Universal Audio LUNA: Free to all Mac users

[RobBarnett]

https://www.gearnews.com/universal-audi ... mac-users/

[selig]

Happy to see this app grow, I'm becoming a full on "LUNA-tic"! It's been about a year now and I'm loving 90% of what LUNA offers, and the other 10% is stuff that's easy enough to get around.
Will be interesting to see where this latest twist takes LUNA.

[Chi-Individual]

Happy to see this app grow, I'm becoming a full on "LUNA-tic"! It's been about a year now and I'm loving 90% of what LUNA offers, and the other 10% is stuff that's easy enough to get around.
Will be interesting to see where this latest twist takes LUNA.

What do you love about it compared to Reason? And is it worth getting the lighter version or is all the magic in the pro version?

[selig]

Happy to see this app grow, I'm becoming a full on "LUNA-tic"! It's been about a year now and I'm loving 90% of what LUNA offers, and the other 10% is stuff that's easy enough to get around.
Will be interesting to see where this latest twist takes LUNA.

What do you love about it compared to Reason? And is it worth getting the lighter version or is all the magic in the pro version?

I don't know for sure about the different version, but I'll share here if I find anything important.

But I've always struggled with using Reason to finish songs, even though it is hands down my favorite way to start them. I CAN finish mixes in Reason, the SSL helps there a lot. But I can't use all of my mix training/experience and I miss what I consider basic features for MY work (not that others have the same needs). Things I like in LUNA: writing fader trim automation, multi-track editing, labeling inputs, pre/post roll, markers, proper (IMO) cross fades, better audio editing with smart tool, tab to clip/transient (for moving quickly through a file while editing), global tape settings, analog style summing, edit command for sliding audio within a clip (SUPER handy PT feature for many years), channel/track groups with flexible options, show/hide channels/tracks, SPILL mode (a way to hide all channels not directly feeding a bus, such as hitting SPILL on the drum bus shows only the channels feeding that bus, and the bus itself).

I see LUNA as the best way to record/mix audio, and Reason as the best way to get inspired and make music. And being able to run Reason as a plugin inside LUNA is a huge bonus, if just so I can use certain FX from the RE world in my LUNA mixes. Also, low latency mode in LUNA is fantastic for the tracking/overdubbing I do (mostly just me), which includes recording live drums/guitar/bass/percussion/Rhodes, and vocals (just not with me singing).

For others I would not suggest LUNA is in any way able to replace Reason. I've never been able to create songs in Pro Tools, the same way I can't write songs in a traditional recording studio. I prefer a side room lined with gear (Reason), and access to the main room when needed (LUNA). Interestingly, my first full time studio job had exactly this, so maybe I haven't evolved my process as much as I thought…

[nosoniclimits]

I don't know for sure about the different version, but I'll share here if I find anything important.

From UAD:

Is this the full version of LUNA? What do I get with it?
Yes! The LUNA license offers the full, unabridged LUNA Recording System experience – no functionalities are removed or changed.

The Pro Bundle has a bunch of Luna Extensions in it.

[integerpoet]

I imagine they hope this is a "gateway drug" for buying their plug-ins, which are reputedly great. But they are doing more than hope; they are placing a bet.

Meanwhile, there are many good plug-ins out there for free. Though most free ones are not anywhere near as plush as those from UAD and Izotope and Fabfilter and the like, my read is that they are good enough for most people.

If you buy that claim, then UAD must not be targeting most people. Who are they targeting? The comparatively small number of pros? Or do they have some other inobvious motive?

(Please don't cite open source DAWs as evidence that profit doesn't matter. To a profit-seeking company, it matters.)

[Steedus]

Gonna give it a try, thanks!

[robussc]

I was going to set my old 27” iMac up as a rehearsal studio recording job, just to capture sessions, so no need for a lot of oomph. This might be a neat option if I can hook it to an old USB audio interface? I can of course use Reason if not.

[QVprod]

I imagine they hope this is a "gateway drug" for buying their plug-ins, which are reputedly great. But they are doing more than hope; they are placing a bet.

Meanwhile, there are many good plug-ins out there for free. Though most free ones are not anywhere near as plush as those from UAD and Izotope and Fabfilter and the like, my read is that they are good enough for most people.

If you buy that claim, then UAD must not be targeting most people. Who are they targeting? The comparatively small number of pros? Or do they have some other inobvious motive?

(Please don't cite open source DAWs as evidence that profit doesn't matter. To a profit-seeking company, it matters.)

They have a subscription service. Their reputation is still large for being the one of the “best” in the industry.

Why not gateway that with a free DAW that’s actually good. Besides, Luna was always free. It’s just now free for everybody.

[integerpoet]

They have a subscription service. Their reputation is still large for being the one of the “best” in the industry.

Why not gateway that with a free DAW that’s actually good. Besides, Luna was always free. It’s just now free for everybody.

So you think the subscription for their premium whatever is actually more than the sum of the included plug-ins?

That was the impression I got from a quick read. I confess I did not examine it microscopically.

[robussc]

Having trouble with UA Connect and iLok, UA Connect is saying my browser has disabled cookies but the browser window was opened by UA Connect! Checked Safari settings and It's not blocking cookies, so...

I've submitted a tech support request.

[DaveyG]

It’s just now free for everybody.

Well, for everybody with a Mac.

[QVprod]

They have a subscription service. Their reputation is still large for being the one of the “best” in the industry.

Why not gateway that with a free DAW that’s actually good. Besides, Luna was always free. It’s just now free for everybody.

So you think the subscription for their premium whatever is actually more than the sum of the included plug-ins?

That was the impression I got from a quick read. I confess I did not examine it microscopically.

I’m simply talking about the business move. But as with any subscription, if you’re someone who wants all of the UAD plugins (it’ll all be included at some point) then it’s a good deal.

[QVprod]

It’s just now free for everybody.

Well, for everybody with a Mac.

Yeah well… there’s that. I forget about windows users.

[DaveyG]

Well, for everybody with a Mac.

Yeah well… there’s that. I forget about windows users.

Yeah, Giles has been bigging up LUNA for a while now and I mostly ignored it because I don't have any UA hardware but I must confess I got excited by the first part of the title of this thread...

[robussc]

Not particularly promising when you can't even get the UA Connect app to talk to iLok. Giving up on that until I get a response from support.

[QVprod]

Not particularly promising when you can't even get the UA Connect app to talk to iLok. Giving up on that until I get a response from support.

Could be a lot of the new signup. Had zero issues in the past when I bought my Apollo.

[integerpoet]

So you think the subscription for their premium whatever is actually more than the sum of the included plug-ins?

That was the impression I got from a quick read. I confess I did not examine it microscopically.

I’m simply talking about the business move. But as with any subscription, if you’re someone who wants all of the UAD plugins (it’ll all be included at some point) then it’s a good deal.

Yeah; I too am talking about the business move.

Of course, it costs no small amount of money to develop a DAW.

And it seems to me that before LUNA the people in the market for UAD plug-ins already had a DAW.

And on top of that there is no shortage of DAWs already in the market, several with a great deal of momentum.

So it's not immediately obvious to me how they expect this to pay off for them.

Like I said, I can wave my hands in the general direction of the existence of the DAW somehow leading to plug-in sales.

But, for me, "somehow" doesn't connect enough dots.

I'm not saying this is a bad idea on their part. I'm just curious about the nuts and bolts of how they determined it would be a good idea.

I don't expect anybody here is an insider, and if there were someone I'd never expect them to tip their hand.

But maybe I'm missing something that's obvious to everybody else.

[robussc]

Not particularly promising when you can't even get the UA Connect app to talk to iLok. Giving up on that until I get a response from support.

Could be a lot of the new signup. Had zero issues in the past when I bought my Apollo.

I really think it's some local issue:

Monosnap UA Connect 2023-11-14 17-51-07.png (274 KiB) Viewed 401198 times

Cookies are enabled for both Safari and Chrome and this is just an in-app browser window for web authentication?

I did allow UA Connect to have "Full Disk Access" (MacOS has so many little switches now...) that I thought would help, but nope.

Looks like I'm not the only one

[robussc]

UA are having a laugh, just got this email:

Your free DAW is waiting.

We noticed you didn't complete your download of LUNA.

We even upgraded you to LUNA pro for 30 days – FREE! Which includes access to API Console, 16 essential UAD plug-ins, and more.

Open the UA Connect app and follow the onscreen instructions to start using your new DAW today.

If only it was that easy!

[DaveyG]

I had a problem with UA Connect when I tried to install the freebie LA-2A compressor. It was complaining about Pace or something. I didn't solve it - I didn't really need the compressor anyway.

[deigm]

I had a problem with UA Connect when I tried to install the freebie LA-2A compressor. It was complaining about Pace or something. I didn't solve it - I didn't really need the compressor anyway.

That was my experience also.

After installing Pace, iLok and UA Connect, all for a free VST, when it didn't work right away that was enough of an excuse to go ahead and immediately uninstall all of that nonsense again.

[wendylou]

I had a problem with UA Connect when I tried to install the freebie LA-2A compressor. It was complaining about Pace or something. I didn't solve it - I didn't really need the compressor anyway.

That was my experience also.

After installing Pace, iLok and UA Connect, all for a free VST, when it didn't work right away that was enough of an excuse to go ahead and immediately uninstall all of that nonsense again.

My experience, as well, for the LA-2A. l also could not get Luna to install & work, so I uninstalled the LA-2A and deleted Luna. I'm on Mac Studio M2 Ultra running Ventura.

[selig]

Having trouble with UA Connect and iLok, UA Connect is saying my browser has disabled cookies but the browser window was opened by UA Connect! Checked Safari settings and It's not blocking cookies, so...

I've submitted a tech support request.

First thing I always do in those cases, ditch safari and try it in Chrome. That’s basically all I use Chrome for, but it get’s steady use…I’d start there while waiting on support.

[robussc]

First thing I always do in those cases, ditch safari and try it in Chrome. That’s basically all I use Chrome for, but it get’s steady use…I’d start there while waiting on support.

Chrome is my default browser, but as this is an embedded web view i’m not sure which engine was picked or how to change it? There’s some other options in that reddit thread I posted that I’ll give a whirl with.

Thanks.