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txshonk
01-14-2009, 06:24 PM
I am lookia ng to add a UAD-2 card to my setup - and I am trying to determine whether I should go with a solo, duo or quad UAD card. I know for my DAW applications I'd probably be content with a solo, but would probably be incline to go duo. But where I would see me most inclined go with a duo would be to use it with SAC - even if it was to run reverb on to lighten CPU load.

So 1) Do the UAD plugs would even work in SAC in the UAD "live" mode? 2) If they do what kind of plug count can you put on the cards in live mode?

Bob L
01-14-2009, 07:09 PM
As far as I know... all of the UAD plugs add latency and therefore cannot be used in a live input scenario like SAC.

Someone correct me if I am wrong about that. (Perhaps some do not). :)

Bob L

txshonk
01-15-2009, 05:33 PM
Bob -


The UAD-2 has a "Live Track Mode".


Here is the detail from the UAD-2 manual.


"The UAD-2 card has an advanced buffering architecture that delivers no additional latency when tracking by using LiveTrack Mode.


Reduced latency in LiveTrack Mode is accomplished by circumventing the standard buffering processes. Normally, UAD-2 signal data is buffered at the audio interface I/O sample buffer size (such as 128, 512, or 1024 samples) which results in a processing delay.


In LiveTrack Mode, UAD-2 signal data is transferred and processed ***8220;immediately***8221; instead of being buffered, resulting in reduced latency."


So I am guessing this would mean that the UAD-2 plugs (excluding their upsampled plugs which add buffers) could be run in SAC. Whats your guess on UAD-2 live track and SAC compatability based on the above info?

DominicPerry
01-15-2009, 05:40 PM
Stick a post in the SAW forum - Hopefully someone has bought a UAD2 by now. If they are running it in SAW it will show the latency warning dialog when it's in use. Then you'll know if it will work in SAC.

Dominic

Bob L
01-15-2009, 05:52 PM
You will have to test it... that explanation does not tell me for certain that it can introduce NO LATENCY... it seems to suggest LESS LATENCY!

Bob L

Himhui
01-15-2009, 09:49 PM
I've just done a quick test to record one channel with 33609, moog filter and plate 140 insered at 16/44. It worked fine at 4 x 128 buffers size but it would have clicks and pops with lower setting. The live mode of uad actually made no big differences and the cpu load was around 33%...

Hope it helps...:)

txshonk
01-15-2009, 10:33 PM
Thanks alot for taking the time to do that. Keep me honest you are testing this in SAW and not SAC, right?

If its in SAC in order to make sure I got this right let me ask a clarifying question, based on reading the UAD Manuals and what I understand.

So if you were to put Plate 140 on a channel and then click the blue trinange on the plug in SAW - does the "auto ride auto latency" field show 0? In reading the UAD manual I would expect the buffer to equal your sound card buffer (128 in your case) until the Live Tracking option was set then I am hoping it shows 0.

Thanks

Himhui
01-15-2009, 11:02 PM
Yes, SAW will shows the reported latency but i didn't check the latency of plate 140 in Saw during the test, anyway I can tell you later.
Latency of plugins are not the same as the sound card's buffer size , every plug is different..... I thinkk it depends on the design of each...

txshonk
01-15-2009, 11:04 PM
again thanks a bunch - i look forward to your response

Himhui
01-16-2009, 05:50 AM
The latency of uad plugins now doesn't change in sawstudio no matter what buffer size of the sound card is set...

Plate 140 256 samples
33609 247 samples
Precision MB 15552 samples
Moog Filter 247 samples
Harrison 32C 223 samples
1176LN \ LA2A 192 samples

DominicPerry
01-16-2009, 06:01 AM
Himhui - can you confirm that this is the UAD - 2 you are talking about? If so, there is the reduced latency 'live' setting - so you might have another set of figures to report?

Dominic

Himhui
01-16-2009, 06:34 AM
Yes, it is in UAD-2 of which the latency and performance has been improved a lot......Though i preesed the live button of the plug, it didn't t change the reported latency in SAW. Perhaps it actullay changed but I hadn't checked the latency in UAD control panel. Actually I heard just a very little difference by switching them on and off.....

txshonk
01-16-2009, 06:58 AM
Himhui - thanks a bunch -

This all started based on reading a review of the UAD-2 in Recording Magazine - Nov 2008. The reviewer stated on a Solo card he could run either two setups in Live Track mode without perceptible delay. Setup 1) One Plate 140 and one 1176LN, or setup 2) five 1176LN. Based on buffer sizes you have shared I think I would disagree with the author. 256 buffers are definitely perciptable.

I was hopeful this might mean I could use a UAD-2 in SAC - but with what you are sharing SAC will definitely bypass the UAD plugs.

thanks again

dave

Himhui
01-16-2009, 07:00 AM
OK, just did a simple test which let the uad plug run in normal mode and live track mode respectively. UAD control panel shew the same latency in both situation but the cpu load in SAW was different...

Himhui
01-16-2009, 07:11 AM
Himhui - thanks a bunch -

This all started based on reading a review of the UAD-2 in Recording Magazine - Nov 2008. The reviewer stated on a Solo card he could run either two setups in Live Track mode without perceptible delay. Setup 1) One Plate 140 and one 1176LN, or setup 2) five 1176LN. Based on buffer sizes you have shared I think I would disagree with the author. 256 buffers are definitely perciptable.

I was hopeful this might mean I could use a UAD-2 in SAC - but with what you are sharing SAC will definitely bypass the UAD plugs.

thanks again

dave


No, SAC let them go actually and was successfully record in SAW but it's just one channel in my earlier test......

txshonk
01-16-2009, 07:12 AM
Himhui -

Try any plug but these:

Pultiec EQ/Pultec-Pro
Precision Limiter
Neve 33609
Precision Maximizer
Helios Type 69
Harrison 32C
Neve 1073
Neve 1081
Precision EQ
Precision Multiband
Moog Filter
Little Labs IBP

From what I got from the manual these plugs will always add buffers because they upsample - I understand that they process audio at 192 kHz so they need pre buffers to convert the audio.

Thanks

txshonk
01-16-2009, 07:21 AM
Not sure if you are aware - there is an "extra buffering setting" in UAD-2 that if active always adds 64 buffers. So to be sure we have ruled out the UAD plugs in SAC, can you double check and make sure that feature is not avtive?

Himhui
01-17-2009, 06:31 AM
If the plug needs upsampling internally, the latency should be
prepared, why does it add extra buffers?