Universal Audio released their LUNA Recording System this year, and, for Apollo interface users, it has been a total game changer. Designed to emulate an analog-style production system, LUNA provides a familiar feel for seasoned engineers and an intuitive workflow for beginners with all the power of digital audio. LUNA is packed with incredible features, but we want to highlight five points that showcase why it’s such a great DAW.
- LUNA Is Always Saving
- LUNA Uses Familiar Pro Tools Key Commands
- LUNA Can Import and Export AAF Files
- LUNA Includes Awesome Free Extensions and Virtual Instruments
- LUNA Offers Exceptional Optional Extensions and Virtual Instruments
LUNA Is Always Saving
Most professional engineers and amateur home recordists know the maxim, “save often, save now.” However, when you’re in the flow of a session, especially when you’re performing and manning your DAW simultaneously, it can be easy to let best practices slide. Next thing you know, your system has a glitch, it shuts down your session, and you lose a great take, a perfectly balanced mix, or a string of detailed edits! If you have your preferences set correctly, then a backup file was created that saved it, but not everybody understands how to implement those safety nets. LUNA, on the other hand, eliminates those dreaded instances by continuously autosaving, so you can rest easy knowing your sessions are preserved, even if your personal maxim is “save late, save rarely.”
LUNA Uses Familiar Pro Tools Key Commands
Working in a DAW can be frustrating and time-consuming if you’re constantly hunting down commands in drop-down menus. That is why most of us take the time to memorize all of the important hot keys and keyboard shortcuts. Over time, they became second nature, unconscious keystrokes that save countless hours. For pros, that time is money; and for weekend warriors, every moment counts when you have limited time to pursue your passion. For Pro Tools users making the switch to LUNA, there’s no need to learn a whole new set of hot keys — your old favorites will work! Just let your customary instincts take over, and LUNA will do the rest!
LUNA Can Import and Export AAF Files
DAWs such as Pro Tools and Adobe Audition use AAF (Advanced Authoring Format) files to exchange sessions. AAF files simplify the process of sending full sessions to a mixing engineer, for example, or of porting over previously recorded sessions to a new or different DAW. LUNA accommodates the AAF file format, allowing you to create sessions directly from AAF files and to export sessions as AAF files. AAF file information includes time positions, fades, and track names, which is a huge timesaver compared to manually stemming out a session and labeling and aligning imported tracks.
LUNA Includes Awesome Free Extensions and Virtual Instruments
Not only is LUNA a fantastic DAW that is free to Universal Audio Apollo interface users, but it also comes preloaded with three super-useful extensions to spark your creativity and to help you craft better-sounding mixes — ARP MIDI arpeggiator, Shape virtual instrument, and Oxide Tape Recorder. Unlike traditional plug-ins, LUNA extensions are woven into the fabric of the application and don’t require a separate plug-in window. Oxide Tape Recorder drops right into a LUNA channel strip, adding warmth, harmonic complexity, and dimensionality to your tracks. LUNA’s virtual instruments leverage the same technological expertise Universal Audio applies to its stunning software processors to deliver unprecedented realism. Shape, LUNA’s free virtual instrument, is packed with an array of carefully curated sounds, including vintage keys, synths, symphonic instruments, guitar and bass, and a wide selection of drum and percussion samples. Use Shape along with the ARP MIDI arpeggiator extension to quickly generate ’80s-flavored synth ostinatos or to experiment with different rhythmic patterns. It’s a lot of fun!
LUNA Offers Exceptional Optional Extensions and Virtual Instruments
In addition to the included extensions and virtual instruments, LUNA has some cool optional add-ons that make it an even more powerful creative tool, including the Neve Summing and Studer A800 Tape Recorder extensions and the Moog Minimoog, Ravel grand piano, and Spitfire Audio strings, brass, and woodwinds virtual instruments. The Neve Summing extension was an immediate favorite among engineers and recording enthusiasts at Sweetwater. A pristine emulation of the legendary Neve 80 series consoles, it provides the depth, detail, and character inherent to classic analog boards, and it enlivens digital mixes. Similarly, the Studer A800 extension brings the analog vibe of a world-famous studio tape machine to your recordings. Developed in collaboration with Moog, the Minimoog virtual instrument is one of the finest software re-creations of the iconic monophonic synth. For the Ravel grand piano, Universal Audio pulled out all the stops, meticulously capturing a stunning Steinway Model B at Ocean Way Studios with their exclusive sampling, physical modeling, and UltraResonance technologies. You’ll be blown away by how great the LUNA virtual instruments sound!
Conclusion
Universal Audio Apollo interfaces paired with the LUNA Recording System offer unmatched hardware and software integration with a familiar analog workflow and the flexibility of a digital audio environment. To learn more about this potent combination, reach out to your Sweetwater Sales Engineer at (800) 222-4700.