Blizzard plug-in from Acustica

Published 13/8/25

Combines EQ, dynamics, saturation & stereo-width processors

Acustica’s software range includes a wealth of plug-ins that use the company’s renowned modelling technology to emulate the sound of sought-after outboard gear. The latest addition to the collection has just arrived, and draws its inspiration from Rupert Neve Designs’ MBT, or Master Bus Transformer.

As with the hardware it’s based upon, Blizzard offers a versatile combination of EQ, compression, limiting, clipping and stereo-width processing and saturation. Its Input section houses a high-pass filter and level controls, and is followed by a three-band parametric EQ section that’s been optimised for “broad tonal shaping or gentle sculpting”, and a compressor/limiter that includes a side-chain high-pass filter and an adjustable knee control.

The next module houses a trio of processors: a Mid-Side-based stereo-width section, a soft-clipper and a saturation section, the last two of which are equipped with their own wet/dry mix controls.

As with most plug-ins that replicate analogue hardware, Blizzard is kitted out with some helpful software features that aim to provide users with the best of both worlds:

Real-Time Visual Feedback: Digital readouts for EQ, compression, saturation and output levels keep your decision-making intuitive and fast.
Oversampling & Listening Modes: Fine-tune your audio fidelity and CPU usage based on your needs.
Resizable Interface: Tailor the plug-in's layout to your screen and workflow.
Factory Presets: Jumpstart your sessions with expertly crafted starting points across genres and use-cases.
Global & Local MIDI Learning: Assign hardware controllers to any parameter with ease using global or per-instance MIDI mapping for hands-on, expressive control.