Universal Audio has bricked UA Spark on Windows

Discussion in 'Software' started by Gyorgy Ligeti, Feb 7, 2023.

  1. Martel

    Martel Platinum Record

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    I must say that I am not surprised at all.

    I bought a Twin X Quad a few months back and when registering it, I tried to redeem the ''refer a friend and get a free plugin'' but it wouldn't work.

    So I contacted their support and they told me that it is only possible to redeem when registering the product and that it is not possible anymore.

    One single plugin....

    It's at that point I understood with who I was dealing with.

    It's easy to gain trust from anyone but once lost, you bet I will tell the world their real face once compelled or asked about.
     
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  2. playtime

    playtime Rock Star

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    Look closer. Cubase WILL NOT report CPU load with UADx (native) plugins. Insert 10 of them and look at your CPU load in Task Manager or Resource Monitor.

    What do you see?
     
  3. clone

    clone Audiosexual

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    Same experience with a single plugin I wanted to *give* to someone else, because I bought the plugin for a device I ended up returning (because it arrived dead). No dice either. And the guy at tech support was just a dick about it.

    Now that one silly plugin that I paid for results in this kind of text every time I see the letters UAD. I would never advise anyone to buy anything from them, at all. 0.
     
  4. Trurl

    Trurl Audiosexual

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    Sounds like the final money grab before the company disappears??
     
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  5. wamto

    wamto Member

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    simple overwriting older version will save lot of people in this moment. ,maybe they will fix it , or not ! .there is more possibility that some one have them even after uninstalling au connect, they sit in vst3 folder left over. or by any chance the update didn't go through and the old version preserved. for subscriber they can cancel . but for hardware owner meaning no more native .
     
  6. ArticStorm

    ArticStorm Moderator Staff Member

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    hmm its time somebody frees them from the ilok prison ...

    Would been hilarious if that is related to a shitty implementation or usage of ilok. But we cant rule that out.
     
    Last edited: Feb 7, 2023
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  7. Ariel Gonzalez

    Ariel Gonzalez Platinum Record

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    i wish someone would have the previous installer, so our fav friends can get their hands on it
     
  8. playtime

    playtime Rock Star

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    If someone needs previous installer, PM me. I managed to dig it out.
     
  9. Bunford

    Bunford Audiosexual

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    I'm wondering if this is an update or product issue? I just read the thread and my first thought is whether any new customer installing 13.3 as their first ever UA install is having the issue, or is it only those who have upgraded from 13.2 to 13.3 that are experiencing it?! I guess that's an easy way to determine if it's something specific to the upgrade procedure that's the issue?!
     
    Last edited: Feb 7, 2023
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  10. ArticStorm

    ArticStorm Moderator Staff Member

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    i need recent installers (the bricked ones), if you have them. please send me via PM.

    UA is recently pushing really hard to sell their interfaces - it feels unnatural often to me. Is this normal? It always feels like they need to ... because money is tight?
     
  11. Joe Crisp

    Joe Crisp Platinum Record

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    I think I still have it, if it's 1_3_0_1457, then I've got it
     
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  12. Lube Bag

    Lube Bag Producer

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    Oh hang on, I see it now actually! Loaded a selection of a800, 1176, la-2a and pure plate, and cpu usage went up by about 15% per plugin, and weirdly didn't go down again when deleting em.

    It's weird though, because I've not noticed projects glitching or anything, although I'm prob not using that many UADx plugins.

    Thankfully I'm lucky in that I usually have enough DSP to just avoid the UADx versions until this is fixed, but for people who are Spark-only, yeah that's pretty bad!
     
    Last edited: Feb 7, 2023
  13. reziduchamp

    reziduchamp Platinum Record

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    I'm guessing from all the spyware shit this won't work. The plugin apparently needs to keep going online to be authorised, even with an iLok stick. If the server/protection is expecting the latest version this might be where the issues are beyond repair. If they roll back everyone who updated will be on newer versions that won't authorise. Their projects won't open with newer saves either, so the rollback renders projects dead

    I'm so glad my iLok activation didn't work now. My Apollo USB is locked on a really old version of the VST2 plugins because they crashed that too... They should have stayed away from Windows, they're shit at it
     
  14. Ariel Gonzalez

    Ariel Gonzalez Platinum Record

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    hmm interesting, i think there should be also a modification/creation date for the installer... now the thing is to make it reach our friends
     
  15. wamto

    wamto Member

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    it seems to me after you direct the location of authorization to usb ilok , you dont have to be online
     
  16. My fingers are crossed for the R2R crack that also explains, in finger-wagging language, where UAD screwed up, and then gives them a lecture on how pathetic they are. If that happens I'll frame the damn nfo!
     
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  17. playtime

    playtime Rock Star

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    Exactly, those are the main symptoms! That's why many users didn't notice at first, but the issue is widespread - in all DAWs on latest UADx update for Windows.

    I saw it first in REAPER because it reports proper CPU usage. Submitted a ticket to UA support. And they were like "naaah, that's on your side, we have no other reports, your case is isolated".

    I've spent almost a week emailing back and forth with them until other users came with same issue. And finally they admitted they have a problem. But not a fix yet.
    :thumbsdown:
     
  18. Gyorgy Ligeti

    Gyorgy Ligeti Platinum Record

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    You're right guys, and its integration with iLok most likely has something to do with it as well. I believe only Teams can truly tell the cause of this critical issue.
     
  19. playtime

    playtime Rock Star

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    It's not iLok-related. Spoke with Justin from Cockos who ironed some things out from REAPER side, but the rest is UA bug.

    1. Bad GUI drawing (right after they implemented resize option)
    2. Bad multi-threading and single-core optimization
    3. Bad coding for loading/unloading plugins.

    They really f**ked it up this time.
     
    Last edited: Feb 7, 2023
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  20. Dan Fuerth

    Dan Fuerth Kapellmeister

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    Quit dealing with companies who CEO's have their nose so far up tim "tiny" cook's uranus that their face is turning brown. This was the same thing with Motu "We Eat, Sleep and breath Mac" how about your ask them how that turned out, they switched Performer to Windows and all this time they could of easily had Performer on Windows for decades already, so they deserve to go down.
     
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