Fire The Dither
by Acustica Audio · Utility · Dither and bit-depth converter
Not rated yet
Fire The Dither is an Acustica Audio dithering and bit-depth conversion plugin with True Peak limiting and waveform display.
It offers several dither algorithms from 8 to 32 bit; the price is not shown on the product page.
Best for: Mastering. Genres: all genres.
Keywords: true-peak, visual feedback, mastering, CPU-light, finishing touch, hardware emulation, licensed emulation, mid/side, resizable UI, utility.
What it does
Fire The Dither is part of Acustica Audio's Fire line, a dither and bit-depth converter for the end of the mastering chain. The developer calls it "a comprehensive tool that integrates multiple essential functions" and pairs dithering with True Peak limiting so bit reduction doesn't cause clipping.
- Eight dither modes: a choice of dithering algorithms; the product page does not name them.
- Bit depth: output from 8 to 32 bit.
- True Peak ceiling: five ceiling modes, three of them True Peak algorithms, to stop inter-sample overs; the limiting technology is licensed from the Lace plugin.
- Waveform view: real-time waveform display and a built-in oscilloscope for watching input and output.
- Listening modes: Delta, LR, Mid and Side, so you can hear exactly what the processing adds.
- Gain and interface: input and output gain controls, low CPU use and latency, and a resizable window.
It was released in October 2024. The product page lists no version or trial.
Source: Acustica Audio product page
When to use it
Fire The Dither is the pick when you want a dedicated last-stage tool that dithers, sets bit depth and catches true peaks in one place. Compared with the dither in Pro-L 2, it offers more dither modes and an oscilloscope, but no loudness metering and none of Pro-L 2's limiting styles, so it is a finishing step rather than a mastering limiter. Unlike Insight 2 or Youlean Loudness Meter 2, it processes the signal instead of only measuring it, so it pairs with them rather than replacing them. Its low price makes it an easy add-on for Acustica users who export to 16-bit or lower.
- Best for: final bit-depth reduction and dither when exporting masters, with a True Peak safety ceiling.
- Genres: any.
- Look elsewhere if: your limiter or DAW already dithers well enough (Pro-L 2 has dither with noise shaping), or you need loudness metering (Youlean Loudness Meter 2 or Insight 2).
Where to buy
- Acustica Audio: see store
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