Universal Audio, manufacturer of high-quality vintage audio hardware and DSP software plug-ins for digital audio workstations, has announced the new UA Precision Limiter plug-in for its UAD-1 DSP Card.
“We spent considerable time researching both the audio processing characteristics and metering/ballistics of the world’s best mastering limiters to ensure our own UA Precision Limiter was perfectly-tuned for maximum transparency and sonic integrity,” said Joe Bryan, VP of Engineering for Universal Audio.
“The UA Precision Limiter with its new, proprietary UA algorithm, leverages the floating-point, vector processing power of the UAD-1 DSP to allow up to 10 stereo instances at 44.1k, and of course, like all our other UAD-1 plug-ins, it performs its magic all the way up to 192k sample rates and is compatible with VST, AU, DX or MAS based software applications.”
Universal Audio's Precision Limiter allows mastering engineers to deliver the maximum hot levels demanded for many commercial CD releases, without introducing undesirable artifacts
The UA Precision Limiter is a single-band, look-ahead, brick wall limiter. It achieves 100% attack within a 1.5ms look-ahead window, which prevents clipping and guarantees zero overshoot performance. Both the attack and release curves are optimized for mastering.
The Precision Limiter also features comprehensive, high-resolution metering and conforms to Bob Katz’s “K-system” metering specs. This metering allows the user to see what is happening to audio with a great deal of accuracy, with simultaneous RMS and Peak metering and adjustable Peak Hold; the plug-in can also be bypassed and used strictly as a high-resolution meter.
Other features include options for a user-adjustable Release or intelligent Auto Release, which allows for fast recovery–minimizing distortion and pumping. The unique Contour Mode switch offers two different methods to tailor the attack shape and can affect overall “presentation” or perception of how “up front” a track feels. Switching the Contour Mode can be useful on minimal and/or acoustic program material, yielding a more subtle touch.
“Don’t let the $199 price tag fool you,” said Mike Barnes, UA’s Director of Marketing.
“The Precision Limiter is truly pro quality and will get you the maximum “hot” levels you find on commercial CD releases today but with absolutely minimum artifacts. Make no mistake, we are expanding UA’s legacy of no-compromise sonic quality into the area of mastering tools. We are confident that the UA Precision Limiter will stand proudly against any Limiter, hardware or software costing hundreds or thousands more.”
The UA Precision Limiter is designed as a colorless, transparent mastering limiter and therefore no up-sampling is used, nor does the UA Precision Limiter pass audio through any filters. Audio remains pristine and untouched unless the compressor is working, in which case, only gain is affected.
The Precision Limiter plug-in is available immediately at the Universal Audio Web site, along with the new v3.6 software for the UAD-1 card. Registered UAD-1 customers (at my.uaudio.com) can purchase a fully-authorized version of the Precision Limiter for $199 (US). A fully-functional 14-day demo version is available as part of the free v3.6 software upgrade.
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