Any suggestions regarding to Acustica Audio?

[RSL369]

Here are my ideas. I don't expect any of this to be implemented. I did this on spec in my spare time to keep up my chops with the UI design software I use. These are mockups and the content is placeholder-only and not meant to convey the final product.

First, consolidate all the product functionality onto one screen with one interface with all the options relevant to that product. Also, reduce the number of screens. Home screen to highlight new and sale products, product list page that also allows listing by purchased, and finally a product manager page.

The checkbox at the bottom, I would add two more things:
1) another set of checkboxes to choose which (of the available) samplerate packs to install
2) "do you wish to install ZL versions as well?" checkbox

Then it'd be perfect

Actually, it would be perfect if the update page would also be able to install updates at the actual dll locations in your VST folder (in case you have your vst2 folder organized in categories, like I do) and not only dump them in the main install folder as selected in the settings. Aquarius actually sees where you installed your stuff (their locations are displayed on the update page) but ignores these locations when updating, which is very annoying.

[The Noodlist]

If you have N4, I recommend trying Gemini Audio demos, especially Kultcomp.
The site is back up and is undergoing maintenance at the moment, check back soon.

[dionenoid]

I used to be a fan of AA stuff. But after all the issues lately (and the way they were handled) i'd suggest to stay away from them.

There are still many bugs present in almost all of their plug-ins. Some take months or years to be fixed, others are just never fixed. Support closes tickets without answering. And the reps present on forums go into lengthy discussions in stead of solving things.

Other than that, none of their tools are up-to-date concerning things you'd expect from plug-ins nowadays : No resizing, no preset saving, no a/b comparison, no quick learn automation/midi, no dynamic bypass, etc.

And ofcourse the normal stuff going on with AA plug-ins : Heavy cpu use, huge installation files, laggy gui behaviour, latency, and laggy automation. And at the risk of not being recalled correctly, or rendering/freezing as it should.

The question is if all this is worth it, just for the sound. Unfortunately for me it isn't anymore.

[wuworld]

My advice: DON'T.

Check out this thread: https://gearspace.com/board/music-compu ... n-922.html.

Look at how many issues people have. This company clearly doesn't care about testing their own software adequately before releasing it and think it's okay to give their paying customer a deluge of issues that they then suggest they start tickets for - they basically use their paying customers as beta testers. The Cubase issue has been going on for YEARS, and they've known about it for YEARS, and instead of fixing the issue for a significant portion of their user base they create more buggy, glutinous software. They are quick to pat themselves on the back publicly for their customer service when it's clear to anyone following along that they have some of the worst customer service in the business. I've seen them rationalize and excuse themselves for their lack of customer service over and over to customers emphatically asking them publicly to be heard, to have their issues resolved and to have their weeks-old ticket answered. Notice in that thread above how many times they ask their customers to re-download/re-install gigs and gigs of data for a bug fix and fathom how much time is wasted due to their neglect.

I would seriously consider their products as artificially hyped as well - look long enough and you'll start seeing a lot of single-post accounts that drop in out of the clear blue sky to sing their praises on a mountaintop only to never be heard from again. Super sketchy forum activity, bad customer service, voodoo and mysticism in their marketing speak - do yourself a favor and - if you're moving in the analog emulation direction - save your money for a UAD interface and start buying UAD*; minus the interface and with sales you'll pay approximately the same IN MONEY (more on that below). You'll have a functioning product that sounds good, you won't need to spend half your time in AA's ticketing system getting something resolved that they were too incompetent or careless to resolve in the first place, and rather than have your system resources sucked bone-dry by interfaces that look great but are 100% not worth the performance hit, you'll have outboard DSP that actually relieves your system of the burden and look A-OK.

For AA you pay heavy in system resources, time, frustration, money. They are an EXTREMELY expensive product if you include all of these expenses, not to mention their ticket prices are high as well, though they have finally woke up to the idea of sales. Even if all of the hype - much of which is artificial or suspicious - gives you 1% - IF, that's an IF - is that 1% worth all of the expenses? UAD is LESS EXPENSIVE than AA with all of these costs and frustrations involved, and is at least competitive if not out-competing of AA.

Take any AA plugin and multiply the list price by 2 or 3. Ask yourself if you're willing to pay that much for this plugin, and that may give you a more realistic idea of what you're actually paying.

I don't think so. Keep an eye on it - they are maturing VERY slowly. Like I said, sales are something they only recently woke up to and until recently their software was a complete nightmare to install and use; they are still making excuses and giving rationalizations for their terrible customer service and are still releasing beta products to paying customers and aren't honoring their customers with an appropriate level of customer service IMO, so I wouldn't expect much movement there until they open their eyes and stop patting themselves on the back for what is clearly a problem. Things may get better in a decade, or not.

I learned - for myself - that I'm going to move in the UAD direction and leave Acustica where they leave their paying customers - in the dirt with bugs.

*This is for general users - I understand the OP already has UAD and my advise is still DON'T - buy more UAD plugins you like or upgrade your interface and drop the AA idea like a hot potato. Come back in a decade and see if they've improved.

My computer screams mercy when using AA plugins Lol.

[MogwaiBoy]

Same ^^^

I have to be very selective with AA plugins - can't just throw them on everything. But a sprinkle here and there and they are quite magic.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vvnJyxwJE60

[The_Ogre]

My computer screams mercy when using AA plugins Lol.

I'm trying to understand exactly how to make AudioGridder to work in a single CPU, as it seems to make things WAY better when using high demanding plugins.

[The Noodlist]

I'm trying to understand exactly how to make AudioGridder to work in a single CPU, as it seems to make things WAY better when using high demanding plugins.

Firewall/networking issues for me. One day it worked fine, the next time I tried it, it didn't. It's a Godsend for my ancient notebook, when it works.

[The_Ogre]

I'm trying to understand exactly how to make AudioGridder to work in a single CPU, as it seems to make things WAY better when using high demanding plugins.

Firewall/networking issues for me. One day it worked fine, the next time I tried it, it didn't. It's a Godsend for my ancient notebook, when it works.

I'm still trying to learn how to proper use it on just one machine. Sometimes it works OK, but I'm still struggling to get it 100% functional. But from my tests with some Acusticas or the IK Tape emulations, it seems to be promising.

[dionenoid]

I'm trying to understand exactly how to make AudioGridder to work in a single CPU, as it seems to make things WAY better when using high demanding plugins.

Firewall/networking issues for me. One day it worked fine, the next time I tried it, it didn't. It's a Godsend for my ancient notebook, when it works.

I'm still trying to learn how to proper use it on just one machine. Sometimes it works OK, but I'm still struggling to get it 100% functional. But from my tests with some Acusticas or the IK Tape emulations, it seems to be promising.

Yeah, it's not very reliable here. The Beta versions are even totally unuseable, the only one that works here is 1.1.1.

I cannot even load IK Tapes, or many other plug-ins. They are scanned, and in the plug-in list, but don't show up in the AG plug-in.

Editing plug-ins (when it all works) is a disaster : gui's always open in top left corner and there's no way to have multiple gui's open. And reopening projects can also take ages when AG instances are used.

It's a promising product, but right now it needs a lot of baby-sitting, even more than AA plug-ins.

[Najimad]

I have been demoing all AA plugins and that's my thoughts:
I like eq of Amethyst and Camel,
Pre amps of Blond are interesting,
Reverb of Ebony interesting or let's say
different from most other plate reverbs.
Erin eq for mids is nice.
For me best AA plugins are Amethyst and Erin.
By far worst plugins I have ever demoed are
Crimson and Taupe.
Generally I would never use an AA compressor or channel strip. Some pre amps have a strange impact on audio, some almost no effect.
Most overhyped AA plugin, well, maybe Pink, frankly speaking would not download even if it was free and I remember it was free somewhete a while ago. Need my disk space for things I do use, not just to have useless things hehe
I can live without AA, but demoing them all was an interesting experience.
The amount of acustica plugins and the prices on ebay or knobcloud show me how little AA is valued. Saw Amethyst for 25 only.
Biggest con of course cpu usage and huge download sizes.

[dbender]

Why do you say you would “never use an AA compressor or channel strip”?

[Najimad]

Have you ever demoed an AA comp?
My experience is it does not add or make anything good to audio, sometimes it's not behaving like a comp at all, it only adds some strange color. Once I spoilt a whole mix by using AA, I replaced AA by other plugins and problem was solved. I just do not like their comps for my tracks.
A channel strip also has a comp, so same thing, I just would not use an AA comp and what's even worse is the huge cpu usage of an AA channel strip.
First I thought, well, maybe AA is just not for me, but meanwhile I saw some youtube videos people complaining or saying just the same. I think, AA goes a different way than other devs, that's cool, but they have not reached their goal yet (supposing their goal is to offer good and usable plugins!?)

[dbender]

Thanks for elucidating.

[Najimad]

Not sure whether you are thinking of buying AA plugins. My recommendation is if there is only one unit of a plugin you like, maybe go for it.
For example Amethyst has a pre amp plugin, a comp plugin, an eq plugin and a channel strip or Ebony has a reverb in addition or Honey, Camel, Gold... and most of their plugins are similar.
You can find some good offers on knobcloud

[dark water]

^^ I don't disagree with anything you say about the Acqua comps.

I have about 10 Acqua plugins:
I find their pre-amps nice as 'tone box' colours for adding different flavours to my musical tracks;
Lemon Delay is interesting in that it offers a rather unusual 'less muddying' delay effect for tracks;
whilst the Acqua EQs are ultimately just software EQs.

However, I am not happy with the Acqua compressors and I think these (and possibly also some modulation effects such as phasers etc) are where the Acqua plugins fall down.
I don't trust the Acqua compressors for reliability as dynamic compressors (and I certainly don't trust the meters on the AA compressors): I only use them as 'colouring' tools.

However, it should be noted again (as per on a previous page in this thread) that there are amazing and trustworthy compressors (as well as incredible EQs, phasers and reverb effects etc) made by Tim Petherick and Cupwise for Nebula.
AlexB's MFC (GE) console for Nebula is also wonderful.


As such, although I would not advise anyone to buy Acqua compressors if they want a trustworthy, decent software compressor, I would definitely recommend Acustica Audio's Nebula if it is paired up with some of the truly excellent comps made by the 3rd party developers Tim Petherick and Cupwise (who are not affiliated with Acustica Audio in any way).
If you want very good software compressors, Tim Petherick and Cupwise's designs for Acustica Audio's Nebula (3 and 4) are as good as any in the box at the moment, and the meters are pretty decent as well (albeit read Tim Petherick's advice about how to best set these up):

https://www.timpetherick.co.uk/download ... mpressors/

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CchvE3fqJ6k

https://cupwise.com/product-category/co ... 10a0b3e53b

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=no13czHQFm4