The native versions are exactly the same as the non-native versions. I have nearly all the UAD plugins and I honestly dont use them very often simply because I cant have too many running on my Apollo before I max out the dsp. That gets annoying pretty quick. Only work around I have is to bounce everything to audio which is fine but just an extra step I dont want to take. I dont have to worry about that with the native versions, but they still havent ported out a lot of the plugins I typically use from UAD, so theres also that. As far as quality, I dont find UAD plugins any better or worse than other developer suites.

 

Link?

 

If I interpreted it correctly seems to work similar to Soundtoys, so many conflicting bits of info on the web it's hard to tell.

https://uadforum.com/community/inde...ou need to have it,you can do updates offline.

 

Interesting that the more I look into it the more overhyped UAD plugs seem, they're got such a revered status in the community. Beginning to think they've smashed it with the marketing. I will trial them and see for myself at some point, at the moment I would find it hard to compare fairly need more xp to accurately discern the nuances.

 

My UAD UA plugins works offline, but I own them. Subscription is not my choice.

 

Since you own them, Do you need the UA Connect?

My Spark Subscription Requires UA Connect. So therefore UA Connect need Internet Connection for UAD Spark Plugins.

 

have to disagree here. i have plenty of ilok plugins and except of the slate, mcdsp and uvi, all run offline with machine activation!
you just need to be online once you do the registration, which is the same method as with other brands that don't use ilok sometimes.
you also don't need to be online once in a while to keep them running. i can tell that out of my old studio machine. the room doesn't have internet and once i installed it all from home, it never came back online again for years. some manufacturers just don't use machine activation, such as uad obviously or empirical labs. EL told me, when i wanted to buy arousor, that the dongle or cloud activation is more safe then the machine activation, which could easier be cracked (or maybe time reset through several tools?) idk. i didn't got into detail with them as arousor was already out that time by r2r and just decided to got with softubes Mike-E, which allows machine activation.

the factor of using system resources probably is still there, but its not right that you need always a dongle or you can only use the plugins unless their servers are online.

 

I own a few of these and I can't use them because my computer needs to see the Internet in a 'one time activation'. UA Connect will install on that computer but needs to be activated online.

I have an iLok as well, all plugins activated to that iLok. Still doesn't work.

Looks like its still the same game if you buy the collection without the dongles.

The one thing that UAD has unique is on top of the zero latency plugins the Pre Amp thing is pretty awesome. That can be programmed to give different input results, according to the Manley, 610, 1073 etc. To me that's pretty special.

 

So to clarify -

UAD Subscriptions always require UA connect therefore an active internet connection

UAD latest bundle suites one off purchase only require online activation once



Can someone definitely confirm whether the old dongle/satellite/sound card bundles require active internet or is it one off activation?
Apologies if this bits already been answered.


What a minefield.

 

So circle is closed : back to PA or SSL
On my side, i'm more and more freeware + stock (Studio One) + single special plugins

 

However, you are talking about a property that is determined solely by the manufacturer! saying ilok is shit in general, because of the method UA is providing for their plugins, is just the half of the truth what registration methods you have with ilok. and as stated before, you can easily register your ilok plugins once with a internet connection and never have to online again afterwards. this method is working with eventide, Softube, kush, SSL, oeksound, relab, soundtoys and many more....

about subs: actually you always get an email before your sub is running out. every machine these days could be connected via a (mobile) hotspot just to renew the license in the ilok manager only once a year. that's how i did it with the slate sub. there's always a way, if you really wanna use legit versions

 

If youre using UAD hardware, you dont need to be online to run UAD plugins. UAD hardware acts as a dongle and you can either activate the plugins through the UAD Control Panel app (you'll need to be online to do this once) or export an Auth file from the UAD website so you can load it to the registry and activate offline when needed.

For subscriptions and native versions, you'll need to be online to run the plugins because they use the UA Connect app to continuously authenticate. I assume its the same for UAD bundle suites.

Either way, youre gonna use a dongle either via UAD hardware or ilok w/UA Connect app.

 

Years ago I would say UAD is the best. But nowadays? Nah.. There's better stuff out there, including PA!

 

I have UAD hardware/Apollo Solo....But FINNALY, The Clarification that I was looking for and yes I'm on UAD Spark Subscription UA Connect and my 3 Month Trial Ends February 28 after that ends I was thinking cancelling Spark Subscription and go after The New Paid UAD Bundle Suites, However if it requires UA Connect app I may have to rethink that..I just want to be offline in Recording Secession to use UAD Plugs..

I'll probably send in a Support Ticket to find out about there new UAD Bundle Suite what it requires.. But your SPOT ON about you're gonna need to use a dongle either via UAD hardware or ilok w/UA Connect app.. Though I wish that The New Paid UAD Bundle Suites would have at lease a 7 Day Free Trial..

 

Please update if you do contact them because I'm still baffled about whether or not you need internet connection for the new diamond suite. If you do that's really poor from UAD. £800 on offer approx and having to have a connection to use is an absolute joke.

 

No, UA connect app does not require an internet connection. If you use ilok cloud for plugin authorisation, the ilok license manager requires an internet connection. If you use ilok usb instead, no internet connection is required.

 

I see that ilok USB Cost is around $50 Bucks

 

Welcome to UA... If you bought all the dongles for 10k+ and all the plugins, another 10k+, to use on Windows with Cubase 12, you now have a collection of bricks... All that investment in UA and the only VST3 you can get is this online strongarm, to get some of the plugins you bought. The dongles will still be useless... that is UA in a nutshell

Now as for Mac, it seems like its a different story

I only have about £500 of bought plugins, plus the dongle and what I got free with it, which is a lot of money for me. Can't use any of them because I don't treat music making as an amateur project - I don't let my music computer see the Internet, ever. Its just common sense, as ArticStorm stated above