Acustica Audio have announced the release of Midnight and Ash Ultra Flat. The former is a new collection of four vari-mu compressor emulations, and the latter is the latest addition to Ash, the company’s suite of clipper plug-ins.
Midnight
Midnight delivers a collection of four hardware compressor emulations which have been developed by sampling modern Fairchild-inspired units produced by different manufacturers. Acustica have used their latest Hyper 3 modelling technology, which they say delivers unparalleled sound quality, but have also taken the chance to add a range of features not found in the original units with the aim of offering users greater control without sacrificing the sound of the sampled hardware.
As well as relying on the company’s latest modelling technology, the collection also runs on a new Aria engine which supports dynamic and real-time metering displays, along with a new anti-aliasing algorithm that promises to significantly reduce aliasing issues. A new visual interface provides RMS input, output and gain reduction meters, along with a waveform view that offers a detailed representation of the incoming audio signal and processing taking place — thanks to the new engine, the display responds instantly to any control changes and provides immediate feedback on any parameter adjustments.
The collection offers a choice of 3D or Flat GUI options, the first of which provides a view styled on a Fairchild’s front panel with a screen view to provide visual information, whilst the second presents users with a modern graphical interface with all of the parameters lined up underneath large central visual display.
A range of listening modes make it possible to monitor in standard left/right stereo as well as audition the mid or sides element of a signal, and a delta mode is provided to hear exactly what the plug-in’s processing is doing to the incoming audio. The plug-ins also support oversampling rates up to 64x.
Ash Ultra Flat
Expanding on the recently added Ash Ultra, the new Flat variant of Acustica’s clipper plug-in has been developed with an emphasis on real-time monitoring. It shares the same simple and intuitive 2D GUI as the original, and benefits from a new algorithmic metering system. The company say that they are confident that the plug-in represents one of the best clippers available, and that it boasts particularly effective aliasing rejection that leaves behind no noticeable frequency or phase artifacts. As it is part of the Ash suite, it is available for current owners for free.
Compatibility
Midnight and Ash are supported on PCs running Windows 10 or 11, and Macs running macOS 10.15 and above. VST, AU and AAX plug-in versions are available.
Pricing & Availability
Both plug-ins are available now. Midnight is being offered for an introductory price of €99 until 22 December, after which it will cost €219. Ash is priced at €109 until 10 December 2023, when it will return to its full price of €199, and current owners are eligible to a free update that includes the new Ash Ultra Flat plug-in.
