Black Rooster Audio is a German audio software company founded in 2016 by André Kirchner and Reimund Dratwa, based in Erfurt, Thuringia. The studio specializes in vintage gear emulation plug-ins for recording, mixing, and mastering, spanning AAX, VST3, and Audio Units formats compatible with major DAWs including Pro Tools, Logic Pro, Ableton Live, and Cubase.

The company's catalog centers on faithful recreations of classic studio hardware. Their VLA series includes emulations of the Teletronix LA-3A optical compressor (VLA-3A) and an opto-electronic leveling amplifier (VLA-2A), while the VEQ line covers vintage equalizer designs. Other notable titles include Magnetite, a tape saturation and warmth emulator; the Edelweiss'72 channel strip; VPRE-73, a preamp emulation; and the RO-140 and RO-SPR reverb plug-ins modeled on classic plate and spring reverb hardware. BlueAsh and BlackAsh are VCA compressor emulations drawing from 1970s and 1980s studio console circuits.

As musicians themselves, the founders have emphasized accessible licensing — no hardware dongles — and visual designs that integrate neatly into modern DAW workflows. Black Rooster Audio distributes plug-ins directly through their own platform as well as through third-party plugin retailers.

Black Rooster Audio has 25 products cataloged on Equipboard, including Compressor Plugins, FX Bundle Plugins, and Preamp Plugins. Black Rooster Audio's catalog spans the full price spectrum — from entry-level options to high-end flagships.