AAS products are physical-modeling virtual instruments and effects. Each one runs as a standalone application or as a VST2, VST3, AU (Audio Unit), AAX Native, or NKS plugin inside any 64-bit DAW. Because the sound is modeled rather than sampled, there is no large sample library to stream: a current instrument installs in well under a couple hundred megabytes and uses very little RAM per instance. There is no iLok and no USB dongle, since AAS uses its own serial-number copy protection.

A sampled instrument plays back recordings of a real instrument. A physical-modeling instrument calculates the sound in real time from a mathematical model of how an acoustic object or analog circuit behaves. The result responds continuously to how you play and takes up very little disk space and memory. As one example, Chromaphone 3 downloads in under 130 MB and uses under 256 MB of RAM per instance.

For North American pre-sales and post-sales help, contact ILIO. Registering your products in the free AAS account portal is required to access product support and free updates, and AAS provides a Sales and Licensing FAQ, compatibility notices, downloads and manuals, an offline authorization page, and a license transfer form on its support site. Activation, technical, and transfer matters are handled through AAS's portal and support email, and ILIO can help route your request.

For North American pre-sales and post-sales help, start with ILIO. For technical and authorization matters, AAS handles support by email at support@applied-acoustics.com, with sales and educational questions at sales@applied-acoustics.com. AAS can also be reached by phone at +1 514 871-8100 worldwide or 1-888-441-8277 in North America, Monday through Friday from 10:00 to 16:00 Eastern time, and responds to email inquiries within 48 hours. Registering your products is required to access product support.

The current professional lineup is:

• Chromaphone 3: an acoustic-object and percussion synthesizer.
• Strum GS-2: acoustic and electric guitars.
• String Studio VS-3: a string-modeling synthesizer.
• Ultra Analog VA-3: a virtual analog synthesizer.
• Lounge Lizard EP-5: electric pianos.
• Multiphonics CV-3: a modular synthesizer.
• Objeq Delay and Objeq Delay 2: two acoustic-resonator filter and delay effects that AAS sells side by side. Objeq Delay is the original effect. Objeq Delay 2 is the newer paid version, with dual modulators, four delay topologies, and a morphable acoustic filter, and there is an upgrade path from the original. For current North American pricing on either, contact ILIO.

The Modeling Collection is the flagship bundle of the professional instruments: the six synthesizers plus the effect. AAS also offers larger bundles and compilations. The exact bundles available to North American customers, and their contents and pricing, change over time, so contact ILIO for the current options.

AAS Player is a free standalone and plugin (VST2, VST3, AU, AAX Native) that plays AAS Sound Packs without owning the full instruments. It is a player only, with no sound editing, and it covers six engines: Chromaphone, Strum, Ultra Analog, String Studio, Lounge Lizard, and Multiphonics. Bundled with it is Swatches, a free, regularly updated Sound Pack compilation that collects hundreds of presets across those engines so you can preview the range of sounds before buying additional packs.

Sound Packs are preset collections that extend each instrument, and AAS offers a large and growing catalogue of them. A Sound Pack loads in either the free AAS Player or the corresponding full instrument. For example, a Strum pack plays in AAS Player or in Strum GS-2. The full instrument adds sound editing, while AAS Player is playback only. All factory libraries and Sound Pack content are royalty-free for use in commercial productions.

Based on the current line, with Chromaphone 3 as a representative example:

• macOS: macOS 10.13 (High Sierra) or later; Intel Core i5 (circa 2015) or Apple M1 processor or later.
• Windows: Windows 10 64-bit or later; Intel Core i5 (circa 2015) or later.
• DAW: a 64-bit host.

The footprint is small. As a representative example, Chromaphone 3 downloads in under 130 MB and uses under 256 MB of RAM per instance. These stated minimums are for standalone use; for plugin use, your DAW's own requirements apply. No dongle or special hardware is required, and a MIDI keyboard is optional. Exact per-product minimums can vary slightly, so confirm the specification on each product page.

VST2, VST3, AU (Audio Unit), AAX Native, and NKS, plus a standalone application. AAS products are 64-bit only; 32-bit plugins and older operating systems are no longer supported. NKS support means integration with Native Instruments Komplete Kontrol and Maschine.

Yes. The latest versions of the current products run natively on Apple M-series processors, including the AAS Player, Swatches, the Sound Packs, and the instruments. AAS publishes a dedicated Apple Silicon compatibility list on its support site. If you need to confirm the native status of a specific title or version, check that page or contact ILIO.

Yes. AAS states that the current lineup is fully compatible with macOS Tahoe (macOS 26) and with Windows 11, and it maintains dedicated compatibility pages for Apple M-series, macOS Tahoe, and Windows 11. Before upgrading your operating system, confirm that your audio interface drivers, DAW, and other plugins are also supported.

No. AAS products are 64-bit only. From the current versions onward, 32-bit applications and plugins are no longer shipped, and a 64-bit DAW and a 64-bit operating system are required. Older legacy versions of some titles also no longer run on the newest macOS. If you are upgrading an older machine or an old project, contact ILIO and we can confirm which version you need.

AAS tested its current lineup on macOS Tahoe, macOS 26, and found no issues with the standalone apps or plugins. If you are installing from scratch on Tahoe, download the latest installers from your AAS account, since older legacy installers of some titles will not run on Tahoe. As with any operating system change, confirm that your DAW, audio interface drivers, and other plugins are also supported before you upgrade.

AAS copy protection is a proprietary challenge and response mechanism tied to your serial number, which is delivered after purchase and added to your AAS account portal. When you first launch a product, it prompts you to authorize. On a computer that is online, authorization completes automatically: click Next and follow the on-screen steps. Behind the scenes, your serial number combines with your computer's hardware signature to form a challenge code, which is exchanged for a response code that completes the authorization. The installers you download from your account are also customized with your license, so the authorize step often runs in the background during installation.

Offline authorization is supported. Generate the challenge code on the offline machine, then, from any internet-connected device, open the AAS offline authorization page on the AAS support site and enter your serial number and challenge code to receive a response code. You can also email support@applied-acoustics.com with your serial number and challenge code. Enter the response code on the offline machine to complete authorization.

It depends on the use:

• Personal, non-commercial use: the license is valid for all computers that belong to you, so multiple installs are allowed.
• Professional, commercial use: one license per computer. Studios and schools need one license for each computer.

AAS does not state a specific number of machines for personal use. If you need a precise active-machine count or a multi-seat arrangement, contact ILIO.

You can move a license to a replacement computer by authorizing the new machine with your serial number. AAS does not document a single user-facing button to release or deactivate a machine on its public pages, so if you need to retire an authorization or have a specific deactivation question, contact ILIO and we will confirm the correct procedure with AAS.

AAS lets you reinstall and re-authorize your products as needed when you change or replace a computer, and the official license terms allow installation on multiple computers that belong to you for personal use, with no simultaneous use of the copies. AAS does not publish a fixed cap on the number of re-authorizations. If you run into an authorization that will not complete after several hardware changes, contact ILIO and we will confirm the current policy and clear it with AAS.

Everything is managed through your free AAS account portal. After purchase you receive a download link and serial number, and the installer that the portal generates for your account is customized with your license, so the authorization step runs in the background during installation. From the portal's Registered Products page you download the latest installers, including a custom "All" installer that updates every registered product at once. Your serials and installers stay in your account, so registered products can be redownloaded and reinstalled as needed. There is no separate desktop manager or updater application: installs and updates are done with installers downloaded from the portal.

Maintenance updates that fix issues and add minor improvements are free. You download them as customized installers from the Registered Products page of your AAS account portal, where a custom All installer can update every registered product at once. Major version upgrades, for example moving to a new numbered version, are paid and appear as upgrade offers in your account. Registering your products is required to receive free updates.

Yes. You can complete a purchase on a phone or tablet and install the software on your computer whenever you are ready. After purchase you receive an email with a download link and your serial number, and the license is also added to your AAS account portal, so you can download the customized installer onto your computer at any time from any machine.

You can still get your installers. AAS provides a Downloads page where you enter your serial number to retrieve the latest installers for that license, even without logging into an account. Creating a free AAS account is still recommended, since it stores all of your serials and installers in one place and gives you access to free updates and product support. If you cannot locate your serial number, contact ILIO.

Yes. AAS licenses are transferable. The current owner submits the License Transfer request form at applied-acoustics.com/transfer with the serial number and the buyer's first name, last name, and email. AAS reviews and approves the request, then sends the seller a confirmation link to finalize. On completion, the seller's serial number is disabled and the buyer receives a new serial number plus a link to the latest installers.

No transfer fee is stated on AAS's transfer or FAQ pages. Because the policy is not spelled out in full, confirm whether any administrative fee applies, and whether educational or upgrade licenses can be transferred, by contacting ILIO before you arrange a sale.

Yes. Multiple serials going to one recipient can be listed in the "Transfer reason" field of the transfer form, or arranged through support@applied-acoustics.com. If you have a larger transfer to coordinate, contact ILIO and we can help route it.

A good starting point is the free AAS Player with Swatches, which lets you hear the range of AAS sounds at no cost. From there, the simpler Session instruments are an affordable entry to a specific engine, with upgrade paths to the professional versions, while the Modeling Collection bundles the full professional line. For a recommendation tailored to your needs, contact ILIO through the Contact page.

Yes. AAS offers free, fully functional 15-day trials of the instruments, such as Chromaphone 3, so you can evaluate a product on your own system before purchasing. The free AAS Player with Swatches is also a no-cost way to hear AAS sounds first. For the current trial terms, contact ILIO or see the AAS product pages.

The trial is the full, unrestricted instrument, fully functional for 15 days with no feature limits, on Mac or Windows. When the 15 days end, the product stops working until you authorize it with a purchased serial number. If you have already bought a license but are running unauthorized while offline, the same 15-day window applies before you must complete the offline authorization. The free AAS Player with Swatches has no time limit.

Yes. All AAS factory libraries and Sound Pack content are royalty-free, so you can use the sounds in commercial productions without paying any additional fees to AAS.

Yes. AAS offers a 50% education discount for students and teachers, as well as site licenses for institutions. Contact ILIO to verify eligibility and apply educational pricing to your order.

AAS provides upgrade paths from a previous version to the current one, from a Session instrument to its professional version, and from individual products into the larger bundles. These are handled through your AAS account portal based on the products you own. For pricing on a specific upgrade or crossgrade for a North American order, contact ILIO with the products you already own.

After your ILIO order is processed, you receive your AAS serial number, which you use to authorize directly with AAS, along with a download link. Your serial is also added to your AAS account portal. For the exact delivery method on an ILIO order, contact ILIO. If a confirmation email does not arrive, check your spam folder before contacting support. On returns, AAS offers a 30-day money-back guarantee on orders placed directly on the AAS web store; purchases from a retailer follow that retailer's return policy. For the return terms on an order placed with ILIO, contact ILIO through the Contact page.