All user reviews of 4/5 for the Waves Maserati ACG Acoustic Guitar Designer

I didn't have any problems with installing and getting the Waves Maserati ACG up and running. I had no compatibility issues with my machine and the configuration of the plug-in is easy to follow and manipulate. It is laid out fairly simple with a section for a compressor, a limiter and a filter. I had no use for a manual as this plug-in is easy enough to use without one.


SUITABILITY/PERFORMANCE

I am running the Waves Maserati ACG with a Mac Book Pro that has a 2.2 Ghz processor and 4 GB of RAM. I am running this plug-in in Pro Tools LE 7.4 with a Digi 002 rack audio interface. I've never had a problem running this plug-in with this configuration and I am able to run a few of these at once.


OVERALL OPINION

I've been using the Waves Maserati ACG for about three years and it is one of my favorite compressor plug-ins for a number of reasons. The first reason is its overall sound quality. It really has a bit of vintage sound that is warm and full. It sounds great on everything from vocals to guitars and drums. The second major reason is the plug-in's versatility. It isn't just a strict compressor - it has a section for limiting and filtering as well, both of which prove to be extremely handy. It is this versatility which makes it great for applications of all kinds. It also has a nice metering system. I would probably compare this plug-in to Smack, and while I love Smack as well, this plug-in is cheaper and has more options. The sound quality of both is great, but the extremely cheap price of the URS plug-in makes it my choice. I've become of big fan of not only the 1975 Classic Compressor, but a number of Waves plug-ins! This is a must try!

Tony Maserati is a producer/music engineer who has worked on everything from Tupac to Mariah Carey. He's one of the top producers in this style of music, so it's no surprise he got his own special plugins. One problem that a lot of people face is recording a very solid acoustic guitar tone. This plugin is there to assist those looking to help gain that sparkle and depth without spending hours and hours tweaking the mic position. The plugin itself features knobs for hi, mid, punch, sensitivity, fx, excite, dry/wet, pre-delay and output. There are two buttons to select between two different settings, and there's also a switch to change the meter output.

SUITABILITY/PERFORMANCE

I've been using the Mercury bundle for half a year or so now, and it's been awesome. I've never experienced a single crash or issue with any of these plugins, including this one. No matter how many plugins I tend to load, my machine still keeps chugging along. The plugin itself is cross platform compatible, so nearly anybody can use this on his or her favorite machine. Personally, I'm a Mac user, so I'm using OS X on a Mac Pro with Logic Pro. There is one issue that I've been having, however. For the OS X users out there, this plugin is a 32 bit plugin. That means that your DAW will need to utilize a special bridge application for this to work inside your 64 bit DAW. It's not a huge deal, but it can be a bit of a pain, depending on how your particular DAW handles the 32 bit conversion.

OVERALL OPINION

Acoustic guitar can be a real pain to record because of how sensitive it can be to the most minute settings. This plugin definitely helps deliver a better tone without having to spend hour and hours behind a mic, redoing takes and trying to get them perfect. In fact, it's basically a sort of compressor with effects in a way. I recommend anybody who is recording acoustic guitars to check this plugin out. It helped me quite a bit during certain takes.