PRAGUE, CZECH REPUBLIC: Small, independent development teams federation United Plugins is proud to present Quick AG — the first fruit of the first company cross-brand collaboration between FireSonic (with its always-searching-for-a-shortcut attitude) and SounDevice Digital (forever fine-tuning tools based on longterm experience of mixing many recordings in its namesake SounDevice Studio), joining forces as Instant Audio to create a series of tools to instantly assist artists in achieving their desired sound, starting with an all-in-one acoustic guitar solution compatible with major AAX/AU/VST DAW (Digital Audio Workstation) applications on both macOS and Windows as a superlative shortcut to sought-after natural acoustic instrument sounds — as of August 6…Ultimately, United Plugins’ Instant Audio brand is as aptly-named as its on point plug-in debut. After all, satisfactorily mixing acoustic guitar — or, for that matter, mandolin or ukulele — does not come naturally to newcomers and even experienced engineers can find it tough going as it is evidently easier said than done; doing it instantly is, of course, another story altogether — for both newcomers and experienced engineers alike. As such, Quick AG aims to set the perfect sound for those tricky acoustic instruments in seconds.
Watch United Plugins’ informative introductory video for Quick AG here:
Starting with the Selector ‘porthole’, users can choose an acoustic instrument that they are about to mix. As a result, Quick AG automatically applies hidden COMP (compressor) and EQ (equaliser) parameters with optimal settings for the instrument in question. Quick AG makes it perfectly possible to achieve audible improvement to the resultant sound just by choosing the correct preset!
Presets are all well and good — all the more so in Quick AG’s case, clearly, but users can still tweak the EQ section’s BODY and SPARK settings to better suit their recording requirements, while access to the similarly self-explanatory LOW PASS and DE-HARSH controls are also available to remove frequencies that may be deemed disturbing.
Clearly compression is in the ear of the beholder, but whether users are simply seeking to smooth levels by selecting CLEAN compression or give their track some analogue colouration via its 1176 or VARI-MU selections, Quick AG allows them to do it instantly. It is even possible to blend the COMP STYLE with the AMOUNT control. Whatever way the user chooses to interact with Quick AG, the internal setting of the compressor corresponds with the selected instrument.
Reverb represents an essential ingredient of any acoustic guitar chain, and, again, Quick AG has it covered, courtesy of its three- STYLE — PLATE, HALL, and ROOM — REVERB selection. Those three algorithms are perfectly tuned for acoustic instruments and can also be blended; simply select LENGTH and the DRY/WET amount. An astonishing sound is at anyone’s fingertips as Quick AG’s REVERB is set within seconds!
Saying that, though, that’s not all! An XTRA section applies an extra polishing touch to the acoustic guitar — or mandolin or ukulele — sound, so users can quickly add stereo WIDTH, DOUBLER, and TRANSIENT amounts to taste. The resulting acoustic guitar sound is sure to cut through any mix and sparkle like no other!
On the face of it, then, the Quick AG plug-in provides everything needed to turn raw recordings into great-sounding mixes with a fantastic vibe using internal 64-bit audio processing and any sampling rate, ranging up to 192 kHz (or even higher) — and all via a photorealistic GUI (Graphical User Interface) that looks like touching real hardware yet easily adapts to the user’s needs.
Needless to say, United Plugins’ first cross-brand collaboration between FireSonic and SounDevice Digital as Instant Audio certainly succeeds as a tool to instantly assist artists in achieving their desired sound. As a superlative shortcut to sought-after natural acoustic instrument sounds, surely Quick AG is all set to instantly appeal to both newcomers and experienced engineers alike.
Pricing and Availability:
Instant Audio’s Quick AG is available to purchase for a time-limited introductory promo price of €19.00 EUR until August 31, 2020 — rising thereafter to €99.00 EUR — as an AAX-, AU-, and VST-compatible audio plug-in directly from United Plugins here: https://unitedplugins.com/QuickAG/ (A 15-day, fully-functional trial version for macOS and Windows can be downloaded for free.)
Note that no iLok, dongle, or internet access is required for Quick AG activation. (All United Plugins software uses license files for activation and owners can freely use purchased software on all their computers as long as they are the user.)
