Universal Audio makes its LUNA digital audio workstation free to all Mac users

Universal Audio, known for its coveted Apollo audio interfaces and faithful emulations of vintage analog recording gear, launched its own digital audio workstation (DAW), LUNA, a few years ago. Until now, LUNA was only available to owners of UA’s Apollo interfaces, but the company has just announced that the DAW is now free to download for all Mac users.

LUNA can be used to record, edit, mix and produce music like any other DAW, but it comes with the sound of classic studio equipment like analog console circuits and tape machine emulations built into it. It also includes tools like the ‘Shape’ sample-based virtual instrument, Oxide Tape Extension emulator, ARP arpeggiator and proprietary time-stretching and pitch-correction tools. The interface is designed to be accessible to non-engineers, without compromising functionality. 

With the free download, users can also get a 30-day trial of the LUNA Pro Bundle, a “collection of UAD plug‑ins and LUNA Extensions co‑created with the biggest brands in pro audio, including API, Ampex, Studer, Pultec, and more”. The Pro Bundle, which normally costs US$399, is currently available at a discounted price of US$199 until November 30, and more plugins can be purchased on the website.

UA’s software and hardware tools are considered some of the very best in the industry, and have been used for countless Grammy-winning albums. While LUNA is a new DAW that is far from being considered industry-standard, for a free software it is nevertheless a high quality and easy-to-use tool that should appeal to home-musicians and professionals alike. It's also a great entry point into Universal Audio’s ecosystem of Apollo interfaces and native DSP-powered plugins.

LUNA can be downloaded from Universal Audio's website. One can also pair the software with Universal Audio's Sphere LX Modeling large-diaphragm condenser microphone, which can emulate the sound of many legendary studio microphones.