Equavescent EQ plugin - finally
Greetings, fellow plugaholics! Let me draw your attention to the latest Best Ever Plugin, the Equavescent EQ from
Barratt Audio, which has finally arrived in released form after a long history of prototype-quality and beta versions. This is a very different tool from others I have tried, from its ungainly and quirky interface, to its ability to bring my CPU to its knees in certain modes. But for certain tasks, it sounds better to me -- more unprocessed, more lifelike, more real -- than any other EQ in my arsenal.
Apparently this plugin uses IR tech to achieve its sound, thus the massive horsepower required to play around with the low end -- fortunately you can switch FFT-length modes to reduce the load when necessary, but sticking with the highs shouldn't be an issue. And it's up there where this tool shines brightest. High shelves, say from 5kHz on up on tracks like vocals or drum overheads, demonstrate an uncanny ability to open things up without sounding like anything's been EQ'd. It just sounds as though the track was recorded that way to begin with. So natural and detailed, and completely free from the usual harshness or fuzziness that plagues other plugins. I can't explain how it's done, but I haven't been able to match that sound with other tools I have on hand, even vaunted plugs like the MDW EQ, Pro-Q2, or various Nebula libraries. I think Barratt is onto something here.
There is a free demo, which can be downloaded after creating an account. One usage quirk to keep in mind is that the indicated gain changes in dBs seem to be about twice what is actually happening, thus it's best to use your ears and not the numerical readouts when trying this thing.
The purchase price is $100, which I think is reasonable given the sound of this plugin, even though it still seems like a work in progress. The developer has indicated that improvements in efficiency and analog modeling are coming, and one hopes GUI improvements will be a part of regular updates.
Whew. That's all for now ... have fun!
Cheers,
Eddie