Between February 14 through March 31, 2025, Universal Audio is giving customers a promotional version of the world-famous UA 1176 Classic FET Compressor for free.
Is the plug-in available natively, or is it only for Apollo and UAD hardware owners?
The promotional plug-in is available natively (UADx) only, meaning it can be used on compatible macOS and Windows systems – no UA hardware required.
UA Connect is required to activate the license and install the plug-in. For more information about UA Connect, read this article.
How do I claim the free license for UA 1176 Classic FET Compressor?
To claim the license for UA 1176 Classic FET Compressor, log into your UA account and navigate to this page. Then, click the Download Now button and the license will be deposited into your account automatically.
If you are claiming the license from a participating third-party reseller (e.g. Sweetwater or Plugin Boutique), you will have to redeem a code provided by the reseller by following the steps in this article.
I already own a version of the UAD 1176 Collection plug-in. What does this mean for me?
There are no substitute offers for this plug-in during the promotion.
What’s the difference between the promotional plug-in and other UA 1176 Collection plug-ins?
The UA 1176 Classic FET Compressor is a brand new plug-in that features the same authentic modeling used in our other 1176 plug-ins (UAD and UADx), so you’ll get the same classic tones of the original hardware. However, the promotional plug-in offers a simpler feature set and user interface, so you can find the tones you want quickly.
For more information about the plug-in, please navigate to the product page, or read the manual.
Do I need internet access to authorize the plug-in?
Yes, you will need to connect your computer online in order to authorize the plug-in and be eligible for the promotion. Customer Service cannot manually authorize the plug-in for you.
How many times can I authorize the plug-in?
The free giveaway license of the plug-in can be activated on a maximum of three (3) machine locations (e.g your computer or an iLok USB). The plug-in cannot be authorized to an iLok Cloud Session.
Help! I just bought a new computer and ran out of activations. What can I do?
No worries, you can deactivate a license from a previously authorized machine in the iLok License Manager. After logging into your iLok account, follow the steps below:
- Open iLok License Manager on the computer you wish to deauthorize, and sign in.
- Select your local machine or the iLok USB hosting the authorized license you want to deactivate in the left sidebar.
- Right-click the dedicated license then select Deactivate – the activation is now returned to the Available tab on the top. You can also access it via the View menu > Available Licenses.
You will then be able to authorize one of the licenses onto your new computer.
Note: You will still need to install UA Connect and log in to your account in order to download and activate the plug-in.
What are the system requirements for this plug-in?
- Operating systems: macOS 11 Big Sur, 12 Monterey, 13 Ventura, 14 Sonoma, 15 Sequoia or Windows 10 or Windows 11 (64-bit editions).
- Processors: Intel, AMD or Apple silicon.
- Internet connection to download software and authorize native UAD plug-ins.
- Free iLok account with iLok machine authorization or iLok USB (2nd generation or higher).
- Free UA Connect application for managing native UAD plug-ins.