- Products: Applied Acoustics Systems Plugins Bundle
- Chromaphone 3 v3.1.0 – Resonators Synthesizer
- Lounge Lizard EP-4 v4.4.0 – Electric Piano
- Multiphonics CV-1 v1.0.0 – Modular Synthesizer
- Objeq Delay v1.3.0 – Delay
- String Studio VS-3 v3.2.0 – Strings Instruments Emulation
- Strum GS-2 v2.4.0 – Guitar Emulation
- Ultra Analog VA-3 v3.2.1 – VA Synthesizer
- Publisher: Applied Acoustics Systems
- Version: 2021.5
- Formats: AAX/VST3/VST
- Source: applied-acoustics.com/products/
Applied Acoustics Systems (AAS) doesn’t do sample libraries. They don’t care about endless gigabytes of static recordings. Instead, they build physical-modeling instruments—software that behaves like vibrating strings, wood, tines, air columns. The result is a bundle of plugins that don’t just sound like instruments, they act like instruments.
The One-Line Pitch
Seven plugins that turn math into music: acoustic realism, analog warmth, modular freedom, and the quirks of physical space—all in one box.
Why This Bundle Is Different
Other companies sell you recordings of the real thing. AAS sells you the thing itself—rebuilt in code. That’s why every plugin feels alive under your hands. Notes don’t just play back; they react, wobble, stretch, and bloom.
Chromaphone 3 v3.1.0 — Resonators Synthesizer
At first, Chromaphone feels like a percussionist’s dream: marimbas, bells, mallets. But the secret is the dual resonator engine. You can pair a string with a plate, a membrane with a tube, and suddenly you’re building instruments that never existed.
- In practice: great for cinematic plucks and pads that shimmer with harmonic life.
- Where it shines: hybrid textures between acoustic and alien.
- Quirks: CPU load climbs if you push the density too far.
Lounge Lizard EP-4 v4.4.0 — Electric Piano
This one’s a legend. Forget sample packs of Rhodes—this is a Rhodes in math form. You control the hammer hardness, the tine length, the pickup position. It’s not “close enough,” it’s alive.
- In practice: drop it through a tremolo, hit a touch of spring reverb, and you’re back in a smoky 1970s lounge.
- Where it shines: expressive EP sounds that respond to how you actually play.
- Quirks: duplicate track automation can be finicky.
Multiphonics CV-1 v1.0.0 — Modular Synthesizer
AAS steps into Eurorack territory here. Multiphonics CV-1 gives you a patching environment with oscillators, filters, utilities, and modulation. It’s not as sprawling as VCV or Reaktor, but it’s lean, clean, and focused on sound quality.
- In practice: perfect for learning modular concepts without drowning in wires.
- Where it shines: sound design sketches, unique textures you wouldn’t dial up in a fixed synth.
- Quirks: module selection is smaller than competitors—by design.
Objeq Delay v1.3.0 — Delay
This isn’t your everyday echo. Objeq Delay models resonant bodies—like plates, strings, membranes—and pipes them into the feedback path. That means your delay tail doesn’t just repeat, it rings with acoustic character.
- In practice: throw it on a drum bus and suddenly your snares bloom like tablas.
- Where it shines: creative rhythmic delays, percussive textures.
- Quirks: can get wild fast—easy to lose the original signal.
String Studio VS-3 v3.2.0 — Strings Instruments Emulation
It’s not a violin library. It’s a string modeling lab. Bow friction, string stiffness, body resonance—all tunable. It won’t replace a top-tier orchestral library, but it does something else: it lets you design impossible stringed instruments.
- In practice: eerie soundscapes, hybrid cello-like drones, plucked textures with strange overtones.
- Where it shines: cinematic, experimental, ambient scoring.
- Quirks: realistic solo violin? Not really. Unique string timbres? Absolutely.
Strum GS-2 v2.4.0 — Guitar Emulation
The problem with most guitar VSTs is that pianists play them wrong. Strum GS-2 fixes that. It interprets your chords and applies guitar-correct voicings, strumming, and articulations.
- In practice: great for sketching guitar parts when you don’t have a guitarist on call.
- Where it shines: fast songwriting, rhythm guitar beds that sit well in a mix.
- Quirks: not going to fool a real guitarist—but that’s not the point.
Ultra Analog VA-3 v3.2.1 — VA Synthesizer
The most “normal” of the bundle, but still classic. Ultra Analog VA-3 is a warm, straightforward analog-style synth with a modern interface. Two oscillators, multimode filters, tons of modulation, and a library that covers basses, leads, pads, and arps.
- In practice: bread-and-butter sounds with AAS’s polished engine.
- Where it shines: quick patch recall, no-nonsense analog tones.
- Quirks: less adventurous than the modeling plugins, but solid.
Stress Tests in the Real World
Running the full bundle on a mid-range laptop, CPU stayed reasonable except with Chromaphone’s densest settings. Installation was painless, licensing was straightforward, and every plugin loaded cleanly in the DAW.
Bottom Line: Worth It?
If you want instruments that behave like instruments, not just playback machines, AAS is in a class of its own. The bundle covers enough ground to score a film, cut a track, or experiment with physics-bent sound design.