Blue Cat Audio AcouFiend

What Blue Cat AcouFiend Is For

Blue Cat AcouFiend is a acoustic feedback simulation (Larsen effect) plug-in designed to bring the energy of a guitar played close to a speaker to your recordings and productions, but without volume constraints. It allows you to make a guitar "scream," "growl," or "sing" at low levels, in a home studio, on headphones, or in any environment where cranking an amp is impossible.

Beyond guitar, AcouFiend opens up sound design possibilities: create screaming synths, extend a bass note, generate more expressive vocal sustains, or transform a virtual instrument into a source of musically tuned feedback. In a modern mix, it's an effective tool to add tension, sustain, and character while staying perfectly in tune with the key and artistic intent.

Main Features

Realistic Feedback, Fully Controlled

The core of AcouFiend is based on acoustic feedback simulation familiar to guitarists. The major difference: you control when and how the effect occurs. Adjust the attack and decay times to go from subtle sustain to progressive screaming, and tailor the response to playing variations with sensitivity settings for changes in pitch and amplitude.

Chords, Note Range, and Targeted Harmonic

AcouFiend is not limited to single notes: it supports chords and helps you avoid unwanted triggering. You can limit the note range that can produce feedback, which is especially useful for keeping the low end clean while making important riff or lead notes sing.

For fine musical control, the plug-in lets you select the main harmonic generated by the feedback. This way, you get feedback that is more "in tune," more aggressive, or more singing depending on the register and desired aesthetic.

Transposition, Harmonies, and Full Automation

AcouFiend can transpose the feedback signal to create harmonies, octaves, or more experimental shifts. This is an excellent lever to enrich a chorus, thicken a solo, or build cinematic rises, all while preserving the organic feel of the feedback.

Since it integrates into your DAW, everything can be automated (activation, intensity, parameters) and controlled via MIDI. The plug-in also offers production-oriented features: MIDI Learn, preset management, and an interface designed for a fast workflow whether tracking, reamping, or mixing.

A Pro Workflow by Blue Cat Audio

AcouFiend includes several Blue Cat Audio standards: customizable interface (zoom, transparency), Smooth Bypass for silent activation/deactivation, Undo/Redo, advanced preset manager, and the ability to copy/paste plug-in state between instances. Another practical point: zero CPU load when idle, processing automatically stops during silence to optimize resource usage.

Technical specifications