Universal Audio UAD-2 Satellite TB3 Octo

Universal Audio's popular plugins cannot be used on their own, as the licensing requirements call for either a UA audio interface or another UAD DSP system. One option for providing the necessary processing is the UAD-2 Satellite Thunderbolt 3, with the Octo version equipped with eight SHARC processors to take some of the processing burden away from the host computer when running UAD plugins. This can be particularly useful during large-scale mixing sessions, where Universal Audio's hardware emulations can demand considerable processing power despite their authentic sound. The Satellite can also be used alongside other Universal Audio systems, such as a UA audio interface, making it possible to extend the available DSP processing capacity even further.

With eight SHARC processors on board, the Universal Audio UAD-2 Satellite provides enough DSP capacity to run numerous UAD plugins during recording and mixing, taking on much of the processing work and thereby reducing the load placed on the computer's processor. It is compatible with both Mac and Windows systems equipped with a Thunderbolt 3 or Thunderbolt 2 port, while the operating system must be 64-bit, with support starting from macOS 10.12 and Windows 10. A computer with at least a quad-core processor featuring Hyper-Threading is also required, along with a minimum of 6GB of available hard-disk space. Two Thunderbolt ports are provided, one for connecting the Satellite to the computer and the other for linking additional Universal Audio systems, while power is supplied via the included power cable.

For anyone who appreciates the character of well-known analogue hardware while also valuing the flexibility of working entirely "in the box", the Universal Audio UAD-2 Satellite Thunderbolt 3 offers a practical way to combine both approaches during recording and mixing. Rather than relying on a large collection of costly analogue equipment, users can access much of that character through UAD plugins, with some included as standard and additional options available separately from Universal Audio. The Satellite's additional DSP capacity can be particularly useful for laptop users, who can quickly find their computer's internal processors reaching their limits when working on larger sessions with numerous plugins. With the processing handled by the Satellite, even systems with 8GB of RAM or less can be capable of running demanding mixing sessions, making it a useful addition whether the aim is to explore the UAD plugin range or simply extend an existing Universal Audio setup.