Acustica Audio intros SQUID-3: You don’t need make-up when the sound is this good

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SQ3 - Squid-3

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Uncle E wrote: Wed Dec 17, 2025 8:13 pm In your previous threads, you stated that THING is sample-based.
Yeah it was definitely stated that Thing was sample based but a sort of hybrid. How else would it have a 1 GB install if it didn't use samples.

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Acustica Community wrote: Thu Dec 18, 2025 2:35 pm They all use synthesis except ALICE-9, which uses a hybrid approach (based on samples and synthesis). Sorry for the mistake.
From the original THING thread:
Acustica Community wrote: Sat Nov 30, 2024 4:29 pm
Echoes in the Attic wrote: Sat Nov 30, 2024 4:26 pm So does it use samples or not?
Yes it does.
Anyway, after going back over that old thread and looking at the installed file sizes, it seems to me this is just a messaging issue. The buzzwords and hyperbole created confusion instead of clarity.

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Uncle E wrote: Thu Dec 18, 2025 5:50 pm
Acustica Community wrote: Thu Dec 18, 2025 2:35 pm They all use synthesis except ALICE-9, which uses a hybrid approach (based on samples and synthesis). Sorry for the mistake.
From the original THING thread:
Acustica Community wrote: Sat Nov 30, 2024 4:29 pm
Echoes in the Attic wrote: Sat Nov 30, 2024 4:26 pm So does it use samples or not?
Yes it does.
Anyway, after going back over that old thread and looking at the installed file sizes, it seems to me this is just a messaging issue. The buzzwords and hyperbole created confusion instead of clarity.
When I previously referred to THING as “sample-based,” that wasn’t the best way to describe it. THING does not use sample playback as a sound source.

What it actually uses are our convolution/sampling to model nonlinear behavior, alongside real-time oscillators, modulation, oversampling, and DSP. In other words, it’s a real-time synthesizer, with convolution used for behavior modeling, not for replaying recorded waveforms.

Additionally, some of the included effects (such as reverb and delay) utilize convolution internally, which is likely where the confusion originated; however, the synth engine itself is not sample-based in the traditional sense.

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You might want to just call it convolution moving forward, or even Volterra Kernels, since Acustica fans know you for that.

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Acustica Community wrote: Thu Dec 18, 2025 7:34 pm the synth engine itself is not sample-based in the traditional sense.
In what sense IS the synth engine sample based then if not in the traditional sense? Some of us just want to know what produces the sound from the oscillators..

For instance, in Serum; we know its wavetables, in Sylenth; we know its purely virtual analog oscillators (so pure dsp generating the waveforms), for Zebra; we know its also wavetables.. etc

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while given descriptions leave space for interpretation, i found it not that hard to figure it out what it is.
In fact everything has been said. You just need to stitch the puzzle together.
I understand it so:

- the soundengine itself is algorhitmic. Real time "sound generation". No samples.
- "then", -past that-, there is some "sound remapping" going on, based on using convolution, ....using samples.
"Plugin has turned Drug now"....and the business knows it.

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Sounds great but is there a way to resize this thing so that it actually fits my computer screen? The only options I see are 100%, 200% and 300% but nothing that will make it smaller. I don't have that big a monitor.

Anyway, I purchased as soon as I heard it. THIS is a true analog sounding synth like the stuff I used to own 50 years ago. And no, you don't need FX to make this thing sound amazing.

It may not be your cup of tea but nothing out there sounds like this. Nothing.

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I am confused about one thing. When I pull up Aquarius and go to My Products, there are a ton of products showing there that I know I didn't buy. Why do I have these? I am a prior Acustica customer but I'd remember if I bought all this stuff. So do I really have these things? If so, how did I get them?

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wagtunes wrote: Fri Dec 19, 2025 3:18 am Sounds great but is there a way to resize this thing so that it actually fits my computer screen? The only options I see are 100%, 200% and 300% but nothing that will make it smaller. I don't have that big a monitor.
You're not able to drag the bottom-right corner to resize?
Until forever fades away.

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Choikdoi wrote: Fri Dec 19, 2025 3:48 am
wagtunes wrote: Fri Dec 19, 2025 3:18 am Sounds great but is there a way to resize this thing so that it actually fits my computer screen? The only options I see are 100%, 200% and 300% but nothing that will make it smaller. I don't have that big a monitor.
You're not able to drag the bottom-right corner to resize?
Thanks but I first had to change my screen resolution because I couldn't see the bottom right hand corner.

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wagtunes wrote: Fri Dec 19, 2025 4:03 am
Choikdoi wrote: Fri Dec 19, 2025 3:48 am
wagtunes wrote: Fri Dec 19, 2025 3:18 am Sounds great but is there a way to resize this thing so that it actually fits my computer screen? The only options I see are 100%, 200% and 300% but nothing that will make it smaller. I don't have that big a monitor.
You're not able to drag the bottom-right corner to resize?
Thanks but I first had to change my screen resolution because I couldn't see the bottom right hand corner.
In the top left corner there's the resize menu. Although, it only offers 0.8X as an option smaller than 100%.
Until forever fades away.

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It doesn't sound like an algorithmic synth, but it also doesn't sound like a normal sample based synth, I'd guess that 'not sample based in the traditional sense' means the oscillators use their convolution/kernel techniques, which are sampled, but its not simple sampling, it's more dynamic. Or maybe it's just samples run through convolution filters which would actually make more sense as I thought convolution of sound generators would be equivalent to sampling but I don't know. Maybe they just don't want to say that so it's not confused with regular sample based synths without convolution. Hopefully they can clarify
Last edited by j wazza on Fri Dec 19, 2025 12:42 pm, edited 1 time in total.

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I would buy all 3 if there was a bundle at 150 USD, I know I’m quite cheap and not the target audience, I just like to play with soft synths.

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wagtunes wrote: Fri Dec 19, 2025 3:25 am I am confused about one thing. When I pull up Aquarius and go to My Products, there are a ton of products showing there that I know I didn't buy. Why do I have these? I am a prior Acustica customer but I'd remember if I bought all this stuff. So do I really have these things? If so, how did I get them?
Probably the freebies. AA has a lot of freebies. New ones every year.
The loudness war is over, loudness has won

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mambo888 wrote: Fri Dec 19, 2025 12:04 pm I would buy all 3 if there was a bundle at 150 USD, I know I’m quite cheap and not the target audience, I just like to play with soft synths.
This one makes it 4 now. Thing, Expanse5, Alice9 & Squid3.
Until forever fades away.

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