I hear so many enthusiastic endorsements for the Maag (and have no reason to doubt their sincerity), but not once have I come across an explanation of what an "air band" actually is. Yes, it's a "transparent" (whatever that means) high shelf filter. So what?
 
I can think of only three possibilities:
a) it's a well-designed filter, free of artifacts
b) its boost curve is nonstandard, perhaps a Baxandall-type 
c) it's adding unadvertised harmonic distortion
 
If it's (a) then it's not unique. If it's (b) they're playing tricks on you. I doubt it's (c), since harmonics above 10 Khz are inaudible.
 
Anybody ever actually analyze this EQ to see what it really does?

It a well designed filter, and is a shelf based on selection with boost and cut,
and is free of artifacts.  What it does is extraordinary to say the least.  The method - I'm sure that's
patented by Maag.

The freebie does a nice emulation (especially for the price).

Here's a Video...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EzQ5kmDeJS4

A patented filter? Unlikely. For one thing, the plugin is modeled from a hardware device.
 
Here's a video where you can see the actual EQ curves. They look like any other equalizer, except for one interesting anomaly: turning up the lowest band raises the volume of all frequencies. An EQ that turns everything up, now that is unusual. And if you didn't know it was doing that, you might think it sounds better and not know why. When users rave about it, they tend to use phrases like "I don't know what it does, but it's magical".
 
According to the hardware version's manual, all of the filters interact with one another. Turning any one of them up also turns up the adjacent bands. Could this be part of the "magic"? Seems like there'd be a tendency to boost the overall level every time you turned any band up.
 
Some users comment that small changes seem to effect big audible differences. If turning one knob is the same as turning three knobs, then yeh, I could see that. 
 
I wonder if the big secret is just that the bands are very wide. One of the company's marketing bullets is less-than-normal phase shifts. My question for you electrical engineers is: how do you design a hardware filter that doesn't obey the laws of physics?

Wow bit, that's a pretty fascinating video. I have been thinking of selling my Maag, as I just haven't felt the magic of it. I keep wanting to be wowed by it, but I always seem to prefer a different EQ...

Well..I guess Dave is right and some of the best Mix Engineers in the business
are just whistling Dixie then....

I've used it...it's quite a nice EQ...and even the FREEBIE is nice...

Is it for everything...no...but many well known Mix Engineers use it on the 1-2 Buss.
And it shines on Acoustic Instruments and Vocals...

To each his own....I always say...

Everything isn't always about science boys...IJS

Hi Larry,
I have no doubt it serves a purpose well, I just haven't seen it. But then again, I'm not doing any acoustic stuff, and I only work with one particular female vocalist who is already a bit strong in the upper frequencies. Perhaps it's just a tool for a job I currently don't have...

Zo
                                                                                                                                
 
 
instant vibes :
 
Waves Helios
 
 
 

Ummmm UAD Helios for me.
 
Try the Ja Mon preset, then set the low EQ to 100 boost low eq to taste. Flip the switch under the hi-mid eq (1K to 3K) and boost to taste.
 
Instant karma for sure.

cclarry
Everything isn't always about science boys...IJS

Of course it is. Even if you don't know (or care about) the science, somebody else does or the product couldn't exist. 
 
I haven't said the Maag isn't great, only that no one has offered an explanation as to why it might be. Sorry, but "many well-known engineers use it" is what's known as Argument from Authority. 
 

bitflipper

cclarry
Everything isn't always about science boys...IJS

Of course it is. Even if you don't know (or care about) the science, somebody else does or the product couldn't exist. 
 
I haven't said the Maag isn't great, only that no one has offered an explanation as to why it might be. Sorry, but "many well-known engineers use it" is what's known as Argument from Authority. 
 

Well it's more an argument for "paid endorsement"...but, that aside, I've used it and it definitely has some mojo
goin' on...all hyper-analytical thinking aside...

How they do it....that's for the Electrical and Science Majors to figure out...I personally don't care...I just
know it works...and that's enough for me... 

I'd much rather make music, knowing the science that I know, then sit around and try to hyper-analyze it
from an Electrical Engineers perspective...but that's just me

I'll accept that, Larry. Skepticism and the need to take things apart is part of who I am, but I completely understand that not everyone gives a flyin' f(ck about how stuff works. I'm just here to look out for those folks, so they don't get duped by unscrupulous marketers. Don't think of me as that weird guy who questions everything, think of me as the guy who's got your back.