Universal Audio Luna

FREE (for registered users) Universal Audio make some of the best plugins and interfaces in the world, but does that world need another DAW? Enter the Lunaverse…

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Releasing a new DAW is a big deal at the best of times, and doing it during a global pandemic is either crazy or genius.

So, what’s the story? Luna is a Mac-only app (OS X 10.14 and later) for use with Apollo and Arrow Thunderbolt interfaces and combines typical audio and MIDI DAW functionality with the near zero latency workflow and rich sound you’d get from an analogue desk and tape recorder. It’s free for Apollo and Arrow users and has various paid-for extensions including Neve console bus emulation, Studer tape emulation and a bunch of instruments from Spitfire Audio and Universal Audio themselves.

The core free application is no slouch, and includes a basic tape emulation (Oxide), a 4-part sample and synthesis instrument with 8GB library (Shape) and a well-featured MIDI arpeggiator (Arp). What’s more, Luna runs both UAD-2 and AU plugins, allowing you to balance not only the DSP and CPU usage, but also your plugin spend.

Basics