9.3 Download Size

chrisso

Venerated Member
I live in a rural location. I started the 9.3 update download just after breakfast this morning. It's just after lunch and my download manager says I still have ten hours to go before I have completed the 9.3 download.
Same thing happened a couple of weeks ago when I updated to 9.2.0
What is frustrating is that I don't own 90% of UAD plug-ins. I have no immediate plans to buy the latest releases, except perhaps upgrade my AMS RMX. A year or more ago, it seemed updating my UAD software wouldn't take anything like this long.
It's getting on par with things like Native Instruments Komplete, or Toontrack Superior, with hundreds of samples and programs to download. Most other software fx plug-ins are very quick to download or update.
Questions: Why can't you make smaller downloads that don't include every plug-in (already on our computers), just the ones this particular update effects? Why can't we choose to unclick all the products we don't own and don't want to update. Many software products allow you to choose what you don't want to install.
It's just getting a bit ridiculous that my internet is tied up for 10 to 13 hours just so I can update a handful of fx plug-ins. And it's every couple of months, not once a year, or even quarterly.
I don't need to download the entire catalogue of UAD products just to keep my Apollo up to date.... surely?
Thanks, Chris
 

billybk1

Shareholder
Cripes, 10 hours to download.............it generally takes me about 3 minutes with the latest updates. As a test, I just downloaded the v9.3 update twice (back to back) in under 6 minutes (4.2GB's). So no speed issue on UA's end.
Are you still using dial up speed........sorry I couldn't resist. LOL
 

chrisso

Venerated Member
I just moved ... to here, from another slow internet location.
I'm on 'fast broadband' but the download speed is generally around 1.5Mbps. That's as fast as it gets in this locale. maybe 2.6Mbps on a very good day.
Here's the things though, of the 1.71GB I'm downloading from UAD, I probably own and can use 10%. If I wanted to buy some of the other plug-ins I could download them from the UAD site (or as demos).
The second thing, if this is just a general update for the Apollo and twin, plus three new plug-ins, can we not download just that, instead of everything UAD have ever offered?
I download complex photography/video software, things like Capture One 10 and Resolve 14 and it's nowhere near 1.7GB
 

DJ Hellfire

Established Member
How fast is your cell phone data speed? You could try tethering off that if it's faster. At my house, my cell service is as fast as my home internet (200+ mbps).
 

Horse

Established Member
Cripes, 10 hours to download.............it generally takes me about 3 minutes with the latest updates. As a test, I just downloaded the v9.3 update twice (back to back) in under 6 minutes (4.2GB's). So no speed issue on UA's end.
Are you still using dial up speed........sorry I couldn't resist. LOL
I'm with you Chrisso - an update that is 2.1GB's! It's not a very elegant solution having to download the whole bundle again, rather, you would think that the users Control Panel would be able to identify which components need updating and just do that. If UA put a bit more thought into streamlining the process I dare say we'd also be able to choose to install only the plugins we own rather than clogging up the plugins folder with lists of plugs that we can't use but have to scroll by on a regular basis. And if you continued to explore efficient coding perhaps you'd end up being able to balance plugins across chips properly.

I guess I'm old enough that bloatware still bothers me; I'd prefer to see programmers working smarter.

H :)
 

chrisso

Venerated Member
Thanks.
Yes, this is what I'm getting at.
Apart from anything else, in some countries you have to pay for data, or at least have a limit on your contract . I can't see why we can't have a smarter update procedure.
I'm constantly updating my other software - fx plug-ins, software instruments, DAW and photography/video and nothing gets close to 2gb and a ten hour download - and when I already have everything on my computer as up to date as 9.2.0
 

UniversalAudio

Official UA Representative
Thanks.
Yes, this is what I'm getting at.
Apart from anything else, in some countries you have to pay for data, or at least have a limit on your contract . I can't see why we can't have a smarter update procedure.
I'm constantly updating my other software - fx plug-ins, software instruments, DAW and photography/video and nothing gets close to 2gb and a ten hour download - and when I already have everything on my computer as up to date as 9.2.0
Thanks for the feedback, guys - I hear you!

The installer is monolithic on purpose so that drivers, plug-ins and software that works across our entire hardware line are all in sync. It is large, but it simplifies the download and installation for users - you only have to pick an OS instead of figuring out which device or expanded system you have and it gives us a huge advantage when troubleshooting so we have maintained that approach.

We may look at different strategies in the future, but for now, the unified installer is the most elegant way to handle it.

Cheers!

-GK
Gannon Kashiwa
 

aesthete

Venerated Member
Gannon, I hope you will also look at the policy of not letting phone users download their updates using their phone and then transferring them to the computers. Many cord cutters use their bandwidth on their Android or iphones and do not have a direct connection to wireless or a limited WiFi connection to their phones.
 

Toxteth

Active Member
Best not to download Spectrasonics "Keyscape" at over 20GB or Cubase 9.0 at around 10GB, it is getting very annoying for folk who don't have such a large capability or a very fast line. Do these developers have a deal with the ISP'S or what...;)
 

SF-Green

Member
Plugin Alliance has started using a custom download tool that is quite nice and would solve this problem. UA should check it out and implement something similar. Maybe also include a checkbox for only download products I own. We could download any we want to demo individually this way too. Keep my plugin list from getting so filled up with plugins I don't own - that really is quite annoying. Especially with the ballooning number of plugins you have now after adding many third party plugs, a lot of amps, all the collections, etc.. Currently I go into the UA folder and delete all the ones I don't own manually. In the future I will probably only download updates if I plan on buying one of the new plugins to save myself the trouble.
 

Myramyd

Venerated Member
Best not to download Spectrasonics "Keyscape" at over 20GB or Cubase 9.0 at around 10GB, it is getting very annoying for folk who don't have such a large capability or a very fast line. Do these developers have a deal with the ISP'S or what...;)
I think you will be hard pressed to find much software from here on out that will be available any other way or smaller in size. Macs and a lot of PCs no longer comes with a CD/DVD drive and if you really want quality software, it will be large in size. I sure wouldn't want the quality to suffer just so the downloads are faster! Something like Keyscape where it's sample-based BETTER be at least 20GB or it's not going to sound very good! That's actually very small for the type of library that is.

The argument should be against your ISP and not UA. Personally, I was amazed how FAST 9.3 downloaded. I think it took me less than two minutes, but I am on a fairly fast connection. So your ISP and connection are the issue, not UA or their servers. I can tell you that the UA servers are very fast compared to most. I was impressed.

If you are regularly going to be buying and maintaining music software, plugins, sample libraries, etc. you are going to run into the same issue over and over again, not just with UA. Every other software I use has downloads easily 1-2GB for everything. Downloads for any sample-based software are usually well above that. I would say this UA update is average in size by todays standards, not huge by any means.

Sorry that you have the issue. 10 hours for 2GB is unacceptable for your internet speed. That is on entirely on your end I'm afraid. There is a chance you are being throttled on your end as well. I hope you can find better speed options for your area or that they become available in the future. I do wish you luck! It's important enough to me that I would factor that in before I chose a place to live. Slow internet speeds are going to be a non-starter for me pretty much for life.

J
 
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moraldecay31

Active Member
Thanks for the feedback, guys - I hear you!

The installer is monolithic on purpose so that drivers, plug-ins and software that works across our entire hardware line are all in sync. It is large, but it simplifies the download and installation for users - you only have to pick an OS instead of figuring out which device or expanded system you have and it gives us a huge advantage when troubleshooting so we have maintained that approach.

We may look at different strategies in the future, but for now, the unified installer is the most elegant way to handle it.

Cheers!

-GK
Gannon Kashiwa
I was a little confused at first when UA install process was zip file. When i figured it out it makes sense and is rock solid on my end.
 

chrisso

Venerated Member
I gotta say, I don't have such an issue with other software products I own. Although I have avoided the bigger native Instruments libraries like Komplete because of the size.
I don't need their piano and orchestral libraries anyway....or the acoustic drums.
As I say, I use and maintain Pro Tools, Ableton Live 9, EZdrummer, Superior, Fabfilter and UAD software, plus top of the line photographic and video software.
This last UAD update was the worst I've had in a long while.
I've been around a long time and I live where I live for a reason. Yeah, it sucks that our government have not invested in cutting edge broadband for many of it's rural citizens.
I do make large sample libraries as part of my professional work too. So I'm not suddenly complaining my internet is too slow and trying to blame UAD for it.
I DO think it's ridiculous I spend hours and gigs of data repeatedly updating products I don't own (which is over half the UAD line-up), as well as legacy versions of everything that has been reworked.
Both Native Instruments and Toontrack have download managers, which inform you when there is an update, and selectively update whatever the USER chooses.
If the future of UAD software is continued growth in numbers of plug-ins, maybe they can look into a download manager rather than this archaic (I would call it) system of downloading everything from scratch every few months.
 

chrisso

Venerated Member
The argument should be against your ISP and not UA.

J
No, because other music software companies have come up with better solutions for the same issue.
I have the fastest connection I can get in my location. It's not an issue with my ISP, or my trying to save money on my internet. I am not. I use it professionally every day.
In the end, in locations where data usage is charged for, and/or internet speeds are not city paced, UAD will just lose customers.
 

Myramyd

Venerated Member
No, because other music software companies have come up with better solutions for the same issue.
I have the fastest connection I can get in my location. It's not an issue with my ISP, or my trying to save money on my internet. I am not. I use it professionally every day.
In the end, in locations where data usage is charged for, and/or internet speeds are not city paced, UAD will just lose customers.
Well, I wasn't trying to antagonize you, I just think your anger/frustration is misdirected. What I meant to say was that I am on your side because I don't think your ISP is accurately telling you what their speeds are. If UA can find a way to help with your type of situation, that's great, but it's also fast becoming uncommon to have such slow speeds in most areas that are not very rural. I'm a software project manager and our developers in 2nd and 3rd world countries have way faster internet speeds than I do! But that is another point...

It's just a fact of life that all the major plugin manufacturers have downloads of this size. 2GB isn't uncommon as far as file size in 2017. I don't think UAD is anything outside the norm. Just some examples:

Waves V9 - 3.1 GB
Soundtoys - 2 GB
Toontrack SDX expansions (download version) - 11-30GB
Toontrack EZX expansions (download version) - 500MB - 3GB (1.2GB average)
Streaming a Netflix movie in HD - 3GB per hour
1 hour of YouTube at 1080p - 1.5 GB

If your speeds are what your ISP say they are, it should take you around 2-3 hours to download 9.3. Let's say the UA servers were somehow going at half speed for an extended period of time--that would still be 4-6 hours max. If it's taking you 10 hours, you are on dial up speeds or at least something well below what is considered "broadband". 1MBps sustained should be a 4 hour and 45 minute download time. You would have to be throttled by your ISP big time for it to be that slow. The time it took me matches with my speed and a full speed UA server with no throttling on either end.

I really think your ISP is not being forthcoming on their actual speeds. They may have faster short-term burst speeds that match what you say, but the sustained speeds have to be far lower than broadband. If I were you, I would direct your complaints to them. They have to be lying to you!

I won't call out any companies, but if you happen to be on a major satellite internet company like a lot of rural areas are, I can tell you from experience that their speed claims are totally deceptive. They are burst speeds and that rate only lasts for about the first 10-20 minutes or so at most, then it throttles you pretty seriously after that. My boss lived in a rural area and that was his only option. He couldn't even stream audio on a Skype call, despite their claims that it was well above the speed required. When I tested it, it wasn't even close. It was somewhere around 512kpbs after the first few minutes.

I do feel for you though either way man! I hope you get something figured out from either end.

J
 

chrisso

Venerated Member
It doesn't really matter what my ISP says.
I live in the UK, maybe you don't have experience of the UK broadband?
I have the fastest package from my ISP. It is advertised as around 5 to 6Mbps download (upload is very much slower).
If I am lucky I occasionally get around 5.6Mbps. It fluctuates for various reasons. One of the problems is the nearest broadband box is over four miles away, and between it and me is Victorian era copper wire.
I am not on satellite. I'm one hour from Bath and two hours from London, hardly Outer Mongolia
Our community have looked at improving our broadband independently and the price tag is around $50,000.

Anyway, it ISN'T about my ISP, or even Broadband in the UK. UAD can limit the enormous downloads the same way other leading software companies like Native Instruments and Toontrack have.
I don't mind downloading several gigabytes when I first buy a product, but not every few months to install a small update.
(I'm not angry, it is a bit tiresome and unnecessary as far as I'm concerned)
 

andyjh

Active Member
I really think the download speed issue is a problem with UA, although I don't have a particularly fast broadband speed, I can download from "other" sites at up to 11Mb/s (that's the max speed of my broadband), but this UA 9.3 version is coming in at 1.4Mb/s which is about 4 hours. If I had a fibre 100Mb/s broadband line - it wouldn't come in any quicker, as the download speed is no where near my existing speed.

If UA are going to force a 2GB download, they really need to sort their servers out. I am in the UK, so maybe it is non US download speeds that are affected by being on a different server ?
 
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Matt Hepworth

Master of the UADiverse
Forum Admin
Moderator
If the biggest concern is speed of download, not size, that could be resolved via a mirror or two.

Dropbox tends to have pretty decent bandwidth. Once my firewall is in place I may be able to provide it as well.
 
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