Acustica announces Cola: From sampling HW to sampling humans with AI Deep Learning

Product: Cola
Developer: Acustica Audio
Price (MSRP): EARLY ACCESS PRICING- 109.00€ (REG. 159.00€) Save 30%OFF For the first four weeks after release or until first official version is released.
Plug-in Format(s): VST, AU, AAX
System Requirements (Windows): Windows 7 - Windows 10
System Requirements (OSX): OSX 10.8 - OSX 10.13
Cola Commercial web-page:
Cola User's manual: https://app.box.com/shared/static/2n...j8h53pniy0.pdf

FROM SAMPLING HARDWARE TO SAMPLING HUMANS

With Cola (Cola C228 standalone plugin), we have introduced a first-of-its-kind in AI-based approaches to mixing. Unlike other companies, who simply classify the nature of audio content (violins, drums, vocals, etc.) with the aim of implementing an auto-mix functionality with the software, we have chosen a completely different approach.

We are not new to Artificial Intelligence technology. In fact, we have been using 'AI-based machine learning' while developing our compressors.

But Deep Learning techniques - applied to our already unique hardware sampling technology - will be a true game changer as - to our knowledge - the creative approach of an engineer to mixing has never been 'sampled' and recreated in a plugin.

Once again, we wanted to be the first to truly bring something innovative to the game, like we did when we introduced VVKT technology in the audio world over 10 years ago, setting a new standard that goes beyond mere emulation. Plus, the sound of 'Cola' is something nobody has ever captured (or emulated) before.

BRITISH PASSION.

The centrepiece of this plugin suite is a beautiful and rare British console from 1972. used to shape the immortal sound of iconic albums by AC/DC, Queen, Clash, Sex Pistols and many more.
Our emulation embodies the essence and the behaviour of this sexy beast - a fully discrete, class A console with mastering grade inductor Eq's on each channel and a 44-Volt audio power supply that gives it a smooth and clear sound with big and solid bass, low noise and lots of headroom.

In addition to this beautiful console, we have emulated some extremely refined and very rare pieces of gear to accurately deliver the classic tone that can be found at of Vox-ton's (
Vox-Ton is a fully analog recording studio based in Berlin, Germany, run by skilled engineers Francesco Donadello and Niels Zuiderhoek.

Acustica and Vox-Ton studio joined forces for this exciting project to give you one of the best vintage plugin suites ever created in the digital domain.

WHAT YOU GET

The Cola suite consists of:

-Cola C-228 (Vintage 3-Band Inductor Equalizer with High-pass and Low-pass Filters ).
-Cola C-415 (Vintage Valve Pre / 3-Band Passive Equalizer).
-Cola C-1671 (Vintage Germanium Graphic Equalizer ).
-Cola C-505 (Vintage Discrete Compressor/Limiter).
-Cola Channel-strip (Channel strip that includes some of the previous cited standalone plugins).

Each plug-in included in the Cola suite comes in 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.

DETAILS

Cola C-228

If you are not familiar with this unit, then you should know it's one of the best consoles ever manufactured by a celebrated British company founded in 1968 - with a long history of excellence in the world of recording, touring and theatre. The Cola 228 Vintage EQ plug-in is a faithful emulation of one of the best desk models of this company. It includes several controls and is amazingly intuitive to use.

Cola C-415

Cola C-415 is an plugin emulation inspired by a British valve mic-amp/mixer from the 1950/60s used by producer Joe Meek to which we have added an entire and authentic collection of vintage preamps, an accurate end-to-end circuit emulation of the bass, mid and treble EQ sections, taking inspiration from his big brother, namely the 4M/15W model. These units have gained a 'cult' status in the vintage recording world. They were used on many legendary records from the '50s and '60s and used extensively at famous studios for film productions.

Cola C-1671

Cola 1671 is a 9-band graphic EQ based on a rare discrete germanium equaliser introduced in U.K. in the early 1960s. This highly appreciated solid-state device employed germanium transistors and came with a remote controller. This machine was an integral part of the outboard setup of many recording studios in the middle of the 60s/70s and was used for many famous musical productions. The great engineer Neil Kernon recalls: "we had racks of these Eqs back in the day”. He used them all the time for doing extreme EQ'ing"

"Although it's a fantastic all-around Eq, it's one of my favorites on bass and synths" -Francesco Donadello

Cola C-505

Cola A505 is a versatile limiter/compressor plugin that provides the distinctive controls of the original British discrete transistor hardware, which is well-known for adding punch on busses and individual tracks. This compressor is super rare. In fact, we suspect that only 4 were custom built for the historic PYE Recording Studio in London. It features Marinair ins and outs, an S7C transformer and a mix of discrete class A transistors and some of the first OPamps ever developed.

COLA suite is based on our Core 13 (version 13.5) engine:

-NEW: Our new Core 13 engine improves on the previous version by introducing our new VLA™ technology (Vector Loading Acceleration), which makes the response of the plugin much faster.
-Upgraded SASM (Symmetric & Asymmetric Saturation Modelling) high-performance saturation algorithm;
-Introduction of a new post-production sample de-noising tech for cleaner deconvolved impulses called STT (Super transient technology);
-Full compatibility with Client/Server architecture integrated by default in Acqua plugins;
-Engine optimisation introducing a new highly efficient algorithm. This innovative technique is applied to all the deconvolved impulses for further de-noise processing and subsequent elimination of any incorrect low-level behaviour (including the so-called "echo bug").

How to try a plugin: TRIAL MODE

- Create a user account (if you do not have one yet) on our website
- Download and Install Aquarius, our products manager, for either Mac or PC
- Log in to Aquarius using your user email and password
- Type the product name in the 'search' field inside Aquarius to find the '(trial)' version of the product, then click on the thumbnail or on the 'Install' button. This will take you to the product page (the trial version of a product is also visible in the 'related products' section on the right)
- Select the right plugin format according to the DAW you are using and click 'Install'
- Aquarius will download, install,and authorise the trial product automatically
- Run your DAW. You're set!

Please note:

- The old trial authorisation method - which required the 'LASTTRIALS' code - is now obsolete and each trial version of a product can be easily downloaded/installed directly from Aquarius, for a more streamlined process
- Should you see an authorisation error, the reason could be that the product has been already authorised too many times and the limit has been reached

For details about installation/authorization please refer to the following page: Acustica Audio - Professional Audio Software - Acustica Audio