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API Hardware vs UAD Software Shootout Part 1
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- čas přidán 13. 08. 2024
- In this first video of the three part series, we'll take a look at all the technical considerations for this comparison and go through our signal chain piece by piece. I've loaded up our API The Box 2 Console with a pair of 550b EQ's and will utilize the built in pair of 527 compressors to create a signal chain just like the one found in the larger API Vision Consoles that Universal Audio has copied for their API Unison Plugin channel strip.
We'll go through the similarities and differences between each part of the hardware chain and how we're able to track through Hardware and Software simultaneously in order to achieve as close of a comparison as possible. You'll be able to hear the API Hardware and UAD Software side by side with similar settings and understand the matching process before we tackle the full tracking session in the next video.
Although this is essentially an introduction into the video series, it's important to understand the process and all the steps that are being taken to insure this is an accurate process moving forward. My goal is to provide you with the most thorough and helpful video possible so that you can hear for yourself the differences between hardware and software. This will be the best Analog vs Digital video you've seen. At the end of this video series, we'll have a full production start to finish not only showing tracking, but also the mixing process as we'll mix the hardware files through the API Console and the digital files through Universal Audio's API Summing modules inside their Luna DAW.
Timestamps
0:00 Introduction
3:39 Acoustic Guitar Description
4:32 Preamp Comparison
5:17 Preamp Consideration
7:04 EQ Comparison
7:53 EQ Considerations
10:09 Compressor Comparison
11:17 Compressor Considerations
15:05 Analog vs Digital Time Alignment
16:49 Outro
Wow. What a great comparison. If you dont have the hardware, the plugin does a very, very good job. If you have the hardware, you have the very best sound you can get for the pricetag. Advice: As a starting producer, use all the great plugins you can get, if your songs/tracks makes money, get the hardware. Easy as that.
this is some really good advice
Instant subscribe, finally a real engineer gets it and does an actually useful comparison.
Couldn't agree more .
First thought that came to mind!
Tired of the engineers that make 10 minute videos with filler rambling.
The analog hardware has this "leveling" quality that puts things more upfront and is way more inspiring to record with that I personally find very important. It is exactly why I prefer to record with a hardware pre...to get that super pro feel. Yes sonically it's similar but I hear and feel a big difference.
I totally agree, I know it's taboo but I record through allot of hardware and in allot of cases allot less in the digital domain.
Finally! Someone comparing in proper fashion! And you’re a
Musician that can play real instruments to make a proper video! Thank you sir!
That API analog preamp was insane! Never heard something that clean. Thank you for doing bro!
funny how sometimes listeners will describe a saturated pre as "clean".... But yes, it feels clean and transparent.
@@EstudioMantraChile So right. What a funny thing to ay in the context of the subject. In short it felt magical!
Finally a fantastic comparison work! Well done! Differences? For me very simple: Hardware respects and enhances transients! Good job!
Well to be honest hardware is great, But software isn’t very far to achieve great results, People always forget about how it feels.
If it feel right what the matter.
So just start making music, I bet if those artists and producers from the past have the opportunity to achieve this type of results with all the tools we have today they wouldn't be complaining.
What is great about the old music is that they try to make things different, To achieve different colors and results, People nowadays want the same sound over and over the same color and don’t want to experiment to achieve new things.
love your content cheers 🍻
Awesome! At this stage, we can confidently say that UAD shows itself very worthy! I listened several times with my eyes closed and at some point I realized that I couldn't tell which was API and which was UAD! You have done an excellent job! Looking forward to the next videos!
@@Ascoundrel Yes, you are right. The difference in switching is noticeable.I meant that I do not understand where is UAD and where is API. Maybe it's a placebo, but sometimes it seems to me that the API has a little more "body", and the UAD is cleaner and brighter (which is probably better for modern styles of music). It is hard to say. And it is all the more difficult to say what is worse and what is better. There is a difference, but the character is very, very identical. In a blind test, I would not say what and where exactly. Only switching. I can't say that UAD is better and API is worse. And vice versa. The same level of professional and excellent sound.
@@SYNTHDIMENSION correct this person 100% could not pick out the difference reliably in a blind test. Really no one can, and def not in a mix.
I'm really enjoying your videos. Thanks, bro!
I like all the vids you do. Honest, straight forward, detailed and includes the info one wants to know. Thank you :)
How do you like the api channel strip for guitars?
Noticeable bass presence difference. Even with just laptop speakers.
Agreed
Incredible video series. Thanks very much for your hard work and sharing with us. Greetz ✌🏻
Man... thank you for this comparison video. The hardware has way more "sparkle" in the high end than the UAD version. The UAD doesn't sound bad, just a little more muffled than the real thing. It lacks the crispness... the sweet highs.
Well done! API is my UAD go to
Thank you for taking the time & energy to make this excellent video. Highly appreciated! Instant subscribe.
Thank you! Subscribed! Waiting for part II :)
Love this!! Thanks for doing this. Waiting patiently...impatiently...
Oh man! You are making us suffer! Can't wait!
Ive got the API console in UA Luna and really considered the Box but got a RND 5060 coming. May still change later cause Ive had GAS for this, but getting deep in Neve. I can hear the analog is just a little more open than the ITB. But sometimes it is that last little bit that can really make the music shine. You are right about pushing into the red, that's where the Shelford really shines. Don't think 0's and 1's can recreate that.
I love RND Consoles, a friend of mine has an 8 Channel 5088. Those 5060's look great if you don't need preamps and are looking for a solid command center for your studio!
I'm surprised at the Positive UAD plugin comments, compared to the analog signal, its not close. There is so much more clarity, definition, and openness in the hardware. Its beyond noticeable.
Wait until the can of worms this is going to open when we get to the part 2 video, haha. Always fun to hear everyones opinions!
People who spent their money on UAD are trying to "save face". Hardware sounds bigger and better than ANY plugin.
Classic Barry vs. UAD 😬😬 nice to see you here man.I Enjoy your videos !
Thank you was thinking the same thing lol not close... UAD doesn't sound bad but a lot softer, less clarity and definition.
@@lightafluident.9950 or folks went for UAD because they simply can’t afford the analog counterpart. It’s not exactly a small investment to acquire a small rack of analog hardware… one piece of real gear costs more than most will ever spend on audio gear. Outside of professional environments that is.
Im looking into buying the box and this helps soooo much.
This is a great comparison, thank u. There's a certain depth or sparkle with the hardware isn't there? can really hear it in the pre myself
I noticed that the UI would suggest you're using the mk i. variant of the uad plugin. Wouldn't the update with the newly modeled output section be a fairer comparison? Other than that, love the comparison. Thanks for taking the time to do this.
When the new version of the plugin came out, I tested it out and found there was no sound difference (Universal Audio has pretty much confirmed this in a few online forum posts). I did a few tests comparing it to the original version of the plugin and was able to get them to null out completely when comparing them, so there is no difference in the sound as far as I'm concerned. It's a lot of money to pay for getting a fader on the output, but might be worth it to people that are a fan of the 560 EQ (which was a nice addition).
Thank you for being so thorough! Awesome video
Good work, thank you for the thorough comparison 👍
Thanks for this! I own an api 3124 and an Apollo x8p. Was curious about the other aspects of the hardware. Even listening on an ipad i noticed subtle differences with transients which confirms what I’ve heard with my api pres. API is more in your face, but if you JUST listen to the sound they’re about the same. The EQ was actually less of a shift than i thought. But the pres is where API really shines. Curious what would happen if you overdrive or saturate both how they would respond comparative to each other.
I’m surprised how close it is... but you can hear the most difference when you have the pre+eq+comp
That's exactly why I'm doing it this way! In the end, we'll have a full song tracked with EQ and Compression on every channel. Then we'll do the mixing stage, at that point I think we'll all start to hear some differences. It might be harder to nit pick with the little things on individual tracks, but it's a different story once things start to stack up.
@@MillSounds Awesome!
The only difference I hear that's pretty obvious is the woofiness of the hardware around the 100-250Hz range and that could be that it's hotter? EQ wise i think the software got it 90%
Listened to the guitar with closed eyes. Could not notice a difference.
Subscribed!
Can't beat the real stuff! great video!
that tone... great video!
Very nice guitar playing. Vibey. What kind of small dia condenser are to using?
Top video!! Thank you!!
Great work. Thanks for doing this series.
What headphones are you using in this video? If you said in the video, I missed and apologize if so.
Thanks
Brian
Neumann NDH20 headphones. I went through a bunch of headphones over the last 2 years and had about given up one finding something good. I gave those a try and absolutely loved them!
@@MillSounds Thank you. I am researching now. I will check them out.
Thanks for doing that, it is very interesting!!
Give me a Lavry or Prism Converter, a decent mic and maybe a low cost front end for preamp and compression....
and stock plugins...and maybe the Izotope Suite with RX, or maybe a Plugin Alliance Bundle...decent monitors, and I'm good.
Now for commercial studios, I would probably get more hardware, but home recording, don't need it.
How do you filter out that Mill Paddlewheel going all the time? LOL!
Can you make a video showing vocals recording into the API channel strip?
@o'o Do you have an API channel strip?
The hardware pres seem to have more bottom and top extension than the UAD.
Maybe toss out the guitar model and mic model just for reference, thanks!
Sorry. Normally I do, but I was trying to make this more about the API stuff than the mics and instruments. Guitar is a 2002 Taylor 714. Mic is an OktavaMod (Michael Joly's old comapny) MK-012.
Merci
You're getting sleeeeepy.. sleeeeeeeepy
Hardware wins 🎉
Microphone ???
OktavaMod small cap, vintage KM84 clone. A company started by Michael Joly, they’re no longer around.
hardware smokes the software. more solid transients.
UAD is cool, but hardware RULES!!!!! Nothing like tracking through hardware!!!! At all!!!!
Want to echo what @markpixley4009 said
Great video 👍
Nice’n thorough, from an ACTUAL engineer.
P.S. I did enjoy the playing.
Phase test are NOT controversial. If it cancels out, they are 100% the same. It’s science. If someone wants to argue, they are simply just wrong 🤦♂️
People who spent their money on UAD will never admit that hardware sounds better. Plugins will never be better than hardware.
I agree. There will always be that small percentage plugins lack. However everyone has their preferences for workflow purposes. I love hardware, I just can’t justify the time it takes to recall, maintenance costs and down time,
Hardware simps always talk tough on CZcams videos and disappear once the blind tests start 😂
I hate that the hardware is so much better. It's 2023, damnit.
Seems to be just a bit more body and presence in the hardware. For a fraction of the cost I'm a proud owner of UAD Apollo/software. Maybe one day i can afford more hardware