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Universal Audio's newest batch of studio tools are likely to keep pro users smiling.
Guitar-amp plug-ins are nothing new, and the concept is pretty straightforward: Much like you’d use a software compressor, EQ, or other processor plug-in on a recorded track while mixing in your DAW, for example, you record your guitar track dry via DI, then insert an amp plug-in on that track’s channel strip to transform it to the type of tone that the production demands. The amplifier plug-ins on review here from Universal Audio will also function exactly so, but they really shine when used during the recording process, as Unison plug-ins accessed via one of UA’s own Apollo recording interfaces. As such, you not only hear the selected amp as you record it, you also feel the interaction between guitar and carefully modeled amp via the Apollo’s Hi-Z input, and all with zero latency. And that, UA reckons, should make a marked difference in the feel and dynamics of your performance. In a bid to discover how well that premise holds up, GP checks out UA’s Unison plug-ins for the Marshall Legends Bundle ($399 direct), ’55 Fender Tweed Deluxe ($199 direct), Fuchs Overdrive Special 50 and Train II ($149 direct, each), and Engl Savage 120 ($149 direct).
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Note that you need to own a UA accelerator card or recording interface to run this company’s plug-ins, and the latter hardware is required to use them as Unison plug-ins while tracking. I tested these Unison-enabled plugins using a Les Paul and a Stratocaster into an Apollo Twin Duo desktop interface, both monitored live through Mackie HR824 studio monitors, and recorded direct to Pro Tools for further examination on playback.
MARSHALL LEGENDS BUNDLE
Comprising models created exclusively for