Noob with a voucher...

[Magpel]

Hi all, I'm new to the forum, new to UAD. I bought the Project Pack a few weeks ago, just in time to enjoy this generous coupon from UA.

To be perfectly honest, the Project Pack--while very good--is a bit of a tease. The 14 day demos give you just enough time and access to realize that none of the great stuff is included in the package...the Pultec and the 1176SE are nice (esp. the Pultec), but it is clear that the real action is elswhere. I've already used my precision limiter and precision EQ demos and was extremely impressed with both.

I should have sprung for the Flexi, and probably will in the not--too-distant future.

Anyway, I'll phrase my playful question this way: I want to get a compressor and an EQ out of this, and I'm willing to spend about 250, not including the coupon. I don't have a strong preference whether the plugs I get are heavy on the vibe/color or more on the bread and butter transparent side. I understand that these purchases are not my last. So, given those conditions what would you choose? (BTW, I know the \"real\" answer is try the demos and decide for myself--but I am interested in what expert and omnivorous UAD users would choose given these limitations, and why.)

the 88rs?
The LA-2A + Cambridge EQ?
Fairchild + Cambridge?

Another combination?

I only have the one card (and not alot of other high end native plugs--Sonitus is my mainstay) so resource efficiency is an issue. I'm fine for RAM.

Thanks for playing along!

John

 

[adl]

I´d say:

Cambridge and LA-2A

Nice compressor and clean EQ=nice Combo.

For a more musical EQ go for the Neves, there just amazing!

 

[Magpel]

adl, just curious, when you refer to the musicality of the Neve EQs, do you include the 88rs or just the 1073 and 1081?

 

[adl]

Just the 1073 and 1081.

BTW:
Don´t try the Demos! You WILL buy them. BOTH!! Thats at least what happend to me...couldn´t decide :wink:

 

[marQs]

Did you think of

88rs + Fairchild

or

88rs + 1176LN?

The 88rs-EQ is really a great musical monster, not that colorizing but suitful for a wide range of sources and low on dsp. 88rs' dynamics section is more than useful but compressor-wise maybe not what you're longing for.
Fairchild is very special in this regards (also special to get to know it...) - 1176 has more instant grip + color and is easier to use (here often on bass, drums, vocals, nearly anything) and a little lower on dsp as fairchild.

The good thing is: however you decide, you can't do wrong!

 

[Magpel]

marQs, thanks for the thoughts. The 88rs + anything is out of the price range at the moment, so I am thinking of it as 1 dynamics + 1 EQ. 88rs certainly qualifies, but not with anything else

Did you think of

88rs + Fairchild

or

88rs + 1176LN?

The 88rs-EQ is really a great musical monster, not that colorizing but suitful for a wide range of sources and low on dsp. 88rs' dynamics section is more than useful but compressor-wise maybe not what you're longing for.
Fairchild is very special in this regards (also special to get to know it...) - 1176 has more instant grip + color and is easier to use (here often on bass, drums, vocals, nearly anything) and a little lower on dsp as fairchild.

The good thing is: however you decide, you can't do wrong!

 

[wishingwell]

88RS is usually seen as the best starting point. It has eq,compressor, gate so you'll get several effects in it, it is lite on dsp power for many instances and you only have one card, it is very much a general purpose tool so you might get more use out of it then the others that are very strong in their character. Also the 88rs just has a mildly sweet sound.

After this i would look at 1176LN, helios and Precision mastering bundle, but thats buying according to my needs, you'll have to asses your own arsenal.