VST plugins vs outboard gear

I have loads of old real synths, and during the last studio rejig, most are now unattached permanently, and can be patched in on a need basis. I've built up a collection of plug ins for duplicating the older ones - Rolands and Orgs, and My Korg Poly 6 got sold on ebay, and the plug in is actually cleaner - and as far as I can tell, identical! Same with the Wavestation - the plugin is much easier to use really. Only a few of the older ones are a bit clunky. For me, pretty well everything is in the machine now!
 
Thanks for the replies. It's as I thought. It seems it would be simpler/practical and more bang for the buck now to invest in UAD plugin bundle and the required accelerator card. I don't know if I'd need any more hardware devices than that to get set up with UA plugins. I see they have interfaces to go along with their stuff. Is that needed to operate their plugins since I already have a Fireface 800? (for those who know)


For UAD, you can use either the dsp card or the interface or both. There are two advantages the interface has over the dsp card. First, the interface can run the plugs in realtime, essentially as outboard gear emulation and second, UAD has a series of plugs that use their 'Unison' technology where the plug can actually control gain and impedance of the mic pre on the interface.

The one disadvantage with the interface is the limited bandwidth of the connection. Firewire does pretty good, but it's plausible to max it out with a song-load of plugs. This is where the interface and dsp card working together really shine.
 
The advantage of the option of running plugs realtime would be cool, and I considered swapping my Fireface 800 for an Apollo, but after doing some research I think I'll hang on to the FF and go with a AUD DSP card. It's a trade off.
 
you can do both.
i flipflop, ITB is great and yet theres some magic vibe to having a tube somewhere glowing...or a transformer.
:listeningmusic:
 
It's a good trade-off, too. I have one UAD-2 Duo card and it has enough processing power to handle the loads I give it without the interface. Disclaimer: Reverb is always a resource hog and I only ever use one instance of their EMT-140 plug. YMMV if you use multiple reverb plugs.
 
realtime is cool. Line 6 UX does it but for some reason they never went high end with it?

the Apollo would be my next interface if I needed one, Apollo DUO Twin whatever "realtime" for Tracking. some pro producer was on a forum syaing he has one and its great, and he uses hiend stuff all the time (he siad it on a forum so it must be true. :)
 
No, you just go through am mixer with outs to outboard equip and then to the computer, once conversion only, dont' know where you got the idea that it has to go back out of the computer and back in again.
 
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