Acoustica is powerful audio editing software designed for professionals and enthusiasts who need high quality sound processing. This tool handles everything from basic audio editing to complex tasks like podcast production, mastering and audio restoration. The software comes in two versions – Premium Edition with advanced features and Standard Edition for users on a budget.
What makes Acoustica stand out is its flexible interface that you can customize based on your workflow. You can dock meters, analyzers and other tools wherever you need them on screen.
In This Article
What Makes Acoustica Different
Professional Grade Audio Quality
Acoustica supports audio resolutions up to 32-bit and sampling rates reaching 384 kHz. This means your recordings maintain exceptional clarity throughout the editing process. The Premium Edition goes further by supporting multi-channel audio formats including 5.1 surround and 7.1.2 Dolby Atmos.
Spectral Editing Mode
The spectral editing feature lets you see audio in both time and frequency domains simultaneously. You can target specific problem areas using:
- Brush tool for precise selections
- Freehand tool for custom shapes
- Magic wand for automatic detection
- Retouch tool to remove unwanted noise
Processing Tools and Plugin Support
The software includes comprehensive processing tools such as EQ, reverb, chorus and dynamic processors. You can build processing chains by stacking multiple effects and save them as presets for future projects. Acoustica supports VST, VST3 and AU (Mac only) plugin formats, giving you access to thousands of third-party effects.
Premium Edition vs Standard Edition
The Premium Edition includes several professional tools bundled with the software:
- Mix & Mastering Suite – Contains Equalize 2, Dynamics, Multiband Dynamics, Limit and Dither
- Verberate – Natural sounding reverb plugin
- Restoration Suite – Four plugins for audio cleanup (DeNoise 2, DeHum 2, DeClick 2, DeClip 2)
- Extract:Dialogue – AI-powered background noise reduction
- Multi-channel support up to Dolby Atmos 7.1.2
The Standard Edition recently gained important features including ARA support, spectral editing and full versions of Verberate 2 and Equalize 2 (in-app only).
Latest Updates in New Version
Improvements for Both Editions
Version 7.7 brings significant enhancements across the board. The Acoustica ARA plugin now works with Pro Tools (AAX format), making integration smoother for Pro Tools users. You get 100 processing chain presets covering multiple instruments and musical styles right out of the box.
The speech recognition feature now uses GPU acceleration when available, speeding up transcription work considerably. A new Speech Recognition Settings panel helps you manage and download different language models.
Radio professionals will appreciate the new CART metadata support in wave files for automation systems. The spectral editor also received improvements for copy and paste operations with time-frequency selections.
Standard Edition Upgrades
Standard Edition users received substantial upgrades in version 7.7:
- ARA support (previously Premium-only)
- Spectral editing capabilities
- Full Verberate 2 (in-app version)
- Full Equalize 2 (in-app version)
Deep Learning Tools for Modern Audio Work
Remix and Stem Separation
Both editions include the Remix tool which uses deep learning to split complete mixes into up to five separate stems. You can adjust stem levels independently in real time or import a mix into multitrack sessions where Acoustica automatically creates separate tracks for each stem.
Dialogue Enhancement Tools (Premium Only)
Premium Edition users get access to specialized dialogue processing tools built on deep learning models:
- DeWind:Dialogue – Reduces wind noise
- DeRustle:Dialogue – Removes clothing rustle and microphone bump noise
- DeBuzz:Dialogue – Eliminates buzz, hum and RF interference
- DeBird – Automatically reduces bird noise in field recordings
- DeClick:Dialogue – Removes mouth clicks and lip smacks
- DePlosive:Dialogue – Reduces plosive sounds
Multitrack Editing Capabilities
The multitrack editor lets you mix audio from different tracks in real time. You can insert audio effects, create smooth cross-fades between clips and automate parameters like volume, pan and send levels. Clips can be looped or time-stretched directly from the timeline without opening separate windows.
ARA2 Integration and Pro Tools Workflow
Seamless DAW Integration
The Acoustica ARA2 plugin (included with both editions) brings the complete clip editor functionality directly into your DAW. This removes the need to manually transfer audio files back and forth. Your DAW session stays synchronized automatically with any changes made in Acoustica.
For Pro Tools users, a Transfer plugin in AAX format provides quick audio clip transfer between Pro Tools and Acoustica. This streamlines the editing workflow significantly.
Analysis and Metering Tools
Real-time analyzers help you monitor audio quality during recording and mixing. Available analysis tools include:
- Spectrum analyzer
- Spectrogram display
- Wavelet analysis
- EBU R-128 loudness metering
- Level meters
- Phase correlation
These tools can be docked anywhere in the interface for easy monitoring.
Our Hands-On Test
We spent several weeks testing Acoustica Premium Edition across different audio production scenarios. The first thing that impressed us was the customizable interface – we could arrange meters and tools exactly where we needed them.
For podcast editing, the speech recognition feature worked remarkably well. It automatically transcribed our dialogue which made finding and editing specific sections much faster. The new GPU acceleration in version 7.7 cut transcription time by more than half compared to CPU-only processing.
We tested the spectral editor on recordings with background noise. The magic wand tool intelligently selected problematic frequencies and the retouch tool removed them cleanly without affecting the main audio. This saved considerable time compared to using multiple plugins.
The Remix tool surprised us with its accuracy. We fed it a complete music mix and it separated drums, bass, vocals and other elements cleanly. While not perfect for every song, it worked well enough for remix projects and extracting specific elements.
The Extract:Dialogue plugin proved invaluable for cleaning up interview recordings made in noisy environments. It reduced background chatter and ambient noise while preserving voice clarity. The DeRustle:Dialogue tool effectively removed clothing noise from lavalier recordings that would have been tedious to clean manually.
We found the processing chains feature extremely useful. After building effect chains for common tasks, we saved them as presets. This made batch processing dozens of podcast episodes much faster – just load the preset and apply it.
The multitrack editor handled our projects smoothly. We especially liked being able to time-stretch clips directly in the timeline and automate volume changes for smooth fades.
Acoustica vs Competition
| Feature | Acoustica Premium | Adobe Audition | iZotope RX 10 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Price (may change) | $199.90 (one-time) | $22.99/month | $399 (standard) |
| Spectral Editing | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Multi-channel Support | Up to 7.1.2 | Up to 32 channels | Stereo only |
| AI Tools | 8+ dialogue tools | Basic | Advanced |
| ARA Support | Yes | No | Yes |
| Batch Processing | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Included Plugins | 15+ | Limited | RX suite |
Adobe Audition offers more advanced multitrack features and tighter Creative Cloud integration but requires an ongoing subscription. It lacks the specialized AI dialogue tools that Acoustica provides.
iZotope RX focuses specifically on audio repair and restoration with more advanced algorithms for challenging restoration tasks. However it has limited support for multi-channel audio and costs significantly more than Acoustica Premium.
Acoustica strikes a balance between affordability, features and ease of use. The one-time purchase model and included plugin suite provide excellent value compared to subscription-based competitors.
System Requirements and Installation
The new Installation Manager introduced in new version simplifies downloading and installing Acon Digital products. You can manage all your Acon Digital software from one place.
Acoustica runs on both Windows and Mac systems. It requires:
- Windows 10 or later / macOS 10.13 or later
- 4 GB RAM minimum (8 GB recommended)
- Display resolution of 1280×800 or higher
- Audio interface compatible with Core Audio (Mac) or ASIO/WASAPI (Windows)
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the difference between Acoustica Standard and Premium Edition?
Premium Edition includes multi-channel support up to Dolby Atmos 7.1.2, the complete Restoration Suite (DeNoise 2, DeHum 2, DeClick 2, DeClip 2), Extract:Dialogue plugin and additional AI-powered dialogue tools like DeWind, DeRustle and DeBuzz. Standard Edition covers most audio editing needs but lacks these advanced features and plugins.
Does Acoustica work with Pro Tools?
Yes. Version 7.7 added ARA plugin support for Pro Tools in AAX format. Pro Tools users can also use the Transfer plugin to quickly send audio clips between Pro Tools and Acoustica for processing.
Can Acoustica separate vocals from music tracks?
Yes. Both Standard and Premium editions include the Remix tool which uses deep learning to split complete mixes into up to five stems including vocals, drums, bass and other instruments. You can adjust stem levels independently in real time.
License: Trial
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Size – 300 MB
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