Is there any difference? Waves API 2500 vs UAD API 2500 vs Lindell SBC

[@audiotoolshed]

Which of the 3 is your favorite and why?

[@palinoman]

UAD. Because I have it (in Spark).

[@audiotoolshed]

@@palinoman good reason ;-)

[@grungefire]

UAD too. That’s what I have and use. Happy with it. Just got the Lindell but haven’t tried it yet.

[@audiotoolshed]

Why

[@audiotoolshed]

You have a api2500 hardware? Seems like you have hardware which can be as shitty as the worst analog plugin or absolute heaven. Hardware in itself means nothing. And you have know that UAD’s platform at a time was very valuable, when CPU’s couldn’t cope with all the load.

[@bangubw736]

Lindell is my favorite. It has replaced the waves version on my mixes. I love the nuke mode absolutely beautiful

[@audiotoolshed]

I agree. I prefer the lindell of the three altough its close.

[@simmermusic3894]

I have the Lindell as well, sounds nice and full, great on the mids

[@GalestianMusic]

Great comparison. I've been using the API-2500 for a long while now, but hearing the Lindell SBC, I actually prefer that one! Maybe when the time comes for upgrades, I'll make the decision to switch. But for now, I'm used to the Waves compressor and it does the job well. I don't see myself ever going the UAD route.

[@audiotoolshed]

I wish UAD will offer the sparkx plugin as a seperate purchase option one day.

[@brunoflores9388]

@@audiotoolshed today is the day

[@FreakinOutOnAudio]

Things of note, that may or may not matter to anyone: 1. The hardware 2500 is an uneven and pumpy compressor, but all 3 plugins pump worse. The hardware is famous for it's sound/transformers, not how it compresses. Anything you run through the hardware gets magic sauce poured on it. It doesn't sound like anything else on earth. The plugins unfortunately cannot do that magic sauce. 2. The hardware and plugins are versatile, not just bus compressors, and work ok for things like kick drum for adding snap. 3. The plugins are clicky in many situations (including this video). The hardware slightly rounds off the clicks, but it can be made to click some as well. 4. The waves has no sound to it. It's an OK clean compressor, but there are better, less pumpy plugins.

[@flame2fame_music]

Lindell is one of my favourite plugin developers among the other, represented by Plugin - Alliance.

[@audiotoolshed]

Lindell makes nice stuff, pretty sweet 500 series hardware as well.

[@coldskoolbeatz]

They all sound great. I'd go with Lindell because I love the brand. I own Waves API stuff, but hate their business model so I no longer buy their plug-ins.

[@audiotoolshed]

Fair enough ;-)

[@fromcodex]

what is their business model if you don’t mind me asking?

[@LeGaLdeadparliament]

@@fromcodex waves update plan, which obliges you to constantly buy newer plugins or the update itself separately to renew its yearly possibility, bc they give you only a year of updates access. ofc, you can keep the older plugin versions.

[@audiotoolshed]

Its not obliged. I run v11 plugins still.

[@LeGaLdeadparliament]

​@@audiotoolshed they often work until you install the newest operating system and they stop being detected then. :( however, I am a big fan of these plugins too, they have a lot of good stuff, just like the PuigTec EQ, CLA Compressors, SSL, API or Reinassance series. big props to them for F6 EQ, too sad it has not so many bands - at least, transforming F6 into an epic F16 could be a thing. :D

[@josiahscottquinn]

Isn’t thrust a sidechain hpf though? Just confused why UAD was not listed as having one unless that’s different from an “external” sidechain

[@audiotoolshed]

You're right. Thrust is a sidechain filter with 3 different selectable curves.

[@JohnSk82]

Yes there is.I have all of them including Acustica Audio's one

[@RiffLair]

UAD looks and sounds sweet indeed! The Lindell sounds great too.! I wish UAD plugins weren't locked behind a hardware unit in order to use. Such a pity.

[@audiotoolshed]

It’s isn’t anymore. UAD spark subscriptions run natively without the need of uad2 hardware and it contains this api 2500 as well.

[@RiffLair]

Damn. I must have been living under a stone for a while. Thanks for letting me know.🤟

[@jrm_music7229]

The SSL G Bus Compressor locked behind Apollo hardware for UAD, but the API isnt locked

[@MrMissingReel]

How many comps do we really need?

[@audiotoolshed]

Always 1 more than the amount you own ^^

[@TheRealCalijokes01]

@@audiotoolshed lol that’s how I feel lol my new hobbies

[@chaddonal4331]

Additional Factors: 3 licenses from PA/Lindell (vs. 1 for Waves), and no additional hardware requirement (as for UAD).

[@audiotoolshed]

I always simply switch the license via cloud, no issue there usually. In regard UAD you're wrong: the reason i made this comparison is because many UAD plugins now run natively as well with uad spark.

[@chaddonal4331]

@@audiotoolshed I stand corrected.

[@buddhabinaural]

I think the UAD sounds squashed everytime. It doesn't sound as open as the Waves and the Waves doesn't sound as full as the Lindell.

[@audiotoolshed]

Doesnt that have to do with the difference in input gains? That will affect threshold settings.

[@MichaelJamesWood]

Nice comparison!

[@EckertAndras]

I don't hear any discernible difference. I think the cheapest version is also sufficient.

[@audiotoolshed]

I think you're pretyty much right in that observation. It will mostly come down to features.

[@krispybowgod9656]

Very similar. Waves is the most annoying company in the audio game with their business model and marketing so no thanks. UAD is always quality but wayyy over priced in 2022. Lindell and plugin alliance always are good value and don’t make you update their plugins every 6-12 months with stupid upgrade plans. Lindell for the win

[@audiotoolshed]

I dont know with all that update plan hate. I like to make a comparison with when you buy a car: who pays for the maintenance ? not the car company, its you. Also, waves doesnt force you to upgrade in anyway. If you have a working setup, there's no need to ever upgrade.

[@suarezlifestyle]

@@audiotoolshed Another thing to add here, waves plugins are usually SO SO LOW PRICED..... so you buy a WAVES plugin for like $29 and then you hate on the update plan? WTF is going on.... there are some good free plugins for your new hobbie...

[@audiotoolshed]

Yeah something like that.

[@tobiasjone]

Also, I know waves plugins will still work in 20 years

[@elduderino04]

@@audiotoolshed Plugins are not cars. It's nonsense to maintain them every year. "Waves doesn't force you to upgrade in any way." However, what if you upgrade your system, like macOS which often updates?

[@PharaohLawLess1]

I have the Waves API 2500, the Lindell API SBC and the Softube version of the API compressor and eq. I created a setting for the Softube version for a drum buss that is nice. But the Lindell version has a preset (Rap nuke) that is a beast

[@audiotoolshed]

the Lindell has that nuke option which the other two dont have. feels a lot like the 1176 all buttons in option.

[@PharaohLawLess1]

@@audiotoolshed Right

[@GloveBunniesVideos]

Great video. These kind of comparisons are tough because of the technology used to model these analog devices. I assume the Waves plugin is the oldest so I'm surprised how well it stood up to the others.

[@audiotoolshed]

absoltely not miles apart and you can wonder how close they will be if you add some eq and more.

[@PurpleMusicProductions]

Definitely liked the UAD and Lindell versions of this plugin far more based on these examples. Waves just sounded flat and dull.

[@Keroser1983]

Thank you very much man! Great video

[@audiotoolshed]

Thanks Kerem!

[@hundeaux]

Lindell pumping nicely

[@audiotoolshed]

It does here yeah :-)

[@tomiarti8878]

waves has most balanc

[@sgfdancecompany]

UAD have oversampling by default

[@BossNkeyXay]

Omg pls play the same part of tve song if you compare them..

[@audiotoolshed]

Yes omg, what an amateur!

[@BossNkeyXay]

@@audiotoolshed ❤️

[@audiotoolshed]

Hehe. You know, it's always difficult to find the balance between being educative and keeping the viewer watching. Ideally, a video will just have one long audio file with bypassing and some controls twiddling but that will also result in the death of a video unfortunately.

[@NoQualmsTheArtist]

@@audiotoolshedif you can't listen to the same loop for 5 mins then you shouldn't be a sound engineer 😂 The original comments was correct even if you have a varying loop, please change the plugin as the same part of the loop is playing not when the change happens, that's the best of both worlds, or the comparison is useless.