EQP1 v1

[richie43]

I'm definitely interested in this sonic wise, but also as to the 'operational' control. The 7 plugins makes me wonder how this is split up. If the plugins are separate Q parameters, I find it much more difficult to the work-flow.

It is 7 different plugins:
High Attenuation
High Boost
High Boost/Cut
Low Attenuation
Low Boost
Low Boost/cut
Pre In/Out

The High Boost and High Boost/Cut have 5 selectable Q width settings, all within the same plugin. The preamp plugin has selections for EQ in and EQ off. Sonically, these are extremely nice sounding. Here is a dropbox link for screenshots for all of the GUI's so you can see for yourselves what how these are set up-----
https://www.dropbox.com/sh/cw8db4eu60j8aqz/vM6_KMi5jO

[richie43]

If I'm reading this all correctly this is a new sampling of an EQP1 by Michael, sold as an Acqua effect by A_A.

This is correct.

[mtalavera]

So tempting!!! Especially with the 20% off that ends today.


Last thing I need is another Nebula EQ, but it doesn't sound like this is represented in any other Nebula library.


I have the AITB Doc Fear EQ, which is supposed to be a Pultec-like EQ, but from what I am reading, not really a clone. So I'm hoping I will not be duplicating my EQ options by picking this one up.


I can understand the price difference. If you look at CDSM's VST plugins, those are priced higher than his Nebula libraries. I would imagine the extra cost goes into the GUI design, which I don't believe is trivial.

[richie43]

The way I look at it is that devs now know quite a bit more about sampling, so everything coming out lately is naturally going to be better, or "deeper" than older samplings. I can't say whether this suite is "too" expensive, that is up to the buyer, of course. But I will say that while the Nebula/Aqua community already has more than one Pultec-style choices, this one is certainly different enough to warrant being sampled and made available. And I have noticed even using the older Aqua plugins that even when they are a preset-per-band (or similar) like Nebula, Aqua plugins have always loaded much faster and speed up my work-flow enough to justify having them, even when I have the Nebula equivalent. The GUI is not trivial, it is the GUI that adds to the functionality. Bottom line: this is an awesome sounding suite of plugins that are also very natural feeling to use and are gorgeous to look at.

[SWAN]

As to "this is not quite a Nebula Library in the same way...", that was the question: how is this not quite like any other Nebula library exactly?

because it is library that has been built into a bespoke GUI and plugin instance. One of the big issues many people have with Nebula is the workflow, and recently a concern for where Acustica is going and people saying they are doing nothing. Here is a new Nebula plugin with its own GUI - using Nebula quality engine (which we all know is the best for EQ ITB) priced below probably 70% of the market for modelled Pultec EQ which all sound worse...but still - complaints...

What price would you put on that work AA and Michael have done? Not just for this EQ but all the work building up to it?

Undoubtedly - this is the direction that AA need to move. Build a solid stock of Aqua EQ plugins for the wider market - and the tweakers and Nebula heads can stick with or upgrade to Nebula Pro...

[richie43]

What price would you put on that work AA and Michael have done? Not just for this EQ but all the work building up to it?

Undoubtedly - this is the direction that AA need to move. Build a solid stock of Aqua EQ plugins for the wider market - and the tweakers and Nebula heads can stick with or upgrade to Nebula Pro...

Well said. I feel like I walk a shaky line on this topic. I am not surprised with the reactions to the price of this since it is considerably higher than what we have recently grown accustomed to. Out of fairness though, unless we are talking about a user who is also a serious developer, we users don't have a full view of what goes into a Nebula library or Aqua plugin (especially a whole suite), and we certainly don't have a grasp on what it takes to take this product from concept to market.
The bottom line is that we need to trust the developers that have earned our trust over time (like Michael and Acustica, in this instance) and simply make a decision to buy the product or not. But I don't see the reason to accuse them of price gouging or insist on some explanation as to why they chose a value to their work. I am not attacking anyone, and actually feel like this has been very civil, rational, and friendly. I just wanted to say this BEFORE anything got nasty.
And another important thing to remember is that there is a push in the Aqua plugins to reach the potential users who do not already use Nebula, which we know there are many out there. They are not sold on the Nebula work-flow and investment, but just may want that Aqua goodness in their work.

[enriquesilveti]

Well said. I feel like I walk a shaky line on this topic. I am not surprised with the reactions to the price of this since it is considerably higher than what we have recently grown accustomed to. Out of fairness though, unless we are talking about a user who is also a serious developer, we users don't have a full view of what goes into a Nebula library or Aqua plugin (especially a whole suite), and we certainly don't have a grasp on what it takes to take this product from concept to market.
The bottom line is that we need to trust the developers that have earned our trust over time (like Michael and Acustica, in this instance) and simply make a decision to buy the product or not. But I don't see the reason to accuse them of price gouging or insist on some explanation as to why they chose a value to their work. I am not attacking anyone, and actually feel like this has been very civil, rational, and friendly. I just wanted to say this BEFORE anything got nasty.
And another important thing to remember is that there is a push in the Aqua plugins to reach the potential users who do not already use Nebula, which we know there are many out there. They are not sold on the Nebula work-flow and investment, but just may want that Aqua goodness in their work.

Thank you!

[richie43]

Thank you!

You're welcome. This is a complicated topic.......
As the fair-minded person I am (and maybe with multiple personalities, or at least a typical artistic instability.... ), I do understand the reactions to the price. The Nebula community has grown accustomed to more affordable libraries, and a price-tag of $129 USD seems expensive. Now, I am not saying that the price is actually unreasonable, maybe some of the lower prices may have been the unreasonable prices, for whatever reasons. But regardless of what led up to this, the users have grown used to the idea that they could indeed afford to splurge a little and buy multiple libraries and not go broke doing so. So even if this $120 is fair, it is not par for current libraries. I think any small business owner is faced with a tough decision when first marketing their product or service:
1) Price for recouping investment (time, sweat, and money) sooner to reduce risk of losing everything and thus possibly going out of business, which we users don't want (right??).
Or........
2) Price for long-term gain by making it more affordable for the end user and recouping their investment over a longer time period (and sometimes actually making more money eventually by keeping customers and good reputation). This method is of course riskier for the business owner.
Like I said, tough decision, and both decisions are "right".

[ngarjuna]

As to "this is not quite a Nebula Library in the same way...", that was the question: how is this not quite like any other Nebula library exactly?

because it is library that has been built into a bespoke GUI and plugin instance. One of the big issues many people have with Nebula is the workflow, and recently a concern for where Acustica is going and people saying they are doing nothing. Here is a new Nebula plugin with its own GUI - using Nebula quality engine (which we all know is the best for EQ ITB) priced below probably 70% of the market for modelled Pultec EQ which all sound worse...but still - complaints...

What price would you put on that work AA and Michael have done? Not just for this EQ but all the work building up to it?

Undoubtedly - this is the direction that AA need to move. Build a solid stock of Aqua EQ plugins for the wider market - and the tweakers and Nebula heads can stick with or upgrade to Nebula Pro...

Sorry but I'm not following this line of reasoning at all. You're telling me that this GUI (not even a great interface like RJ's NVC project, this is just separate GUIs for each instance, separate instances for each band, really no easier to use than a Nebula library) is worth 4 times the price of a library of the same unit (which was also sampled by one of the very popular Nebula 3rd party devs)? Because that sounds like little more than apologetics to me.

Part of what makes Nebula a solid investment is the ability to add libraries. If each library becomes the cost of the plugin itself that advantage is totally obliterated.

[ngarjuna]

Just to add yet another cost comparison:

One expensive library that people sometimes bristle over the price of is R2R. Compare this to R2R:
-it's the sampling of a single unit (R2R is the sampling of 7 iirc units, most of them using different tape stocks and all of them using multiple speeds)
-EQs have no cost for consumables; I can't imagine what Michael spent on tape sampling R2R in comparison
-R2R is a unique offering, none of those units are available from any other developer

And R2R costs LESS than this library.

Again, people can charge whatever they want for whatever they create; but any simple comparison demonstrates that this library is priced in a way that is unique to any other Nebula offering so far. People shouldn't be even remotely surprised that someone noticed this and questioned it.

[giancarlo]

guys, even if it appears "simple" there is ton of work on this eq, more than what you expect (more than tapes, it's an awful lot of samples). The price is fair imho and still lower than other plugins which mimic the same piece of hardware (for the exception of free products), plus a gui, user manual, testing is costly. And I was forced to develop a new acqua loading engine...
This price minus taxes, incomes shared between michael and us give a little revenue for each product! we still do it because we love delivering great products!!!

[SWAN]

simple comparison demonstrates that this library is priced in a way that is unique to any other Nebula offering so far. People shouldn't be even remotely surprised that someone noticed this and questioned it.

I do understand what you are saying. from the perspective of Nebula libraries this is expensive...

But you are looking at this from the context of a Nebula library-in the context of a Nebula Pro owner. If you own Nebula - then you can go and buy the library for not much!

This is a bespoke plugin using Nebula technology. People who did not buy Nebula can buy this-and they get an easy to use tool which models a pultec.

CDSoundmaster Nten8T4 is $79
R2R plugin is $149

Cooltec Nebula library is $49

Really - as I said - I think the price is not bad - but more we are used to cheap Nebula libraries...

[ngarjuna]

I do understand what you are saying. from the perspective of Nebula libraries this is expensive...

But you are looking at this from the context of a Nebula library-in the context of a Nebula Pro owner. If you own Nebula - then you can go and buy the library for not much!

This is a bespoke plugin using Nebula technology. People who did not buy Nebula can buy this-and they get an easy to use tool which models a pultec.

CDSoundmaster Nten8T4 is $79
R2R plugin is $149

Cooltec Nebula library is $49

Really - as I said - I think the price is not bad - but more we are used to cheap Nebula libraries...

Likewise I think now I see your point as well.

[richie43]

I still say that the bottom line is that it is a very fine suite of plugins and anyone can pose any challenge and/or question that they want, but consumers don't have much influence on products by challenging companies with dialog. Their voice is best heard by the decision to purchase or not purchase a product. Business owners know more about their product than any user, and can better assess what they need to get out of the product regarding sales. But the true value is dictated by the dance between the business owner's set price and the positive or negative reaction from consumers. And often both price decisions are either right OR wrong, depending on the market climate at any given time. These plugins are really a stellar release sonically, and all users will decide if they want them in their audio tool-box or not. I love 'em.

[himhui]

It would be cool to include an instance with all bands even it'll eat a lot of CPU...