LOL... nah bruh. As someone who's dabbled in programing/cracking myself, sometimes it is an inside
but with Acustica this is definitely NOT the case. Like R2R has said in their nfo's Acustica's in-house protection scheme is far being the industry standard.

Their protection is just easy to exploit. The end.

 

Considering that consistently, R2R keeps finding in many applications a pile of unnecessary code that slows the loading down so they remove it, yes I'd agree. They can at least do an equal job at worst.

 

Yeah, I realised that too, I've owned several AA plugins for years and these days, out of curiosity I built a "sidecar" PC to test the R2R (otherwise Aquarius will sniff out my moves ), some seem to be quite nailed, but most seem to be compromised, I have an idea that in the heat of removing things the guys have removed or modified necessary parts...
Anyway, in my opinion, these plugins are not to be judged by their stripped down versions, many seem to have originated from the trials.
There's something messing around and randomly saturating CPU and RAM when the tracks increase, when the legit ones normally don't.
And yes, for the 48 and 88.2khz frequencies there seem to be strange cuts on the high end. For example Amber is missing libraries.
Then I didn't download everything because I only look at what I own to compare... and downloading all this stuff takes geological eras

 

They never mentioned it in the system requirement, or give user any warning about it. They just assumed all the customer are Nebula users and automatically understand about how their plugin works at its sample rate requirement. Not a single warning nor they acknowledge that 48kHz is the most popular working sample rate choice for audio production for the past 10 years now ? The damn plugin never gives any sort of warning to the user about itself running at wrong sample rate. When an internal error occur, the plugin just mute itself or just crash, R2R mentioned this in their newest NFO.

The problem was brought up to them back in 2019, and they announced (in a forum) separate library content for 48/88kHz pack to be available for downloads for all the plugins but never really materialized by them fully, not all 100+ of their plugin get this and as usual they rather go sample another hardware and release new plugins. Even I that was a legit customer for 1 and half year never aware of it.

For now, some people believe, the trial version and the full version now (for non-Hyper engine plugins, older plugins) are different with the sample rate compatibility where as you can guess for trial version the 48kHz/88kHz library are not included, you'll only get it when you purchase the plugin. I cant confirm this but from proofs people posted it seems like the full version contains a lot of different files and doubled in size compared to the trial version. So basically if you work at 48kHz get them AA plugin trial and got excited about how awesome the broken version running at wrong sample rate sounding like, then paid the full price, get the full version, you get a different sounding plugin.

Some believe R2R release didnt work with 48kHz sr, didnt come with 48kHz sr compatibility is mainly because they based their crack from the trial version that didnt have all the required files to begin with. R2R haven't said anything about this matter. I don't know for sure and just hope they temporarily visit the AA download server and copy everything.

 

In ProTool it is impossible to use it in a session not even by default the plugin, however in FL Cubase does not consume much so it is something with the aax binaries I know haha

 

THX
LMFAO

 

Today, i realized through a lot of AB testing that i'm not working with Acustica anymore (nor legit, nor R2R). The only plugin that i'm keeping for sure is BLACK and maybe the preamps from the units i like, because that's the only part that i liked the most on their plugins and it's not (insanelly) CPU intensive. Very Hi-Fi feel. Otherwise, i'm discarding everything from EQs to comps, reverbs, clippers, etc. They can't do no better than the good algo plugins i have. The EQ's sounds good. But do you really need a hit of 10%+ for a single EQ unit, while you can open FF-Pro-Q or Equilibrium and do much more crazy things with less than 1%, while both EQ's have the benefit of analogue phase? Soundwise they are very close to IK EQ's. C'mon, SALT is a really good eq, bringing different units at different bands. But our boi Dave Gamble did it years ago, very well made, without bloatware and infinit phase and curves possibilities. If you like a modern approach, Kirchhoff is there. Missing some color on those algo EQ's? Throw some AA pre and you will have it. The compression is shitty. C'mon. I can't even take it seriously. Even Waves 20 years old DSP can do better? It's unbelievable. I would never use that on a important production, besides El Rey. Compare Waves API-2500 or Lindell SBC with the compressor on Pink and you will be shocked; trust your ears, not the GUI. I would even go further and ask you to compare the Britpressor from Analog Obsession with the 2254 on GOLD. May sound like a joke. But for me the AO is much more usable than AA one. And Channev is a overall better channelstrip than Gold. If they had the same "kernels" on the preamp and eq, Channev would obliterate GOLD.

About the workflow is pretty much what i already knew: unresponsive GUI's, cluttlering options that can drive to craziness someone that likes to work fast. I knew it before the R2R version. But the fact that i didn't knew was how can be a time waste to work with lots of different acusticas on a session. I wanted to die and cried silently while i turned all those unresponsive knobs and tweaked through the various EQ options with a 2sec delay between an option and other.

I respect anyone that will keep going through this plugins, but i'm deffo out of this. Not my thing, give my Voxengo, Meldaproduction and Airwindows plugins back while you enjoy the gifts R2R are bringing to us.

 

Last edited: Nov 24, 2023

Quick question... Can R2R or someone use files from a legit user's copy for the correct 48khz sample rate to fix these problems? I have a decent collection of Acustica plugins including several that R2R has released already. I'd be willing to provide files if that helps bridge the gap.

 

Just make sure first that they are not unique files that can be traced back to the user...

 

Giancarlo: "...We shouldn't even be discussing this. ..."
Then WHY ARE YOU discussing this?
WHY are you even here?
Hmm?

 

wellll, to be fair, each hardware unit varies too. Especially the older units. I work with hardware a fair amount of hardware daily, and can vouch that acustica's come very close. sometimes even better because of lower noise, or the ability for recall, multiple instances, automation etc.

 

So I did some comparison tests with those suggestions. I ran 1 track with the plugin in 48kHz and ran another track using the plugin inside Blue Cat Patchwork and set it to 2X Oversampling at 96000kHz. Focused only on the higher end frequencies.

This is ULTRAMARINE4EAQ27:


And yep, that high end is gone at 48k.

This is ULTRAMARINE4REV at 100% Wet:


Where did it all go? This plugin seems screwed at both 48k and 96k.

This is ULTRAMARINE4REV at 75% Wet:


This is ULTRAMARINE4REV at 50% Wet:


So the reverb may be usable at some settings but why bother. It's best just to avoid ULTRAMARINE4 & ULTRAMARINEREV altogether for now.

But I have been using AMBER3, PINK4 & GAINSTATION2 in my mixes and it sounds good to me so I tested the specific plugins I have been using too.

This is PINK4PEQ:


This is GAINSTATION2:


This is AMBER3 with center button activated:


So these last 3 specific plugins just seem a little louder at 48k (this may be the 44.1k stretching that is talked about below this post) but are very usable and do seem to be functioning well enough for my ears.

But this is AMBER3 with center button activated and all IN & X10 buttons activated:


To summarize my findings:
Certain plugins can be used at 48k and certain plugins should not be used at 48k unless you run them through Blue Cat's PatchWork at 2X Oversampling(96000kHz) while we wait for the 48kHz frequency packs to someday be released.

 

Last edited: Nov 24, 2023

I wrote this on sister's site, just pasting it here

"Acustica Audio's products are based on sampling procedures from real analogue and digital equipment using a fixed sampling frequency.

Alternative samples are then created with other sampling frequencies to provide each product with better functionality, i.e., each product has four sampling frequencies, 44.1 kHz, 48.0 kHz, 88.2 kHz, and 96 kHz. Most sample rates are currently used.

When you are trying to run a session, and the sample rate is missing, for example, Green version 4 without the frequency pack, your audio host (DAW or NLE) will ask the plug-in to convert the vectors files to match the session sample rate, which could lead to slower load time and less accurate sound quality.

For larger products, for example, Green version 4 or Green version 4 Zen, the 48 kHz and the 88.2 kHz sample rate vector files can be installed through the Aquarius Desktop application separately, so these are the frequency packs."

https://acusticaudio.freshdesk.com/support/solutions/articles/35000170890-what-is-a-frequency-pack

 

Last edited: Nov 24, 2023

So if these various plugins' problem is caused by the Trial Versions being used for these experiments and observations; does this mean they (AA) have customers evaluating demo versions that sound worse than the real plugins in DAW? Is that to reduce the size of the plugin that a customer who is demoing the product gets? Nothing about how the Trial versions that are being used via the R2R method changes any of this?

 

Spoiler: Yes

Spoiler: Yes

 

This explains the high CPU usage because some of these plugins be spikin' and cracklin' on load up. Can't even add 3 of them in series on a track let alone in an entire project.

 

Last edited: Nov 24, 2023

Nice test.
Ultramarine reverb shitty sound at 48kHz can be heard clearly. It's too obvious to miss, crank to 100% it sounds just funny. Oversampled it, you get a nice vintage style reverb with clear dimension. I kinda like it.

Okay, as for right now, the reference, benchmark, for the EQ is running the plugin at 96kHz or 2X because it's the most optimal condition, no vector conversion, stretching whatsoever. For the 48kHz, non-oversampled state for it to be "usable" as in accurately depitct the actual plugin as intended, everything should match the 96kHz state right ? the EQ point, Q value etc. It should be that consistent maybe just +/- 0.1db and +/- 2Hz are tolerable since it's sampled from the hardware. I found that they are not, I already mentioned where a boost on 700Hz on Gainstation showing a 350Hz on the analyzer. PINK & SAND showing more or less the same behavior it pushed the EQ points lower and it gets worse on the high end. Shelves with the same settings, showing more affected area, like it has different Q value altogether. But it's an EQ anyway, you do it with ear, it doesnt matter much if you know what you're doing.

The more important thing to me however is the preamp, a stretched IR for preamp is not tolerable at all, it's not just slight different, for the result i'm getting it's huge for a preamp sound where suppose to be subtle at best, and can only show its full character in context, say 10 instances. 10 instances for already wrong preamp sound is a big no for me personally. That's the opposite for why anyone would ever want to use Acustica plugin at the first place. It's counter-intuitive. Dunno about others. Using only the EQ without the preamp is too overkill, might as well use Kirchhoff or DMG Equilibrium.

.

 

Last edited: Nov 24, 2023

Off-topic, but yeah, I haven't.
Sincerly doubt, however, that there's a single sound design goal out there that can only be achieved by Falcon only. If push comes to shove, you can always layer Phase Plant with some orchestral library or even a phys-mod plugin.

 

Counter-intuitive is the right expression. I don't wanna be toggling between 4 types of EQ, 25 preamps and 3 compressors that sound strange depeding on the choice you make.

For example: I loved how GOLD sounded at the first moment. It gave an extra volterra life on my unprocessed source that sounded good. I wont deny that. But when i saw myself using another sound and retweaking the whole chain to match my taste, and after that i compared to Noiseash Need and Console-N + Burnley from Sonimus: it's like light and day. You get the sound that's in your head very quickly, and don't loose 1% on sound quality. I even prefered Sonimus Console than GOLD, and by time, when people start really AB'ing things they will ask themselves why the hell so many ressources and time were lost. I'm not trying to input my taste under nobody, do whatever makes you happy. I just want to get my thing done with a sound that i like. I if think it's not really adding nothing special, but taking, i won't regret to ignore it, even if most people start thinking that Giancarlo is the Sonic Messiah.

 

Last edited: Nov 24, 2023

This is how things get convoluted fast...It would not be like R2R to half arse crack plugins and it doesn't make much sense for AA to offer a limited trial without stating that in the trial info because 48kz is a very common sample rate. If it does as you say, sound completely different to the paid version that would be really dumb logic of AA. If R2R didn't know this then hopefully they can remedy that if some legit owners can donate those files.