The Channel: UA Takes Product Demos to AudioMIDI
By Sierra Dunton

In late July, UA made a visit to the headquarters of audioMIDI to show off some of the newest UA products released this year. This audioMIDI hosted demonstration was presented by UA sales team members Tom Freeman and Erica McDaniel, both seasoned representatives of UA at home and on the road. The demo featured our new Solo mic pres, the LA-610 and a more recent release, the UAD-1e card. Tom also demonstrated the Neve 1073 and Roland RE-201 Space Echo plug-ins, which have been causing a buzz among satisfied UAD-1 users since their respective releases.

Tom Freeman demonstrating our new plug-ins at audioMIDI

Tom gave me a run-down on what he shared with audioMIDI's customers and some of the reasons why:

"I demonstrated how great our products sound! Specifically, I started by showing off our newest plug-ins, such as the Roland Space Echo, which I used as the icebreaker to start the clinic. Starting up a dub song and adding the Space Echo for that classic reggae echo sound is an immediate crowd-pleaser! Then, while I had the crowd's attention, I showed off some of the other UAD Roland effects, like the Dimension D and CE-1 Chorus. After a round-up of our other classic plug-ins, like the LA-2A, Pultec Pro and Fairchild, I showed off our newest plug-in, the Neve 1073, and I think that plug-in stole the show... I inserted it on an R&B vocal track, snare drum, overhead drum track, bass guitar, synth bass, and the Neve did amazing things to the tone of each of these tracks!...

“This gives an opportunity to the musicians to get some direct answers about the gear they use.”

"Then the focus of the night went to our analog products, and to show off our newest product, the Solo series of portable mic pre/DI units, we had Fred Z, our product specialist and a great musician, play his bass through these units. The cool part about this was that Fred hadn't really had a chance to try out each of these on his bass yet, so as we were showing the crowd the units, we were also checking them out for our own use (I am a bass player as well). Both of the units worked excellently for bass, with Fred preferring the sound of the Solo 610 for bass, and I preferring the Solo 110. With UA gear, you can't lose!"

The demonstration continued through the evening, with audioMIDI customers having an opportunity to sample the LA-610 for themselves in a separate room with the helpful tips from Tom and Fred. Tom reflects on the event:

Tom shares some LA610 tips with an audioMIDI customer.

"I would sum it up as fun for audioMIDI's customers, fun for us and fun for audioMIDI employees as well. I really like the idea of interfacing directly with the end users and the dealers who sell our products, because these are the people that are doing the day-to-day work in our industry, and that keeps good music coming out. At the end of the day, it is about making great music, and great products like the LA-610, Solos and our UAD products are like great musical instruments: they help you get there!"At Universal Audio, we take great pride in the people who represent our company and our products; audioMIDI is certainly no exception. These guys claim to provide a "no-nonsense" resource for all kinds of musicians who work with computers, and it is clear from their promotion of demos, unbiased and available information and competitive prices that they can stand behind their words.

I was able to speak with owner, Russ Jones, and the co-coordinator of this event, Douglas Edge, to learn a bit more about audioMIDI and the demonstrations they regularly host.

Do you hold demos like this regularly? Why? What other companies have come to your store to demonstrate their products?
We try to hold events on a regular basis with a variety of vendors. You can always check the online schedule for upcoming events. Topics have covered everything from DAW recording to analog synth design. AudioMIDI.com's goal for the events is to bring factory experts from companies like UA, Apple, Moog, Steinberg, and a host of others directly to the music-creator community. This gives an opportunity to the musicians to get some direct answers about the gear they use as well as a chance to check out new gear or discuss recording techniques.

What kinds of feedback to you get from your customers about the demos?
Overall feedback is great. The musicians and engineers who are using these recording tools day in and day out appreciate having a direct line to someone from a company, like Universal Audio, who makes the tools they use. The most appreciative feedback we have gotten was for the audioMIDI.com Synth Legends Event that featured Bob Moog, Dave Smith, Tom Oberheim, and Roger Linn. Everyone really appreciated having the chance not only to listen and learn from these extraordinary designers, but also to meet them and talk to them directly.

What kinds of people are buying UA gear from you?
All kinds, really. Anyone who decides to "keep it in the box" for mixing seems to gravitate to the UAD-1 system. I've spoken to engineers, session musicians, and film composers who are audioMIDI.com customers and UAD-1 users. I think many identify the advantages of running DSP-based effects on a separate card in their computer, but overall it is the sound quality that brings them to the UA system. The fact that the UAD-1 card, on some level, is within most musicians' budgets makes it a no-brainer.

Why do you choose to sell Universal Audio products?
We choose to carry Universal Audio because we realize the quality in the UA products ourselves. We sell Universal Audio products because our customers realize this as well. Universal Audio is unique in that you have a company with an extremely rich history in analog design and a name that is known in studios around the globe. On top of that, the company has not only produced new analog gear that lives up to the reputation of the Universal Audio name but has also crossed into the digital domain with DSP modeling that sounds fantastic.

A typical audioMIDI demo room, filled with UA fans!