Gain Staging with Unison UAD Plug-ins - Office Hours #64

Tune in for real-time Q&A with LUNA experts, product designers, A‑list producers, and more! Learn more about LUNA - uaudio.com/luna

[@rezident101]

Really enjoyed this video. Great info in it and clarification on gain staging with using the Apollo. Thanks for putting this together

[@UniversalAudio]

👍

[@missionsinspace]

Thanks for using my track in the intro!

[@UniversalAudio]

👍

[@avalanwa]

Great job budd! Are you in spotify?

[@mixedbyv]

Universal Audio great video! Question, if I hardly pay attention to the levels on my Apollo rack from a gain staging perspective compared to what’s in the daw might be the reason why sometimes my levels are a little lower when recorded in the daw?? Thanks in advance

[@UniversalAudio]

Could be!

[@mixedbyv]

Universal Audio yep! It was! Great video again! Thanks!!

[@THETHINKINGMINDS]

Hi Kenny, thanks for your useful feedback. I've all my songs ready for my first CD, yet, I noticed some were clipping a bit. Thanks a whole lot.

[@Ali_ReBORN]

@16:33 I spent 2 days gain staging with multiple unison preamps and realized now i should not have looked at the Apollo Twin’s hardware meter going red. I turned down my input signal too low along with the unison output to avoid that clipping on the hardware meter which wasn’t actually clipping as the unison handles it and shows the true signal on the console meters thereafter. My DAW logic’s recorded waveform was too thin as a result. I could have easily turned the unison input or the output higher to get a healthier signal by observing the console meters. This information now that after an unison preamp is inserted in console i can just forget the hardware meter and focus on the console meter has been invaluable! You guys need to address this in a separate short video for people starting out as it can be very confusing otherwise! Gratitude 😊

[@tivermusic]

The tip with the tape extension is very good. I`l try that.

[@UniversalAudio]

👍

[@anthemmakersmusic]

Oh the Manley is so nice on guitar

[@Skimatik_DnB]

Thanks ua .... looking forward to sending in some tracks

[@UniversalAudio]

👍

[@Skimatik_DnB]

Universal Audio gutted I missed you live but I was in the hot tub for my Mates birthday 👀😜🥳🥳🥳 🙌🙌🙌🎯💚 tomorrow I’m back to the studio and Luna and I’ll be there tomorrow live 🎯🎯✌️💚☯️ thanks again for all you guys have done 😍 I’m in love with Luna haha ✌️💚☯️

[@UniversalAudio]

😍

[@colaboytje]

I would like to know how to use the Suhr PT100 without noise. I'm not talking about the noise gate function. Even at ultra clean settings, the amp makes way too much noise compared to the signal. The S/N ratio is just too low.

[@anthemmakersmusic]

Question are UAD Apollo x8p 's manufactured in California or in other countries? Mine says manufactured in Sinagapore. I bought it from a Registered UAD reseller. Just Checking.

[@brandonvogt4146]

I just can’t get the gain staging right when I use the unisom presets.. all the presets within the preamps are little to no signal and i have to crank both input and output to get the same level as my Apollo stock preamp.. but with a bunch of hiss

[@ryancohenmusic]

When would you use pre fader versus post fader during actual tracking ? This was incredible thanks guys!

[@UniversalAudio]

Cues are pre fader for sure. Otherwise, you likely would not.

[@tonydavia]

hey guys, thanks for the video. I have some constructive criticism if you are open. i've noticed you spend a lot of time doing these sales-pitchy asides about how great the plugins are, but everyone who is watching this type of super-in-depth of content already owns this (see chat reply). We've all spent thousands on UAD, nobody here needs to hear why the unison PAD is better than other plugins cuz these are "real PADs" instead of an emulation lol. Don't need to be sold on how great UA plugins are at emulating hardware saturation, thats why we bought yours instead of the cheap alternatives. hope that is helpful and I dont sound like an asshole. appreciate you guys for doing all this, regardless.

[@UniversalAudio]

Thanks for the feedback.

[@anthemmakersmusic]

Jay Z line about making history through a handset was my motivation. I answered his call Black Republican!

[@leonb456]

You said something about “Tom’s demo(?)” that shows something about gainstaging with the tape emulations. I’d like to watch that, can you say which video it actually is or, even better, put a link? Thank you!

[@TheVisionField]

finally a good detail video after searching !! awesome -would like to hear more about this in a more edited condensed video maybe edit this 1 hour + to 25 mins:) more videos please :)

[@TheVisionField]

lol just a little faster for us millennials as far as pace; that's all

[@hefflstudio6675]

@@TheVisionField indulge in the knowledge

[@blueflame9966]

does lowering the output knob on the 1084 get rid of some color from the gain knob, or does it just level the volume like the fader? still kinda confused and whenever I have the output knob higher is sounds more colored how I like, but it could be that I’m just hearing it louder so I think it’s better

[@UniversalAudio]

It does not. It's just clean digital gain.

[@ahmedrezaie4920]

Can we have side chain feature please .!!?

[@ryancohenmusic]

I tried to study this video bc it's incredible but now I'm nervous again going in to track vocals! Is it best to max the Neve preamp gain at the start of the chain and THEN use the compressor chain 1176-LA2A to control volume level? OR is it best to get a healthy signal from the preamp and let the LA2A Make the signal louder at the end of the chain? Thanks in advance you guys are amazing.

[@UniversalAudio]

The 2nd way. Start with the red knob of the 1073 for level, then use the LA2 to grab the peaks. Keep is simple!! It'll sound great!!

[@ryancohenmusic]

@@UniversalAudio thank you SO much!

[@UniversalAudio]

Our pleasure!! Let us know how it goes!

[@JohnLloydDavis]

For a video about audio levels, the dialogue is all over the place level wise! You'd have thought they might have at least fixed this in post if not have someone monitor the stream and QC this.

[@samrostovsky]

cool diffuser on your wall. who's it by?

[@UniversalAudio]

GIK

[@samrostovsky]

@@UniversalAudio Noice!

[@THETHINKINGMINDS]

I'd like to ask you, how to gain stage after my song is recorded. Thanks a lot.

[@lilkenny83]

use an vu meter on your master bus. Adjust the gain on each individual track, the actual track not the fader, so that they hits close to 0db on the meter. It's ok if it goes over at certain points

[@anthemmakersmusic]

Oh your welcome on those stimulus checks make sure to visit his Presidential museum. I asked the President to publish every idea I submitted. I been really busy working for free for America. That's LOVE!

[@sonexcellencea]

LUNA PC Version please!

[@anthemmakersmusic]

Are you going to make a PC version of Luna?

[@UniversalAudio]

Sorry Marcus, we can't comment on any future developments or releases. We appreciate your interest though and encourage you to stay tuned.

[@bdunn315]

where do we send photos for the intro?

[@UniversalAudio]

Just tag #UniversalAudio

[@pipebarat0]

Does Luna replace the uad console?? How can I choose if I want to record the process or just monitoring it, if it does

[@UniversalAudio]

LUNA can replace Console for MANY users. Place processing in the Record FX slots to commit, and in LUNA's Inserts to just monitor.

[@pipebarat0]

@@UniversalAudio thanks!❤️🤘🏼

[@UniversalAudio]

👍

[@giordanobruno2509]

Kind of messed up that you have 10 minutes of nothing with multiple commercials at the top of the video...

[@AntKneeLeafEllipse]

A lot of mics use the pad to reduce harmonics. I take it that's not happening with this apollo pad?

[@UniversalAudio]

A Pad in a mic protects the internal electronics from clipping, a Pad in a mic pre determines the gain range it can accept. Two different uses of the concept.

[@ProdByMeek]

very valuable information here thank you! matts voice tho... 🙄

[@lukesfx]

No chance to set values by numbers, no i/o trim on many plugs, no pre/post fader metering at the same time - still in 2023.

[@MoneyAv]

unison preamps are printing way too low in my daw. HELP

[@UniversalAudio]

Hey Money Av, get in touch with Customer Support, they'll walk you through some detailed troubleshooting steps. help.uaudio.com/hc/en-us/articles/210253543-Contact-Support

[@DAN-NAKAMA]

Halo, can add subtitle please. thanks

[@TheOliveradams]

Why are U using console with LUNA ?

[@UniversalAudio]

LUNA uses Console in the background regardless. Matt decided to show/do a few things in Console.

[@lionvision2442]

🙌🙌💯💯💯

[@carlosa.chacon985]

You should level match your voices a little more guys... you got me going up and down

[@LaminarSound]

FYI guys, Matt is extremely quiet compared to Ben and Drew. Makes it hard to listen to this in the office. lol Great video though.

[@UniversalAudio]

Thanks for the feedback Sean.

[@RichOren]

I think they need to use gain staging on this video. LOL

[@billesposito2112]

I hear ya . Thats funny shit . Mattttttt project brother! I just got my Apollo and Luna going . Bit of a learning curve but the guys are helping thru some of the issues . I'm switching to Mac at the same time . But I love this shit. Live for it . Got the bug in 6th grade and I'm 52 now and still live it everyday.

[@anthemmakersmusic]

Question are UAD Apollo x8p 's manufactured in California or in other countries? Mine says manufactured in Sinagapore. I bought it from a Registered UAD reseller. Just Checking.

[@UniversalAudio]

it's listed on the units as you saw.