Universal Audio have today announced two additions to their UAD Native software line-up, Electra 88 Vintage Keyboard Studio and Capitol Mastering Compressor. The former provides an exclusive emulation of a 1974 Rhodes electric piano, whilst the latter models a unique piece of mastering hardware used at the legendary Capitol Studios. Both releases are able to run natively, and so are available for use either with or without a Universal Audio interface.
Electra 88 Vintage Keyboard Studio
Electra 88 Vintage Keyboard Studio provides users with an authentically modelled 1974 Rhodes Eighty Eight Suitcase Mark 1, along with a selection of amp and microphone emulations. The company have modelled the entire signal path of a meticulously maintained vintage instrument, with the resulting emulation promising to deliver a more accurate and in-depth sound than any generic electric piano plug-in or sample library currently available.
The instrument has been played through a 2x12 valve combo amp, the output of which was captured using a selection of dynamic, condenser, ribbon and valve microphones, and processed with a range of high-quality outboard equipment. Users are able to shape their tone using a model of a genuine 1176 compressor, apply EQ, employ a collection of studio reverb, delay and modulation effects, and harness the sound of classic stompboxes such a vintage Mu-Tron III or Vox wah.
Electra 88 Vintage Keyboard Studio comes complete with over 100 presets, all of which are categorised by both description and musical genre .
Capitol Mastering Compressor
The second release captures the sound of the CM5511, a hand-built valve compressor originally designed by the in-house engineers at Capitol Studios. There are only four units in existence, and the UAD Native plug-in is the only authentic emulation of the unit available.
Input, Threshold, Attack, Release, Ratio and Output controls are provided independantly for the left and right channels, with the plug-in capable of operating in dual mono and side-chain link modes, as well as in either a left/right or mid-side configuration.
In addition to accurately emulating the original unit, Universal Audio have also included an expanded set of modern controls, including a Mono Fold feature intended to tighten the low end of a mix, an option to add some subtle saturation to the input signal, side-chain filtering and comprehensive dBFS and LUFS metering.
Compatibility
Electra 88 Vintage Keyboard Studio and Capitol Mastering Compressor are supported on PCs running Windows 10 or 11, and Macs running macOS 10.15 or higher. VST3, AU and AAX plug-in versions are available. No UAD hardware is required, although users will require an iLok account with either iLok Cloud or an iLok dongle (2nd generation or higher) for authorisation.
Pricing & Availability
Electra 88 Vintage Keyboard Studio and Capitol Mastering Compressor are both available now, with the following introductory pricing offers for perpetual licences running until 31 May 2023:
- Electra 88 Vintage Keyboard Studio - $149 (reduced from $299)
- Capitol Mastering Compressor - $174 (reduced from $349)
They are also included with Universal Audio’s UAD Spark subscription service, which is priced at $19.99 / month, or $149.99 / year.
