No longer is re-amping just for guitarists. We’d recommend the Galaxy Tape Echo as the best UAD delay plugin. u-he Diva. If you are going for that late 70’s/ early 80’s Classic Rock/Heavy Metal sound, this is it. Ian Vargo’s Top 10 UAD Plugins (+ Mix Tips) 1. It sounds good on everything, has a stepped EQ (good for beginners) and legendary status. The runner up would be the Lexicon 224. This is the toughest category as it seems to be the holy wars of recording/mixing. So what are the must have UAD plugins for 2020? The Dytronics Cyclosonic Panner is uber cool, but probably not all that useful if you’re shooting for something that’s commercially viable today. We were split on the best uad plugins for guitar, and picked two. Tip: Whereas the upper midrange of most plugin equalizers can be harsh and brittle, this EQ is really pleasing in that range. The Marhsall JMP 2203 is our first choice. We are going to assume that you already have all the Universal Audio free plugins, like the 1176, LA-2A and Pultec, since they come standard with any unit you buy. The main negative is the lack of a compressor. Back in Black!!! What about the Studer A800? 1. The Fuchs Train II is our second choice. Are you listening Universal Audio? It sounds good on everything, has a stepped EQ (good for beginners) and legendary status. (On an 808, the Vertigo may be the best UAD plugin for hip hop.) Studer A800 If I had to choose just one plugin from UAD, this would be it. Some people do find the Studer and Ampex combined to be overkill though. Definitely put this one on the mix bus. The real value though is all the models it includes. You can never have too many compressors! Tip: Experiment with the “bias setting”—try bringing it down to just before the signal starts breaking up, and then push the input for instant vintage saturation and excitement. The Studer is great to put on every track, and then the Ampex on the 2-Bus to emulate how they did it in the analog days. This is kind of the miscellaneous category. Think of it as an LA-2A with the capability of a faster attack. We can’t pick just one Channel Strip and own all of them, but if we had to pick a default as probably the best UAD plugin for tracking, it would be the Neve 1073. It’s a little more subtle than some other options out there, but also works well in multiple genres. (Although the plugin is a bit of a resource hog.). While using UAD plugins without hardware isn’t really viable, many people don’t realize that you can use a Satellite without requiring an Apollo, if you don’t need an audio interface and just want to run the plugins. Then the main section is a VCA compressor, which can be bypassed as well. The API is one of the standards for Rock, Hip-Hop and EDM. We hope that you found our list of the best UAD plugins helpful in your decision making process. It’s only shortcoming might be that it’s a bit of a short reverb (not as short as doubling by any means, but if you are looking for a long reverb, this might not be the best option.). Neve 1073. If you are going for that modern “big radio hit” type sound, then this might be what you’re missing. The dbx 160 is a must have compressor for drums, but the API is also a VCA that handles drums really well, so pick the API first. Neve 33609 Compressor/Limiter. Another way to get the Saturation if you don’t want the Inflator, is the Vertigo VSM-3. The high-end is unmatched. The Marshall Plexi Classic is one of Universal Audio’s free plugins. As far as best UAD plugins for vocals, the Channel Strip plugins are a separate category, so we’ll exclude those here. Awesome. Randy Rhoads also used the JCM-800 variant, so if you want that early Ozzy sound, definitely give this a try. The SSL is revered in the Hip-Hop world and has been used to mix countless hit records of all styles. The fact that you get several variations makes the collection even more powerful. If you already have a limiter however, then we’d recommend the Sonnox Inflator. A great Swiss Army Knife equalizer. (Al Schmitt is probably the most famous user of these.) Use it on snare. The Neve 1073 is probably the most legendary, and Steven Tyler is rumored to only sing through these, so that’s probably a good one to start with. Studer A800. (Once you realize it’s two compressors in one, the cost makes a bit more sense.) While we love this unit, the Inflator is a bit more practical. (Note: this list was updated in 2019 and only covers uad 2 plugins. (If you click that link, Logic Fiends gets a few bucks to keep the site running, so thank you in advance if you do.) One caveat is that it’s a little on the demanding side as far as DSP resources. It’s a mainstay on my drum buss and other sub-aux tracks. It’s a mainstay on my drum buss and other sub-aux tracks. Two versions of the plugin are provided. If you don’t already have a limiter, then we recommend the Sonnox Limiter. We recommend the Manley Massive Passive as the best UAD EQ. This tape emulation plugin is perhaps even more versatile than the Studer A800 given that it has a built in delay and additional tape characteristics. You can also get a native version of the TLA-100. I put that on every track. This is great at that really deep bass, Motown type sound. If you haven’t tried it out yet, make sure you do as it will give a taste of what the Marhsall plugins are like! Amazing mic preamplifier, that reproduces thick sound and provides rich harmonics. ), The Best Universal Audio Plugins by Category. Best analogue synth plugin. Here’s a roundup of my ten go-to plugins as well as some mix tips for each. It can be intimidating to use this one for the first time if you’re not familiar with the original hardware unit or well-versed in compression, but get past the initial learning curve and it’s one of the most versatile plugin compressors. First off, the actual hardware unit is about $8k, so getting a taste of that in a plugin is as close as most people can hope for. Try this plugin, add a generous amount of 12 or 16 kHz to the two-buss and you’ll see why. I'd like to receive the free email course. It’s a clean EQ that doesn’t add coloration. Try it on electric guitars, with a couple dB of gain (anywhere from 1 – 3 kHz) for bite without the fatiguing quality that other plugins can sometimes add. It adds “apparent” loudness by adding harmonics (so more frequencies.)