Why does EQ3 beat everything else in this respect?

[t_young]

Haha, I never thought the eqIII was horrible, I still use it on tracks that I don't want to dedicate too much focus or CPU to... But since I've never seen someone wax on about it like this... It feels like a troll.

[nzl62]

Always like EQ3. People diss it as it is a free PT plug but I guess they are not using their ears....

[Henchman]

Originally Posted by emilano

I've demo'ed equality, oxford, some waves EQs and a couple others, but no other EQ can pull out as open a sound from the 2-8k range of dialog like EQ3. There's something about it. From a pillowy sounding lav or off mic or whatever... Somehow EQ3 pulls out an... openness... a clarity. for lack of another word. Its not always pretty sounding, like if the mic itself isnt pretty sounding, its not going to make it pretty, just harsh. Its easy to go for too much of it. But its unique.

I really wanted to put money down. But doing the side by side tests made me realize that I already had an amazing tool. I was shocked. But no other EQ comes close. I think what came the closest was waves Ren EQ. Ugh.

Am I the only one who feels this way? Does anyone know an EQ that also does this well?

Well, if you think RenEQ came close, then there's not much to discuss.

Both can't come close to Equality.

[soundboy]

I'm very partial to the Euphonics EQ.

[Jamie Mac]

Though a good one, I prefer the Channel strip and oxford over the EQIII, also for clearing up dialogue.
did you try all the EQ types on the oxford?
People tend to forget (and therefor dismiss the Oxford) that there are different modes that all behave differently, and there is also the GML option, which is fantastic for opening up a muffled sounding dialogue!

[Mundox]

I second the Channel Strip for clearing up dialogue.
I just wish the GUI was better, and there were more slope options for the filters.
EQ3's got everything right but it can sound a bit digital.

[Branko]

I like EQ3 and I use it a lot as my go-to eq. I've been using Oxford for years and switched back to Digi as soon as eq3 was out. That being said, it cannot be used for any serious notching. Oxford is ok, but takes time to dial in (changing eq types, Q being mapped counterclockwise on Icon), and there's no big difference in the final result.
One final note: those familiar with old Westrex passive 3-band eq will certainly like Massey's VT-3. It's mid control is simply awesome if you want to bring the dialog to the front.

[Goocek]

I'm PT Hd Native user and i think that eq3 is highly underrated. I've got several eq plugs at my disposal and i find eq3 (or eq7) the best tool for shaping drums and bass. Very good for cutting. Eq dispay is nice too - you see what you are doing. Sometimes something more coloured (psp, focusrite) is what song needs but overall it's just a precise, fine sounding plugin.

[ThisIsSka]

Originally Posted by Branko

One final note: those familiar with old Westrex passive 3-band eq will certainly like Massey's VT-3. It's mid control is simply awesome if you want to bring the dialog to the front.

Seconded!

[Henchman]

I will add that the UAD pultecpro pro with a 2k cut and a 10k boost is instant magic on dialog.
Equick is used for notching. Equality for shaping.

[mgoorevich]

Originally Posted by Henchman

I will add that the UAD pultecpro pro with a 2k cut and a 10k boost is instant magic on dialog.
Equick is used for notching. Equality for shaping.

Mark, how you became such an UADist?
I never felt that I would advertise that much any of my purchased software.
Is the UAD really that good? Or...

[Henchman]

Originally Posted by mgoorevich

Mark, how you became such an UADist?
I never felt that I would advertise that much any of my purchased software.
Is the UAD really that good? Or...

I was using UAD's back when I did music. I had 4 cards in a small magma chassis, that ran on my laptop.
They had a great trade-in program last summer that I took advantage of, and got a Quad sattelite.
Their plug-ins a great.
I personally find that the quality of my dialog has improved since dumping all of the waves stuff.
I'm about to buy their new LA2A collection, to replace the 1176 plug-in I am using. To make things just a bit smoother.

The cut in 2k on the pultecpro really gets rid of that annoying frequency range that I really hate.

[emilano]

Originally Posted by Henchman

Well, if you think RenEQ came close, then there's not much to discuss.

Both can't come close to Equality.

Haha, well touché my friend. Ren EQ also failed to me. But its the one that I remember that had a hint of that "openness" (I actually did the test a couple of months ago). Remember, i am only talking about this one area and for this one task, not the rest of the eq. Specifically for bringing out openness and clarity in tracks that don't have enough of it. Which is often what i'm up against when i'm mixing reality style shows or documentaries. And overall, EQ3 can add digital harshness to dialog which is why i'm looking for another tool...

i'll have to try the VT-3 for this Branko, thanks for the tip!

[smurfyou]

Originally Posted by Branko

One final note: those familiar with old Westrex passive 3-band eq will certainly like Massey's VT-3. It's mid control is simply awesome if you want to bring the dialog to the front.

Thanks for the tip, I've never used the VT-3. Will try it out.

[marty lester]

i was an Oxford EQ user for as long as the plug-in existed i think. i've tried EQ3 and it's unremarkable to me.

i jumped to Equality when that came out and loved it.

recently i demoed Fabfilter Pro-Q EQ and it's now my favorite
for dialog. it just sounds great as soon as you "create" a knob
and start moving it. i like it's default bandwidth and it's
easy to fine-tune.

fwiw,
marty.

[charles maynes]

a cool as so many of the third party EQ's are, the AVID Channelstrip is pretty servicable in most situations, and is available on any system the session might be opened on.


if thats a concern, well.... thats a concern.


I am a HUGE DMG fan as well.... and Equality rocks my world almost everyday.

[ThisIsSka]

Originally Posted by charles maynes

a cool as so many of the third party EQ's are, the AVID Channelstrip is pretty servicable in most situations, and is available on any system the session might be opened on.

I've used the channel strip as my 'go-to' plugin since PT10 and most of the time it's perfectly fine. I'll always use it first before using another eq or compressor. Helps keep everything consistent.

Nothing wrong with the EQ3 either. Whatever works, works!

[soundfx]

Whatever works, for sure. I use EQuality for everything though. Incredible. Everything I do on-air for the millions goes through EQuality. Best EQ ever, IMO. The GUI is perfect for me.

[greatgonzo]

I haven't tried Equality yet but EQ3 is very quick and great user interface. If I need a quick notch or general shape, its just there, no mincing about when there's a room full of clients staring at the back of my head. Works well on poorly recorded material too, not all EQs can save something from bad recordings in the way that EQ3 can, it's also pretty efficient on dsp.

[ggegan]

Originally Posted by charles maynes

a cool as so many of the third party EQ's are, the AVID Channelstrip is pretty servicable in most situations, and is available on any system the session might be opened on.


if thats a concern, well.... thats a concern.


I am a HUGE DMG fan as well.... and Equality rocks my world almost everyday.

I've been using Channel Strip lately and what I would say is that it could be great but is a bit buggy right now. If you make the high and low bands shelves, CPU usage goes up significantly. If you also try to turn off the expander, CPU usage soars. No 6dB/8va filter and the filter slope doesn't map to the ICON D-Command. Other than that it's fine

[eoats]

EQ3 works for me.

1. Sounds OK.

2. On every PT DAW.

3. Low CPU consumption.

4. GUI is just fine.

After using/demo'n Focusrite, Massenberg, McDSP, Waves ...

[postprosound]

I guess I just like EQ3 for its simplicity. Yes, I'll concede that some plugs might sound better- at least subjectively. But there you have to say something for ease of use. Especially when the chips are down.

Also- being able to solo a band with a simple control+shift is huge for me.

[cananball]

If you like the EQ shortcuts in EQ3 check out the ones for Channelstrip.

Channelstrip Shortcuts

Very speedy!

[ggegan]

What I learned long ago back in the analog days is that almost any EQ sounds good as long as you can achieve the shape of the EQ curve you want by cutting rather than boosting. If you do need to boost, a more modest boost with a wider Q used in conjunction with cuts is generally pretty transparent. Extreme boosts and narrow Qs tend to bring out the weaknesses in an equalizer.

[paranerd]

Originally Posted by eoats

EQ3 works for me.

1. Sounds OK.

2. On every PT DAW.

3. Low CPU consumption.

4. GUI is just fine.

After using/demo'n Focusrite, Massenberg, McDSP, Waves ...

+1

Especially number 3.

[Mundox]

Originally Posted by ggegan

If you do need to boost, a more modest boost with a wider Q used in conjunction with cuts is generally pretty transparent. Extreme boosts and narrow Qs tend to bring out the weaknesses in an equalizer.

Yes, this is why I enjoy using channel strip. You can get a natural sounding dialog pretty quickly with broad strokes.

If I have to do surgery, I go with NF575. Any general filtering on an AUX, I go with EQ3 TDM.

[cjguitar]

I used EQ3 for a while, it worked OK, but found it generally harsh when trying to brighten things up. In general, you have to use a lot more cut/boost to hear anything with EQ3 and I don't like the digital harshness it imparts on the overall sound. I've been using DMG Equality for the last couple years and though it's not perfect, it'b by far the best available right now because of these features:
1. 9 bands, flexible options for each.
2. Maps almost perfectly to the D-Control center section.
3. Frequency Analyzer is amazing to see what you're hearing and find the problem areas to notch/shape quicker.
4. Intuitive UI.
5. Quickly solo bands.
6. Sounds really good.

Only ones that come close right now are FabFilter Pro-Q, which may be even more flexible and sounds better, but comes at a cost of higher CPU usage, and DMG Equick, which has been buggy in the past but it appears that all bugs have been fixed and it now maps to the console as well. I'll probably switch over to Equick going forward on my next projects.

[soundboy]

I use the Waves Q10 for notching and cutting, and the channel strip for boosting and shaping. I like equality, but it doesn't notch as deeply or as narrowly as the Q10.

[Henchman]

Originally Posted by soundboy

I use the Waves Q10 for notching and cutting, and the channel strip for boosting and shaping. I like equality, but it doesn't notch as deeply or as narrowly as the Q10.

I find that Equick is a much better sounding notch filter than Q10.