Hey all,
I’ve just about had it with UAD. I’m tired of being tied to my Apollo Twin MK2 just to use the plugins I already bought. And now, with UADx, they want me to buy them all again just to use them natively. It’s frustrating and starting to feel like a money pit.
Here’s a list of the UAD plugins I currently own. I’m looking to move away from the UAD ecosystem and would love to know what Waves alternatives you’d recommend for these. Any input would be massively appreciated:
- UAD Ampeg SVTVR Classic
- UAD Antares Auto-Tune Realtime
- UAD Auto-Tune Realtime Advanced
- UAD Century Tube Channel Strip
- UAD Oxide Tape
- UAD Precision Channel Strip
- UAD Precision Delay Mod L
- UAD Precision Delay Mod
- UAD Pultec EQP-1A Legacy
- UAD Pultec-Pro Legacy
- UAD Teletronix LA-2A Legacy
- UAD UA 610-A
- UAD UA 610-B
- UAD UA 1176LN Legacy
- UAD UA 1176SE Legacy
I’m not looking for perfection…just solid Waves alternatives that get me in the ballpark without needing to be chained to a piece of hardware.
Thanks in advance!
Hey@SoundDept,
Welcome to the Waves Forum.
Here is a Free Plugin Pack from Waves to get you started.
Looking at that list, would definitely suggest the CLA 2A and CLA 76 plugins for you, and the Puigtec EQs.
Wave Tune Realtime is great (even for in the DAW - set up a MIDI track to tune specific notes), and I love Kramer Tape (though the J37 tape is more flexible, particularly if you want the delay/echo on a send).
Supertap is by far the best delay plugin if you want precision. I don’t especially love any of the others (though Space Rider is a lot of fun when I don’t have Valhalla Supermassive handy).
Oh, and if you’re not going for a subscription, then wait for sales 
Never buy Waves plugins at full price.
Waves has no direct SVT amp emulation, but you can check out the Voltage plugin. You should be able to achieve a tonal range that is very close.
If you want closer try the Plugin Alliance SVT amp range, it’s actually the same as the UAD plugin offering as they were the developers that designed it. Ampeg themselves also have their own plugin offering to. Never tried it personally though.
Waves has two tape emulations, the Abbey Road J37 and the Kramer Master Tape. They are unlikely to sound the same as Oxide, but they will give you the classic tape flavour.