Analog emulations that perform on the level of UAD Powered Plug-ins require a lot of processing power. Thus, UAD Powered Plug-ins were originally designed to run on SHARC-based DSP processors, either on PCIe cards, on Satellite accelerator units, or on the company’s Apollo audio interfaces. That said, with computers becoming more and more powerful all the time, users have been clamoring for Universal Audio plug-ins that can run natively on their audio workstations. Well, that time has arrived! For the first time, more than 20 of Universal Audio’s most popular UAD Powered Plug-ins are available in a native UAD format. UAD Plug-ins run on macOS and Windows just like any other plug-ins in your collection — no UA hardware required! And, most importantly, UAD Plug-ins deliver the same sound and performance as their DSP-powered counterparts.

Not only do UAD Plug-ins allow users without Universal Audio hardware to experience UAD’s superior analog emulations, but they also enable Universal Audio hardware owners to continue using UAD Plug-ins in their sessions after they run out of DSP.

Best of all, each UAD Plug-in includes both the native version and the DSP-powered version, giving you the best of both worlds.

Every analog compressor has its own sound. Universal Audio’s UAD Plug-ins give you access to some of the company’s most renowned analog emulations, including the Teletronix LA-2A Collection, the 1176 Collection, and the API 2500 Bus Compressor.

If you want to add vibe and personality to your tracks, then UAD Plug-ins have you covered. There’s a full range of colorful preamps and EQs available, including the Pultec Passive EQ Collection, the Neve 1073 Preamp and EQ, the Hitsville EQ Collection, the API Vision Channel Strip, and the Century Tube Channel Strip. Need some analog warmth? UAD Plug-ins’ Studer A800 Tape Machine and Oxide Tape Recorder check all the right boxes.

When your tracks need space and dimension, UAD Plug-ins have plenty of options available. Hitsville Reverb Chambers, Lexicon 224 Digital Reverb, and Pure Plate Reverb give you three iconic flavors of reverb. Galaxy Tape Echo is awash in otherworldly delay repeats. You also get cool modulation effects, including Brigade Chorus and Studio D Chorus.

Great instruments are an essential part of music production, and UAD Instruments don’t disappoint. With killer virtual synthesizers, such as PolyMAX Synth, Opal Morphing Synthesizer, and Moog Minimoog, on tap, you’ll find yourself neck deep in ear-grabbing tonal textures. You also get access to traditional keyboard instruments, including Ravel Grand Piano and Waterfall B3.

When Bill Putnam Jr. and James Putnam took the reins of Universal Audio, they didn’t limit themselves to reissuing decades-old gear; they wanted to propel the coveted sound of their revered analog designs into the 21st century. And with their DSP-accelerated UAD Powered Plug-in platform, they succeeded.

Boasting emulations of legendary gear from Fairchild, AKG, Lexicon, Neve, Manley, API, Studer, and many more, UAD’s selection of plug-ins is all encompassing. And thanks to their unparalleled knowledge of the inner workings of classic circuit designs, Universal Audio’s UAD Plug-ins are among the most accurate on the planet. In fact, the format’s exacting degree of accuracy has been described as almost too good by the original manufacturers of the modeled gear. Given the breadth of plug-ins in UAD’s stable, that’s quite a compliment!

Founded in 1958 by Bill Putnam Sr., Universal Audio has been building professional-grade consoles, preamps, compressors, and other studio gear for more than 60 years. Historically, the company was renowned for their tube-based processors, such as the 610 preamp. Moreover, technologies developed by Teletronix, including the LA-2A Leveling Amplifier, and UREI, including the 1176 limiter, were originally a part of the Universal Audio family. Universal Audio continued building now-classic studio gear until the 1980s, when Bill Putnam Sr. sold the company, leaving the brand dormant for over a decade.

In 1999, Bill Putnam Sr.’s sons, Bill Putnam Jr. and James Putnam, reestablished the Universal Audio brand, offering spot-on reissues of classic analog processors, including the LA-2A, the 1176LN, and the 610 preamp, all meticulously re-created from notes left by Bill Putnam Sr. If you want to get your hands on a true-to-life classic piece of analog gear, then it doesn’t get any more authentic than Universal Audio. With Universal Audio, you’re getting the real deal, straight from the original source.