuff is all just fun. It comes down to the music and the person using the tools. And software companies do not want you to believe that. They will do their level best to convince you otherwise. And you almost convinced me here too. Damn you Matty.🙂
You should have a look at DMG’s track compressor. I’m using that instead of most of the emulations available (in my library). It’s really good and sounds great.
You are so cool to do this! It’s such a common problem re: plugins tied to DSP hardware. It feels like for most it should be a tracking w/DSP to commit to the track and mix with native of you have the CPU. I would love to see a video about that. Thanks again Matty! 🔥
The Lack of Low-End on the UAD 1176 is what sets it appart from my 2 Hardware 1176. So for me personal the Arturia Version sounds very interesting. Going to test it. Thanks!
I would love to see you do a review on some of the plugins from analog obsession. They are free and they sound as good or better sometimes to me as all of these more pricey emulations.
It's unfortunately because they are free that nobody takes them into consideration... it's sad but it's basic marketing psychology... If the talented developer of Analog Obsession sold them $100 each plugin (or even $50), and we'd probably talk a lot more about it
@@olivierdesaint-max4066 Totally agree- I think they do amazing job and the scene is so heavily bullshitted by the big companies, especially UAD with the ridiculous hardware dependance and yearly subscriptions etc..
FIVER and SSQ are pretty sick. I got more installed, but those 2 I've spent some time with. and your right, shits as good or better than expensive alternatives.
This was the most comprehensive video on this topic, great info. Only thing I wish was different was also hearing the dry signal to really tell what they’re doing.
Good choices! we have almost the same alternatives and more than UAD alternatives, they are faithful alternatives of their respective hardware. The Xtressor is the new revelation, an emulation of that level was missing, cheers !
Great video! It really opened my eyes, I've owned the UAD Quad-2 for around 12 years now and in those years, I've never had a job where I've not used it somewhere. When I bought it they really were unbeatable, but some of these newer plugins are really good ,and in a lot of cases, considerably cheaper as well. One gripe I had though was that the comparisons could have been more accurate, a few of them didn't sound level matched (particularly the API and Manley compressors) and I also noticed that the outputs were clipping on your DAW. I know I'm nitpicking!
UAD API Console -> Softube American Class A + Red Rock Sound AQ550, AQ550b & AQ560. UAD UA 1176 -> Brainworx Purple MC77 UAD Pultec -> Red Rock Sound EQP-1A UAD Distressor -> Kiive Audio Xtressor UAD Studer A800 -> Softube Tape Type A
I recently pulled up a 4 year old mix from a hard drive that my band loved. We just forgot about it. It had the Cytomic The Glue on the mix. I didn’t have the license anymore though. No problem bc I’ve got UAD Waves Acustica Tim P SSLs now. I could not recreate the feel. Had to get that plugin again. I guess I have a new appreciation for it. For a rock track it’s great.
I agree with you on almost all of them. I would even say that the Pulsar Manley plug-ins are superior to UAD. The only ones I don't agree about is the 1176 and 160. Softube FET Comp is my favorite 1176 plug-in, and DMG Audio TrackComp 2 has the hands-down best DBX 160 emulation. I would recommend most people to just buy TrackComp 2 if they are looking for detailed emulations of most classical comps. Every model in that plug-in is so good and precise that they could replace every UAD alternative in this list. Most people don't give it much thought just because it doesn't have a flashy GUI, but if you actually listen to how it sounds, you will understand why it is so praised by many. DMG Compassion, TrackComps 2 bigger brother, can also emulate all of these comps, but it's a bit more work to set it up. U-he Presswerk and Klanghelm DC8C3 are also compressor powerhouses that could emulate all kinds of comps, if you have the patience and knowledge to dial them in correctly.
agreed, and a lot of the best UAD are licensed from PA and ST anyway. they have a couple of unique products still. The neve 1073, the capitol records Reverb, the echoplex, but... it's an entirely different market now. So many choices out there.
Thanks for this. I sold my uad hardware a while ago, and it was difficult to find alternatives. I still haven't found a 1073 channel as convincing as the UAD. That thing really is special.
Check out analogue obsessions. It's free and amazing. Might be more convincing then UAD. Softube, Noise Ash, Audio Acoustica are a few more. UAD isnt really that great if you do your research. Also they've outplayed themselves in regards to the market.
@@ashwinniamat8560 Thanks for the tip. I am aware of the alternatives, but even Neve engineers have suggested UAD really nailed it. If I'm honest, it's more my stubborn brain that doesn't like the thought of using a plugin when there is a more authentic alternative.
@@ashwinniamat8560 Yes, their hardware model is out-of-date, and was based on the fact that at one point, their plugins were better than the competition. This is no longer the case. However, it's more the thought of a Neve-approved plugin I liked, and the fact that I used that UAD plugin on everything.
Highly, highly recommend revisiting the 1176 alternatives and adding IK Multimedia’s Black76 into the fold. I’d say the same for the Distressor comparison - IK’s Comprexxor gives the UAD version a run for it’s money (as does the Slate one, to be fair). Sounds absurd to say, but I actually prefer the IK Black 76 to the rev e 1176 UA plugin. Love and use the UAD stuff but there are some great competitors out there.
Really love Rule Tec, i thinks it shines that you can dial back the input and cook the harmonics to a more clean or note, curves are bit different, but it works! its really nice! tested against the UAD, which I have and its good, but a bit more fuzzy, and the Softube, to me Ruletec is a winner always! Altought I like to use the Acoustica Titanium for the low in some cases!
Did you try using the Arouser as your Distressor plug-in? Sounds great as Empirical /ELI makes it and Dave (who designed the Distressor) designed as like a Distressor 2.0z
I was looking at possibly buying the Manely Vox Box by UAD, but I already have the Pulsar collection, and they sound awesome. I actually have most of the alternative plugins you reviewed. I have so many plugins it´s hard to remember what I have. I don´t think I need to buy any more plugins, I have most of the Waves, over 30 by Plugin Alliance, and I recently bought the whole Arturia collection on sale for 129€, an amazing deal for ALL that you get. But, thanks for this review, and reminding me of ALL the plugins I forgot I have. I also have the Analog SSL Fusion, and Tegeler Creme. The Tegeler Creme is a combo of Pultec EQ, and an SSL Compressor. So, I have way more than enough. :)
would've been nice to hear the bypassed version aswell.. Also the drums seem to be already heavily processed and the differences sound so minute, that the slight glue the comps are doing aren't showcasing the analog-modelling and the whole point why to buy these kinds of plugins instead of using the stock ones..
Hey Let's go, I did the same with some plugins and many of the one you did especially the first 5 Plugins and we agree with them ....the Slate Distressor I thinks sounds great and almost identical to my Distressor HW.
10:25 I think that's a distinctive characteristic of UAD compressor plugins, and honestly, that's why I'd rather use UAD more than other options... the way they retain the low end closer to the source material feels so musical to my ears it makes fitting a track in a mix easier when I use them.
curious Maddy what about the Manley vox box because that is by far their best.. we all know that it has it all what would be the closest channel strip next to Manley audio Vox
I used to own the entire UAD library but after they refused to port everything over (been over a year already) to native with Spark I sold them all along with my Twin x Quad and replaced everything for way less. Basically i made a killer profit and as a bonus no longer have to be chained to the internet or have an Apollo (slowly) running a couple plug-ins in the background before it chokes. I can use everything now while on a plane, in a hotel, at live shows, etc... They just got too greedy keeping everyone hostage to their Apollo's.
yes! the Libdel 50 channel is great! Its better then the UAD. UA never nailed API. SSL's channel strips are better than anyones copies. I used to love my UAD E channel. The SSL with the (ChS2) 9000 and new 4kB wins. the SSL bus comp too is the best (used to use UAD G Buss) Also the plugin alliance purple mc77 is a great 1176 great info. Thanks!
Probably your right too. It’s a personal thing always. Buy you should try Ik multimedia emulations: heavy on dsp side but with ton of mojo. Specially their tape emulations, so good.
Indeed XTressor is great... Bad timing for ELI guys, I switched to XTressor because Arousor (which is also killer) is still not Apple Silicon compatible after almost two years (uh...seriously ?)... But with XTressor is at least as good
Great video Matty. Long time Slate subscriber but lately I've only been using FG-Stress and Verbsuite. I know this was a UA comparison video but how does the Kiive Distressor compare to Slate's?
@@mixedbymatty I also prefer Xtressor to uad but in you're comparison you should've close the bottom half of the plugin which has the saturation knob since the lower half is a fatso LOL without the comp tho.
the only ones that actually kept up with the uad were the pultec emulation and the neve diode comp. uad beat every other one by a long shot. if you ever want to hear how much better uad's plugs are than other companies compare their galaxy space echo to any of the competition.
Doesn't Softube have their FET compressor which is supposed to be an 1176? As well as their own version of the Distressor? Might be worth a comparison to those as well.
No Arouser?! Lol I'm fond of the new Xtressor from Kiive, but I can't let go of the incredible sounding Arouser by Empirical Labs. I don't have any idea how it sounds compared to the analog unit. But it's one of my favorite plugins and I haven't found an itb replacement for it yet.
plugin alliance is so much less expensive. never buy UAD if its available at PA. same exact code. right now cubase and nuendo require plug-ins to be both Apple Silicon compliant and VST 3 to run in Apple Silicon mode. The spark stuff works but none of the UAD2. I have over 80 UAD plug-ins that I can't use in Apple Silicon mode. i've been using UAD plug-ins for about 18 years or so and compared to plug in alliance they're just not looking out for their customers. It would be fun to do a version of this for time based fx. i'm actually more addicted to UAD reverbs/delays then i am compressor/EQs, but there are a lot of great options out there.
I had the feeling that the rule tec had a little more bass and low end. in those setting and drums in solo the uad sounded a little more pleasing. but might also just be tiny differences in how the knobs react. still super close!
For me, UAD isn't as impressive as it could be. I have the same plug-in options as you. UAD has Collor that EQs the low frequencies, making them appear thicker or warmer. I have now canceled UAD Spark after trying it for 3 months.
And one of the best things about the alternatives is: THE GUI-SIZE !!! UAD should really get their ass up and do what's long overdue and rework all their guis. I don't get the problem. All users want it. UAD simply denies it for years...
As much as I want to deviate from the tycoon king of UAD, it’s just too hard to deny the fact that they are simply the best. Their plugins are just cleaner and resemble much closer to the effect of those vintage analog gear. Sure you can get relatively close. To the perfectionist’s ear, there’s just no way around it.
The nice thing is we can compare real hardware to plugins now for pennies on the dollar. Thanks to companies like Access Analog and mix analog. Before I had to rely on the experience and opinions of others but no longer!
@@Karpo1 Nope. Completely wrong. Prove me wrong on a spectrum analyzer then come back bud. UA incorporates every necessary engineer that is both on the software and hardware development. All of these other developers are merely emulators and they have proven every time they cannot replicate the same exact DSP. This especially applies despite utilizing all possibilities within these plugins.
@@whatdanielson nah, i have better things to do. And how could you even prove that with some analyzer? But try blind test stuff. They often come down to taste, but i rarely prefered UAD over DMG or Acustica on my own tests.
@@Karpo1 You either move carelessly or are new to audio production. Stop making suggestions to people when you’re uneducated. It’s disingenuous. It takes less than a minute to check these things. Go get a FFT analyzer. You can a free plugin from Voxengo and put it on your FX chains.
I finally got access Spark...mastering with those UAD plugins...ad noises to your mix on final mix if your analog hybrid like me.....UAD is dog shtttt!! LOL
Thanks for for featuring our xtressor plugin!! love the video 😍
kive audio xtressor favourite and similar to hardware?
I was excited to see it added to the PA family. I have a subscription so I've been meaning to test it out. I've been using the SKnote Audio Disto version for a while now, so I'm interested to see the difference. Not many people even knew about the Disto one, kinda a Gearspace nerd cult classic.
P.S. the company that makes the Pultec alt you chose is Noiseash, they just called their Pul 'Ruletec'.
The Pulsar Massive Passive was an instant buy when I tried it on vocals. Absolutely nothing else like it in one plugin.
agree
agreed! I've been waiting for a modern native Massive Passive emu forever!!
A tape machine plugin I love is Satin by U-He.
Been wanting to grab it. their stuff rarely goes on sale, or at least not the massive wacky black friday sale game we all play each year. I wanted Diva forever and finally got it, but of buddy of mine grabbed Satin as well at the same time and said he was blown away (and he owns a sh*tload of tape machine plugins). I hear nothing but good things about that plugin.
@@nikku1166 There's a demo mode waiting for you.
@@drydessert4198 I know, but as soon so i demo it my wallets gonna fly open. I just know it. Need to wait for at least a tiny sale.
hair splitting stuff. It's like wine tasting, You go out to the vineyards and taste different wines and after about an hour you don't really care. That's why I often just grab "compressor" when I'm searching for a compressor to use. The Steinberg one has a Peak / RMS blend knob that tells the compressor what to react to, which is very cool. Anyway, in the end, this stuff is all just fun. It comes down to the music and the person using the tools. And software companies do not want you to believe that. They will do their level best to convince you otherwise. And you almost convinced me here too. Damn you Matty.🙂
I think my fav UAD distressor alternative, which I think is even better than the uad one is Softube Mike E.
Love the Mike E, but I think it's a bit of a different thing
You should have a look at DMG’s track compressor. I’m using that instead of most of the emulations available (in my library). It’s really good and sounds great.
I have that, and you are right it's great as well!
Another vote for TrackComp - use it on everything - extremely variable!
You are so cool to do this! It’s such a common problem re: plugins tied to DSP hardware. It feels like for most it should be a tracking w/DSP to commit to the track and mix with native of you have the CPU. I would love to see a video about that. Thanks again Matty! 🔥
The Lack of Low-End on the UAD 1176 is what sets it appart from my 2 Hardware 1176. So for me personal the Arturia Version sounds very interesting. Going to test it. Thanks!
Surprised you didn't have any IK Multimedia plugins, and they actually do a Studer A80 too. Ironically I have the Slate VTR and I love it! 😎
I would love to see you do a review on some of the plugins from analog obsession. They are free and they sound as good or better sometimes to me as all of these more pricey emulations.
It's unfortunately because they are free that nobody takes them into consideration... it's sad but it's basic marketing psychology... If the talented developer of Analog Obsession sold them $100 each plugin (or even $50), and we'd probably talk a lot more about it
@@olivierdesaint-max4066 Totally agree- I think they do amazing job and the scene is so heavily bullshitted by the big companies, especially UAD with the ridiculous hardware dependance and yearly subscriptions etc..
FIVER and SSQ are pretty sick. I got more installed, but those 2 I've spent some time with. and your right, shits as good or better than expensive alternatives.
Arturia 33609 is coded by the Pulsar guys. It's my favourite compressor. Pulsar rule.
how did you fine our who did the coding?
@@Sebastianandthedeepbluemusic Actually part of the Pulsar team is former Arturia's
@@Sebastianandthedeepbluemusic Click "about" in the plug in. The developers names are there.
@@olivierdesaint-max4066 awesome thanks for the info. I feel like us plugin nerds are better served by following our fav coders, then the brand
Was looking for replacement for the UAD 33609. Arturia was perfect. Thank you
This was the most comprehensive video on this topic, great info. Only thing I wish was different was also hearing the dry signal to really tell what they’re doing.
Good choices! we have almost the same alternatives and more than UAD alternatives, they are faithful alternatives of their respective hardware.
The Xtressor is the new revelation, an emulation of that level was missing, cheers !
agree. kudos to Kiive!
Great video! It really opened my eyes, I've owned the UAD Quad-2 for around 12 years now and in those years, I've never had a job where I've not used it somewhere. When I bought it they really were unbeatable, but some of these newer plugins are really good ,and in a lot of cases, considerably cheaper as well. One gripe I had though was that the comparisons could have been more accurate, a few of them didn't sound level matched (particularly the API and Manley compressors) and I also noticed that the outputs were clipping on your DAW. I know I'm nitpicking!
Maybe the lights were on but I didn't hear any clipping :)
How about the IK mutlimedia's Comprexxor vs the Distressor or the Xtressor?
UAD API Console -> Softube American Class A + Red Rock Sound AQ550, AQ550b & AQ560.
UAD UA 1176 -> Brainworx Purple MC77
UAD Pultec -> Red Rock Sound EQP-1A
UAD Distressor -> Kiive Audio Xtressor
UAD Studer A800 -> Softube Tape Type A
uad fanboi, nearly everything sounds better in this clip then uad.
I totally agree with this statement 👏🏾👏🏾 You see my picture 👀 Red Rock Sound is so underrated!!
I recently pulled up a 4 year old mix from a hard drive that my band loved. We just forgot about it. It had the Cytomic The Glue on the mix. I didn’t have the license anymore though. No problem bc I’ve got UAD Waves Acustica Tim P SSLs now. I could not recreate the feel. Had to get that plugin again. I guess I have a new appreciation for it. For a rock track it’s great.
For the Pultec, Analog Obsession has a really great one as well. And it's free!
I agree with you on almost all of them. I would even say that the Pulsar Manley plug-ins are superior to UAD. The only ones I don't agree about is the 1176 and 160. Softube FET Comp is my favorite 1176 plug-in, and DMG Audio TrackComp 2 has the hands-down best DBX 160 emulation.
I would recommend most people to just buy TrackComp 2 if they are looking for detailed emulations of most classical comps. Every model in that plug-in is so good and precise that they could replace every UAD alternative in this list. Most people don't give it much thought just because it doesn't have a flashy GUI, but if you actually listen to how it sounds, you will understand why it is so praised by many. DMG Compassion, TrackComps 2 bigger brother, can also emulate all of these comps, but it's a bit more work to set it up. U-he Presswerk and Klanghelm DC8C3 are also compressor powerhouses that could emulate all kinds of comps, if you have the patience and knowledge to dial them in correctly.
UAD plug-ins were above the rest 15 years, these days most of the plug-ins are better sounding and more efficient than UAD
agreed, and a lot of the best UAD are licensed from PA and ST anyway. they have a couple of unique products still. The neve 1073, the capitol records Reverb, the echoplex, but... it's an entirely different market now. So many choices out there.
Thanks for this. I sold my uad hardware a while ago, and it was difficult to find alternatives. I still haven't found a 1073 channel as convincing as the UAD. That thing really is special.
its true, that's one that UA really nailed and nobody else has yet.
Check out analogue obsessions. It's free and amazing. Might be more convincing then UAD. Softube, Noise Ash, Audio Acoustica are a few more. UAD isnt really that great if you do your research. Also they've outplayed themselves in regards to the market.
@@ashwinniamat8560 Thanks for the tip. I am aware of the alternatives, but even Neve engineers have suggested UAD really nailed it. If I'm honest, it's more my stubborn brain that doesn't like the thought of using a plugin when there is a more authentic alternative.
@@FatNorthernBigot There are loads. UAD i believe is going to be outta time not long from now.
@@ashwinniamat8560 Yes, their hardware model is out-of-date, and was based on the fact that at one point, their plugins were better than the competition. This is no longer the case. However, it's more the thought of a Neve-approved plugin I liked, and the fact that I used that UAD plugin on everything.
Highly, highly recommend revisiting the 1176 alternatives and adding IK Multimedia’s Black76 into the fold. I’d say the same for the Distressor comparison - IK’s Comprexxor gives the UAD version a run for it’s money (as does the Slate one, to be fair). Sounds absurd to say, but I actually prefer the IK Black 76 to the rev e 1176 UA plugin. Love and use the UAD stuff but there are some great competitors out there.
I love IK black 76 too, great plugin
I like Ik better in general..and I own both.
I have the UAD so I tend to use it, or the PA purple MC 77, but it's worth mentioning that strangely the slate blue stripe is actually very good.
Lost for words and here I am, jumping for Joy. the right pic and the right timing! thank you. New Sub
Great stuff Matty, i couldn't hear any difference between most of these plugings!
Really love Rule Tec, i thinks it shines that you can dial back the input and cook the harmonics to a more clean or note, curves are bit different, but it works! its really nice! tested against the UAD, which I have and its good, but a bit more fuzzy, and the Softube, to me Ruletec is a winner always! Altought I like to use the Acoustica Titanium for the low in some cases!
Did you try using the Arouser as your Distressor plug-in? Sounds great as Empirical /ELI makes it and Dave (who designed the Distressor) designed as like a Distressor 2.0z
Very surprising how close some of these are, great video
Thanks 👍
I was looking at possibly buying the Manely Vox Box by UAD, but I already have the Pulsar collection, and they sound awesome. I actually have most of the alternative plugins you reviewed. I have so many plugins it´s hard to remember what I have. I don´t think I need to buy any more plugins, I have most of the Waves, over 30 by Plugin Alliance, and I recently bought the whole Arturia collection on sale for 129€, an amazing deal for ALL that you get. But, thanks for this review, and reminding me of ALL the plugins I forgot I have. I also have the Analog SSL Fusion, and Tegeler Creme. The Tegeler Creme is a combo of Pultec EQ, and an SSL Compressor. So, I have way more than enough. :)
Thanks for these informations ! Another emulation worth mentioning is probably Overloud's "Comp LA", which replicates the Teletronix LA2A
(and which includes the LA3A in the same plugin by the way)
100%
Great job here! Concise and to the point both in speech and examples. Thanks so much!!
would've been nice to hear the bypassed version aswell.. Also the drums seem to be already heavily processed and the differences sound so minute, that the slight glue the comps are doing aren't showcasing the analog-modelling and the whole point why to buy these kinds of plugins instead of using the stock ones..
You videos are very easy to understand. Subscribed
Noise Ash Pultec kicks UADs butt here. I can hear a clear difference
Love the new Arturia stuff. Thanks for covering that.
Hey Let's go, I did the same with some plugins and many of the one you did especially the first 5 Plugins and we agree with them ....the Slate Distressor I thinks sounds great and almost identical to my Distressor HW.
You forgot all the Overloud's GEMS series. Amazing compressors and eqz and noo marketing at all.
I’ve been really enjoying TimP’s SSL bus comp for Nebula.
Shhh 🤫 (as someone who used the hardware a good bit…. I don’t miss the hardware now ;). I have too many bus compressors, and TimP is my most used
Looks like you had oversampling turned off on the SSL Bus Compressor 2. You might have liked it even more if you cranked that. :)
that does make a big difference in the sound.
I basically use the Acustica Audio versions of all these except for. Lindell SBC, CLA76, waves dbx160 & IK's Comprexxor.
Incredible video! Gonna check all of these out
10:25
I think that's a distinctive characteristic of UAD compressor plugins, and honestly, that's why I'd rather use UAD more than other options... the way they retain the low end closer to the source material feels so musical to my ears it makes fitting a track in a mix easier when I use them.
Agree on the Pulsar. Would like to see the Lindell vs Wave's API
curious Maddy what about the Manley vox box because that is by far their best.. we all know that it has it all what would be the closest channel strip next to Manley audio Vox
I second this
Great! can you please found also alternative plugins for Avalon and FATSO? Hmmm also Ampex delay.... Thank you so much
I used to own the entire UAD library but after they refused to port everything over (been over a year already) to native with Spark I sold them all along with my Twin x Quad and replaced everything for way less. Basically i made a killer profit and as a bonus no longer have to be chained to the internet or have an Apollo (slowly) running a couple plug-ins in the background before it chokes. I can use everything now while on a plane, in a hotel, at live shows, etc... They just got too greedy keeping everyone hostage to their Apollo's.
yes! the Libdel 50 channel is great! Its better then the UAD. UA never nailed API.
SSL's channel strips are better than anyones copies. I used to love my UAD E channel. The SSL with the (ChS2) 9000 and new 4kB wins. the SSL bus comp too is the best (used to use UAD G Buss)
Also the plugin alliance purple mc77 is a great 1176
great info. Thanks!
I love UAD !
Interesting, good idea, i would like to see a comparison or review of the kii three monitors 💥💥💥💥💥
rultek is one of the best plugins I have
Excellent comparison, thanks for share!
Great video Matty!
Ik multimedia precision bus compressor I think has a better emulation of the 33009
I like the 609 better, but it don't mean I'm right. :)
Probably your right too. It’s a personal thing always. Buy you should try Ik multimedia emulations: heavy on dsp side but with ton of mojo. Specially their tape emulations, so good.
I also prefer the IK over the UAD
To my ears all UAD guys sound better than others
Indeed XTressor is great... Bad timing for ELI guys, I switched to XTressor because Arousor (which is also killer) is still not Apple Silicon compatible after almost two years (uh...seriously ?)... But with XTressor is at least as good
Great video Matty. Long time Slate subscriber but lately I've only been using FG-Stress and Verbsuite. I know this was a UA comparison video but how does the Kiive Distressor compare to Slate's?
I prefer the Xtressor/UAD/Slate. in that order. :)
@@mixedbymatty Thanks Matty!
@@mixedbymatty how would you say the IK Multimedia Comprexxor stacks up to these?
@@mixedbymatty I also prefer Xtressor to uad but in you're comparison you should've close the bottom half of the plugin which has the saturation knob since the lower half is a fatso LOL without the comp tho.
@@aviatedviewssound4798 that’s exactly why it’s better than the uad imo.
Arturia and Pulsar stuff is just fantastic. Not the cheapest, and they hit the CPUs kinda hard… but just great stuff.
😎👍👍
the only ones that actually kept up with the uad were the pultec emulation and the neve diode comp. uad beat every other one by a long shot. if you ever want to hear how much better uad's plugs are than other companies compare their galaxy space echo to any of the competition.
Any alternative for Polymax from UAD?
Can you plz name Atr 102 alternative
thanks for this. what about the softube tube-tech as a pultec alternative. did you try that one?
the pulsar mu sounds slightly better then the uad
Sweet! I heard a lot of good about the Rule Tec Pro, so I got it during a PA EXT! I actually got two, selling one, if you're interested! ✌😎
How much you sellin for?
@@th1s0rth4t I was thinking 39
i very appricate you . sounds are same in my headphone . i really intrested . thank you :)
UAD is not the benchmark, I hate this argument, and I do have most of the UAD stuff.
Any alternatives to Plugin Doctor for Pro Tools?
Doesn't Softube have their FET compressor which is supposed to be an 1176? As well as their own version of the Distressor? Might be worth a comparison to those as well.
So are these less expensive than the uad?... great content sir!
Hello! what is the function of the button with a microphone symbol in Uad plugins?
it worked! thank you so much!!
This is so helpful.
No Arouser?! Lol I'm fond of the new Xtressor from Kiive, but I can't let go of the incredible sounding Arouser by Empirical Labs. I don't have any idea how it sounds compared to the analog unit. But it's one of my favorite plugins and I haven't found an itb replacement for it yet.
The Arouser is a bit different than the Distressor.
plugin alliance is so much less expensive. never buy UAD if its available at PA. same exact code.
right now cubase and nuendo require plug-ins to be both Apple Silicon compliant and VST 3 to run in Apple Silicon mode. The spark stuff works but none of the UAD2. I have over 80 UAD plug-ins that I can't use in Apple Silicon mode. i've been using UAD plug-ins for about 18 years or so and compared to plug in alliance they're just not looking out for their customers.
It would be fun to do a version of this for time based fx. i'm actually more addicted to UAD reverbs/delays then i am compressor/EQs, but there are a lot of great options out there.
Not a popular opinion, but I still think the UA plugins have a slight edge, and if they put them all into the Spark package I'll likely sign up.
UA has great plugins. This is by no means a dig at them. Just some alternatives :)
Sweet video!
big thanks
Ola neu friend , great video ,
I ask you what would be the reverb auternativo and alternate delay .
I thank you now
Probably Soundtoys or Valhalla
3-17-23-how you feel about uad going native?
Have tried Alex B NO9 GE ??? You love the 33609 right?
I read somewhere that RuleTec is like the Behringer of plugins, They model the other plugins instead of the hardware unit.
I had the feeling that the rule tec had a little more bass and low end. in those setting and drums in solo the uad sounded a little more pleasing. but might also just be tiny differences in how the knobs react. still super close!
I actually prefer the rule tec
What is the best montero speakers
have you tried the Apogee pultec?
For me, UAD isn't as impressive as it could be. I have the same plug-in options as you. UAD has Collor that EQs the low frequencies, making them appear thicker or warmer. I have now canceled UAD Spark after trying it for 3 months.
How can I get a hold of you for mixing and mastering?
Analog Obsession didn’t make the cut?
And one of the best things about the alternatives is: THE GUI-SIZE !!! UAD should really get their ass up and do what's long overdue and rework all their guis. I don't get the problem. All users want it. UAD simply denies it for years...
nice comparison !
yes! Waves 160 is better. i have both
Are any of these AAX DSP?
As much as I want to deviate from the tycoon king of UAD, it’s just too hard to deny the fact that they are simply the best. Their plugins are just cleaner and resemble much closer to the effect of those vintage analog gear. Sure you can get relatively close. To the perfectionist’s ear, there’s just no way around it.
The nice thing is we can compare real hardware to plugins now for pennies on the dollar. Thanks to companies like Access Analog and mix analog.
Before I had to rely on the experience and opinions of others but no longer!
It’s in your head bro
@@Karpo1 Nope. Completely wrong. Prove me wrong on a spectrum analyzer then come back bud. UA incorporates every necessary engineer that is both on the software and hardware development. All of these other developers are merely emulators and they have proven every time they cannot replicate the same exact DSP. This especially applies despite utilizing all possibilities within these plugins.
@@whatdanielson nah, i have better things to do. And how could you even prove that with some analyzer?
But try blind test stuff. They often come down to taste, but i rarely prefered UAD over DMG or Acustica on my own tests.
@@Karpo1 You either move carelessly or are new to audio production. Stop making suggestions to people when you’re uneducated. It’s disingenuous.
It takes less than a minute to check these things.
Go get a FFT analyzer. You can a free plugin from Voxengo and put it on your FX chains.
GREAT VIDEO
I finally got access Spark...mastering with those UAD plugins...ad noises to your mix on final mix if your analog hybrid like me.....UAD is dog shtttt!! LOL
UAD DBX160 sounded a bit pumpy and squashed - listen again.
nice content thx man
La-2a alternatives?
Nebula L Bus Comp
Destroys UAD G Comp
And Nebula Lunchpal Comp and Lunchpal run through plugins
Or a lot better than the UAD,API 2500
What’s your go to master chain? Go!
There’s a big difference with all these plugins😂 I have most of them but they do not sound close.