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Last edited: Oct 19, 2021

What if one of R2R gifts for BF is AA...?

 

only after buying some of their plugins i realized that i dont like the workflow, i dont like to change a button and have to wait a second for it take lock into place and process the audio differently (im aware its a design flaw inherited by nature of these plugins, as they are kinda "sampled" which is why they sound so nice)
but for me at the end of the day is workflow > "analog authenticity", ill manage to get the sound i want without Acustica Audio, and maybe even faster sometimes.. (thanks Kush Audio )
so even if they are on sale i simply lost interest in them i guess
(no hate if u like em! they are good sounding stuff... to each his own )

 

I feel you !
I almost have them all, the CPU consumption is crazy ! Kind of glitchy sometimes and they react pretty slowly even with a good workstation... I supposed that's the price to pay to get these unique sound signatures.
For mastering that's ok, for mixing it can becomes hard to handle and break the workflow continuity...
In summary, if I have to rush or if I'm sketching, I avoid using AA stuff or bounce them as soon as I can...
For more comfortable sessions (reactive ones) I will reach for "coloration" in stuff from :
- Kush Audio
- Fuse Audio Labs
- Black Rooster
- Plugin Alliance
- Soundtoys
...etc

 

IMO AA preamps are another league compared to Kush which i also use.
Most AA plugs i use have low latency, you need a decent computer to use them.
I use everything you mentioned but AA /Nebula when used wisely across the mix, the result is usually a better sounding mix.
While its a strain on the cpu the result is more weight, depth, more pleasant mids and highs and it just sounds more glued like using hardware.

 

I totally agree about the preamps, that's why I invested in AA since day 1 or 2 ...
But you don't need a decent computer, you need a fucking powerful computer to be comfortable, and that's not as comfortable as most plugins.
I can load approximatively 30 instances of full activated Crimson (the heavier on the CPU) on my computer so in theory that's ok for a full AA "normal" mix session in terms of processing possibilities, but I always feel this slow behaviour even with just few plugins.
I can understand some people don't like working this way, it's annoying.
On one side, the sound quality of AA plugins have no equals in the digital world, that's a fact, sometimes it's so close to the emulated hardware that it can fool the most accurate ears, on the other side, there is a lot of renowned mix engineers working exclusively ITB without AA stuff... IMHO knowledge and ears are more important than tools but I guess like @vuuru_keg said, "to each his own"

 

Algo plugins have come very far, i have no problem not using AA.
Preamps of AA are still their strongest selling point imo.

 

For me their Acqua's just don't sound as great compared to Nebula, actually they sound kind of strange. With N4 AlexB consoles & TimP compressors and pre's, that's where the magic is.

 

Probably they will take some of my money

 

Alex and Tim know how to squeeze out the max when sampling gear. To my ears the difference is that Nebula has more pleasant highs and AA has mpre hifi highs.

 

Well, I want to to vote 3 choices. But I can`t.
so this is my vote...
Overrated company.
Still too expensive
I will get 1 plugin (probably)

 

If anyone needs a suggestion for what to buy.
White, mastering/mixbus EQ. Easy to use. Makes anything sound better.
Pink/Sand, Api/SSL suits for rock/metal
Blond, vintage mojo. Great preamps.
Snow, modern Neve for EDM people.

 

I'm eyeing Green and Erin since I have been using those trials a lot.