UAD Plug Ins

Budmas21 · Post by **Budmas21** » Fri May 16, 2008 10:17 am

I'm interested in getting some UAD Plug Ins, but I have a Imac. I've noticed that most of the places selling the plug ins are also selling the PCI cards with them. Do the UAD plug ins require a PCI card or is there another way of running these plug ins on my Imac? Thanks.

Resonant Alien · Post by **Resonant Alien** » Fri May 16, 2008 11:01 am

No luck with iMac. UAD either require PCI/PCIe or ExpressCard. iMac has neither. Bummer really - I was going to switch from my G4 PowerMac to a 24" iMac, but the loss of my UADs broke the deal.

OldTimey · Post by **OldTimey** » Fri May 16, 2008 11:04 am

There is no way i know of running UAD-1 plugs on an iMac. Unless there is some sort of PCI-to-Firewire expansion chassis out there. which i highly doubt exists. If you need external DSP, try something firewire, ie Duende, liquid mix, powercore. Honestly, i'd stay native if you have a new iMac. firewire DSP doesn't sound like fun.

Radiogal · Post by **Radiogal** » Fri May 16, 2008 2:04 pm

OldTimey wrote:There is no way i know of running UAD-1 plugs on an iMac. Unless there is some sort of PCI-to-Firewire expansion chassis out there. which i highly doubt exists. If you need external DSP, try something firewire, ie Duende, liquid mix, powercore. Honestly, i'd stay native if you have a new iMac. firewire DSP doesn't sound like fun.

I´ve used the native Waves plug ins and the UAD-1 PCI for many years now and resently I also bought the Focusrite Liquid Mix (Firewire).
The Liquid Mix is a no brainer, its cheaper than it should be and it sounds like heaven.
After working with the LM for just a couple of days now, I really don´t know how I ever could be without it.
No reverbs, just stunning expensive sounding EQ and compressors.
Go get it!!!

Budmas21 · Post by **Budmas21** » Fri May 16, 2008 6:07 pm

Radiogal wrote:
OldTimey wrote:There is no way i know of running UAD-1 plugs on an iMac. Unless there is some sort of PCI-to-Firewire expansion chassis out there. which i highly doubt exists. If you need external DSP, try something firewire, ie Duende, liquid mix, powercore. Honestly, i'd stay native if you have a new iMac. firewire DSP doesn't sound like fun.
I´ve used the native Waves plug ins and the UAD-1 PCI for many years now and resently I also bought the Focusrite Liquid Mix (Firewire).
The Liquid Mix is a no brainer, its cheaper than it should be and it sounds like heaven.
After working with the LM for just a couple of days now, I really don´t know how I ever could be without it.
No reverbs, just stunning expensive sounding EQ and compressors.
Go get it!!!

I'll have to look into that. Thanks for the advice.

YouTube · Post by **James Steele** » Fri May 16, 2008 10:20 pm

Doesn't UAD have an external unit for use with laptops... or your iMac for that matter. I'm pretty sure I've seen it on their site.

Oops... I take it back. Just looked and it needs an "Express Card 34" connection or something. Bummer.

Budmas21 · Post by **Budmas21** » Sat May 17, 2008 5:16 am

If I go outboard DSP via firewire, I'd need a hub. I already have my 896HD on one port and my external drive on another. I'm looking at this http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.a ... 6817111968 from Newegg.com Anyone have any experience with any hubs (known issues or performance lags, etc...)? I've also seen a DSP processor that connects via Ethernet port, anyone use anything like that? Do these DSP processors help out any plug in that you use or are they specific to their own? Also, concerning the Native Plug Ins, are you talking about the Wave Plug Ins? I thought I've been reading on the forums here that people aren't too happy with Waves. Maybe I misunderstood. Either way, if you have any suggestions on hubs or if Waves Native Plug Ins will do the job (I'm not too happy with the compressor plug in that comes with DP), let me know. I'm also considering the Liquidmix unit, but that would make me think I'd be better off with a firewire hub. Thanks, again.

Radiogal · Post by **Radiogal** » Sat May 17, 2008 6:25 am

I read somehere the LM can not be chained and share ports with another FW device. The LM needs a Firewire connection by its own.
If you have a FW 400 and FW 800 bus on ur MAC you can use "a FW 800 to 400 converting cable" for the LM on the FW 800 connection. I did so and it works as it should.
Considre to place a FW hub with ur other FW hardware but keep the LM by itself. Who gets the FW 400 or FW 800 depents actually on your choice of FW set up.

Native plug ins can be plugs from any plug developer. Native means it shares its DSP with the host computer and uses DSP power from it.

Resonant Alien · Post by **Resonant Alien** » Sat May 17, 2008 7:45 am

One of the other issues with the iMac (unless they changed it in the newest revision) is that there is only one FW bus - the 400 and 800 are fed from the same controller, so there is no way to separate two FW devices.

Budmas21 · Post by **Budmas21** » Sat May 17, 2008 7:55 am

Gah!! It seems like I'm SOL regardless of which direction I go. I guess I'm better of saving up and buying a Mac Pro at this point. Thanks for the advise.

Radiogal · Post by **Radiogal** » Sat May 17, 2008 7:56 am

The brand new IMac Dual Core 2.4, we just bought as an extra Mac, has 2 FW ports built in.

Connections and expansion
One FireWire 400 port and one FireWire 800 port; 7 watts each
Total of five USB 2.0 ports: three ports on computer, two ports on keyboard

mikebeckmotu · Post by **mikebeckmotu** » Sat May 17, 2008 8:49 am

Radiogal wrote:The brand new IMac Dual Core 2.4, we just bought as an extra Mac, has 2 FW ports built in.

Unless I'm mistaken, though, both firewire ports are on the same internal bus, therefore splitting bandwidth between them.
I wish Apple would put the ExpressCard port on the iMacs.

Budmas21 · Post by **Budmas21** » Sat May 17, 2008 3:55 pm

Ok, how about this.... I've been looking through the free plug ins section of the site. Can anyone recommend a free Compressor Plug that they prefer over the standard DP version?

Resonant Alien · Post by **Resonant Alien** » Sat May 17, 2008 4:54 pm

mikebeckmotu wrote:
Radiogal wrote:The brand new IMac Dual Core 2.4, we just bought as an extra Mac, has 2 FW ports built in.
Unless I'm mistaken, though, both firewire ports are on the same internal bus, therefore splitting bandwidth between them.
I wish Apple would put the ExpressCard port on the iMacs.

Yes, unless the just-release latest generation has changed, there are two physical connections, but they are fed from the same bus.....

climber · Post by **climber** » Thu May 29, 2008 1:57 pm

all depends on what you want to use it for. there are a couple of good ones here:

http://www.apulsoft.ch/freeports/