Vintage, tube, analog monster sound – resampled. This set of plugins is new for Acustica as it is completely different from all other Acqua sets.
Luca Martegani, also known as Xelius, is the maker of an incredible selection of handcrafted audio gear that boasts impeccable sound, quality and value.
The equalizer and compressor are the elements of this set that impressed us the most, so much so that we decided to use them as the basis for our new product. We called it Cobalt.
LM 9804 Compressor:
This project began as an exercise in replicating a classic Altec Lansing style feedback compressor. The entire circuit was redesigned for experimental purposes: first around a 12AT7 tube as a gain control element, then around a 12AU7, and finally around a classic 6BZ7. The output stage was designed based on a parallel push-pull of two 6SN7 GTs driven by a custom output transformer.
The result is a powerful plugin that can be elegant or brutal, depending on how you use it. (This part is up to you!)
Elegant or brutal – up to you:
This compressor is great for tracking, especially for long-lasting sounds such as vocals, guitar, bass, pads and strings. And on drums and fast electronic loops, it exhibits audible compression ranging from pumping to extreme crushing, which can be incredibly useful for certain styles of music.
Equalizer LM 9736:
The idea was to develop an old school passive equalizer based on a resistive divider using resistors, inductors and capacitors.
The main goal of this project was to create an equalizer that could process audio in a transparent manner, while maintaining fast transients without introducing too much extra stuff.
More than sampled “emulation”:
“Coloration” The original hardware was completely innovative and was never mass produced.
But this equalizer is much more than just a sampled emulation of a unique machine. The Cobalt is a fully parametric, two-channel, 5-band tube equalizer that uses tubes all the way from the input stage to the output. It was conceived as an evolution of the classic Pultec design and is the result of years of research.
The LM 9736 is built on a pure vacuum tube topology, including a high voltage power supply. All components have been carefully selected to optimize performance: MKP capacitors and carbon resistors are widely used throughout the circuit.
Cobalt LXM96 Preamp:
The Cobalt preamp section emulates 5 classic vacuum tube preamps. The phase and frequency characteristics and harmonic distortion of the original equipment are perfectly reproduced. This careful selection of preamps gives you a lot of flexibility in building your virtual console emulation.
The best use of these sound coloring processors can only be determined by the individual user on a case-by-case basis and by the engineer’s own ears and imagination.
