Acustica Audio Ultramarine 4 2023

Ultramarine includes 5 plugins that recreate the sound of truly legendary studio equipment from the 1950s and the 60s. These models are so rare and costly that even modern reissues fetch high prices. Our plugin suite includes everything you need to give your productions the immortal sound of the great classics, thanks to our careful sampling of the original hardware.

A70 Mid-Side/Stereo Compressor
This compressor is based on what is arguably the most iconic of all dynamics processors. Described as the “universally-accepted standard for level control' in the 1950s, it remains one of the most revered studio processors ever invented. Equally versatile in mastering studios as in radio broadcast facilities, the original machines go for $20,000 or more on the second-hand market.

The sound of this impressive device is defined by its short attack and long release times, which lets you keep transients under control while giving the body of the track a sonic “massage.” But because only about 1000 units were ever built and sold, it’s becoming more and more difficult to find one in excellent operating condition.

Over the years, multiple clones and emulations — both hardware and software — have been created in an attempt to capture the unmistakable character of this behemoth compressor/limiter; however, no digital version has been able to match the elegance of this marvelous piece of engineering.

That is, until now. In order to create our plugin, we directly sampled the original hardware unit. We believe that the results speak for themselves.

A-27 - Variable Tube Equalizer
Originally built in the 1960s, this active EQ featured unique circuitry and a completely different electronic implementation compared to other classic EQs from the same era.

The search for an original hardware unit seemed like an impossible mission, but we didn't lose hope. In the end, we tracked down all the necessary components, one by one, and we assembled it ourselves!

In the end, this specialized equalizer surpassed even our highest expectations. Wonderfully smooth in sound, it’s a beast of a machine, and is truly unique. The Ultramarine 4 A-27 EQ is a world apart from any other EQ we’ve sampled, and we guarantee that you’ll fall in love with it the same way we did.

A-64 American Vintage 2-Band Passive Program EQ
Don't let its size fool you!

This passive EQ comes straight from a model made in the early 1960s, with only 2 correction bands, a low shelving filter, and a high peak-type filter.

While the low-frequency filter has a fixed cut-off 80Hz, the high-frequency filter offers 4 peak settings ranging from 4-15 kHz. The original model had an input signal attenuation of 17dB, which meant that the passive EQ unit was almost always coupled to a preamplifier or a compressor to help recover part of the lost level.

It’s still considered by many audio professionals to be one of the most musical equalizers ever created. We at Acustic Audio were lucky enough to find a unit in perfect condition, and we jumped at the opportunity to sample it.

Try it out for yourself — we’re sure you’ll agree that the results are simply stunning.

A-58 Reverb Unit
The A-58 reverb is the virtual counterpart of a high-quality, electro-mechanical reverberation device, and one of the best vintage reverbs ever created by a legendary American manufacturer. This gem is a real collector's item! It employs 6 electro-mechanical delay lines, each tuned differently to produce a natural reverb effect that is extremely smooth and warm (even on percussive sounds).

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