guess for tomorrow's releases: Tulip, Straw, Cardinal, Mystic

btw today's releases work perfectly on win 11 ableton live 11

complaint to AA: the gainstation gui is too small, no resize, and the routing knob uses dots as indicators, which genius came up with this design......?

 

Is Nebula on the cards at all? Or is that a different can of worms

 

Wow, UA's updating practice you describe should be criminal!

I'm one of those that really dislikes needing 5 versions of the Gold suite installed just for project compatibility. In my opinion, unique versions/IDs should only be the case backwards compatibility is completely impossible. Another downside is that the R2R releases are all or nothing. If you've used any prior versions in projects (which they likely won't release) you're stuck with Aquarius even if you only want to use R2R-improved versions of products you legally own.

With that said newer versions of Acustica plugins can be much more annoying and bloated and older ones preferred. In products like Gold the EQ-only plugins now can be larger than the main one with all the features! Just one v5 pre and EQ take more than double the space as the v2 versions (there's even room for an extra compressor)!

They could've easily added preamps to the EQ with a drop-down menu, and put metering in the wasted fake rack space, but nah, let's triple the UI size with meters and a preamp selector each as big as the actual EQ even though they're both disabled by default and there's already a dedicated preamp plugin for when the user actually wants it.

 

You've got a problem with the AA company, their plugins, your DAW got problems with AA plugins.
It's very interesting to watch how the drama around you and the AA will unfold.
I just can't figure out what they did to offend you so much that you can't calm down. Your whole hate is based on words, even your so-called comparisons are based on words. Show us some audio examples.

 

But do these R2R releases derive from full products licenses or trials? Why do many of these plugins sound so bad at 48 kHz? Acustica Audio plugins really sound that bad? I ask you legit users

 

here is the explanation taken from
Stevie Dude from the sister site
In my theory I think that some products are encrypted from the test version that only has 48/96khz so they differ from the final commercial version
So far (22 November 2023) :

1) R2R AA plugins that can work with any sample rate :
- Fire The Pump
- Black
- Salt
- Magic Flow
- Space Control
- Gold 5
- Ash
- Ash Ultra

2) R2R AA Plugins that do not support 48kHz. Need Oversampling when project sample rate is 48kHz (but run fine at 44.1kHz & 96kHz) :
- Amber
- Howie Weinberg Mastering Console
- Gainstation 1 & 2
- Pink 4

Note :
1. Using the plugin that doesn't support 48kHz will result in whacky filtering at the high end, inaccurate Preamp sound, all EQ points wrong, funky EQ filters interaction and so on.

2. Use FX Instance Oversampling 2X on Reaper or run the plugin inside Bluecat Patchwork and Oversample it 2X if you have to use it inside a 48kHz project.

 

I'd say the drama's ended. I don't see any payoff I expected with testing - just frustration, so not going to continue. Also no audio examples, sorry, as I already deleted what little I had downloaded.

 

Do legit products also behave like this? Or just R2R? For example: does a full Legit Pink 4 behave the same way as R2R at 48 KHz?

 

My guess is that R2R cracked the trials, of which a great many of them don't offer the 48khz libraries, etc. So you're stuck using 44.1khz. Legit users do not have this problem as all sample rates are implemented.

 

Besides of all that Acqua hype, one thing that i'm really digging after this R2R release are the Nebula libs, which i never used BC of Aquarius. Soooo many good things. I love convolution, and those sounds from third parties were so well captured that i'm actually digging those more than Acustica plugins

 

dont know for sure. Still investigating but someone just download the Gold 4 trial version and compared the library with full version (check R2R AA HowieWMC post at sister's site comment section). While it has vector/image for all the sample rate, the library size for the full commercial release is double (3.6GB) compared to the trial (1.8GB). They contain different/extra file too. Could be the trial is outdated version but update that double its size, will probably change the plugin sound. What's the point of making it available for trial anyway since it doesnt sound the same as the final commercial updated version. What if user liked the trial one, then pay and get the new updated plugin that sound different. Weird marketing. #facepalm

 

48khz and aquas always sounded bad, wierd, wrong.. And I was, still am for a limited number of products, a legit user. There might be exceptions with their newer tech but you know what I think? I think Pink sounds awful !!!
It's in fact Pink that got me to check out UAD and I'm glad I did, totally different beasts. As usual YMMV.
on a full, dense mix, 96khz is only possible with Audiogridder also... (thank god it exists)

 

Exactly. Happened to me several times as a legit user. "wow cool my trial sounds great, time to reproduce it with the paid version" = not the same sound.....
It's an incredibly bad way to test a plugin, you just stop buying them after a while and sell the unused ones.

i doubt that R2R is providing the trials, at least I hope not.
The mac guys are using the trials though.
I'm sceptic !

 

do i have to complete the full rain dance and incense ritual before AA 64bit software toys operate properly?

 

I don't need any of this and I don't think I want any of this but I may download it all anyway because, stuff.

May try it eventually.

 

AA use special additional packs 48/88.2 for some products before, maybe they do this even right now, cant check.
Actually, I remember they had some issues with supporting 48kHz before. Often, these packages were released separately and later from the product, related information can be found on GS for example.

Spoiler: content

 

Hi.
Man, we were talking about how to improve that protection of yours and came to conclusion that the best solution is to hire a privat military because it would be cheaper than that server space you have to pay for in a long run.

I'm glad we found a way to help each other, this is what it's all about!

 

But then it is practically impossible to use these plugins. All sessions are almost mandatory at 48khz. And it's incredible considering the incredible amount of reviews from so many professionals. Try this: take an Avalon 737 UADx at 48 KHz and then an Amber R2R, the AA sound is broken. I mean, it sounds really really bad.

 

Well said !