Sunray is a new suite of Acqua plug-ins recently announced by Acustica Audio, designed to faithfully recreate the sound of vintage American vacuum tube recording technology.
The Sunray suite features three plug-ins: Sunray EQ, Sunray Comp, and Sunray Pre. Sunray EQ is a Class A solid-state 4-band parametric equalizer with low and high shelving/peaking, adjustable mid-frequency bands, and high/low-pass filters. Acustica say it delivers pristine analogue parametric equalisation reminiscent of vintage EQs, while maintaining versatility and precision.
Sunray Comp is a tube-based compressor/limiter that combines the characteristics of vacuum tubes and solid-state devices. The makers say its blend of tube warmth and precise compression makes it ideal for vocals and bass. The compressor features fast attack and release times and is designed to preserve a bright, clear, and modern sound.
Sunray Pre includes all the preamp emulations found in the suite, offering users the choice between the Sunray EQ's Class A, discrete and solid-state circuitry or the Sunray Comp's FET and Tube designs. This comprehensive plug-in is designed to provide the best of both technologies, allowing for versatile and customisable preamp options.
The Sunray suite uses Hyper and Hyper2 technology, said to improve stability and CPU consumption. Acustica report that this helps for more realistic emulations of analogue compression, saturation, filters, and preamp signals in the digital domain.
Pricing & Availability
The Sunray plug-in suite is available now for €69 until 15 June 2023, after which the price will increase to €109.