The UAD plug ins engage the Apollo interface rack (and console) and based on the precision of voltage and circuitry measuring of name brands like Fairchild, Manely, Solid State Logic and even Ampex vintage tape machines, the circuitry is able to replicate the sound of the very transistors and capacitors that give these units their character analogue sounds.
I was most impressed by the UAD Ampeg tape machine plug in. Not only can you select the IPS or inches per second to get a more signature tape saturated sound, you can also choose the brand of tape. These choices are great, but what really impresses me is the sonic accuracy of this plug in. Ampex and Studer tape machines are notoriously difficult to repair and maintain and of course tape is very expensive. I have tried out many plug ins that attempt to emulate the tape sound by branding the plug in as a "vintage warmer" but nothing comes close to touching this plug in, it literally sounds like you went through the strenuous trouble of doing a tape pass through. You could buy this plug in 5 times over for what it would cost to get a studio engineer to bounce an 4 track EP on tape and back into the mix for that tape sound.
I use this pulg in on every band I produce and every beat I make as "glue" that holds everything together giving it that mastered sound quality that we are so used to hearing on our favourite records, most of which used the actually Ampex machine, the most popular mastering tool in the history of music.
Best of all, Ampex actually endorses this plug in claiming that Universal Audio nailed it.. and yes, no more fighting with spools of expensive tape or taking apart the multiple thousands of pieces for a repair. All you gotta do is get the Apollo and start plugging away! The plug in itself is about $200.00.
