Universal Audio Releases the Manley VOXBOX Channel Strip for UAD-2 & Apollo Hardware
by The Press Desk 2nd August 2016

oceantracks · 7th August 2016

Quote:

Originally Posted by Animus ➡️

Very cool. But I would have preferred the Manley SLAM pre instead honestly.

They need to do the EMI Chandler Abbey Road stuff!

Asher Bay · 8th August 2016

Had no interest in this but decided to give it a spin (worst idea ever). I will say that the main draw and wow factor for me came from the built in de-esser and the eq. Ive been fighting with some vocals with tons of 3k stacked like a banana split sprinkled with glass shards lol.

After 20 min of playing with the eq and compressor ( I kid you not) I looked up and realized it had a de-esser with frequency selection

chose 3k adjusted threshold and....good bye Waves Ren De-esser lol. Took care of that issue like a champ. Im sitting here going thru my short list of remaining plugins to fund this purchase. I really don't wanna give up my Elysia plugs but darn it I do more tracking than anything so priorities I guess....

I didnt know much about the VOXBOX prior to demo as Im on the fence about Manley gear in general so no hype here. Not a mojo piece imo but as a front end for vocals I will be snatching this up...no superlatives to throw around it just works so I can move on to something else.

Great Job guys only other UAD plugin Ive purchased is the Fatso so Im not one to jump on every new release but props

oceantracks · 8th August 2016

Got the demo, this channel strip is EXTREMELY irritating because after using it on a lead vocal, then an acoustic guitar track, I am now going to have to buy it lol

Amazing sounding.

TH

Gemylon · 17th August 2016

Quote:

Originally Posted by luke_maple1 ➡️

Hey there Gannon,

... can you please help get your loyal customers an upgrade path to the complete Manley bundle for those who own the Mu and the Massive Passive!

I'd say it's ridiculous if they don't offer an upgrade path for owners of The Mu and The Massive Passive.

I guess they will come up with a nice offer

Melgueil · 17th August 2016

Quote:

Originally Posted by oceantracks ➡️

They need to do the EMI Chandler Abbey Road stuff!

Right there with you. Will someone (UA, Softube, whoever) please re-release the 124. There is no other piece of gear like it. Chandler finally released the hardware - but of course there's a price for that - would break my bank account.

Did I ever love the AbbeyRoad PlugIn version of that. Too bad the train stopped at 32 bit. I used that plug all the time.

Cdlt

dasoundjunkie · 22nd August 2016

I have made a terrible mistake trying this...Its one of those tools that make things better in very short order and now it MUST be purchased.
Not having ever used a real one I cannot speak to its accuracy but it made the vocals on a project I started today a whole hell of a lot nicer with very little effort.

I truly hope they do have an upgrade path 'cause for me its a must buy
Fantastic stuff

oceantracks · 22nd August 2016

Quote:

Originally Posted by dasoundjunkie ➡️

I have made a terrible mistake trying this...Its one of those tools that make things better in very short order and now it MUST be purchased.
Not having ever used a real one I cannot speak to its accuracy but it made the vocals on a project I started today a whole hell of a lot nicer with very little effort.

I truly hope they do have an upgrade path 'cause for me its a must buy
Fantastic stuff

It gets worse, wait until you have had it for seven days and the demo expires on you. UGH!

dasoundjunkie · 22nd August 2016

Quote:

Originally Posted by oceantracks ➡️

It gets worse, wait until you have had it for seven days and the demo expires on you. UGH!

Demo is 14 days. Been printing tracks like a madman

oceantracks · 22nd August 2016

Quote:

Originally Posted by dasoundjunkie ➡️

Demo is 14 days. Been printing tracks like a madman

Ha! Time flies when you are having fun!

dasoundjunkie · 22nd August 2016

Quote:

Originally Posted by oceantracks ➡️

Ha! Time flies when you are having fun!

Ain't that the truth

Glenn Bucci · 25th August 2016

Quote:

Originally Posted by dasoundjunkie ➡️

I have made a terrible mistake trying this...Its one of those tools that make things better in very short order and now it MUST be purchased.
Not having ever used a real one I cannot speak to its accuracy but it made the vocals on a project I started today a whole hell of a lot nicer with very little effort.

I truly hope they do have an upgrade path 'cause for me its a must buy
Fantastic stuff

The plug in does sound great, but I won't be letting go of my real Voxbox anytime soon. I think the plug in gets you close enough to make you smile. EveAnna made sure the plug in met her approval before it was released.

If you can't afford a Voxbox, this will do nicely in your studio. If your thinking about getting a real Voxbox after trying this plug in, I can tell you you will really will enjoy the character it provides. Saving your money, and saving more money for a real Voxbox is one of the best investments I made for my studio besides my Focal Twin monitors. Another name for this unit is Bassvox as so many owners use it for bass. It really provides one of the best sounding bass tones to put into your DAW.

Here is my review of the Voxbox which might provide more info on the each section of the unit. http://www.prostudioreviews.com/manley-voxbox.html

oceantracks · 25th August 2016

Quote:

Originally Posted by Glenn Bucci ➡️

Quote:

Originally Posted by dasoundjunkie ➡️

I have made a terrible mistake trying this...Its one of those tools that make things better in very short order and now it MUST be purchased.
Not having ever used a real one I cannot speak to its accuracy but it made the vocals on a project I started today a whole hell of a lot nicer with very little effort.

I truly hope they do have an upgrade path 'cause for me its a must buy
Fantastic stuff

The plug in does sound great, but I won't be letting go of my real Voxbox anytime soon. I think the plug in gets you close enough to make you smile. EveAnna made sure the plug in met her approval before it was released.

If you can't afford a Voxbox, this will do nicely in your studio. If your thinking about getting a real Voxbox after trying this plug in, I can tell you you will really will enjoy the character it provides. Saving your money, and saving more money for a real Voxbox is one of the best investments I made for my studio besides my Focal Twin monitors. Another name for this unit is Bassvox as so many owners use it for bass. It really provides one of the best sounding bass tones to put into your DAW.

Here is my review of the Voxbox which might provide more info on the each section of the unit. http://www.prostudioreviews.com/manley-voxbox.html

Does a killer job on clean guitar too!

dasoundjunkie · 25th August 2016

Quote:

Originally Posted by Glenn Bucci ➡️

The plug in does sound great, but I won't be letting go of my real Voxbox anytime soon. I think the plug in gets you close enough to make you smile. EveAnna made sure the plug in met her approval before it was released.

If you can't afford a Voxbox, this will do nicely in your studio. If your thinking about getting a real Voxbox after trying this plug in, I can tell you you will really will enjoy the character it provides. Saving your money, and saving more money for a real Voxbox is one of the best investments I made for my studio besides my Focal Twin monitors. Another name for this unit is Bassvox as so many owners use it for bass. It really provides one of the best sounding bass tones to put into your DAW.

Here is my review of the Voxbox which might provide more info on the each section of the unit. Manley Voxbox Combo review by Glenn Bucci

The Lion's share of my work is mix/mastering and for that I prefer remaining completely ITB. The actual Voxbox costs about the same as a testicle so I cannot really justify the investment at the moment

That said, I might get into a pair of channels if I start to do a lot of production work again

dasoundjunkie · 25th August 2016

Quote:

Originally Posted by oceantracks ➡️

Does a killer job on clean guitar too!

Good to know

andersmv · 25th August 2016

Quote:

Originally Posted by Melgueil ➡️

Right there with you. Will someone (UA, Softube, whoever) please re-release the 124. There is no other piece of gear like it. Chandler finally released the hardware - but of course there's a price for that - would break my bank account.

Did I ever love the AbbeyRoad PlugIn version of that. Too bad the train stopped at 32 bit. I used that plug all the time.

Cdlt

I used them all the time as well, they are still the best plugins I've ever heard. The limiters were a go to on piano for me, as well as drum duties. The EQ's were amazing as well when I was having trouble with something getting lost later on in the mix process. Who made those?

TS-12 · 27th August 2016

I don't understand the idea of software preamps...
after preamp this will re-preamp the signal again, the actual hardware preamp used in the recording will make the most difference , and this can be used for eq , compression, or adding extra saturation.

Unless there is super accurate and fast (actual, real, hardware) preamp that goes together with it

Squawk · 27th August 2016

Quote:

Originally Posted by Lenzo ➡️

I have been demoing this for the past couple of hours and though I like it, I'm wondering if there isn't a little gear lust going on there for me. I've always wanted to try a VoxBox but couldn't justify the cost. Having the plug seems really cool to me but....I have been really digging my Sonic Farms Silkworm into my Warm WA-76 lately. So I did a comparison. Not scientific by any means and I know it's apples and oranges, but to my ears the Sonic Farms combo was still smoother and bigger sounding than the VoxBox plug. That said, I have a couple of coupons and gear lust may get the better of me.
L.

Well, Sonic Farm makes absolutely top notch preamps, so it's not that surprising that you liked that combo over a plugin.

oceantracks · 27th August 2016

Quote:

Originally Posted by TS-12 ➡️

I don't understand the idea of software preamps...
after preamp this will re-preamp the signal again, the actual hardware preamp used in the recording will make the most difference , and this can be used for eq , compression, or adding extra saturation.

Unless there is super accurate and fast (actual, real, hardware) preamp that goes together with it

It uses Unison technology so you can actually record through it on the way in with a UAD interface....

TS-12 · 27th August 2016

Quote:

Originally Posted by oceantracks ➡️

It uses Unison technology so you can actually record through it on the way in with a UAD interface....

Ahhh. Missed that . Makes sense

miscend · 29th August 2016

Quote:

Originally Posted by TS-12 ➡️

I don't understand the idea of software preamps...
after preamp this will re-preamp the signal again, the actual hardware preamp used in the recording will make the most difference , and this can be used for eq , compression, or adding extra saturation.

Unless there is super accurate and fast (actual, real, hardware) preamp that goes together with it

If you are on an Apollo you use the preamp emulation when tracking.

TNM · 4th September 2016

Quote:

Originally Posted by Gemylon ➡️

I'd say it's ridiculous if they don't offer an upgrade path for owners of The Mu and The Massive Passive.

I guess they will come up with a nice offer

not sure they ever do that.. for example i have the space echo and boss chorus but i see no upgrade to get the bundle that includes the dimension chorus also. Same with having both the vari MU and the massive passive, but see no upgrade to get the whole manley bundle. I'd buy it now if so, but instead i will wait till sales and coupons.. i'd rather wait and get the best deal, if UA won't start doing bundle completion deals. It's a bit tiring.

Jeezo · 5th September 2016

Of topic but. Anyone knows if there s a plan on apollo 8 usb for windows ?

Deleted 54730b4 · 5th September 2016

Quote:

Originally Posted by andersmv ➡️

I used them all the time as well, they are still the best plugins I've ever heard. The limiters were a go to on piano for me, as well as drum duties. The EQ's were amazing as well when I was having trouble with something getting lost later on in the mix process. Who made those?

Cool Stuff Labs - Portfolio

Melgueil · 6th September 2016

Quote:

Originally Posted by Solidtrax ➡️

I think the VOXBOX is an awesome plugin. I spend a few hours with it, both in a mix and as a unison plugin recording my own vocals (no I'm not a good singer). I love how it sounds, the gain can add a subtle distortion that makes the vocal have a bit more character, allowing the vocal to sit a bit better in the mix in this particular track I tried it on. The compressor is smooth as silk, it can do a lot of gain reduction before audible side effects start to happen. The de-esser is probably the best I ever heard. The EQ sounds beautiful too, but is a little bit limited to my taste. Overall, very impressed!

I am usually pretty (sometimes very) skeptical about these sorts of things but I tried this today and I have to say I do like it. There's a quality aspect about it, really provides what you are asking it to do but not obtrusive harsh or overbearing. On the vocal tracks I cut it just sort of made them "lay much better" in the mix.

Voxbox looks to be a very powerful tool that will take some time to get to know, but so far so good. Pleasant surprise.

Cdlt

ztjangle · 6th September 2016

Quote:

Originally Posted by TS-12 ➡️

I don't understand the idea of software preamps...
after preamp this will re-preamp the signal again, the actual hardware preamp used in the recording will make the most difference , and this can be used for eq , compression, or adding extra saturation.

Unless there is super accurate and fast (actual, real, hardware) preamp that goes together with it

I agree with you. I concluded the same after seeing the Slate VMS system. The hardware by itself does not sound neutral but rather harsh and grainy.

But I give kudos to the software section. Imagine what it would do to a really good sounding hardware.

oceantracks · 6th September 2016

Quote:

Originally Posted by ztjangle ➡️

I agree with you. I concluded the same after seeing the Slate VMS system. The hardware by itself does not sound neutral but rather harsh and grainy.

But I give kudos to the software section. Imagine what it would do to a really good sounding hardware.

You need to realize it's optimized for those with Apollo interfaces, that way you are actually going "thru" the pre while recording....

ztjangle · 6th September 2016

Quote:

Originally Posted by oceantracks ➡️

You need to realize it's optimized for those with Apollo interfaces, that way you are actually going "thru" the pre while recording....

I'm not putting this product down in any way and I'm sure it's very good.
But the quality of mic+preamp combination is still essential and cannot be eliminated from the chain. Standalone pre or part of an interface, doesn't matter.

There's just no way to bypass the physical/electrical properties of the mic and the transfer characteristic of the preamp.

Kalopsia · 8th September 2016

Quote:

Originally Posted by Melgueil ➡️

Right there with you. Will someone (UA, Softube, whoever) please re-release the 124. There is no other piece of gear like it. Chandler finally released the hardware - but of course there's a price for that - would break my bank account.

Did I ever love the AbbeyRoad PlugIn version of that. Too bad the train stopped at 32 bit. I used that plug all the time.

Cdlt

this +1000

macfrans · 30th November 2016

Quote:

Originally Posted by ztjangle ➡️

I'm not putting this product down in any way and I'm sure it's very good.
But the quality of mic+preamp combination is still essential and cannot be eliminated from the chain. Standalone pre or part of an interface, doesn't matter.

There's just no way to bypass the physical/electrical properties of the mic and the transfer characteristic of the preamp.

As stated above : You have to dig a bit deeper as to how apollo UNISON works. The impedance, op-amp feedback loops , resistance networks are all NON-FIXED in the actual hardware. The Pre-amp HARDware is set by your choices in a special mode called UNISON that changes the electro-physical interaction between mic and pre, guitar and pre etc etc BEFORE the digital stage ok? So : This is NOT bypassing the physical properties of the mic and transfer characteristic of the preamp, it is only hardcoding it, if that helps to put it into perspective. It is different from all other programmable pre-amps out there that convert to digital=>do effects and mimicking=> convert back . It can not be stated that the actual electro-physical interactions will be a 100% like an original but as you may have read above : it does get very close. But keep in mind : The price does not get near the original either ;-) You have to try an apollo before judging it as the pre is programmable hardware, not software in your sense of the word.

Not sure why you would bring the mic into this discussion since of course that has nothing to do with the working of the pre-amp. The combination is important of course but choice of mic is a different topic ( and a very BROOOOAAAAAD one ;-) I believe.

Hope this helps. Happy mixing.

ztjangle · 1st December 2016

Quote:

Originally Posted by oceantracks ➡️

You need to realize it's optimized for those with Apollo interfaces, that way you are actually going "thru" the pre while recording....

The Apollo preamp or any other, it will still have it's slew rate, distortion, coloration, phase response, etc. Much of this can be neutralized with advanced software (so that it can then be further shaped to emulate various vintage models etc.), but some of it can't. There's no way to make an absolutely transparent signal out of a blurred one, just like Photoshop can't fix pictures out of focus.
Again, I'm not saying that Apollo has bad mic preamps, but the assertion that they are neutral is quite exaggerated. Because a 100% neutral sound would be in a whole new category and the hardware would also cost considerably more.

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Universal Audio Releases the Manley VOXBOX Channel Strip for UAD-2 & Apollo Hardware
by The Press Desk 2nd August 2016

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Universal Audio Releases the Manley VOXBOX Channel Strip for UAD-2 & Apollo Hardware by The Press Desk 2nd August 2016

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Universal Audio Releases the Manley VOXBOX Channel Strip for UAD-2 & Apollo Hardware
by The Press Desk 2nd August 2016

Gear discussed