New Music Gear Monday: SSL Acoustifier Acoustic Guitar DI Plugin

There’s nothing like a great-sounding, well-miked acoustic guitar. It’s a joy to listen to and easy to make fit in the track. That said, there are so many situations today where you just can’t mike an acoustic well, or maybe not at all, which means that you have to rely on the direct output signal if the guitar has one. We all know that usually leads to less than desirable results, but that’s where SSL’s Acoustifier plugin comes in.

The Acoustifier plugin is a powerful new D.I.-to-mic simulation plugin that transforms your acoustic guitar D.I. signal into something close to a studio-quality recording. By emulating the sound of a dual-microphone setup, Acoustifier enhances your dry guitar tone with advanced acoustic modeling, then allows you to add onboard SSL-grade EQ, compression, and reverb to polish it off.

Acoustic Models

First of all, you’re able to choose from four popular acoustic guitar models: two dreadnought variations, a jumbo/large body, and a concert/orchestra model. These are captured using your choice of three classic microphone types: dynamic, condenser, or ribbon. Then there’s a range of mic configurations available, including XY and spaced pair setups, with the option to blend body and neck microphone signals to craft your ideal tone.

Acoustifier also includes a built-in EQ and real-time frequency analyzer, plus a quick-access tilt band so that you can quickly shift the tonal balance toward the high or low end. For more precise control, Acoustifier’s EQ also features high-pass and low-pass filters, along with three fully customizable mid bands to fine-tune the guitar’s tone.

If needed, you’re then able to add Acoustifier’s built-in reverb, which offers a selection of Room, Chamber, Plate, and Hall reverb types. The reverb also includes an integrated ducking feature to automatically reduce the reverb level in response to the guitar, so it never gets lost in the swimmy ambience.

Acoustifier also features an integrated compressor section, offering everything from subtle smoothing to aggressive tone shaping. The Auto-Gain feature level-matches your adjustments, helping you dial in dynamic control, while a dedicated Mix control allows quick and intuitive parallel compression blending. Finally, the compressor can be placed post-reverb, giving you even more control over the processed signal within a mix.

The SSL Acoustifier plugin has an introductory price of $49 (normally $99) as well as a 14 day free trial period. You can find out more here, or watch the video below for more details.