It just sounds like the real deal, through and through - this plugin is faithful to the original, which offered an unmatched blend of versatility and character. True to the original channel strip, the EQ on the SSL 4000 E Series features four adjustable bands plus HP and LP filters.Ĭharacter: Expensive. UX: Do you want to feel like a legendary, old-school producer or engineer? This UX will get you there. Pro tip: On a bass, use the low band to boost at 100Hz (to add warmth and weight) and the low mid band to attenuate at 400Hz (to get rid of the mud). Do your drums feel dull and flat? Give them a broad boost on the high end? This plugin fills the gap between the broad curves of an API 560 or a Pultec and the surgical capabilities of digital EQs. Not enough body in your vocal? Add in some warmth in the low mids. Uses: This is a great “problem solving” plugin. And, as expected with an API, it maintains a pleasant, smooth musicality. While this EQ still isn’t intended for surgical work, it provides more granular controls to be able to “fill in the gaps” in a sound. This means we have a lot more flexibility in our choice of bands to EQ. The setup is simple enough - frequency bands on the left, the amount of gain on the right.Ĭharacter: This is an API 550 emulation, not a 560 (like above).

In the end, this is a good thing, because the original 550 is definitely not an intuitive interface. UX: Purists be warned, this is an API 550 EQ without the look of the original hardware. Price: $149 (or $15/month as part of the Slate All-Access Pass) 7 Must-Know EQ Tips with Fabfilter Pro-Q2īefore we go any further into the best EQ plugins in today's music production landscape, here is a 2-minute round-up of the absolute basics that you need to know when it comes to EQ.Mixing and Mastering Electronic Music in 2020.If you’re interested, I recommend checking out: I’m not going to teach you how to use an EQ plugin in this article. That said, before we jump into the Best EQ plugins, let's take a look at EQ applications. Lucky for us, we don’t need to hunt down a Pultec EQ from the 1950s and spend top dollar just to take it home - plenty of plugin creators have made emulations of these old favorites. What these analog EQs lacked in precision and flexibility they made up for in warmth, character, and musicality (in essence, how natural they feel). Enter the analog emulation EQs…īefore the advent of digital music, sound engineers relied on physical EQ units to shape their mixes. What they usually lack, though, is personality and flavor. These EQs are precise, visual, and pretty user friendly. These are the stock DAW EQs where you can see a frequency spectrum, select a frequency, and start carving away. Analog Emulationĭigital EQs are probably what you are most familiar with, and what you use most often.

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