Acustica Audio
Amethyst 3 by Acustica Audio Review
2025
Amethyst 3 by Acustica Audio Review
Amek units have been acknowledged for their smooth and clean sound. Acustica Audio Amethyst 3 leverages samples of real Amek consoles. The approach to sample and model after the captured information a plugin result is an authentic sounding tool which is surprisingly close to the actual unit.
“With Amethyst, we wanted to create a channel strip full of character, yet versatile enough and suitable for various mixing scenarios,” said Nik Georgiev, Marketing Director, Acustica Audio.”I feel that the tone and design choices in it, at this price, make Amethyst a great first buy for new customers.“
Installation
You have to use the Acustica Audio tool called Aquarius. This tool makes it easy to install and authenticate the plugin and supports different formats that need to be installed. Acustica Audio did send a review copy with no strings attached.
Sound
Amethyst 3 is modeled after classic Amek consoles. Some consider the consoles developed with Ruper Neve the ultimate recording consoles from the past.
Amethyst 3 is a four channel strip with Preamp, Filter, EQ, and compressor. Amethyst 3 can apply subtle changes to the original tracks and mix.
The plugin is divided into four sections. The input and output section of Amethyst 3 provide +24db to -24db Gain. Also, you get
- Three Preamps
- Two EQs – 2 High-pass and Low-pass Filters per EQ
- One compressor
The preamps section or plugin includes:
- 9098 Preamp modeled after the 9098 Console Preamp designed by Ruper Neve for Amek. It provides that clean and smooth tone
- 2500 Mix Preamp modeled after the Amek M2500 Console Channel. It gives that 80’s sound you have heard on so many songs used that Amek Channel
- 2500 Bus Preamp modeled after the Amek M2500 Stereo Bus Channel. Here you get the smooth stereo sound of any Amek M2500 Console.
The EQ section or plugin includes:
- EQ A is modeled after a custom Amek Clone.
EQ A is a 4 Band EQ. Features High, High Mid, High and Low Bands with a +12db boost to -12db reduction for each band.
The Q can be narrow to wide. And the optional high to low band bell or shelf Q. - EQ B is modeled after a 9098 Console EQ, design by Rupert Neve for Amek and sampled from an Amek 9098r
EQ B is a 4 Band EQ. Features High, High Mid, Low Mid and Low Bands with a +9db boost to -9db reduction for each band.
Q control from narrow to full for High Mid and Low Mid bands. High and Low bands have a bell or shelf Q.
High and Low also include a shiny and glow option which is a similar no official slope to the ISA 110 again designed by Rupert Neve.
The Compressor section or plugin was modeled after the Amek 9098 compressor which was designed by Rupert Neve. The compressor in this plugin was sampled from a 9098r.
Overall you get a great package, to enhance your tracks. With Amethyst 3 you can make surgical and broad and more colorful changes. Let’s assume you have a great sounding recording which was already mixed to a good point. When you add the colorful Amethyst 3 to it, you get that analog vibe to the records everyone loves.
User interface & Usability
The UI is designed for those classical analog devices that have been modeled. When you after the vibe you are getting from those Amek units the design is good for the user experience. As with all other Acustica Audio solutions we looked at, the manual is helpful and just looks great.
Rating: Five out of five stars
Amethyst 3 is an outstanding and stellar aggregated plugin including Preamp, Filter, EQ, and Compressor. All to help you to get a pleasant sounding tone with a clean high and bottom end while sounding alive, smooth, and tighter. The main driver of Acustica Audio is to bring the real analog vibe to your sound, and Amethyst 3 is an excellent example of how this can be done.
Sienna – headphone mixing magic
Everyone is talking about mixing on headphones these days. But with so many different solutions on the market, how do you know which one is the best choice for your needs? Odds are that you have already tried some of these plugins, and were frustrated with their sound quality. This is why Acusticaudio created Sienna, their most energetic project to date. So you can craft epic-sounding mixes anywhere you are, using the supported headphones you may already own. Sienna works out of the box with over 150 headphones – and counting – from the world’s most famous brands that Acusticaudio consistently measured and profiled using a highly sophisticated and extremely accurate system.
Sienna Features
- Includes 3 plugins for an increasing level of control and sound customization.
- Compatible with over 150 headphone models.
- Powered by Acustica’s exclusive combination of sampling technology and proprietary algorithms.
- Up to 10 studio rooms and over 30 different professional and consumer-grade speaker emulations*.
- Emulates speaker harmonics and distortion.
- Includes AI-based presets from professional engineers to get you started in no time.
- Compatible with all DAWs like Logic Pro, Pro Tools, Ableton Live, and others.
Sienna takes a radically different approach from other plugins in correcting your headphones’ response and emulating mixing and mastering rooms, high-end monitors, Hi-Fi systems, car stereos, TVs, radios, laptop speakers, and more.
A unique combination of Acustica’s exclusive sampling technology and a proprietary algorithm not only makes any headphone perform better – regardless of its price point – but recreates on headphones an authentic, mixing-in-the-room feel you can’t find anywhere else.
Sienna Allows You
- Mix on your headphones with accuracy and peace of mind.
- Reference your tracks on a variety of professional and consumer systems.
- Tailor sound to your taste.
- Achieve perfect results fast without even turning on your monitors.
- Never second-guess your creative decisions again.
- Forget about expensive, bulky room treatment.
Sienna (Volume A) is an Acqua plug-in suite in VST, AU, AAX formats. It represents an ambitious project that took a lot of time in design and development, but that time, which Acustic audio willingly spent, has repaid us considerably given the incredible results achieved, which will completely change the way people mix on the go. The outcome of this effort is one of the most extensive and rich plugins that Acustica has ever created. It recreates the same listening experience as if you were mixing in top-tier studios, mastering in audiophile-grade rooms, or playing back your tracks on HI-FI systems, car stereos, boomboxes, and more, all through your headphones.
Pricing and Availability
ACQUA – Sienna is available now. Early bird price €89 (€149) – Valid through March 25, 2021 11:59 pm CET
Acustica Audio Green 4
Finally, after a long wait, Green 4 has landed and it now includes a 5-band Mono Parametric Equalizer, a 5-band True-Stereo Parametric Equalizer, a 5-band Stereo Parametric Mastering Equalizer and a Stereo Mastering limiter/compressor. Green4 emulates industry-standard, high-end processors found in recording studios across the globe, manufactured in the USA and designed by one of the most famous and respected recording engineers in the world, who is also the inventor of the parametric equalizer.
Green4 includes a 5-band Mono Parametric Equalizer, a 5-band True-Stereo Parametric Equalizer, a 5-band Stereo Parametric Mastering Equalizer and a Stereo Mastering limiter/compressor. It also features our Ultra-gain™ Matching technology, which accurately maps all the gain values for all of the frequencies, to give you utmost precision.
The first version of Green was released back in 2014 and, since then, it has been highly acclaimed by the public despite the technological limitations of the time. Today we are offering you an improved and expanded version of Green, comprising of 4 processors, to satisfy the demands of mixing and mastering engineers alike.
Green4 Suite
Green4 Mono Parametric Equalizer (GREEN4EQMX)
A 5-band continuous mono parametric equalizer with high/low shelf filters, +12/-12 dB gain excursion, Q amplitude adjustment for each band, equipped with L-R / MID-SIDE specific controls and a by-passable preamp stage emulation.
Green4 True-Stereo Parametric Mixing Equalizer (GREEN4EQST)
A fixed-frequency 5-band stereo parametric equalizer with high/low shelf filters, +12/-12 dB gain excursion, Q amplitude adjustment for each band, equipped with several controls including: L-R / MID-SIDE, control-link, different types of meters, Pan, Spread, phase inversion and a by-passable preamp stage.
Green4 Stereo Parametric Mastering Equalizer (GREEN4ZENEQ)
A fixed frequency 5-band stereo parametric equalizer with high/low shelf filters, +6/-6 dB gain excursion, Q amplitude adjustment for each band, equipped with several controls including L-R / MID-SIDE, control-link, different types of meters, Pan, Spread, phase inversion, and a by-passable preamp stage.
Green4 Stereo Mastering Limiter/Compressor (GREEN4ZENCMP)
A Stereo ‘RMS’ limiter/compressor consisting of two compressors (FAST-SLOW) running in parallel for each channel with a significant number of controls, including a blend control, L-R / MID-SIDE, control-link, different types of meters, Pan and Spread. It is therefore an uncompromising, precise, and extremely effective tool for mastering and other critical applications where maximum control, flexibility, and transparency are required.
Each plug-in included in the Green suite comes in a “Standard” version and an alternative “ZL*” version which operates at *zero latency and is thus suitable for use when tracking, at the cost of extra processing resources. For further details consult the Green user’s manual in the Overview section.
Pricing and Availability
Special Intro Pricing: €129 (reg. €219) You’ll save 40%!* on Green 4 (Intro pricings normally last for 30 days from the date of the announcement.)
SAND3 is a VST/AAX/AU plug-in suite that reproduces the sonic behavior of a series of high-end British consoles which literally dominated the Pop and Rock scene from the ’80s onward. Sound engineers from all over the world swear by their forward, slightly ‘aggressive’ sound as well as their logical layout.
With the SAND3 suite, Acustica Audio has faithfully recreated the sound characteristics of classic British high-end mixing consoles and recording studio hardware. It includes a powerful channel-strip featuring a combination of many devices into a single plugin, characterized by unique color with incredible new features. First of all let us briefly look at some of the plugin’s key features before moving on to its specific controls.
SAND3 Includes 6 Different Plugins
- SAND3 Channel Strip ( Full channel strip with EQ, compressors and preamp options )
- SAND3 EQ ( 3 band EQ module with 3 selectable per band models including a complete PREAMPS section )
- SAND3+G EQ (Homebrew EQ)
- SAND3+E EQ (Homebrew EQ)
- SAND3 COMP ( 3 switchable Single-band compressors)
- SAND 3 PRE (56 different preamps: 32 MIC, 16 LINE, 8 GROUP)
Sound engineers from all over the world swear by their forward, slightly ‘aggressive’ sound as well as their logical layout. Last but not least, SAND3 packs the experience of 7 renowned engineers, who have been directly involved in the development of dedicated AI presets, ready for use.
SAND3 is equipped with different multivariable meters for the INPUT and OUTPUT stages including VU, Peak, True Peak, LUFS, K12, K14 and more. Acustica Audio did this to give you the utmost in level reference during mixing.
Pricing and Availability
Combine the code below with your personal Loyalty Coupon to save even more! Oh right, do not trash these codes even if you cannot make it in time. They could come in handy someday.
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