Mahogany is a new plugin suite from Acustica Audio, inspired by the character of vintage analog filter circuits—especially classic 4-pole designs—and reimagined for today’s music production. It delivers classic tone and saturation with digital precision, all within an intuitive and flexible interface. Mahogany is available in VST3, AAX, and AU plugin formats, and is compatible with most major DAWs on macOS and Windows systems.
Mahogany is built on a hybrid concept combining two distinct technologies into one powerful tool: the Hyper engine, a streamlined and efficient evolution of the Acqua platform known for high-fidelity sampling and real-time performance; and the modulation architecture of the Marea series, which introduces advanced tools for dynamic shaping, internal MIDI generation, and flexible modulation routing.
More Than a Filter
Mahogany isn’t just another filter—it’s a complete analogue-style tone section you can drop anywhere in your signal chain. Inspired by the filter-and-drive block at the heart of classic hardware synths, it combines high-fidelity analog modeling with powerful modulation features only software can offer.
At its core are three meticulously modeled low-pass filters and a drive stage that can be placed either before or after the filter, delivering anything from warm saturation to airy edge. But Mahogany goes beyond static tone shaping: it includes an ADSR envelope, a flexible LFO (with retrigger, free-run, or one-shot modes), and an envelope follower that responds to audio dynamics. Any or all of these can modulate the cutoff, creating rich, evolving textures.
Designed to sit right after any instrument or audio track, Mahogany responds to incoming MIDI—making its ADSR and key tracking feel like part of the source. For users who prefer a cable-free workflow, Mahogany can also generate its own virtual notes, synced to tempo, for rhythmic gating, sweeping, or ducking—no MIDI routing required. The result is a versatile, musical processor that brings motion, tone, and character to any sound.
Three plug-ins, three personalities
Mahogany is supplied as three fully independent plug-ins.
- Mahogany (“3-D” version) looks like a small hardware module: knobs stand proud, shadowing helps the eye judge travel, and the panel carries that studio-rack glamour many users love.
- Mahogany Live (“3-D” version) shares the exact same visual design as the standard 3D version, but is optimized for low-latency, real-time performance. It looks and feels identical—just streamlined under the hood for speed.
- Mahogany Flat (“2-D” version) is the same engine drawn with flat colour bands and crisp fonts. A clean, flat design that lets you work fast in dense sessions or on smaller screens
Mahogany 3D GUI / Mahogany Live 3D GUI
Mahogany Flat GUI
Key Features
- Three plugin versions – Flat (2D), 3D, and low-latency 3D Live.
- Vintage-style 4-pole lowpass filter – Smooth, musical tone with analog character.
- Multidrive & Bias control – Add harmonic richness and shape input gain.
- Dynamic modulation tools – Envelope Follower, LFO, and ADSR with keyboard tracking and polarity control.
- Advanced routing – Pre/Post switch and Dry/Wet mix for flexible signal paths.
- Advanced MIDI and timing control – Learn external controllers, force tempo, create internal note pulses, enable key-tracking, with MIDI Learn, Global/Local modes, and full DAW sync and automation.
- Oversampling & low-latency modes – Balance quality and performance for studio or live use.
- Resizable GUI – Adapts to different screens and workflows.
- Factory Presets - Includes expertly crafted presets that offer quick starting points and creative inspiration for various projects.
Why This Architecture?
If you have ever stood over a vintage mono-synth, the left-to-right flow of Mahogany will feel uncannily familiar. On real hardware the oscillator runs through a drive or mixer stage, hits the main filter, then fans out to envelopes and LFOs before finally meeting a volume fader. The order is no accident: every control reveals itself at exactly the moment your ear is ready for that change. We borrowed that ergonomics—then loosened its screws so you can insert Mahogany anywhere in a modern DAW.
Technical information:
• Supported formats: VST3, AAX, and AU.
• Available sample rates: 44.1, 48, 88.2, and 96 kHz.
• Compatible with Windows 10 and 11.
• Compatible with macOS 10.15 (Catalina) to macOS Sonoma (version 14.x).
• Intel, AMD, and ARM compatible.
• Native Apple Silicon support (Rosetta not supported).
Price and availability
Mahogany introductory price: €89 | (44% OFF, reg. price €159) until August 12, 2025 at 11:59 PM (CET)
Get Mahogany now!
The product is at an introductory period for the first four weeks after release or until the first official version is released; this implies that the product may receive improvements, changes, or fixes available through Aquarius Desktop updates.
Try our FREE 30-Day Trial
Note: Mahogany's trial version includes 44.1 - 48 - 88.2 - 96 kHz sample rates.
Please remember that trials expire 30 days after authorization, and we strongly recommend not using trial products in commercial sessions or any important project.
Mahogany user's manual
Mahogany webpage: https://www.acustica-audio.com/shop/products/MAHOGANY
