Acustica Intros Daisy: All-in-One AD/DA Mastering Enhancer

[Acustica Community]

Daisy is an advanced mastering tool available for Windows and macOS in VST3, AU, and AAX formats. This plugin is meticulously designed to emulate a comprehensive collection of analog-to-digital and digital-to-analog conversions, covering solid-state, hybrid, and tube technologies.

Daisy expertly captures every nuance of each device, offering a range of sonic characteristics from the most transparent to the richly colored, making it an essential tool for anyone looking to enhance their mastering capabilities.
This tool blends the revered qualities of analog sound with the precision of modern digital technology, enhancing the auditory experience far beyond simple emulation.


Redefining Audio Mastery

Daisy offers an auditory experience of 18 different emulations from 14 high-value hardware units, resulting in 6 AD (Analog to Digital) and 12 DA (Digital to Analog) conversions, collectively valued well into the six-figure range, significantly enriching the mastering and audio enhancement process. Each unit has been meticulously chosen for its superior sound quality and durability, as well as its iconic status in world-class studios.
Daisy meticulously replicates the essence of these revered devices, bringing unparalleled audio fidelity into your studio environment. This opens the door to elite studio-quality sound that was previously accessible only to a select few with the means to build enviable sonic environments.






Unlock the Power of AD/DA Emulations

Daisy offers 18 meticulously crafted AD/DA emulations inspired by world-renowned converters. These models deliver a range of sonic characteristics, from pristine transparency to analog-inspired warmth, allowing you to tailor your sound with precision and character.

Here's a detailed breakdown of the included models:

- ADC Models (6 Total)

• FRS-02A: A solid-state design from the USA, known for its exceptionally transparent and uncolored sound, making it ideal for pure audio capture.

• DEN-X32: Designed in Denmark, this solid-state ADC is celebrated for its immaculate clarity and precision, perfect for studio recording.

• BMB-0B2: Made in the USA, this solid-state model delivers rich, colored tones with harmonic saturation, adding warmth and character to recordings.

• RNM-002: Another USA-made solid-state converter offering warm, musical tones with a vintage-inspired analog character, enhancing depth and richness in mixes.

• EPX-073: A clean and precise solid-state ADC from the USA, ensuring exceptional transparency and accuracy in signal conversion.

• GAX-032: A modern European solid-state converter praised for its pristine fidelity and cutting-edge accuracy, ideal for high-resolution recordings.

- DAC Models (12 Total)

• FRS-02A: A solid-state DAC from the USA that matches its ADC counterpart with a transparent, neutral output, ensuring accuracy for critical mastering.

• BRI-01M: This USA-made solid-state DAC provides rich, detailed, and dynamic sound, enhancing the depth and dimension of your mixes.

• DEN-X32: A solid-state model from Denmark that delivers ultra-clean and precise output, ideal for workflows requiring high fidelity.

• VIV-001: A solid-state DAC from the UK, known for its analytical precision, perfect for revealing the finest details in your audio.

• DEL-001: Another solid-state design from the UK, offering accurate reproduction with exceptional balance and clarity, ideal for critical listening.

• MCS-D10: Made in the USA, this solid-state DAC adds a warm and inviting tone, making it perfect for mastering tracks with musical richness.

• COM-543: A non-oversampling resistor-ladder DAC from the UK, delivering organic and natural sound with unique warmth audiophiles cherish.

• ACP-770: A hybrid DAC from Japan that combines solid-state precision with analog warmth, providing detailed and musical output.

• PRL-100: A tube-based DAC from the Netherlands that produces lush, smooth audio with harmonic richness and depth.

• AAT-002: A German-made tube DAC known for its rich, colored sound and warm, immersive tones, perfect for emotionally engaging playback.

• EPX-073: A solid-state DAC from the USA that offers clean and precise output, complementing its ADC counterpart seamlessly.

• GAX-032: A modern European solid-state DAC, designed for transparent and high-resolution playback, making it perfect for mastering applications.

Customize Your Signal Path

With Daisy, you can independently enable or disable ADC and DAC emulations, giving you the flexibility to:

• Use only the ADC for coloration and harmonic enhancement.

• Use only the DAC to shape playback tone or enhance spatial depth.

• Combine both for a complete AD-DA signal chain, creating an authentic analog-like path.

This comprehensive collection of AD/DA emulations makes Daisy an indispensable tool for mastering, mixing, and critical listening, offering unparalleled flexibility and sonic refinement.







Key Features

• Emulated ADC Models: Offers six ADC models that range from transparent solid-state to warmer and more colored tones, accommodating a variety of sound preferences.

• Emulated DAC Models: Includes twelve DAC models from ultra-clean solid-state to warm and lush hybrid and tube types, catering to diverse mastering needs.

• Drift Button: Simulates random variations in signal timing, adding subtle imperfections for an analog-like feel, enhancing the musicality.

• ADC Drive: Adds analog-like warmth and depth by increasing saturation at the ADC input, enriching the audio quality.

• DAC De-Correlate: Enhances the stereo image with unique spatial enhancements, enriching the mix and providing a wider soundstage.

• Advanced Metering and Real-Time Waveform Visualization: Provides new in-out Peak - Rms meters and waveform visualization, enabling detailed monitoring and analysis during the mastering process.

• Dither Menu with 8 Modes: Provides a variety of dithering algorithms tailored to different audio production needs, enhancing the final output quality.

• Bit Depth Menu: Allows users to select from a range of bit depths, from 8-bit to 32-bit, offering flexibility for various mastering requirements.

• Ceiling Menu with 5 Modes: Features flexible peak management options, including three different True Peak algorithms, to ensure precision and protection during the mastering process.

• Factory Presets: Includes expertly crafted presets that offer quick starting points and creative inspiration for various projects.

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

Daisy introductory price: €89 | 40% OFF until February 26, 2025 at 11:59 pm CET (reg. price €149)
Get it here!

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: Daisy'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.

Daisy user's manual


Daisy webpage: https://www.acustica-audio.com/shop/products/DAISY

[Scotty Ellis]

and of course they don't offer any additional discount to owners of Howie Weinberg Mastering Console. just pure greed from Acustica anymore.

[El°HYM]

Stop complaining and embrace the unlimited possibilities of the mighty prosumer - market. We are kvr & we love those new shiny plugins, that is what we all are here for: to consume and share our love with others who are just like us. We are All one!

TLDR

Buy now.

[Acustica Community]

and of course they don't offer any additional discount to owners of Howie Weinberg Mastering Console. just pure greed from Acustica anymore.

Daisy isn’t just a rehash of HWMConsole, it’s a completely different product with a different purpose.

It was designed to model ultra high-end AD/DA conversion, capturing the sonic character and transient response of different and some very expensive mastering-grade gear. While it incorporates some ideas from HWMC, it goes far beyond that, integrating advanced AI-assisted preset design and features that simply don’t exist in our other products.

[bmanic]

Hmm.. it's very strange how these supposed high-end ADDA converters have way worse frequency and phase response (most of them) than my very much mid priced RME Babyface. Just for shits and giggles I did a loopback with the Babyface and compared it to Daisy and it's completely night and day. Way less harmonic distortion, much flatter frequency response and absolutely 100% pristine phase response. I didn't even bother to hook up the Prism Orpheus which to this day could kind of be called "high end".

I'm smelling BS with this plugin. Not sure how they've captured these things but whatever they've done doesn't at all seem to be the correct way to go about it.

I can definitely confirm that various AD/DA stages will have an impact on the sound (especially the subtle impulse response and tiny variances between channels) but this plugin seems like it was either exaggerated or it was driven through some desk or other outboard to increase the enhancement.

In short: It sounds way over the top. Some of the DAC models have huge frequency response cuts in the highs.. up to -6dB at 14kHz. Anybody trying to sell such a DA converter would immediately be crucified by the target audience.

For instance the Bricasti M1 which seems to be one of the DA converters in this list.. it has a really bizarre frequency response. I'm tempted to email Casey and ask him about it just to get his always insightful, dry and funny answer.


EDIT: Oh and as always, this release is quite buggy, as is tradition. Input - output link/lock isn't working. Also the INIT preset, when loading the plugin, shows FRS (Forssell) models as the default ad and da.. yet when you open the list it's the VIVI version, so if you click the arrow buttons and think you are going to the next model, you aren't. This seems to work correctly in PD but not in Reaper.

[Scotty Ellis]

and of course they don't offer any additional discount to owners of Howie Weinberg Mastering Console. just pure greed from Acustica anymore.

Daisy isn’t just a rehash of HWMConsole, it’s a completely different product with a different purpose.

It was designed to model ultra high-end AD/DA conversion, capturing the sonic character and transient response of different and some very expensive mastering-grade gear. While it incorporates some ideas from HWMC, it goes far beyond that, integrating advanced AI-assisted preset design and features that simply don’t exist in our other products.

just for the similarity you should offer loyal customers of the HWMC an additional discount. at the very least an update of HWMC is in order to make it useable. But you're too busy repackaging variations of existing products for cash flow.

[Scotty Ellis]

dupe

[DJErmac]

Hmm.. it's very strange how these supposed high-end ADDA converters have way worse frequency and phase response (most of them) than my very much mid priced RME Babyface. Just for shits and giggles I did a loopback with the Babyface and compared it to Daisy and it's completely night and day. Way less harmonic distortion, much flatter frequency response and absolutely 100% pristine phase response. I didn't even bother to hook up the Prism Orpheus which to this day could kind of be called "high end".

I'm smelling BS with this plugin. Not sure how they've captured these things but whatever they've done doesn't at all seem to be the correct way to go about it.

I can definitely confirm that various AD/DA stages will have an impact on the sound (especially the subtle impulse response and tiny variances between channels) but this plugin seems like it was either exaggerated or it was driven through some desk or other outboard to increase the enhancement.

In short: It sounds way over the top. Some of the DAC models have huge frequency response cuts in the highs.. up to -6dB at 14kHz. Anybody trying to sell such a DA converter would immediately be crucified by the target audience.

For instance the Bricasti M1 which seems to be one of the DA converters in this list.. it has a really bizarre frequency response. I'm tempted to email Casey and ask him about it just to get his always insightful, dry and funny answer.


EDIT: Oh and as always, this release is quite buggy, as is tradition. Input - output link/lock isn't working. Also the INIT preset, when loading the plugin, shows FRS (Forssell) models as the default ad and da.. yet when you open the list it's the VIVI version, so if you click the arrow buttons and think you are going to the next model, you aren't. This seems to work correctly in PD but not in Reaper.

Sorry for the developper, but this review is full of sense.
By reading the product description, I wanted to try it, but after reading this, I won’t bother go through the Aquarium s#¡t.
I still don’t understand how this developer has gone from "superior quality sound (with a CPU compromize)" public reputation to "need to release as many plugins as possible as fast as possible"... Something definitely went wrong at some point...
Cool kids are now old dudes...

images.png

EDIT : the links aren’t even working...
30 day trial...
"https://www.acustica-audio.com/pages/ho ... r-products"

Screenshot_20250129-223556_Opera.jpg

[Acustica Community]

The link issue was fixed (it was pointing to our old website). As for the rest, everyone’s entitled to their opinion, but the reality is that we’re constantly improving and updating our products while also developing new ones.

Daisy, like all our releases, was designed with a specific purpose in mind.
We offer a 30-day trial, so if you’re genuinely interested in experiencing the sound rather than making assumptions, you can try it out for yourself and make a decision based on your experience.

[DJErmac]

I wish you the best. I have no reason to think the opposite way.

[El°HYM]

Me likes the Acustica stuff and also kind of agree that their output is pretty high. Then on the other hand, think of Airwindows releasing another Item each Week.

[pchase]

How exactly do you sample a reference ADDC?

[comfortablynick]

Some of the DAC models have huge frequency response cuts in the highs.. up to -6dB at 14kHz. Anybody trying to sell such a DA converter would immediately be crucified by the target audience.

I'm curious about this. Why would any AD or DA converter cut the highs by that much? I would expect most competently designed converters to be as flat as possible.

[bmanic]

Yeah, no shit?

[Dr.Gunjah]

But it sounds so warm...