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FLEXI PAK: Good deal or not?

NuSkoolTone

Established Member
http://aes.harmony-central.com/119AES/Content/Universal_Audio/PR/UAD-1-Flexi-Pak.html

\"The UAD-1 Flexi Pak includes the UAD-1 PCI DSP card and on registration automatically activates a $500USD voucher redeemable against the customer's choice of UAD-1 plug-ins at the my.uaudio.com online store.\"

\"The UAD-1 Flexi PAK has an MSRP of $899 ($699 estimated street price) and will ship immediately following AES to arrive in stores early November.\"

First THANKS UA for listening to us and trying to come up with a solution for those of us that have been requesting \"Mastering\" or \"Roland\" Paks to add to our existing cards. It's great to know you're trying and listening to our requests/needs.

I hate to start another price thread, but $700 bucks? :eek: The point of these paks is to add VALUE by buying the card and essentially getting new plugs for free with the hardware purchase.

The studio pak or ultra pak would cost WAY more if it was priced as the sum of the cost of plug-ins + $200, which is essentially what the Flexi pak is. You pay full price for the plug-ins and get the card for $200, or you're buying the card for $400 and getting $200 off the plug-ins however you want to look at it.


Also, WHY were a lot of the project pak plugs included with this? Isn't this kinda redundant? WHO is the target market for this product? First time users or those looking to add another card and plug-ins? It seems to be both, and in my opinion neither makes out that great. For about another $250 a first time user could get a studio pak which IMO is a MUCH better way to go if you're not getting the ultra pak. For the rest of us, like the project pak, we're paying again :evil: for plugs we own already(Assuming the majority are on one machine with less than 4 cards!)


Admittedly, this is cheaper than buying a Project pak, and the (new) plug-ins separately, but not that much to where I'm jumping up and down about it. Personally, I think this is priced at least $100 (If not $200) too high. I think it's a great idea, and I'm sure there was concern of it eating into project pak sales if priced too low. With that scenario in mind, I'm not sure what to suggest other than to take out the project pak plugs and reduce the price. Actually, that's exactly what I wish they'd do!


Discuss...
 

will

Member
well its not for every one. it depends on what plugs you want and which one you have. if you need another card and a few select plugs its a good deal compared to buying a project pac and paying full price for the extra plugs you need.



will
 

Kosta

Member
Well, depends how it's really going to be priced around here (EU).

The shop that I buy from has the ProjectPak for 400 euros and StudioPak for 800 euros.

So: if I already have the PP and only need power and (f.i.) Cambridge and Plate140 and Chorus Bundle - it's way better to go for FlexiPak than for StudioPak.

In some other cases maybe not so.

k

(i hope it won't be more than 600 euros here, if it is I probably won't buy it)
 

brunjic

Member
Kosta, do yourself a favour and buy UAD for jrrshop.com
You'll pay 630$ + shipping (50-70$) and whatewer taxes you had to pay in Slovenia.

Also, everyone else, do the math: for first time buyers, two Flexis is great option, with 1000$ to spend on plugs of choice. Right now, Flexi and Ultra PAKS are brtter deal than PROJECT or STUDIO, assuming that you want all the plugs (or most of them).
 

Miser

Member
Have you thought about how every plug-in is priced so that the price ends with number nine?Clever indeed :wink:
Flexi Pak gives 500 dollars but as it is even numbered sum you`ll
either pay extra or leave some dollars unused.Buy three plug-ins
priced 149 and the Pulteq Pro (79) and you`ll pay 26 dollars extra.Buy two
plug-ins priced 199 and the Roland CE-1 (99)and it`ll leave 3 dollars unused.
Of cource there is other permutations as well.I don`t know what will be the lowest European price for Flexi Pak so exact price comparison is not possible.So many users and so many preferences.
I haven`t purchased any plug-ins and I don`t know if you`ll have to pay
VAT (22% in Finland) when you download plug-ins.If so any extra paid to
UA will add 22% extra to plug-in prices (unless VAT is under 10 euros).

Best wishes :)
 

brunjic

Member
No VAT on plugs, you buy them directly from web store and download authorisations to your computer.

Of course you'll spend few dolars more or less than optimal, but love for whole numbers is not applicable to every life situation.
 

Akis

Sadly, left this world before his time.
Moderator
Miser said:
I haven`t purchased any plug-ins and I don`t know if you`ll have to pay
VAT
No, you pay the exact price shown in the web store, nothing more.
 

saemskin

Established Member
is there ever going to be something released by UA where people are whining about the price?
Buy it or dont.
Cripes!
 

NuSkoolTone

Established Member
brunjic said:
K
Also, everyone else, do the math: for first time buyers, two Flexis is great option, with 1000$ to spend on plugs of choice. Right now, Flexi and Ultra PAKS are brtter deal than PROJECT or STUDIO, assuming that you want all the plugs (or most of them).
I think your "math" is flawed. 2 Flexis would be $1400, or at jr's with the 10% forum discount at around $1260. The ultra pak is $1199 or $1080 with discount. The ultra pak has EVERYTHING except the two roland plugs. IF he bought the two plug ins now at $200, He'd have EVERY plug-in for about for about $1280. Add a project pack for $399 or $360 with discount, and it's $1640 TOTAL if you did it at JR's and took advantage of the roland special. That's EVERY plug-in UA makes and two cards.

To do the equivalent with the 2 Flexi paks, you would have to spend $1260 for the cards, and then ANOTHER $570 in software licenses. For a total of $1830.


Even the Studio pak is $899 or $810 with discount. Add a project pack for $399 or $360 with discount, plus $626 for all the other licenses, and $200 for the roland deal is $1996. Now her ethe flexi pak deal in leiu does save a little. $630 for the card plus $126 plus $200 for the roland totalling $1776. A saving of $200, basically getting the roland stuff for free. My gripe is you have to spend $956 to get there.

Now tell me how this is a better deal than starting with an ultra pak and a project pak or a flexi pak that was cheaper and had none of the project stuff? It's not a bad deal, but I wish it was a little sweeter.

Of course, you could come out cheaper by not geting everything, but to me getting the UAD-1 cards and not getting all the compressors is missing the point. Those are what makes the UAD-1 the most unique, and there isn't much else out there that does them like UA. Sure, you could get by with the 1176SE version and while it's good, it does not sound the same! Not even close. I wouldn't even THINK about doing mixes without the LA2A and I think the Fairchild glues things together like no other. I view the UAD plugs as a"Pakage" and once you get in deep mixing you see where there is a REAL need for ALL of them.
 

sj_digriz

Member
I don't think the idea is for it to be a \"better deal\". I'm fairly certain the idea is for you to get to pick some of the plugs yourself instead of getting a pre-defined set of plugs.

This in itself is actually a \"better deal\" if you ask me.
 

Michael

Active Member
Personally It is really only a good deal if you already have one card and don't have all the plugins but wanting to buy more . If your going to be spending $500.00 on plugins for the extra $200 + - it makes sense to get the card , you'll need it anyway
 

NuSkoolTone

Established Member
Michael said:
Personally It is really only a good deal if you already have one card and don't have all the plugins but wanting to buy more . If your going to be spending $500.00 on plugins for the extra $200 + - it makes sense to get the card , you'll need it anyway
You know, as I look at it maybe this is just the worst deal for the studio pak owners. Maybe I notice that because I happen to be one. Those that have the ultra pak don't really NEED the flexi pak as buying a project back and the roland deal is cheaper. The project pak guys can probably find something to work out for them with the flexi. First time users can do the math and see what works best for them.

So I guess in a sense then I feel left out, and was really looking for an excuse to buy another card. The value ratio just isn't there for me to pull the trigger vs. other studio expendatures that I feel will be a better ROI.

P.S. I would have bought the Ultra pak, if it was available when I got my studio pak, but it came out about 6 months later I think. I got over it, but man was I ticked! The initial investment with the UAD-1 is usually the greatest, and the ultra pak is the most cost effective by FAR. I don't have a big studio budget, so that extra couple hundred dollars makes a difference.

I might grab the roland deal, but am still waiting for MY "pak" to fill in the gaps between the studio and ultra paks. "Mastering pak" anyone?
 

Akis

Sadly, left this world before his time.
Moderator
First of all, if you do a search on the Mac section of the forum, you'll find a post by James from Universal Audio where he says that when buying the Project Pak, the price reflects the cost of only the card; you don't pay for the included software or at least that's how UA sees it.

So, the Flexi Pak is actually a card ($400) and a $500 voucher for $700 street price. If you ask me, it's mostly suitable as a 2nd+ card, when you also want to buy some plugs. Think of it this way: you want to buy the Precision series ($650); you buy the Flexi Pak and shell out another $150 along with the voucher for the plugs. That's a total of $850. $850 - $650 = a UAD-1 for $200.

If you have the Ultra Pak and you also want the latest UA plugs, it still makes sense to buy the Flexi Pak:

Chorus bundle: $199
Precision Multi : $249
Space Echo : At least $99... so here you go. :wink:

Needless to say that's a good deal for a Studio Pak owner as well.

BTW, I just had a look at the UA web site: The Flexi Pak includes the basic software as well, so for $300 more, the buyer can buy $500 worth of extra plugs.

In general, it seems to me like a great deal for all.
 

NuSkoolTone

Established Member
Akis said:
First of all, if you do a search on the Mac section of the forum, you'll find a post by James from Universal Audio where he says that when buying the Project Pak, the price reflects the cost of only the card; you don't pay for the included software or at least that's how UA sees it.

-*Snip*-

If you have the Ultra Pak and you also want the latest UA plugs, it still makes sense to buy the Flexi Pak:

Chorus bundle: $199
Precision Multi : $249
Space Echo : At least $99... so here you go. :wink:

Needless to say that's a good deal for a Studio Pak owner as well.
Great so since the project pak comes with "FREE software" can I have a mastering pak with "free" software instead? You know, with software I haven't paid for already.

Perhaps UA's public view is the card cost $400, but we know it's not when the video card equivalent goes for like $30 (Last I checked) if you can find one. The R&D cost are recouped by now, it's highly doubtful they're not. If the project pak plug-ins are "free" and similar(but not comaptible) hardware can be found for $30 what really are you getting? Anyway, I don't want to get in a long tift about this point as I believe it's already been discussed at length at one point. I'm just calling what appears to be BS to me when I see it. It's a product, like anything else. They decided on a profit margin and a price point. End of story.

$249 for precision MB? Did you just pull that out of your head or what? Where was that announced?

Will the chorus bundle still be available by the time the space echo comes out?

If not then it's
CE-1: $99
Dimension: $149
Space Echo : At least $99
Precision Multi : At least $149

Which just makes it to $500 for the ultra pak guys. If the chorus bundle is still on, that leaves them about $50 which there is nothing left to buy with. Do they get a raincheck or credit towards the next plug?

I can appreciate your point of view, so in the end let's agree to disagree I suppose. :|
 

brian

Active Member
NuSkoolTone said:
To do the equivalent with the 2 Flexi paks, you would have to spend $1260 for the cards, and then ANOTHER $1279 in software licenses. For a total of $2539.
I think your math is flawed. :)

To buy every plugin UA sells in their online store, it would cost $1570. Now 2 Flexi paks would give you $1000 in credit towards purchases at the store...so you would be paying the additional $570 for the plugins, not $1279.

The total would be around $1830 with the 2 cards and all plugins, making this option a better deal than buying a Studio pak, Project pak, and all the remaining plugins (by around $69).

Still, the best deal would be a Ultra pak + a Project pak + the Roland bundle if you don't own any UAD-1s yet.
 

brunjic

Member
I think your math is flawed.
I stand corrected.

Indeed, you can buy all plugs from webstore for $1570.

That means paying $1260 for two Flexis, using $1000 bonus, and adding $570 for total of $1830. (Shipping not included.)

Ultra+Project+Roland bundle = $1560 (including $50 bonus for Project)

Even for three cards, Ultra+Project narrowly wins over Flexis with $1900 to $1960.

Situation may change by the end of the year with arrival of Multiband, which would sell for $249, but I'll let somebody else to do the math this time.

I know I'll be getting Flexi and using my credit on Roland bundle and one and half plug from mastering series. :lol:
 

NuSkoolTone

Established Member
brian said:
NuSkoolTone said:
To do the equivalent with the 2 Flexi paks, you would have to spend $1260 for the cards, and then ANOTHER $1279 in software licenses. For a total of $2539.
I think your math is flawed. :)

To buy every plugin UA sells in their online store, it would cost $1570. Now 2 Flexi paks would give you $1000 in credit towards purchases at the store...so you would be paying the additional $570 for the plugins, not $1279.

The total would be around $1830 with the 2 cards and all plugins, making this option a better deal than buying a Studio pak, Project pak, and all the remaining plugins (by around $69).

Still, the best deal would be a Ultra pak + a Project pak + the Roland bundle if you don't own any UAD-1s yet.

Ya know what? You're right! I don't know where I went wrong, but I apologize and will correct my earlier post.
 

marQs

Shareholder
think it's a good deal!

i'll add two flexis, when this multiband-thing is to come (or at least i wish to). then i'd have 'em all and 4 cards running.

once this will happen, i'll not look for new stuff for two years. otherwise my children will have to starve...
 

rdolmat

Member
marQs said:
think it's a good deal!
once this will happen, i'll not look for new stuff for two years. otherwise my children will have to starve...
yeah...that's still a hard choice... :-k

"gear or children..gear or children..gear or children?"
 
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