Acme Audio
31Also known as: Acme Audio Manufacturing, Acme Audio Manufacturing Co., Acme Audio Mfg. Co.
UnclaimedAcme Audio Manufacturing Company is a Detroit-based boutique manufacturer of hand-built professional audio equipment, founded by Grammy Award–winning producer and engineer Al Sutton. The company builds its gear in a shop adjacent to Sutton's Rustbelt Studios, with a focus on faithful recreations of classic Motown-era recording hardware and modern all-tube optical dynamics processors.
The produ...
$429.00 - $449.00
in Direct Boxes Rank
$500.80
in Studio Desks and Workstations Rank
$588.97
in Studio Desks and Workstations Rank
Acme Audio Manufacturing Company is a Detroit-based boutique manufacturer of hand-built professional audio equipment, founded by Grammy Award–winning producer and engineer Al Sutton. The company builds its gear in a shop adjacent to Sutton's Rustbelt Studios, with a focus on faithful recreations of classic Motown-era recording hardware and modern all-tube optical dynamics processors.
The product line centers on the Opticom XLA-3 all-tube optical limiter and its 500-series sibling, the Opticom XLA-500, alongside a family of Motown-inspired pieces developed in collaboration with the late Mike McLean, Motown's former chief engineer. These include the Motown EQ (a reissue of the seven-band graphic equalizer originally produced in a run of only 48 units), the MTP-66 Motown Tube Preamp and DI, and the Motown D.I. (Wolf Box). A software version of the Opticom XLA-3 is also distributed through Plugin Alliance.
Acme's hardware has found a home in professional tracking and mixing rooms, and the company's tube limiters and DI boxes are stocked by pro-audio retailers such as Vintage King and Sweetwater. Sutton's own production credits — spanning work with Kid Rock, Bob Seger, Uncle Kracker, Sponge, and The Detroit Cobras — are frequently cited as part of the brand's studio-first design perspective.
Acme Audio has 12 products cataloged on Equipboard, including Effects Processors, Studio Desks and Workstations, and Direct Boxes. Their gear is featured by 15 artists, with the strongest followings in Rock, Electronic, and Pop. Notable users include Sam Kiszka, Kevin Parker, and Jake Kiszka.
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