Universal Audio has opened its Luna platform up to all users, so it's no longer only for Apollo owners.
It's free, as it was before, but the stuff that makes it sound far more interesting than 'just another DAW', called the pro version, costs $199. I paid way more than $199 for the stuff in that 'pro' platform when Luna was intro'd, so it's now kind of a bargain, and you can use any computer and interface.
It's worth checking out, because there's a demo test period where you can use the stuff in the pro version and decide whether it's actually worth the dough to you.
What sets Luna apart is that you can mix in a full emulated API or Neve Console, with API or Neve channels, buses or both, as well as many other plugins, into the virtual tape machine of your choice. It makes a significant difference if you want that 'big studio' vibe.
The idea behind Luna is that it's incredibly low-latency, with quite a few advanced audio features. I can only get limited use out of it because at present Luna can't run video inside the DAW (as Logic and many other DAWs can), and my work involves scoring and mixing to picture.
So when I use Luna, it's for the coloration the plugins that are built into the mix system have. I usually write in Logic, and thenI port over the MIDI and audio tracks, using Luna to mix.
For rock and roll mixes, it's the answer to a lot of wish lists. For other stuff, like my classical work where I want less coloration, I'm just as happy staying in Logic or [insert your DAW of choice].
Luna is worth checking out for the desirability of those mix bus and channel plugins, however, especially if you're not scoring to picture.
It's free, as it was before, but the stuff that makes it sound far more interesting than 'just another DAW', called the pro version, costs $199. I paid way more than $199 for the stuff in that 'pro' platform when Luna was intro'd, so it's now kind of a bargain, and you can use any computer and interface.
It's worth checking out, because there's a demo test period where you can use the stuff in the pro version and decide whether it's actually worth the dough to you.
What sets Luna apart is that you can mix in a full emulated API or Neve Console, with API or Neve channels, buses or both, as well as many other plugins, into the virtual tape machine of your choice. It makes a significant difference if you want that 'big studio' vibe.
The idea behind Luna is that it's incredibly low-latency, with quite a few advanced audio features. I can only get limited use out of it because at present Luna can't run video inside the DAW (as Logic and many other DAWs can), and my work involves scoring and mixing to picture.
So when I use Luna, it's for the coloration the plugins that are built into the mix system have. I usually write in Logic, and thenI port over the MIDI and audio tracks, using Luna to mix.
For rock and roll mixes, it's the answer to a lot of wish lists. For other stuff, like my classical work where I want less coloration, I'm just as happy staying in Logic or [insert your DAW of choice].
Luna is worth checking out for the desirability of those mix bus and channel plugins, however, especially if you're not scoring to picture.
Last edited: