Universal Audio has launched UAD Explore FREE — a bundle of 8 professional UAD native plugins plus the LUNA DAW, all completely free with a UA account. No hardware required. Every plugin runs natively as VST3, AU, or AAX in any DAW on Mac or Windows.
All 8 Plugins Included in UAD Explore FREE
1. UAD Showtime ’64 Tube Amp
A guitar amplifier plugin modeled on classic American tube amps of the 1960s — the same gear beloved by Dick Dale, Keith Richards, Jack White, and Nels Cline. Captures everything from clean to crunchy dynamics with natural tube-driven vibrato, and includes accurate simulations of the speaker cabinet, mic placement, and room sound. Professional presets make it immediately usable.
2. PolyMAX Synth
A polyphonic synthesizer inspired by the golden age of polysynths from the 1970s and 80s. Draws from the sonic character of the Jupiter, Oberheim, and Prophet series — delivering thick, warm tones through analog-modeled oscillators and filters. Designed to be approachable for beginners while delivering album-quality presets instantly, no complex menu-diving required.
3. Pure Plate Reverb
A plate reverb emulation that accurately models the acoustic properties of a steel plate, transducer, and damper mechanism. Delivers the musical, organic reverb character used across countless classic recordings. Ideal for adding lush space to vocals, guitar, strings, and synths.
4. UA 1176 Classic FET Compressor
A streamlined version of UA’s iconic 1176 — based on the 1176 Rev E circuit and capturing the exact sound of the 1176LN. Unlike the full 1176 Classic Limiter Collection, this version focuses purely on compression without the mix or headroom adjustment features, making it fast and direct to use.
5. Teletronix LA-2A Tube Compressor
An emulation of the late-1960s “Silver” LA-2A optical limiter — the go-to vocal compressor in professional studios worldwide for over 50 years. Provides smooth, radio-ready dynamic control on vocals, guitar, bass, and synths. Intuitive two-knob interface delivers classic tube compression without complex setup, backed by professional presets covering every common use case.
6. UA 610 Tube Preamp & EQ Collection
Faithful recreations of the legendary 610-A and 610-B channel strips — the tube preamp and EQ circuits that defined the sound of decades of recordings. Adds the warmth and presence of classic analog hardware to vocals and instruments. When used with an Apollo interface, Unison preamp technology lets you feel the real impedance and input characteristics of the original 610 hardware.
7. Vibe Analog Machines Essentials
A vintage saturation and analog coloring plugin with 4 distinct modes, each inspired by a different era of tape and recording hardware:
- Sweeten — Classic open-reel warmth with light, musical overdrive
- Warm — A bolder, older tape machine character with deeper warmth and flutter
- Thicken — Half-century-old lo-fi textures for raw, gritty tones
- Vintagize — The crumbling, deteriorated sound of an ancient tape machine discovered in a pawn shop
8. Century Tube Channel Strip
A channel strip combining a vintage tube mic preamp, dynamics control, and an intuitive EQ section — all in one plugin. Designed for tracking and mixing without losing inspiration mid-session. Excels at adding warmth and nuance to vocals and guitar, with the natural character of genuine tube circuitry.
LUNA Recording System (Free DAW, Mac Only)
LUNA is Universal Audio’s free DAW, built around high-fidelity analog studio sound reproduction. Features AI-powered voice control, smart tempo tools, and deep integration with Apollo hardware. As of the Explore FREE launch, LUNA is compatible with all audio interfaces — not just Apollo. Mac only.
How to Get UAD Explore FREE
- Visit the official page below and create a free UA account (or sign in to an existing one)
- Answer a short survey to add UAD Explore FREE to your account
- Download and install UA Connect
- Install each plugin from within UA Connect
No credit card. No hardware. No time limit.