Need a new EQ plug-in shoot the name of your favorites

[edwinhurwitz]

Metric Halo Channelstrip, especially the latest version, works very well for me.

[DoctorG]

You may want to look at the Waves H-EQ - this would be my desert island EQ. It has a spectrum analyzer and lets you select frequencies for EQ via a keyboard. It also has MS of stereo plus harmonics and EQ curves can be set to a number of digital or analog curves. The harmonics/distortion is very usable.

[Aiyn Zahav]

Some of my favourates:

Portico
Brainworx Digital V2
Sonalksis EQ *has an analyser too, but small though)

In that order.

Can't go wrong with Fabfilter or Equality. Equality is very good and flexible since it has many modes.

Flux Epure I remember being very good too.

Many say DDMF is good and from memory it is. Very cheap too.

Some say these paragraphic/parametric Eq's are all the same. I doubt they are *all* the same but the ones done well probably are close. Sonalksis has a few different eq curves though to mimic different analog style eq's. Waves H-EQ does as well I believe and it also has saturation.

[totalgear]

Massenberg for TC6000
Samplitude /Sequoia EQ

[Pro5]

Duende channel strip for general flavour, and Duende X-Eq for surgical (am thinking of replacing Fabfilter pro-q with X-eq after initial tests revealed, imo, the X-eq doing a better job at removing what I wanted without creating problems) - am talking high q cuts for resonances/problems. Until i tried X-eq I've been using Pro-q happily for a while but I think that's because I like the interface so much! X-Eq did seem nicer, or maybe it's just the way I used it - keeps me from doing silly things so easily.

Before Fab Filter I used the sonnox EQ mostly and it did ok but I don't know if I just grew tired of it of if PRO-Q did sound better, but I prefer the duende strip/x-eq combo over both now... uhmm I think... haha - am currently deciding what to retire/buy so am trying a few different ones out. Have tried loads inc all the usual recommended ones. I think everyone needs a goto, a surgical (transparent for cutting) and a couple of character eqs, then don't buy anymore! FOCUS!!

For character softube trident has some mojo for sure as does the Maag EQ4 (nice air!), but the Duende SSL channel strip is a good 'go to' in general I think and as it's simplified it helps focus on sound/workflow which is something I'm aiming for in 2013!

Something like this combo:

SSL Duende Channel Strip, SSL X-Eq, Softube Trident, Maag EQ4

[Pro5]

Originally Posted by zvukofor

use your ears instead of eyes on analyzer - this could seem as an OT, but this is the real topic - train your ears to work, as when you using eyes your mind will make different tricks to our hearing, it is known phenomenon.

Yes, this is why I mixed faster and was more prolific before I went DAW heavy (back in the 90s when I was mixing on very simple hardware like Roland VS series with some rack outboard comps, vitalizer etc) lots of limits but it made you use your ears and I think I need a control surface again now and get that computer screen switched off come mix time. Much nicer experience. Go around in circles on a computer screen with all the tweaking available!

[Polarelch]

+1 Fabfilter Pro-Q
+1 Softube Trident A-Range

[ultra171]

Originally Posted by Aiyn Zahav

Some of my favourates:

Portico

That being the Steinberg, right?
I'm using the Nebula version, and I ain't coming back. The clarity, smoothness, width etc. is just from a different planet.

Sonalksis EQ

This is my go-to "normal" EQ for quick checking and small fixes. Sounds less unfocused IMHO than most VSTs.

[Pschelfh]

Originally Posted by Pro5

Duende channel strip for general flavour, and Duende X-Eq for surgical (am thinking of replacing Fabfilter pro-q with X-eq after initial tests revealed, imo, the X-eq doing a better job at removing what I wanted without creating problems) - am talking high q cuts for resonances/problems. Until i tried X-eq I've been using Pro-q happily for a while but I think that's because I like the interface so much! X-Eq did seem nicer, or maybe it's just the way I used it - keeps me from doing silly things so easily.

Before Fab Filter I used the sonnox EQ mostly and it did ok but I don't know if I just grew tired of it of if PRO-Q did sound better, but I prefer the duende strip/x-eq combo over both now... uhmm I think... haha - am currently deciding what to retire/buy so am trying a few different ones out. Have tried loads inc all the usual recommended ones. I think everyone needs a goto, a surgical (transparent for cutting) and a couple of character eqs, then don't buy anymore! FOCUS!!

For character softube trident has some mojo for sure as does the Maag EQ4 (nice air!), but the Duende SSL channel strip is a good 'go to' in general I think and as it's simplified it helps focus on sound/workflow which is something I'm aiming for in 2013!

Something like this combo:

SSL Duende Channel Strip, SSL X-Eq, Softube Trident, Maag EQ4

+ 1 for SSL X-Eq, sounds really nice on all my tracks, it has replaced all my other eq's, also the Duende channel strip! And high freq boosts sound very smooth.

Peter.

[Pro5]

Originally Posted by Pschelfh

+ 1 for SSL X-Eq, sounds really nice on all my tracks, it has replaced all my other eq's, also the Duende channel strip! And high freq boosts sound very smooth.

Peter.

Do you mean the X-eq replaced your usage of the SSL Channel strip or that the channel strip also helped replace your other eqs?

[Pschelfh]

Originally Posted by Pro5

Do you mean the X-eq replaced your usage of the SSL Channel strip or that the channel strip also helped replace your other eqs?

Replaced it. I used the channel strip on all my drum tracks, but replaced it with X-Eq and X-Comp recently, it's just a more flexible combo (+ I replaced the gate with Reagate).

The reason I did this only recently is because I switched from Cubase to Reaper. I used to have a strange problem in Cubase where using the HPF in X-Eq actualy boosted those frequencies! But in Reaper this works without problems.

I also used to use Equality on other tracks, but as I said in my former post, I think the high frequencies are much smoother in X-Eq, Equality sounds a bit too clinical in comparison (to my ears).

Like you said, the X-Eq + some character eq (eg. I still like UAD Helios 69 on lead vocals, although on my last project I also used X-Eq for that) will get you very far and keeps you focused on one interface.

Peter.

[goshalev]

+1 MDW EQ
+1 Metric Halo Channel Strip v3

[Pro5]

Originally Posted by Pschelfh

Replaced it. I used the channel strip on all my drum tracks, but replaced it with X-Eq and X-Comp recently, it's just a more flexible combo (+ I replaced the gate with Reagate).

The reason I did this only recently is because I switched from Cubase to Reaper. I used to have a strange problem in Cubase where using the HPF in X-Eq actualy boosted those frequencies! But in Reaper this works without problems.

I also used to use Equality on other tracks, but as I said in my former post, I think the high frequencies are much smoother in X-Eq, Equality sounds a bit too clinical in comparison (to my ears).

Like you said, the X-Eq + some character eq (eg. I still like UAD Helios 69 on lead vocals, although on my last project I also used X-Eq for that) will get you very far and keeps you focused on one interface.

Peter.

Thanks