Best EQ plug in?

[miro]

Originally Posted by cooker

I prefer to use the wet/dry setting with it since otherwise it needs calculation.

What exactly do you mean?

[Doomcore]

FabFilter ProQ
Softube Active/Passive pack
DMG EQuality

UAD's Pultec is absolutely gorgeous on vocals.

[cooker]

Originally Posted by miro

What exactly do you mean?

Well; lets say you want to bringthen-up the mix using a linear shelve curve starting from 750 hz to 20 khz (which is easy with this eq compared to anything else out there).

Naturally depending on needs, mfreeformanalogeq can make the most advanced shelve curve but with each change (like each db you raise the control point at 20 khz) it will have to calculate and this means slight pauses which you don't want when mastering (it ruins my concentration)

What I do is basicly boost that shelve (if I'm looking for around 5 db increase I boost for example 12 db with control point) and then use the wet/dry slider so pauses is not an issue.

All needed are the gain and wet/dry slider to adjust how bright you want the mix to be. If it was a normal shelve curve, probably using wet/dry function wouldn't be ideal but since mfreeformanalogeq can go as linear as possible I don't worry about it

[miro]

Gotcha! thumbsup

I was wondering about the dry/wet, if it's more like a "range" slider or really mixing original with processed signal...(because the curves decrease with setting wet lower than 100%)

[jimmydeluxe]

Not sure if anyone mentioned Stillwell Audio - It's About The Sound

but I've been demoing the VIBE EQ for a few days, and it's a steal for $35, think I'm gonna buy it. It rocks in conjunction with the softube P/A or the as well.

+1 for DMG also, a great smooth eq with low cpu great price

[genieg]

Stillwell are something else for the money, colourful EQ's and the compressors: Rocket and Bombadier thumbsup

To this list I am going to add DDMF, top guy and great tools!

seriously considering DMG as well, at the moment its a choice between going OTB and paying a lot more or Equality, if anyone wants to advise on that one please do.

[jimmydeluxe]

I just saw this company mentioned in another thread, and dl'd the free plugins. Am demoing the EQ now--it sounds good! Has nice soft sat also. Between this, Stillwell, and what I already have (DMG, UAD) I may not need the Softube, at least until the demo runs out.

Check them out, seem like cool folks as well:

MeldaProduction MeldaProduction Professional Audio Software

They are vst/au

Good luck, OP--looks like you've got some options...

[DaVinci]

Never cared much for vibe... or 1973 for that matter...

... but Stillwell's comps are among the best

[ProducerBoy]

Sony Oxford EQ.

[Ari-M.]

I have not found one single EQ, hardware or software, that is "the best" for every situation....that would be nice though....

I prefer Pultec style EQ's for tone shaping...and GML style EQ's for fixing things

oddly enough my current favorite EQ is a compressor

stike

[Steab]

Psp Squad + Equality.

[JustinW]

Sonalksis sv517

Waves LinEQ

Waves PuiG

Those are prolly the most used for my needs.

[Nick Laho]

The Redline EQ from 112db has blown me away since starting to demo it recently. The optional auto "makeup" gain has provided me a new perspective when EQing. It has variable saturation and a dynamic EQ section, a phase shift adjustment and EQ curves based on various popular hardware EQs. It is a bit daunting at first with all the features but so far appears to be really versatile.

[Amon]

Like most, I choose the EQ depending on the source.
When needing some character, I use 1973, T-Racks Classic EQ, British NEQ-1972 and DDMF ColourEQ (more rarely BootEQmkII and NastyCS).

When it comes to parametric, apQualizr, DDMF IIEQpro and Melda MEqualizer but ReaEQ or the Cubase StudioEQ do the job as well.
I rarely use graphical EQs, but when it happens I prefer Crysonic CryQ and SpectraQ and Voxengo Overtone GEQ

As far as linear phase, I have LP10 (which gets almost all of the work here) and the freewares Filtrate LE and Slim Slow Rider LPGEQ.

By the way, the biggest part of EQing is done mith MixControl Channelstrip's EQ - once in a while I use NastyVCS in place of this.

[djanthonyw]

EQuality rocks.

[4damind]

Equality but also Fabfilter Pro-Q (sometimes I think the Equality has got some ideas from the Pro-Q )

[dickiefunk]

At the moment I am using the Cubase 5.5 EQ's for basic eq jobs and when I want some more character I go for :-

IK Pultec
Stillwell Vibe Eq
BootEq mkII

I also sometimes use the IK Linear phase eq and DDMF IIEQ Pro 2 and LP10.

I would also like Redline EQ.

[Continental]

uad neve 1073 plugin is very very good ( for sound )
i use the 1073 hardware eq too....

[peter_martin]

DDMF mini phase digi Q is a personal favorite for $20, and was a nice upgrade from the stock Logic EQ.
Don't see a reason to go and dump $200 right now for a simple sweep/kill digital eq when I got tone and color already.

For color and after using UAD and other plugins in the past:

NICE EQ VST

This one is off the chain for VST, though only PC version but I beta tested it on a friends box and its the same quality as the Nebula version. Surprised not too many people have gotten into this one yet.

For the Nebula:
Peak
Mammoth
Doc Fear
Focal Point 115
Peak EQ 200
Black Master eQ

Lets not confuse this with some kind of fanboi-ism that some Nebula folk seem to be accused of on GS.
They just sound really good.

[acmeman]

I thought I would do some research on EQ plugins, to the best of my ability anyway. I use Logic Pro, Channel Eq and/or Linear Phase Eq....

I've followed this thread and downloaded a few EQ's

EQuality
DDMF Eq Pro
MEqualizer

I tried setting up a test with the same settings on each plug using one of my basses recorded.

Low Shelf cut at 145hz Q1.00 -6db
Boost at 1960Hz Q43 +3db

Both Logics plugs sounded the same, maybe there was a little more transient preservation in the Linear Phase plug but that could be my mind playing tricks.

The EQuality sounded similar perhaps a little fuller
DDMF Eq Pro and MEqualizer had less bass.

Then I realized that Logics and EQuality use the same Low Shelving curve whereas the MEqualizer and DDMF Eq Pro uses a Shelved Eq... meaning, it drops quicker to the desired frequency then levels off.

All Plugs have the Low Shelf setting but DDMF & MEqualizer actually have a Shelf Eq not a Low Shelf Eq. I would probably need to set them up differently to achieve a similar curve.

Not that all these plugs (accept for Logics) were indeed set up exactly the same, to my ears the Logic Plugs seem to have something going on in the lower mids I hadn't noticed before. It became noticeable when I heard the EQuality then went back to Logics. Logics sounded like it was coming down a pipe... if that makes sense to anyone... lol

I wanted to get in there and cut in the lower mids.

The EQuality sounded very nice indeed, whether its the curve used for the Low Shelf which rolls off the bass is a musical way. I don't know.

The MEqualizer and DDMF's didn't sound bad at all, just different somehow. The MEqualizer was very fiddley to get right, the soft saturation addition is a nice touch though and could be useful. I found DDMF least user friendly compared with the others.

Testing to continue this weekend to try and get all the curves right. I have a hunch that these EQ's will sound very different in the upper frequencies. The bass was the best for me to try first as I been playing for over 30yrs.

What say you?

[OMU]

If you activate the Analog Phase mode in Equality the differences will become more obvious.

You should also check Fabfilter Pro-Q.

[ScoobyDoo555]

Gotta say, my SSL e-series plugs are fab (when I can't get to the real thing) and, now don't laugh!!.........

The PSPaudioware ConsoleQex eq - really nice tone to it (imho)

[GeGreen]

no one uses the URS-Plugins anymore ?

[n8tron]

Originally Posted by GeGreen

no one uses the URS-Plugins anymore ?

ha!

I know what you mean. These were the most talked about plugins 4-5 years ago. Remember all the hype around the Classic Console Strip Pro?? Now they don't get mentioned! Softube seems to have replaced them as the most hyped now-a-days.

[djanthonyw]

Originally Posted by 4damind

Equality but also Fabfilter Pro-Q (sometimes I think the Equality has got some ideas from the Pro-Q )

I can see a resemblance in the GUI, but the thing about Pro-Q is that it does not have a colored option, it's completely transparent, no "mojo". While EQuality does it all and if anyone needs more bands than what EQuality gives you then there's probably something really wrong with the source material.

[OMU]

Sometimes I find Equality sounding almost harsh. I remember having the same feeling from the first time I demoed it. Pro-Q sounds smoother to me, very good algorithm in there.

[SBX-80]

Just like there is no best hardware EQ, I don't think there's a "best" software EQ plug-in. It depends on the application. Sometimes you want a broad, smooth EQ that's simple with few controls on it and sometimes you might need a surgical EQ with many bands for precision work.

[OMU]

Sure. I'd say one needs a neutral extremely flexible parametric eq (Pro-Q or Equality) and a color toolbox with API, Neve, Pultec etc which to me (and many others) is Nebula.

[Mike Goodwin]

This topic AGAIN!??