...have a real 224X and 480L here and think the UAD 224 sounds awful. You can't fool me with all these detailed things like pretending to emulate converters, noise etc., when it does not capture the sound and body of the original.
Just does not sound right. Same with the Studer. Yes, I have a real Studer here. The UAD does not sound like a tape machine. It's bass heavy and everything is smeared, whereas the real tape machine brings something very subtle, but at the same time very pleasant, to the table. It almost cleans up the low end. Getting rid of certain things and boosting other things at the same time. The plugin just simple ruins everything and is very crude. but back to reverb...
Even if I wouldn't bother that it sounds exactly like the original it just sounds bad. Of course that's a very personal statement.
A Bricasti does not sound like a Lexicon but it sounds great. That's the difference.
It's a bit hit and miss with UAD. The low end of the Pultec is quite convincing and the EMT 140 is ok but gets a bit lost in a mix. The trick is not to judge a plugin when instruments are in solo. Judge them in a mix compared to real hardware.
The worst was the UAD Fatso when I tried to compare it with my real Fatso. Did not sound like it at all! Compression was terrible and made everything small whereas the real Fatso made the drums explosive. It seems today it's enough to have a GUI that looks exactly like the real thing and claim that you emulated even the most minute detail of the hardware. Why not add an option with different types of capacitors used next? Even if it doesn't do anything some will hear it and it adds to the myth to what great length the developer went to emulate the real thing!
Hey... if it works for you... knock yourself out! And I truly mean it. We all have different tastes, but be careful with what some developers claim. The have one objective. To make as much $ as they can.
Yes, the majority of people on this planet still thinks if something gets printed in a newspaper or is broadcast it must be true and treat it as a fact.
So if SSL says they put a black E-EQ into a module or Neve they can give you a 1073 in 500 format it must be the real thing, right? Would you trust them with your life, too?
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