UAD Marshal 1959 Plexi VS. FRACTAL Marshal 1959 Plexi model

jiggajewjay

jiggajewjay

Inspired
Hey I just got an e-mail from Universal Audio about the latest update for the UAD plugins. i am going to try out the UAD version against the Fractal model and see how it stacks up. The online demos sound really phat! I will try and post a clip of the 2. If anyone else has tried it out and can chime in I would love to hear your thoughts. Thank you!
 
I tried the Friedman model. The sound was really great, very close to the Axe's on my "good/bad" scale. The feel, however, was pretty far off (I have taken a test drive or two on the real deal), way more stiff... like a SS amp that cleans up very well.

I think this would be a really interesting A/B demo to make while playing both back-to-back, but probably not going to give away much for a listener. I can't help but think of that KPA demo where Rob Chapman is being switched between the real amp and a profile without being told which he's using at the time, and he guesses right every time, but as a listener they're close enough to be a toss up.
 
I, too, have an Apollo Quad, will happily demo. I have purchased some channel strips for the Quad, and for me the Fractal balanced out into a Neve or SSL console strip is just pure sex.
 
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I work for a company that sells Universal Audio products so i get ALL of their UAD plugins for FREE!! so all i have to do is update my UAD plugins and i get all their latest plugs... its awesome! so i will def be downloading this giving it the once over to see if i like. Apparently they worked with Marshall to create this plugin.
 
jiggajewjay said:
I work for a company that sells Universal Audio products so i get ALL of their UAD plugins for FREE!! so all i have to do is update my UAD plugins and i get all their latest plugs... its awesome! so i will def be downloading this giving it the once over to see if i like. Apparently they worked with Marshall to create this plugin.
Click to expand...

Hook a brutha up? =)
 
Ok Everyone, this talk of UAD triggers something in me, feel free to ignore the following text, I just have some old fan boy steam I need to let out.

...I find it sad that UAD took this market. I'm sure their products are good, that's not the thing that bothers me. It's just that they do not have Scope...

I've looked into the UAD stuff at several times over the years, at least on the surface I still prefer the DSP platform of Sonic Core, previously Creamware. They were light years ahead of everyone else, and from the looks of it UAD still haven't caught up with what Creamware had already back in 1997 when it comes to virtual wiring, flexibility, community of enthusiast DSP programmers etc. On the surface it seems UAD copied their entire concept from Creamware and managed to scale in a way that Creamware could not. Today I'd be suprised if anyone has even heard of Creamware / Sonic Core, yet I still haven't seen anything as elegant as their Scope platform and its been soo many years since Scope and the first Creamware DSP cards came out.

When I bought the Axe FX II I had a hard time choosing between it or Sonic Cores latest (last?) DSP powerhouse, I only had the funds for one of them, but since I play guitar and do not have a recording studio or play synthesizers I chose the right product, no question about it. I still have GAS for the latest Sonic Core DSP hardware, if I could ever afford it, but the Scope platform seems to have become a fringe thing for special purpose weirdo users (like Hans Zimmer... if he's still using it) while UAD is everywhere... funny how one can get so emotional over market forces doing their thing etc. I guess it's because I really loved my old PCI Creamware DSP board and the magic it could do for its time. I think the downfall of Creamware had to do with Mac vs PC and that Creamware was so PC oriented, while the pro audio sector was mostly Macs.

Now if Fractal would have made a modeler for the Scope platform I would have bought the combination at whatever price they would ask for it. World class guitar sounds, world class synthesizers, world class mixing and effects and studio hardware emulation, for live use or studio, all in one / or several boxes of high end hardware with sonic possibilities restricted only by the imagination. Low on DSP power? Just add another unit and you're done, seamless integration of extra processing power.

Ultimately the way Fractal does the whole thing on their own hardware is the best route for what they do, IMO, and I'm happy about settling for the Axe. It is super elegant in its design too, although it isn't quite the same category of gear. :)

Sorry, I've had this rant in me for so many years but never had a setting where I could unleash it with the slightest chance of not only generating blank stares. heee..hee. he.. ..
 
Zacflame said:
Is that 199.00 for the one amp?
Click to expand...

Yeah the list price on each plugin is high.

When you buy into the hardware you can usually get a bundle of plugins for cheaper.

Once a customer, they give you coupons along the way. I've gotten over 800USD in coupons over the years.

I've been a UAD customer for a long time. I really like their plugins.

Their first guitar amp plugs were not up to the Fractal level though.

Their Echoplex, Roland Dimension D, and various reverbs are stellar.

A long time ago they had a guitar amp plug called Nigel that was really pretty killer. It wasn't a modeler per se. Just a generic amp simulator. I used it a lot but they deprecated it when they changed their hardware platform. Loved that plug!
 
Hi Guys,

I have the UAD plugin in a 14 day demo. I made a little recording of the UAD-Plexi and the Axe Fx 1959SLP Treble. It's no scientific comparison, since the IRs are different.

Both sound great IMO. The UAD has some nastiness in the Highs, almost as if the amp was on the brink of dying. Pretty nice. I couldn't get that out of the Axe Fx. Not bashing or anything, just pointing it out. If that comes from the IRs, I can't say.

Just a bedroom player. Couldn't play exactly the same thing but you get the Idea.

Here is the audio:

UADPlexi:
https://soundcloud.com/lebigmack/uadplexi

Fractal 1959SLP Treble:
https://soundcloud.com/lebigmack/plexifractal

Those nasty highs reminded me of the Brit800 a little bit (screwed up at the end riff):
https://soundcloud.com/lebigmack/800fractal

Have a nice day!
 
LeBigMac said:
Hi Guys,

I have the UAD plugin in a 14 day demo. I made a little recording of the UAD-Plexi and the Axe Fx 1959SLP Treble. It's no scientific comparison, since the IRs are different.

Both sound great IMO. The UAD has some nastiness in the Highs, almost as if the amp was on the brink of dying. Pretty nice. I couldn't get that out of the Axe Fx. Not bashing or anything, just pointing it out. If that comes from the IRs, I can't say.

Just a bedroom player. Couldn't play exactly the same thing but you get the Idea.

Here is the audio:

UADPlexi:
https://soundcloud.com/lebigmack/uadplexi

Fractal 1959SLP Treble:
https://soundcloud.com/lebigmack/plexifractal

Those nasty highs reminded me of the Brit800 a little bit (screwed up at the end riff):
https://soundcloud.com/lebigmack/800fractal

Have a nice day!
Click to expand...

Difficult to tell with different IRs... Anyway it is clear that the models itself sound (respond) differently. Seems like I prefer the axe model, but also prefer the uad clip (the IR is way better).
 
i demo the uad 1959 it for the 2nd day now, and just fiddled around with it for a couple of hours.. yesterday the first day demoing of the uad marshall was kinda dissapointing for me , today i got better tones out if it as i got better used to the sim, the integraded IR mixer matrix is a great thing, but doenst fit to my tonal likings, if you like what they put together for their signature sounds, its sure a great thing, but it doesnt fit my taste very well.

but i have to say the uad 1959 plexi got some nice and dirty character that has its charm, but for now i just make some fun and have disabled the plugin internal ir mixer matrix, sent the preamp signal of the UAD 1959 plexi out to my axe fxii and run some nice URs (Fractal Pack, TAf,) with it and that sounds much more to my liking, but i´m still not conviced to it, hence the complicated signal routing i wouldnt want use in a daily routine.

i really love UAD Plugins and i own quite a lot, and think most of there analog hardware emulation plugins (stuff like compressors (LA2A, Fairchild, 1176er, EQs like Pulteq, Masisve Passive...) are superior and count to the best on the market, but none the amp modelling stuff plugins has ever felt great to me (neither engl, chandler, friedman) because when you already have the axe fx II, it just sounds and feels simply better, at least for me.

axe fx guys.. you dont need to have the feeling to miss something here, you have the most awesome and best sounding & quality amp modelling box on this f...ing planet already and more options than you ever can use , thanks cliff for making the axe fx all the time ahead of everything
 
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mrMagenta said:
Ok Everyone, this talk of UAD triggers something in me, feel free to ignore the following text, I just have some old fan boy steam I need to let out.

...I find it sad that UAD took this market. I'm sure their products are good, that's not the thing that bothers me. It's just that they do not have Scope...

I've looked into the UAD stuff at several times over the years, at least on the surface I still prefer the DSP platform of Sonic Core, previously Creamware. They were light years ahead of everyone else, and from the looks of it UAD still haven't caught up with what Creamware had already back in 1997 when it comes to virtual wiring, flexibility, community of enthusiast DSP programmers etc. On the surface it seems UAD copied their entire concept from Creamware and managed to scale in a way that Creamware could not. Today I'd be suprised if anyone has even heard of Creamware / Sonic Core, yet I still haven't seen anything as elegant as their Scope platform and its been soo many years since Scope and the first Creamware DSP cards came out.

When I bought the Axe FX II I had a hard time choosing between it or Sonic Cores latest (last?) DSP powerhouse, I only had the funds for one of them, but since I play guitar and do not have a recording studio or play synthesizers I chose the right product, no question about it. I still have GAS for the latest Sonic Core DSP hardware, if I could ever afford it, but the Scope platform seems to have become a fringe thing for special purpose weirdo users (like Hans Zimmer... if he's still using it) while UAD is everywhere... funny how one can get so emotional over market forces doing their thing etc. I guess it's because I really loved my old PCI Creamware DSP board and the magic it could do for its time. I think the downfall of Creamware had to do with Mac vs PC and that Creamware was so PC oriented, while the pro audio sector was mostly Macs.

Now if Fractal would have made a modeler for the Scope platform I would have bought the combination at whatever price they would ask for it. World class guitar sounds, world class synthesizers, world class mixing and effects and studio hardware emulation, for live use or studio, all in one / or several boxes of high end hardware with sonic possibilities restricted only by the imagination. Low on DSP power? Just add another unit and you're done, seamless integration of extra processing power.

Ultimately the way Fractal does the whole thing on their own hardware is the best route for what they do, IMO, and I'm happy about settling for the Axe. It is super elegant in its design too, although it isn't quite the same category of gear. :)

Sorry, I've had this rant in me for so many years but never had a setting where I could unleash it with the slightest chance of not only generating blank stares. heee..hee. he.. ..
Click to expand...

+1

Sonic Core XITE-1 w/ Axe FX II would be the bees' knees (portability of code throughout the family of ADI SHARCs lessens the heavy lifting towards that end). Funny thing, the developers for the Scope plugs were brought over to design for UAD... That should say something about how good Scope was 10yrs. ago - UAD is still playing catch-up. ;)
 
mrMagenta said:
Ok Everyone, this talk of UAD triggers something in me, feel free to ignore the following text, I just have some old fan boy steam I need to let out.

...I find it sad that UAD took this market. I'm sure their products are good, that's not the thing that bothers me. It's just that they do not have Scope...

I've looked into the UAD stuff at several times over the years, at least on the surface I still prefer the DSP platform of Sonic Core, previously Creamware. They were light years ahead of everyone else, and from the looks of it UAD still haven't caught up with what Creamware had already back in 1997 when it comes to virtual wiring, flexibility, community of enthusiast DSP programmers etc. On the surface it seems UAD copied their entire concept from Creamware and managed to scale in a way that Creamware could not. Today I'd be suprised if anyone has even heard of Creamware / Sonic Core, yet I still haven't seen anything as elegant as their Scope platform and its been soo many years since Scope and the first Creamware DSP cards came out.

When I bought the Axe FX II I had a hard time choosing between it or Sonic Cores latest (last?) DSP powerhouse, I only had the funds for one of them, but since I play guitar and do not have a recording studio or play synthesizers I chose the right product, no question about it. I still have GAS for the latest Sonic Core DSP hardware, if I could ever afford it, but the Scope platform seems to have become a fringe thing for special purpose weirdo users (like Hans Zimmer... if he's still using it) while UAD is everywhere... funny how one can get so emotional over market forces doing their thing etc. I guess it's because I really loved my old PCI Creamware DSP board and the magic it could do for its time. I think the downfall of Creamware had to do with Mac vs PC and that Creamware was so PC oriented, while the pro audio sector was mostly Macs.

Now if Fractal would have made a modeler for the Scope platform I would have bought the combination at whatever price they would ask for it. World class guitar sounds, world class synthesizers, world class mixing and effects and studio hardware emulation, for live use or studio, all in one / or several boxes of high end hardware with sonic possibilities restricted only by the imagination. Low on DSP power? Just add another unit and you're done, seamless integration of extra processing power.

Ultimately the way Fractal does the whole thing on their own hardware is the best route for what they do, IMO, and I'm happy about settling for the Axe. It is super elegant in its design too, although it isn't quite the same category of gear. :)

Sorry, I've had this rant in me for so many years but never had a setting where I could unleash it with the slightest chance of not only generating blank stares. heee..hee. he.. ..
Click to expand...

I use the Scope Fusion Platform with 16 dsp pci cards (two pulsar 2 and one pulsar 1) since 2001 and it's wondeful.
I have also the Softube Dynatube plugins bundle (aka Vintage Amp Room) and it sounds great.
 
LeBigMac said:
Hi Guys,

I have the UAD plugin in a 14 day demo. I made a little recording of the UAD-Plexi and the Axe Fx 1959SLP Treble. It's no scientific comparison, since the IRs are different.

Both sound great IMO. The UAD has some nastiness in the Highs, almost as if the amp was on the brink of dying. Pretty nice. I couldn't get that out of the Axe Fx. Not bashing or anything, just pointing it out. If that comes from the IRs, I can't say.

Just a bedroom player. Couldn't play exactly the same thing but you get the Idea.

Here is the audio:

UADPlexi:
https://soundcloud.com/lebigmack/uadplexi

Fractal 1959SLP Treble:
https://soundcloud.com/lebigmack/plexifractal

Those nasty highs reminded me of the Brit800 a little bit (screwed up at the end riff):
https://soundcloud.com/lebigmack/800fractal

Have a nice day!
Click to expand...

Thanks for taking the time, I like the sound of the uad plexi even if it's not apples to apples. Obviously can't comment on feel. Would be awesome if Fractal would get some "from the vault amps". That, I would pay for!
 
LeBigMac said:
Hi Guys,

I have the UAD plugin in a 14 day demo. I made a little recording of the UAD-Plexi and the Axe Fx 1959SLP Treble. It's no scientific comparison, since the IRs are different.

Both sound great IMO. The UAD has some nastiness in the Highs, almost as if the amp was on the brink of dying. Pretty nice. I couldn't get that out of the Axe Fx. Not bashing or anything, just pointing it out. If that comes from the IRs, I can't say.

Just a bedroom player. Couldn't play exactly the same thing but you get the Idea.

Here is the audio:

UADPlexi:
https://soundcloud.com/lebigmack/uadplexi

Fractal 1959SLP Treble:
https://soundcloud.com/lebigmack/plexifractal

Those nasty highs reminded me of the Brit800 a little bit (screwed up at the end riff):
https://soundcloud.com/lebigmack/800fractal

Have a nice day!
Click to expand...
The Uad Softube Plexi sounds very similar at the Plexi of the Vintage Amp Room that has a nasty compression
when cranked at maximum (or with high level of presence and treble).
 
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