UA Connect with Native UAD Plug-Ins

Updated July 15, 2024 22:29

UA Connect manages your native UAD plug-in licenses, installation, and updates. You can also demo native UAD plug-ins from within UA Connect. To learn how to use native UAD plug-ins in your DAW, see this article.

Note: To redeem your licenses for Helios® Type 69 and Manley® Variable Mu see this article.

Managing Native UAD Plug-Ins with UA Connect

Use UA Connect to:

Activate your native UAD plug-ins.
Download and install the latest versions of native UAD plug-ins to your computer. Native UAD plug-ins are installed in AAX, VST 3, and Audio Units (macOS only) formats.
Remove installed native UAD plug-ins, and move UAD instrument content.
Link an iLok User ID to your UA account (if one is not already linked) and switch plug-in licensing between iLok Cloud and iLok USB.
Note: Some plug-ins are issued as host computer licenses, and are licensed to your machine, even if you select iLok Cloud. Such licenses can also be moved to an iLok USB with iLok License Manager.

Getting started with UA Connect and native UAD plug-ins

First, download and install UA Connect following the instructions in this article.
When UA Connect is open, click the Get Started button.

Creating or Linking your iLok Account

Your native UAD plug-ins require an iLok account (an iLok User ID) to manage software licenses. If you have an iLok account, you can link it in this step. If you do not have an iLok account, a free account is created for you in this step.

iLok Notes

By default, UA Connect authorizes your software using the iLok Cloud service. iLok Cloud does not require an iLok USB device, but does require a constant internet connection. If you do not have a constant connection, or want to store your licenses on an iLok USB for another reason, you can move your licenses to an iLok USB. See Managing the iLok license location for details.
If you have an iLok USB connected when you link your account, UA Connect prompts you to choose the license location. You can choose to license your native UAD plug-ins with iLok Cloud or to an iLok USB.
Some licenses can only be activated to a host computer location or an iLok USB, and cannot be licensed to iLok Cloud.

When the iLok Setup screen appears:

If you have an iLok account, click I already Have an iLok Account, then enter your iLok User ID. If you do not have an iLok Account, click Create an iLok Account For Me, and the iLok account is created for you. The email address from your UA account is used to set up your iLok account.

Notes

Your iLok account is created without a password. If you need to log in to your iLok account in the future, go to ilok.com, click Sign In, and click the Forgot your User ID or password link.
If you use LUNA, you already have an iLok User ID that is linked to your UA account. On the screen that prompts you to link your iLok account, your iLok User ID should already be populated. Click the Link Account button.

Managing the iLok license location

You can set UA Connect to use iLok Cloud or an iLok USB as the default location for native UAD plug-in licenses.

Note: This setting does not move existing licenses between locations. To change the location of an already-installed license, use the iLok License Manager application.

To set your iLok license location:

In UA Connect, click Settings.
Under License Location, click Manage.
Choose the license location and click Select. You can choose iLok Cloud or any connected iLok USB.

About LA-2A Tube Compressor licensing

The LA-2A Tube Compressor can be licensed to a host computer (aka machine-based activation), iLok USB, or iLok Cloud (if purchased). If you select Cloud as your default license location for a free LA-2A Tube Compressor, the plug-in is licensed to your host computer. You can use the iLok License Manager to move this license to an iLok USB, if desired.

Getting your UAD Plug-Ins

After you have linked or created your iLok account, UA Connect opens the UAD Plug-Ins tab. Your UAD plug-ins appear in this area, and begin downloading automatically. You can download and use available native versions of any UAD plug-ins and UAD instruments that you own, if native versions are available.

Redeeming plug-ins

In UA Connect, when a plug-in license is available in your account, the plug-in shows a button labeled "Redeem". To activate the license to your iLok account, click the Redeem. The license is activated and the plug-in is downloaded and installed.

Activating plug-ins

Your native UAD plug-in licenses may be activated in iLok Cloud automatically. If your licenses are not yet activated (for example, with a demo or trial subscription), click on any Activate License button to activate your plug-ins.

If your UA account is not linked to plug-in licenses

If your account does not show any linked plug-in licenses, click Refresh in UA Connect to scan for any recent demos or purchase completed at uaudio.com.

If you want to try UAD plug-ins, or a UAD Spark subscription, visit www.uaudio.com to get a free 14-day demo for any native UAD plug-in, or to make a purchase.

Buying Licenses for UAD Plug-Ins

You can buy permanent licenses for UAD plug-ins. For those plug-ins which have both native (UADx) and UAD-2 versions, you get licenses for both.

Note: You can only buy individual licenses for Neve plug-ins if you own an Apollo. If you don’t own an Apollo, you can use native Neve plug-ins with a UAD Spark subscription.

To buy UAD plug-in licenses from uaudio.com

Visit the UA store at www.uaudio.com.
Add plug-ins or plug-in bundles to your shopping cart. You’ll need to login to your UA account if not already logged in.
When you are ready to complete your purchase, click the Shopping Cart icon at the top of the page, then click the CHECKOUT button. The payment page appears.
Select the payment method and provide payment details. If applicable, apply any discount coupon codes.
Click the PLACE YOUR ORDER button once only. The transaction is processed, the order confirmation page appears, and a confirmation email is sent. The UAD plug-in license(s) are issued to your UA account, and native UAD plug-in licenses for available plug-ins are added to your iLok account.
Open UA Connect. Click REFRESH. Your new plug-in(s) are displayed in the UAD Plug-Ins tab.

To redeem UAD plug-in licenses from a partner site

On the partner site, purchase the plug-in or plug-in bundle using the partner website and checkout. You will receive your license code via e-mail.
Visit uaudio.com/redeem, and log in to your account.
On the UA redeem page, use the license code you receive in the e-mail from the partner site. Your account is updated with the new plug-in(s).
Open UA Connect. Click REFRESH.Your new plug-in(s) are displayed in the UAD Plug-Ins tab.

To get the UAD-2 versions if you have an Apollo or UAD Accelerator, download the UAD Software here.

Installing Native UAD Plug-Ins

To download a native UAD plug-in, click its Download button to install it, or click the Download All button to download and install all plug-ins in one step.

Note: Ravel Grand Piano does not download automatically (even when you click Download All) because it has specific storage requirements. Click Download next to Ravel to download Ravel. See Installing sample-based UAD instrument content for more information.

Installing sample-based UAD instrument content

When you start the download of a sample-based instrument that requires significant storage, such as Ravel Grand Piano, UA Connect prompts you with the storage requirements for the sample library. Choose the solid state (non-rotational) drive on which you want to install the sample library, then click Install.

Storage Requirements (macOS)

Storage Requirements (Windows)

Ravel Grand Piano sample content must be installed on a solid state drive (SSD) that meets the following requirements:

SSD drive with 10 GB available storage
SSD must be formatted as APFS on macOS
SSD must be formatted as NTFS on Windows
If external, SSD must be inside a USB 3.0, USB 3.1, PCIe, or Thunderbolt enclosure

Notes:

Spinning hard drives for sample-based instruments are unsupported on all platforms. macOS Fusion drives are unsupported on macOS.
SSD drives formatted as ExFAT, FAT, and Mac OS Extended are unsupported.

To scan for drives after you add or remove a hard drive, click Rescan Drives.

If you click the Skip button after clicking Download All, all other titles to which you are entitled begin to download, but Ravel does not automatically download.

Managing Your UAD Plug-Ins

After you activate and download your plug-ins, they appear in UA Connect with the Installed status. The license status, and days remaining for your subscription and demos, are also displayed.

Filtering the plug-in list

Type in the Search field to filter products.

For example, to see all plug-ins with "reverb" in the name, on the Plug-Ins page, type reverb in the search bar.

In addition, the UAD Plug-Ins page includes a drop-down selector with three view options:

All Plug-Ins – Shows all available plug-ins. In this view, plug-ins are labeled with Perpetual and/or UAD Spark labels to indicate the license type.
UAD Spark Plug-Ins – Shows the plug-ins that are available as part of your UAD Spark subscription.
My Plug-Ins – Shows the plug-ins for which you have a perpetual license.

Updating a native UAD plug-in

When a newer native UAD plug-in is available, the Update button appears next to the plug-in. Click Update to install the latest version of the plug-in. Click Update All to update all plug-ins.

Removing a native UAD plug-in

To remove any native UAD plug-in, click the ••• menu to the right of the plug-in, and choose Uninstall.
The confirmation dialog appears. Click Remove to delete the plug-in.

Note: You can reinstall the plug-in at any time from within UA Connect, by clicking its Download button.

Installing sample content

For Ravel Grand Piano you can change the default storage location for the sample content (but not the plug-in). Because Ravel Grand Piano has large storage requirements, you can move its installed sample content to a different SSD drive.

Changing the default content location

In UA Connect, Click Settings.
Under Instrument Content Location, click Change.
In the Choose Content Drive window, choose the storage drive for the sample content and click Apply.

To rescan your drives, if you have connected or removed a drive since you opened this window, click Rescan Drives.

Note: If you have already installed Ravel Grand Piano, the sample content is not moved. See Moving sample content to a different drive, following, to move content that is already installed.

Moving sample content to a different drive

To move the sample content of an installed sample-based UADx instrument to a different drive, click the ••• menu to the right of the plug-in, and choose Move Content...
The Move Sample Content dialog appears.
Choose a different drive for the sample-based UADx instrument, and click OK.

The plug-in sample content is moved to the new location.

Refreshing Content

Click Refresh at the upper right of the UA Connect screen to refresh the list of plug-ins, licenses, and available updates.