UAD/Apollo Sonarworks Plugin

[audiowizzbg]

ATTN: Universal Audio and Sonarworks
TO: Whom it may concern

Dear Sirs,

The Universal Audio users community being vast since the introduction of the UAD DSP cards, become even bigger after the launch of the Apollo line of interfaces. Nowadays there are thousands of different caliber studios based on Apollo. Probably a considerable amount of them share common flow: not a (entirely) perfect monitoring environment. In this regard a monitoring correction concept such as the one by Sonarworks could bring to those users experiencing difficulties correcting their studio environment by classical methods, an efficient solution for their monitoring problems. For what many others and I discovered in the audio forums - a serious group of people consider using a speaker and room calibration software along with their UA interface. The only problem is that the Sonarworks or similar plugins have to be used in their DAWs, which though helping a lot is not the perfect method as of engineering point of view. The best point of applying the correction is just before the DA (I wouldn’t like to insult anyone with the obvious details why). Additionally: the theoretical possibility to use a DSP in the Apollo Mixer’s Master section could lead to lower latency using the Sonarworks Refference 3 (or HD) and use the correction during playing thought the Apollo’s mixer from sources unable to use native plugins such the iTunes, plugged in instruments and microphones, and reference audio disks and files, to name a few.

In regards of the previous and in the context of the fact that many people for what I discovered share the same opinion and wishes, I do plead that: Sonarworks and Universal Audio to consider making an UAD/Apollo DSP driven Refference 3 like plugin.

Such venture will not only make hundreds of existing users happy but would lead that the Apollo/Sonarworks concept to become the obvious future choice for equipping and reequipping studios.

Thank you for your time.

Best regards from all of us!

Alex

Audiowizz: Apollo 8, 2 x UAD-2 Satellite Thunderbolt OCTO and all the plugins except 6...

 

[gotmerocking]

+1 ! Would love to here the view of UA on this idea or the possibility of a co-operation with Sonarworks.

 

[audiowizzbg]

At least Sonarworx read!

 

[rjjuly]

If UA gives you a response I'll eat my hat.



...of course I'll be wearing a large pepperoni pizza on my head

 

[shimel]

Very good initiative, audiowizzbg !

 

[ShnyDerr]

Amen!


Gesendet von iPhone mit Tapatalk

 

[rjjuly]

Very good initiative, audiowizzbg !

Yes, absolutely - you don't ask, you don't get.

 

[see venus]

I will jump in as well...I have both the headphone plug-in (for my Sennheiser HD 600's) as well as the room correction plug-in. Phenomenal!!! I can't believe how much it's cleared up so many of my mixing decisions. Had to do some re-routing to get them to live permanently yet invisible within my DAW and not be on my master buss...but all is good now. Having them on a sub OS level would have made this so much easier I'd imagine as all system audio would pass through if set up correctly. For perspective...I had IK's ARC and that doesn't hold a candle to Sonarworks. Amazing!!!

 

[onlinemusic]

Well written. This would be fantastic! I use both Sonarworks plugins as well, but only at the mixing stage due to latency issues.

 

[shimel]

Hey guys !
I'm actually running Sonarworks through Audio HiJack Pro
Did you noticed that Audio HiJack Pro is sucking 15 % of 1 UAD DSP ?
UAD Control panel is even showing a 1088 samples of plug in latency
Somebody is able to explain this ?
Thanks mate

 

[sjgam]

Havent dipped toes in room correction software - per the letter on less than perfect home situations - to add to that what about mobile setups or simply having to store away and set up monitors at home because of space limitations - does Sonakworks work on the fly or does it assume you have everything physically in place long term?

Didnt want to derail the thread - I too am an Apollo user so could benefit from the Console adoption of the plugin also.

But again curious if Sonakworks can be set up quickly with mobile/home setup situations with less than ideal/non-existent acoustic treatment?

To put it bluntly, if you set up laptop and apollo and monitors on someone's dining room table would it help?

If so another plus point as this is a selling point especially of the Apollo Twin's that the mobile pro or home user can get authentic gear sounds in less than desirable situations. But if monitoring is less than ideal then you have a weak link in the UAD value prop.

 

[shimel]

To make a long answer short : unfortunately, Sonarworks is not a magic tool that will transform your dinner room into a cabine studio.
Of course , you may find a little benefice to use it in a room , but only if it doesn't suffer from drastic acoustic problems.
The truth is that nothing can replace a good acoustic treatment and especially basstraps devices
As all this kind of solutions (even to most expansive of them) , Sonarworks can only bring the " final touch" to a combinations of different low frequencies absorbing panels and mid / high deflectors

 

[sjgam]

To make a long answer short : unfortunately, Sonarworks is not a magic tool that will transform your dinner room into a cabine studio.
Of course , you may find a little benefice to use it in a room , but only if it doesn't suffer from drastic acoustic problems.
The truth is that nothing can replace a good acoustic treatment and especially basstraps devices
As all this kind of solutions (even to most expansive of them) , Sonarworks can only bring the " final touch" to a combinations of different low frequencies absorbing panels and mid / high deflectors

Ahh that was my hunch and make sense.

Well two points:

1. Mixing in headphones are immune to the room conditions so that would have value for me.

2. Maybe as a compromise can throw a duvet blanket behind me singing and reflection filter around the mic and sonicworks to do the best one can in mobile/home non treated situations

 

[shimel]

If you can work between 2 headphone cups, this is the most obvious "go around" solution for the mix work.
But you will probably need to finalize your mixs through speakers

Good auditioning room and good recording room are not the same : your living room may be an good space to pick up your singing , who knows ?
In fact, in the " home studio wonderfull world" , most of the problems when recording are coming from annoying noises your mic will catch better than your ears
Most of the time , you better put away your very accurate big condenser microphone that will recording your voice but.... all the noises around too....
According to my experience, Dynamics and Ribbons are better choice when you can't recording in perfect acoustic conditions or where you can't manage with exotic noises

 

[Kcatthedog]

The sonarworks algorithm adjust for your headphones and the room that you analyze: two different processes.

For headphones the room you are in is not relevant they are just correcting the characteristics of the headphones. You can use the average software they have on their website or send your headphones in and they correct for your phones or buy corrected phones from them.

If you had mobile monitors the room set up is about 10-15 minutes but you need quiet in the room for the measurements which are live.

 

[sjgam]

The sonarworks algorithm adjust for your headphones and the room that you analyze: two different processes.

For headphones the room you are in is not relevant they are just correcting the characteristics of the headphones. You can use the average software they have on their website or send your headphones in and they correct for your phones or buy corrected phones from them.

If you had mobile monitors the room set up is about 10-15 minutes but you need quiet in the room for the measurements which are live.

Thanks for the clarification - if you had the same room but you had to set up and then put away the same monitors in the room - would you have to do the room set up again. Is it dependent on exact position of monitors?

 

[shimel]

In theory, if everything is exactly at the same place, you do not have to set up again.

 

[Kcatthedog]

Agree with comment above but remember where you sit relative to monitor focal point is also a factor and your monitor sweetspot.

The room measurement process takes about 25 measurements to map freq response in your monitoring area to correct the signal.

Be aware although I was impressed by the Sonarworks results I don't think it is correcting for time domain issues just frequency response. Yes they are related but two different phenomenon.

If you get sonarworks you will educate your ears about the difference between your room and flatter response and that kind of recalibrate you too.

It's very good but no tool is perfect or replaces your sonic awareness and judgement about your mix. Know your gear , know your room and know your monitors: you'll do fine.

 

[smallstonefan]

I'm another Sonarworks user. I would like to have support for headphones when monitoring in real-time. It would be awesome to tweak unison pres and such and hear the signal as neutral as possible...

 

[jackbloom]

I cannot not agree more with the posters in this thread about hoping that UAD and Sonarworks will collaborate to bring the Sonarworks Reference/Headphone plugin to UAD console.

It is truly an outstanding plugin that has helped make my mixes exponentially better. As a couple of posters pointed out, using Unison through the Sonarworks plugin would be incredibly helpful... and just leaving the plugin running in Console and routing 'all' system audio through it will be extremely beneficial for listening to 'any' audio.

Please consider making this happen. THX!