Universal Audio has released UAD Software v9.5. Alongside the new UA-developed Helios Type 69 Preamp and EQ Collection plug-in, this latest software release delivers 2 plug-ins from UA's direct developer partner, Brainworx, the A/DA Flanger and Friedman Buxom Betty Amplifier.
Helios Type 69 Preamp and EQ Collection - $299
Whether it was housed at Olympic in London, Musicland in Munich, or in the famed Rolling Stones mobile studio, the Helios Type 69 console was at the centre of hundreds of iconic albums from rock’s “Golden Age.” From must-own albums by Led Zeppelin, The Beatles, Jimi Hendrix, and Pink Floyd, to Bob Marley and the Wailers, David Bowie, Black Sabbath and AC/DC, the Helios Type 69 delivered a sound with unmistakable attitude, punchy midrange and an assertive growl.
The all-new Helios Type 69 Preamp and EQ Collection for UAD-2 hardware and UA Audio Interfaces includes an exacting end-to-end circuit emulation that improves upon UA’s original standard-defining Helios Type 69 “EQ-only” Legacy plug-in and there is a special upgrade price of $199 for owners of the legacy Helios Type 69 plug-in.
In developing the new Helios Type 69 plug-in, UA’s team of engineers worked with 2 original Type 69 Olympic-era “golden units,” faithfully modelling their custom-made, feedback-style, 70 dB input section as well as a complete emulation of the Lustraphone mic input transformer. This end-to-end circuit model is the only "triple-amp" preamp on the UAD plug-in platform and is designed to offer the same complex flavours as the original hardware.
The new Helios Type 69 plug-in also offers a ground-up redesign of the original hardware’s famously bold passive three-band EQ. UAD tell us that this is the first time, the Helios Type 69 plug-in perfectly emulates the rich-sounding inductor saturation behaviours that keep radical EQ moves sounding ultra-musical, even at extreme settings.
Finally, owners of UA Audio Interfaces can track in real time with Helios’ vintage analog channel, like having the original hardware. The Helios Type 69 Preamp and EQ plug-in also supports Universal Audio’s Unison™ technology, giving UA Audio Interface users the Type 69’s all-important impedance, gain staging, and circuit behaviours that have contributed to making it an iconic hit-making console.
Helios Type 69 Preamp and EQ Plug-In Key Features:
- An authentic end-to-end circuit emulation of Helios’ iconic Type 69 analog channel, exclusively for UAD hardware and UA Audio Interfaces
- Includes the full character of the original hardware’s Lustraphone transformer-based mic preamp
- Exacting emulation of the iconic, colourful inductor-based three-band EQ
- Unison technology for UA audio interfaces offers authentic tone, touch, and feel of the Helios Type 69 preamp, including precise impedance matching
- DSP-lite Type 69 Legacy EQ plug-in included
- Artist presets from J.J. Blair (Johnny Cash, George Benson), Chris Coady (Yeah Yeah Yeahs, TV on the Radio), Jacquire King (Kings of Leon, Tom Waits), and more
Brainworx A/DA Flanger - $149
In this review for Production Expert, Pro Tools Expert Technical Editor, James Ivey takes a look at another of the new plug-in in the Universal Audio UAD 9.5 software release, the A/DA Flanger by Brainworx.
Brainworx has developed the A/DA Flanger plug-in exclusively for UAD-2 hardware and UA Audio Interfaces. It has been designed as an exacting emulation of this iconic, often outrageous sounding, bucket-brigade flanging pedal that gained mythical status in the late '70s and early '80s.
Often referred to as "the Holy Grail of Flangers," the A/DA Flanger plug-in has been created to capture all the expansive depth of the original's Panasonic MN3010 bucket-brigade circuit, as well as plug-in-only features like tempo sync, mix control, and dual stereo modes.
A/DA Flanger Plug-In Key Features:
- Precise modelling of both an original 1979 and modern 2009 A/DA reissue in one plug-in
- Officially licensed and authenticated by A/DA Signal Processors
- Unparalleled time delay range of 40:1 for extremely wide sweeps
- Switch between odd or even harmonic emphasis for a variety of tones
- Mono or stereo operation, including stereo upmixing from mono signals
- Physical input impedance and hands-on control of gain staging with Unison™ technology
- Available exclusively for UAD hardware and UA Audio Interfaces
- Special upgrade price of $99 for owners of UAD A/DA STD-1 Stereo Tapped Delay plug-in
Friedman Buxom Betty Amplifier - $149
In this exclusive video review for Pro Tools Expert, Technical Editor, James Ivey takes at the new Buxom Betty guitar amp simulation for the Universal Audio Apollo interfaces and the UAD-2 platform by Brainworx.
The second Brainworx plug-in available exclusively for UAD-2 hardware and UA Audio Interfaces in the UAD 9.5 release is the Friedman Buxom Betty Amplifier plug-in. Brainworx have worked hard to capture all of the dynamic clean and crunch tones of the boutique, dual EL34-powered tone machine.
The Buxom Betty Amplifier plug-in has been developed not only to capture the touch-sensitive textures of the hand wired hardware, it adds 100 high-end recording chains as well as onboard vintage delay, noise gate, and lo/hi pass filters for further tone shaping.
The Friedman Buxom Betty Amplifier plug-in also features Unison™ technology for UA Audio Interfaces. This means a UA Interface user's guitar pickups will see the exact impedance load as if they're plugged into a Friedman Buxom Betty amplifier- a feature found only on UA Audio Interfaces.
Friedman Buxom Betty Amplifier Plug-In Key Features:
- Exacting emulation of the original Friedman Buxom Betty guitar amplifier
- Endorsed and fully authenticated by Friedman Amplifiers
- 100 Recording Chains with multiple speaker cabinet impulse responses
- FX Rack features vintage delay, noise gate, filter controls, internal power soak, and pre- and post-amp bypass
- Unison™ technology for Apollo interfaces offers authentic tone, touch, and feel of original Friedman Buxom Betty amplifier thanks to impedance matching
- Available exclusively for UAD-2 hardware and UA Audio interfaces
- Special upgrade price of $99 for owners of UAD Friedman Amplifier Collection