Hi friends ^_^

Any ideas, opinions, reviews of Acustica Synth plugins?

I've just watched a yt of Squid... sounds & looks nice!

 

They are really good. Squid especially. Like all things Acustica they have some "quirks" lol. The highest quality setting is nearly impossible to use without immediately freezing. The low quality setting is fine cpu wise, but audio quality takes a noticable hit. There are 4 quality settings so you can pick what you need depending on the situation.

There are some additional quirks, but nothing deal breaking. I would say recommended if you want excellent sound, and don't mind some quirky behavior. They really sound like the real thing. Run a demo and see for yourself. If you do like it, don't pay full price, they do absurd amounts of sales, so just wait for one.

 

I didnt find them to be anything special. And when compared with the more accomplished synth plugins (u-he for example) the Acustica synths fail to impress given their high CPU and clunky UI issues.

I think you can get u-he Diva sounding every bit as good as Squid with no problem at all.

 

Last edited: Feb 6, 2026 at 9:28 AM

This is the first time I have ever seen Diva proposed as a lower-cpu alternative. Equal or better sound, certainly.

 

The Acustica Audio synthesizers are too expensive; they don't offer enough customization options for my liking.
Arturia has done a better job, adding a step sequencer, more polyphony, and usable effects to their hardware clones.

Acustica Audio - SQ3 - Squid-3 = €199, Acustica Audio - Expanse5 = €169, Acustica Audio - Alice9 = €249, Acustica Audio - Thing = €229
They even sell T-shirts, The Marea Collection Classic Tee for €54.77—if that isn't a rip-off, I don't know what is!

The "U-HE - Zebra 3" is more advanced.

There's no firm release date yet. It could take two months, or perhaps even a little longer, until the release version is ready.
The beta version is now available for macOS, Windows, and Linux in the KVR forum, where you can also provide feedback.

There is a pre-order offer of €179; the regular price will be €249.

Playing with my favourite Zebra 3 presets

FM in ZEBRA 3