Slate VSX Headphones and Software + UAD + DP?

[Irimi Nage]

I’m thinking about picking up these headphones. Does anyone have any experience using them with the latest versions of everything named here?

UAD here refers to latest UAD and UADx software, along with a few Apollo interfaces (I have an old silverface Apollo twin duo, a more modern darker grey Twin mk2 and an x8p).

I don’t currently use any Slate plugins. Mostly lots of Plugin Alliance if it matters here. I currently run DP in Rosetta (due to a lingering UADx bug)

I’m not sure this is the right forum to post this in, James please feel free to move it if it would be more appropriate elsewhere.

[Irimi Nage]

Also I just noticed this on the Slate site,

"VSX SystemWide requires the system to be at 48Khz. If users are getting an error message when trying to open SystemWide, open up your audio MIDI app (Applications / Utilities) and make sure the sample rate of your system is 48Khz. "

Does this mean I cannot run 44.1 kHz sessions in DP while using systemwide?

[mikehalloran]

Also I just noticed this on the Slate site,

"VSX SystemWide requires the system to be at 48Khz. If users are getting an error message when trying to open SystemWide, open up your audio MIDI app (Applications / Utilities) and make sure the sample rate of your system is 48Khz. "

Does this mean I cannot run 44.1 kHz sessions in DP while using systemwide?

That's how I am reading it.

Since VSX runs on the master bus only as the last item in the chain, I'm not understanding why it would conflict with UAD. Since it's for monitoring only, you disable VSX before bouncing to disk.

There are other ways to set it up than the above but no way I know to get around the 48K requirement. I've been using it over a year.

Unless creating content for CD mastering, 48K has been the de facto standard for years except for HD AV where it's 96K (easily up ir down sampled depending on how you want to work.). Converting any DP project to 48K/24 bit (or 32 bit float as I like to work) is easily done. I can post screenshots if necessary. Future projects can be set up to do so automatically.

[Irimi Nage]

I know how to convert it if necessary but thank you Mike! I'll run it as a plugin when needed. I ordered platinum earlier today.

[James Steele]

I actually have this. I bought the "Essential" bundle and pretty immediately thereafter got hooked and started buying additional rooms. Then the Platinum bundle was introduced and I was able to get credit for the rooms I'd already bought and move up to Platinum.

There's a particularly long thread here about latest Slate VSX 4.0 at Gearspace. It's long but if you start at the end and work your way backward you may find some useful info.

I need to look up the stuff about systemwide. Personally I didn't like it because there was no simple way to just turn it off and sometimes I wanted to do that so I could listen on my speakers using ARC3. Also I think the 48k limit might be a Windows issue and not apply to Macs. Even then, not sure why you couldn't do 44.1, but I need to look into that.

[James Steele]

Also I think the 48k limit might be a Windows issue and not apply to Macs. Even then, not sure why you couldn't do 44.1, but I need to look into that.

Hmmm... well I was wrong. Indeed it only works at 48k. That really wasn't a problem for me as that's why I've been using be default. I just, as I said, ended up preferring to put it on the last insert on my main stereo bus.

I do think it's a very good product and very useful. It certainly helped me... especially judging the bottom end in mixes as just couldn't get a totally accurate picture of that with my speakers, even with ARC3.

[Irimi Nage]

Thanks for your input James!

[SMS]

It’s pretty cool… In DP I route my main mix to A separate aux with the VX plug it for monitoring through the headphones.

[Irimi Nage]

I've been using them for about a month now, they really are quite the game changer! So much so that I'm relearning how to deal with the accuracy in details like transients and low end lol