Universal Audio Arrow

ToTal GuiTar Summer 2018
106
U
niversal Audio’s universe
plays host to ocial,
ultra-convincing plugin
versions of hugely
desirable guitar sounds,
from Marshall Plexis and Fender’s
’55 Tweed Deluxe to boutique
oerings from Friedman and Engl.
The snag is that they require UA’s
UAD-2 DSP hardware to take their
strain and free up your computer
for audio and MIDI tasks.
Enter the Arrow interface, now
the most aordable way to gain
access to the company’s enviable
suite of plugins. It comes with
UA’s Realtime Analog Classics
Bundle, including its stunning
Plexi emulation, as well as some
top-end EQs and compressors.
Further plugins set you back about
£150 each, or you can get a ‘pick
any 10’ bundle for £999. They’re
not cheap, but they’re damn
near unrivalled.
Hardware-wise, the Arrow is a
two-in, four-out interface with
two mic/line ins on the back and a
Hi-Z (guitar) in on the front. The
inputs use UA’s Unison technology
to – with an appropriate plugin –
accurately emulate preamps, or
the impedance and gain staging of
amps, all nigh-on latency free.
A single Thunderbolt 3 lead is all
you need to power up and start
work – which is great for owners of
Apple’s current Macs but limits its
audience. However, given you
don’t get a Thunderbolt 3 lead in
the box, it’s just as easy to buy a
USB-C to Thunderbolt 3 cable,
which will let you use it on some
less up-to-the-minute Macs.
In all, if you have the right
computer and value quality,
portability, ease and elegance,
Arrow is unbeatable – the perfect
gateway to UA’s world-class
plugins. Once you’re there, you
won’t want to go back.
Daniel Griths
Universal aUdio arrow
The most affordable entry point to UA’s array of plugins
Key features: 24-bit,
192 kHz conversion, 2 x
Unison mic/line
preamps, 1 x Solo DSP,
Thunderbolt 3 bus
power, 2 x 4 ins and
outs, 48V phantom
power, 20 dB pad
System requirements:
Thunderbolt 3 cable
(sold separately), 6
gigabytes available
storage, Quad Core i7 or
better processor
recommended
Weight: 0.63Kg
ContaC t:
Universal Audio +44
(0)1447 765765
uaudio.com
at a Glance
an affordable way to Gain access
to an enviable sUite of plUGins
th
e g
as
s
t
a
t
i
o
n
overall ratinG
SuMMarY
valUe for money
bUild QUality
featUres
soUnd QUality
Usability
£449
TGR309.gear_quick.indd 106 18/07/2018 17:08