5 Essential UAD Plugins You Should Consider
Songwriters today have the incredible advantage of creating professional-quality recordings from home. With the rise of affordable, powerful digital tools, getting your music out has never been easier. But you still need to execute a quality recording of your material.
I remember recording songs on a 4-track cassette recorder by Tascam back in the day. While those early machines had their charm, they've been left in the dust by today's digital audio workstations (DAWs). With just a laptop, a DAW, and 5 essential plugins, you can create mixes that sound like they were recorded in a top-tier studio.
Studio plugins nowadays have massive functionality to process and shape audio, such as equalizers, compressors, and various effects emulating amps, pedals, reverbs, and delay.
For my list of 5 essential studio plugins, this blog will focus on Universal Audio plugins. UA plugins have a treasure trove of incredibly sought-after audio pieces.
If I were stranded on a desert island with just my laptop and a handful of UAD plugins, these are the five I'd take. Each plugin on this list is a proven workhorse capable of turning your raw tracks into polished gems.
What Makes a Plugin Essential?
Beyond your DAW, there is another world of fun called 'plugins.’ Audio plug-ins are digital tools that enhance your audio within your digital audio workstation.
In many cases, they are digital representations of real-world products, like the Teletronix LA-2A compressor. In other cases, they are simply a fantastic interface of knobs, sliders and switches doing incredible things that make your stuff sound better!
Not all plugins are created equal. For this list, I focused on a few core criteria:
- Versatility: Each plugin should excel in multiple roles.
- Sound Quality: These plugins are industry favorites for a reason.
- Ease of Use: They should provide powerful features without a steep learning curve.
Here's my breakdown of 5 must-have UAD plugins you can rely on for nearly any musical project.
1. Analog Echo – Galaxy Tape Echo
The Galaxy Tape Echo is modeled after the legendary Roland RE-201 Space Echo, which I used to own. Known for its lush, analog character, this plugin can add a dreamy, vintage texture to your recordings.
You can slightly drive the input and get some peaking into the signal, even before you add any reverb or echo to get a lush analog tone. The plugin does just as nicely as the hardware version without sacrificing quality.
My favourite way to use this is to add a send to an electric guitar track, placing the Galaxy in the AUX channel, then hard pan that return with the wet solo on. This adds reverb and echo colour without getting in the way of your original tone. The vocals sound great with this plugin as well! Of course, you can use it in the channel strip, but leave the wet solo off.
Sometimes, it can be helpful to use the tempo sync, while other times, it's nicer to have some modulation between your overall tempo and the echo rate. If you’ve ever wanted to channel the warmth of a classic tape echo machine without the maintenance headaches, this is your answer.
2. Reverb – Sound City Studios
This is a relatively new addition to the UA plugin arsenal. But this isn't just another reverb plugin; it's a window into the iconic Sound City Studios. With this plugin, you’re not just adding reverb; you’re capturing the analog wizardry in EQs, compression and limiting.
This plugin faithfully recreates the studio’s acoustics, microphone placements, and signal path for unmatched authenticity. Mixing is easier when individual tracks sound great. Your tracks will sing in ways you never imagined!
Like the Tape Echo, use the Sound City Reverb in an AUX channel as a send effect. This allows you to blend it into the mix, giving your tracks a sense of depth without muddying up the original audio. The interface of the plugin is set up nicely to use directly in tracks with instrumentation presets and a mix knob.
3. Teletronix LA-2A Tube Compressor
Compressors can be challenging to understand and use. If you need one compressor, it's the Teletronix LA-2A Compressor. This classic tube compressor is famous for its smooth, natural compression and is a staple in countless studios. The LA-2A is simple to use and makes everything sound better, from the vocals to the drums and bass.
Insert the LA-2A directly into a channel strip with your fader at zero (or unity gain), then smooth things out with the knob on the right (peak reduction) until you like the tone and feel, use the knob on the left (gain) to place the track in the mix.
This is a lifesaver for balancing tracks and essential for things like bass guitar and keyboards, giving them clarity and space without harshness. To say this compressor is a matter of life and death for your mix is an understatement if there ever was!
4. Mastering EQ – Manley Massive Passive
The Manley Massive Passive EQ is renowned for its rich, transparent sound and unique EQ curves. The hardware version of this EQ sells for over $9,000 in Canada right now, with favourable reviews saying it's worth every penny. Those who have used hardware and plugin versions say they are so similar they can barely tell the difference. This is a testament to how feature-rich the Massive Passive is without breaking the bank.
The primary use case for the Massive Passive is on your mix buss with a mastering compressor or tape plugin. It adds clarity and depth to the entire mix, giving a polished finish.
The Massive Passive does have many knobs to work with, which might not be ideal for beginners. However, listening to your material and toggling through some presets can improve the sound. It can liven up the high frequencies, deliver depth to the low end, or punch the midrange forward.
It helps acoustic guitars sit in the right place within a track, adding a chef's kiss at the top end without interfering with the vocals. And, of course, this is always in my Mastering Chain.
For beginners, I would start by exploring the presets, then tweak your mix to taste. It’s also brilliant on vocals and acoustic guitars and can be used to enhance brightness and presence without harshness.
5. Analog Tape – Ampex ATR-102
The Ampex ATR-102 UAD plugin is a tape emulator that does more than imitate the sound of analog tape. It brings the warmth, saturation, and glue that only tape can provide. One of the best benefits is the ability to get analog-type sounds without dealing with the downsides of real tape, like maintenance and cost.
The Ampex ATR-102 plugin gives the saturation and glue you are looking for just by tooling around with the presets, and you can dive deeper. You can add it to individual tracks, but where this plugin shines is on your mix buss. Your mix sounds better, fuller, and more prominent as soon as it's there, so I tend to have it there the entire time I mix.
Why These 5 Plugins Are Your Desert Island Essentials
With these five UAD plugins in your toolkit, you can handle just about any recording scenario, from pristine vocals to punchy drums to lush, immersive reverb. They represent the perfect mix of simplicity, quality, and analog warmth, making them ideal for any producer or songwriter.
These are the 5 UAD plugins I would take to a deserted island! Now, I’m going to need a serious generator and some sunscreen…
