API 2500 Hardware Vs UAD API Plug-in

API 2500 Hardware Vs UAD API 2500 Plug-in

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Studio gear:

1. iMac (Retina 5K, 27-inch, Late 2015) 3.3 GHz Intel Core i5 24 GB 1867 MHz DDR3 AMD Radeon R9 M395 2048 MB
2. DAW: Studio One 4, Logic Pro X, Machine 2
3. JBL LSR 305 Studio Monitors & Yamaha HS8S Sub
4. Audio Interface: Antelope Audio Zentour & UAD Apollo
5. DAW: Studio one 3, Maschine 2, Logic x 10.3
6. Software: Native Instruments Komplete 9, Tone 2 electra 2
7. Console 1 MK2
8. Sonarworks Reference 4
9. Screen Video Capture: Screen flow 6.2

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[rcoze_rj]

I'll have to swim against the tide here, but on a blind test (without looking at the video) I consistently liked the plug-in more. They definitely sound _very_ different, but I liked the tone of the plugin more.

[rockostiffredi]

Really great sound from the API hardware. All plugins, no matter how good, just seem to put a lid on the sound, rather let it naturally breathe with more headroom. It's not just the sound, it's the extra space around the sound.

[Diegel]

Hardware makes the sound more real. UAD sounds like it shaves off transients, high end and overall detail and sounds slightly muffled by comparison. Hardware sounds more open all around. This is my general finding when comparing almost any hardware to it's software counterpart. One thing I think would help is using a higher sample rate. Not all uad plugins work at higher sample rates but I think the higher the sample rate used the more it retains the realism/open sound of the hardware.

[gpreva]

Slightly more snap on the snare with the hardware unit. Consumer speakers and headphones are overhyped anyway so it won't matter much to most listeners

[TheMrFinalizer]

Really love hw. But differences are so subtle. Not sure if I want to put 3K for having only so subtle differences. Even for mastering, not sure.

[mirkomarkovic]

No contest, hardware all the way. Uad sounds like pudding, has no punch and makes everything more 2D.

[dirkchurlish]

i love the sound of the api-2500. i really love it. i just don't seem to need it. it's almost frustrating lol

[electedmusic]

I would like to know your opinion, are they similar? Is there an appreciable difference? Or the plugin is achieved?thanks

[iambridge]

They really sound similar. UA did a really good job at emulating this plug-in. The difference is negligible.

[arnoldvigh]

To be honest, I didn't hear too much difference if there is any... 😉✌️🏻

[harwinderchahil]

You did the test all wrong. You cannot push the same volume of input signal into the plugin as you are into the hardware. What you should have done was use the trim plugin at about -4 dB into the plugin and then push the fader up in pro tools and gain match it to the hardware. Then and only then the plugin would of been closer to the hardware. U simply pushed too much signal into plugin and didn’t find the sweet spot. Hears a trick throw a vu meter in your plugin chain and let the signal hit 0 with the help of trim plugin.

[liquidsoul]

Big difference between two units to me. HW sounds darker in high frequency and brighter in higher frequency making overall high frenqyency sound sweet. And HW sounds punchier and can handle lower frequency without cracking the sound. Plugin makes upper frequency brighter and this can mke sound distracting and dampens the transients more and cant handle punchy lower frequency as good as HW. It breaks punchy kick drum sound.

[bobyatron]

I'm here because i just bought the UAD API and I'm just soaking up some more info about the hardware itself, but I had to say, that beat with the e-piano is really cool. Dope little swung, minimalist boom bap vibe.

[johnisrael]

I hate to rain on your "hardware API moment but....the hardware unit by itself is not more useful in a DAW as the UAD Plugin....
the big problem is Sonic Bleeding from that Analog Unit...you almost need a 5500 to go with it to cut the low mid coming from the Harware Unit after the signal hits the 2500 so it will sound more open and musical
The Plugin solves that problem
Thus, the UAD API 2500 is going to "Sound" More Open, Cleaner and Transparent with the same Algorythms as the 2500 Hardware which makes it more useful for mixing and mastering in the DAW
you dont want each track flooded with "Harmonic Distortion" now...if you use the Plugin on every track and then run the "Whole Mix the physical
API 2500
AND A 5500 afterwards than back into your console then in the interface back into the DAW then you would get a puchy, clean and open sounding mix with just the right of amound of analog harmonic distortion

I used a analog Rack, SoundCraft LX7II (Which sounds Stellar!!) and my UAD 476 Volt....but....I mix with Nebula, Acustica Audio and UAD first...so Im not overloading the mix with a ridiculous amount of white noise and analog harmonic distortion

Not hatin on ya....just explaining why in this instance
I actually prefered the UAD API 2500 over the HARDWARE UNIT...if you would have had a 5500 with it
To take out some 400k and mabye boost the 8k the unit may have won....

[haramaschabrasir]

2:39 damn what's that instrumentals name? Is it on your channel?

[osomdovictor]

Yeah...as always hardwaere beats plug ins one more time

[pratimaverma]

Unfair that you didn't provide wav files, one raw and other processed ones

[johnisrael]

UAD Smoked the hardware as far as sounding tigtht, balanced and giving your some API 2500 flavor...it all comes down to how the "Mix Sounds " to the average listener they really dont care what you have or dont hatin just sayin....

[ndujamz]

Great stuff. Shout out from South Africa. I can hear the difference. There's mo character with a plugin applied

[JSFmusic]

Hello Nathan, good to see you on the next level! Congrats man! ✌️All the best to a bright future...