Since UAD says that you can have upto 6 devices registered to one account, Is there anything stopping me from buying a UAD 2 satelite and using my friends account? He has the ultimate 6 bundle and said he wouldn't have an issue with this. So I guess the device would registered be to his account and I would be at his mercy if he suddenly turned to the dark side and removed my device from his account AND/OR wouldn't transfer the device back to my account - essentially bricking it. Other than that I assume all his plugins would be functional?

 

First off, if you log into your friend's account, you can activate his collection of plugins. Of course, if you stay on the account you are elligible to all future purchases made by the account holder. If they remove your device from their list, then the installed plugins are yours until you update the UAD software package. You are not bricked. If you want to move on from a former account and your UAD hardware is not held by any account, you can register it on your own and get the basic plugin feature that comes with every piece of hardware, the Analog Classics, erasing the plugins from your previous package installation.

 

Well when I install the relevant UAD software / drivers, do I need to log in with his account to do this? Or do I just download the software and then connect the device and it will automatically work with the pre-authorised plugs?

And what I meant by bricked was, if he removes my device from his system. I wouldn't be able to register it to myself if he didn't transfer it backto me. But that's not a likely scenario.

 

Just to follow up, I was reading about the UAD authorisation files - will he need to authorise the device with my computer with the authorisation file or if the plugins are already authorised by him on his computer, do I just plug it in and should work? Thanks

 

Well, the user would have to let you in on their account. You sign in as that user and register your own Apollo under that account. If you ever change your mind, you start up your own account and download a fresh .auth file. The plugins previously authorized get unauthorized and the demos reset. UAD protection goes two ways: your hardware is registered and the plugins it has go by the purchase history of a user.

 

I am actually kind of wanting to do that myself. I own a load of UAD plugins, some of them unavailable otherwise. Say, if a new customer with a shiny Apollo wants in on my plugins, I'd ask them to use their new user's any-3-plugin buy for $400, let me choose the plugins, and share the account. It only makes sense to grow a collection fast.