Are you an audio enthusiast, music producer, or sound engineer on the quest for the perfect sound? Look no further! It’s time to shape, sculpt, and master your audio with the best EQ plugins in the industry. These powerful tools can shape and enhance the audio quality of your tracks, making them a must-have in your audio arsenal. In this comprehensive guide, we will explore the cream of the crop, the top-tier EQ plugins that will take your sound to the next level.
Importance of EQ in mixing and mastering
While many musicians and producers choose to handle mixing and mastering themselves, others prefer to enlist the expertise of professional mixing and mastering engineers. Hiring a professional to EQ your music during the mixing and mastering stages is paramount to achieving a polished and high-quality sound. Whether you choose to handle mixing and mastering yourself or opt for professional assistance, Fiverr offers a convenient platform to connect with skilled audio engineers who can help you achieve the best possible sound for your music.
Best EQ Plugins for Audio Enthusiasts
1. Kickbox
KickBox is an EQ for both electronic and acoustic drums, designed to simplify the mixing process. It can help you get your kicks sounding extremely tight in a matter of just a few clicks. For most electronic kicks it is best used first or early in your mixing chain. For live recorded acoustic kicks however, it can be beneficial to use a shelving equalizer to achieve a general frequency balance before applying KickBox.
View KickBox on Plugin Boutique
2. Overtone
Overtone is an EQ with its own flavor. The interface has been designed to give the feel of an analogue EQ, which may seem slightly alien to those of you not familiar with using hardware. This forces you to trust your ears and make decisions based on what sounds good, and not what looks like the EQ curves you’ve seen on YouTube tutorials.
View Overtone on Plugin Boutique
3. Percolate
Percolate helps you separate and target the snare, hi-hat and percussion parts of loops, providing you with an easy and fast workflow to create a balanced drum or percussion mix. Percolate also uses analog modelled filters that separate the relevant frequency ranges in a very transparent way, and can be used in combination with the KickBox EQ plugin to target the whole drum or percussion section in your mix.
View Percolate on Plugin Boutique
4. Blue Cat’s Triple EQ
The Blue Cat’s Triple EQ includes a low shelf filter, a high shelf filter and a boost/cut peak filter. The plug-in can be controlled in real time with MIDI or automation: it is capable of absolutely zipper-free clean and continuous time-varying equalization with no latency.
View Blue Cat’s Triple EQ on Plugin Boutique
5. SplineEQ
The SplineEQ uses splines to create filter curves, instead of the different types of bands that traditional EQs offer. This can need a little time to get used to, but once you understand the basic concept, Spline EQ is very easy to use. You may add, delete and drag existing control points easily, and if you make an unintended change, there’s no limit to Undo/Redo. There are also both high-pass and low-pass filters represented by very small triangles the same color as the EQ spline representing the cut-off point for these filters.
View SplineEQ on Plugin Boutique
6. Pro EQ
The Pro EQ is a high end analogue processor designed for the most demanding producers and mastering engineers. Modelled on gorgeous EQ’s from the likes of SSL and Neve the Pro EQ is now used in a large number of high end studios.
View Pro EQ on Plugin Boutique
7. Things – Flip EQ
Things – Flip EQ is an easy to use tilting EQ plugin with mid/side mode. Turn the main knob to the right, and you get more highs and less lows; turn it to the left, and lows are boosted while highs are attenuated. You can choose the cutoff frequency of the EQ with the Cutoff control, or increase the gain of the EQ with the Boost button. Things Flip EQ can also be applied to either the mid or side of a stereo signal to further enhance the stereo depth.
View Things – Flip EQ on Plugin Boutique
8. Helper Equalizer 2
The Helper Equalizer 2 is a unique and versatile equalizer plug-in that contains special features with excellent workflow and a simple-to-use user interface. You have only 3 knobs to play with in this plug-in but do not be fooled by its simplicity. With the frequency knob, you can determine which frequency to be affected by the equalizer itself.
View Helper Equalizer 2 on Plugin Boutique
9. TDR VOS SlickEQ GE
TDR VOS SlickEQ is a mixing/mastering equalizer designed for ease of use, musical flexibility and impeccable sound. Also In order to warm up your audio with additional harmonic content, SlickEQ offers a switchable EQ non-linearity and an output stage with 3 different saturation models. These options are meant to offer subtle and interesting textures, rather than obvious distortion. The effect is made to add the typical “mojo” often associated with classy audio gear.
View TDR VOS SlickEQ GE on Plugin Boutique
10. Analogue Collection
Analogue Mixing and Mastering Collection is comprised two plug-ins: Analogue Channel Strip and Analogue EQ. The Channel Strip is comprised of an 8 band customizable EQ, Buss Compressor, Limiter, and Master section. Analogue channel is also perfect for buss channels or the master channel and can be used effectively for both mixing and mastering.
View Analogue Collection on Plugin Boutique
11. MDynamicEq
The MDynamicEq is a parametric equalizer, combining versatility with ease-of-use to produce a musical sound. MeldaProduction’s Adjustable Slope Filter (MASF) technology gives you natural sounding, versatile filters that are free of the resonance associated with some other equalizers. Each highly adjustable and dynamic band lets you fix problems easily, whether you are putting together a mix or tackling compression, expansion or de-essing tasks.
View MDynamicEq on Plugin Boutique
12. MIXROOM
MIXROOM isn’t your normal visual sense of an XY graph. MIXROOM uses a more “true-to-life” representation of frequencies in space. It’s set up to look like a literal room, and within the “room,” you create frequency bands, whose gain is increased or decreased as you move closer or further from them. Rather than a traditional EQ where you boost and cut frequencies, MIXROOM wants you to think of it as moving the frequencies forward or backward within the “room.”
View MIXROOM on Plugin Boutique
13. T-Bone
T-Bone is a slant EQ, and if you know what slant EQ is, then you should know that they are built to automatically boosts one end of the frequency spectrum while attenuating the other end. The T-Bone GUI is absolutely clean and to the point. It’s an amazingly useful tool for brightening or darkening your tracks very quickly. Another reason this is super handy is that it allows you to change the tone of your track without changing the overall level. Some of these simple features are really what makes this plugin so easy to use.
View T-Bone on Plugin Boutique
14. TDR Nova GE
The TDR Nova GE is perfect for sound design. It’s got a lot of functionality, to quickly shape your sounds the way you want them. NOVA GE is a dynamic equalizer. So, you can use it as a normal parametric EQ but also as a dynamic EQ which makes it useful in many cases. It includes a total of six dynamic EQ bands, each with independent dynamics processing ranging from downward compression over upward compression, upward expansion, up to downward expansion (incl. gating).
View TDR Nova GE on Plugin Boutique
15. TDR SlickEQ M
The TDR SlickEQ M has a set of musical high-pass and low-pass filters, including a low frequency “monoization” section offer detailed control over the signal bandwidth. An effective auto gain mechanism automatically compensates for changes of perceived loudness while operating the EQ, smart signal analysis options allow matching the input signal’s spectrum against a reference; automatically find static resonances; or automatically setting the HP and LP filters according to the signal’s audible bandwidth.
View TDR SlickEQ M on Plugin Boutique
16. Fatmaker
Fatmaker is not just a regular EQ, it’s a multiband saturator mixed with different processing chains for each band and a powerful equalizer created for the best mixing and mastering results. It works perfectly on Synths, Drums, Basses and Vocals. Also, Fatmaker has already been championed by professional sound engineers and A-list Producers from all over the world. We are sure you will enjoy it too!
View Fatmaker on Plugin Boutique
17. Slice EQ
Slice EQ cuts, or enhances, frequencies with surgical precision using razor sharp digital filters up to 96 dB/oct. Slice EQ offers you everything you need to create mathematically perfect filter combinations to get your music exactly where you want it to go. Nevertheless, Slice EQ won’t let anyone down soundwise. Using top of the line, digitally clean filters it will give you a crisp result every time.
View Slice EQ on Plugin Boutique
18. AE600 Active EQ Native
The AE600 is the next generation of active equalization. New and unique EQ modes, independent control of fixed and active EQ bands, and an ultra low latency algorithm make the AE600 the perfect solution for any audio production. EQ mode options include parametric, proportional Q parametric, 5x Q parametric, Baxandall shelving EQ, vintage styled EQ, X-style shelving EQ, Baxandall shelving EQ plus filtering, and high and low pass filtering.
View AE600 Active EQ Nativeon Plugin Boutique
19. entropy:EQ+
The entropy:EQ+ has the capacity to differentiate between harmonic and inharmonic sound portions, substantially simplifying things like the postproduction of transients. Frequency-selective manipulation makes it possible to only edit the strokes of individual instruments within a track. This functionality works miracles not only with complex instrumental tracks but also with recordings of human voices.
View entropy:EQ+ on Plugin Boutique
20. proximity:EQ+
The proximity:EQ+ is a tool that will help you to balance direct and reverberant sound field in our recordings with the easy-to-use and familiar EQ interface. Proximity gives you a fuller, richer, punchier tone; dragging tracks into negative Proximity gives you a less direct sound while increasing the track’s natural depth and ambience. This EQ plugin lets you retrospectively shape the room’s acoustics, any way you can imagine. The sophisticated technology of proximity:EQ+ opens entirely new possibilities for amending detrimental room modes in post-production while leaving the direct sound entirely untouched.
View proximity:EQ+ on Plugin Boutique
21. FabFilter Pro-Q 3
FabFilter is known for its clean, interactive GUI interface across its plugin range. On the frequency spectrum, no EQ parameters are shown. Instead, you simply see a flat EQ curve, fashioned in “FabFilter Pro Q 3 Yellow”, and the grey realtime analyzer showing the incoming signal. Other new features include a ‘brick wall’ filter slope and the neat ‘flat tilt’ shape, which simply rotates the entire frequency spectrum about a fixed point, applying more and more boost or cut the further you get from that point. So whether you want to manipulate subsonic whale recordings or ultrasonic bat noises, FabFilter Pro Q 3 is probably going to work for you.
View FabFilter Pro-Q 3 on Plugin Boutique
22. MAutoDynamicEQ
The MAutoDynamicEQ plug-in, a unique spin on the concept of an equalizer. In short, the plugin works as a form of dynamic equalizer, so that the amount of cut or boost applied by each band is defined not only by a fixed amount of gain, but also in response to the input level. The application of dynamic EQ is best understood in the example of de-essing, whereby a narrow cut is applied around the frequency of sibilance (say 4kHz or so) but the amount is controlled by a compressor.
View MAutoDynamicEQ on Plugin Boutique
23. SplitEQ
SplitEQ is a groundbreaking EQ that offers a fundamentally new approach to corrective and creative audio equalization. It excels at Repairing, Rebalancing, Enhancing, and Widening any musical source or audio signal. SplitEQ is both a surgical tool for fixing particularly nasty problems and a creative tool as it opens up exciting new musical possibilities. More than just an EQ — It’s a new and better tool.
View SplitEQ on Plugin Boutique
24. sonible frei:raum EQ
The smart frei:raum EQ plugin for audio editing balances spaciousness and unlocks creative possibilities in the post-production of music. Based on a unique ability for automatic learning, the smart:engine recognizes disturbing resonances or notches and automatically calculates individual filters to optimize single tracks or the mix as a whole. In audio mixing, the smart:engine delivers fast high-quality results.
View sonible frei:raum EQ on Plugin Boutique
25. smart:EQ 3
The smart:EQ 3 enhances detail, clarity and transparency in single tracks and in arrangements of up to six channels. Where things get smart is with the so-called smart:filter. This uses AI techniques to analyze the incoming audio, then creates an additional EQ curve that aims to correct any tonal imperfections, basing these calculations on a chosen profile. Unlike other AI EQ’s, it doesn’t force an EQ curve on your music, but rather evolves to fit the profile of your chosen genre. It can be used on anything from Rock, to Pop, to Classical. You name it Smart EQ can do it.
View smart:EQ 3 on Plugin Boutique
26. Black Q – V2
Black Q is a 4 band Tube Eq that features overlapping bands and new frequency ranges as well as oversampling for more “analog” behavior. Basically, this plugin is a kind of hybrid with a sound going from ” Clean and Silky ” to full-on ” Crunchy ” sounding saturations.
View Black Q – V2 on Plugin Boutique
27. Sie-Q
The Sie-Q helps you achieve spacious highs, smooth lows, and great tones fast. This model of German engineering brings a whole new color to your EQ palette. In a quest to capture unique tones and colors from the world of hardware, Soundtoys dug deep into their gear museum and found a little known gem: the Siemens W295b. It impressed them so much that it became the the inspiration for their first EQ. Sie-Q faithfully captures the hardware’s smooth curves, airy highs and ease of use, allowing you to get the tone you want fast, without a lot of hassle.
28. Claro
Claro is a comprehensive EQ Plug-In that serves the production process from composition to final mix, with three distinct views, progressively adding deeper insight and precision to prevent mud, clutter, or harshness, helping you blend your tracks into a clear and balanced mix. Claro’s friendly, intuitive interface guides you towards frequency ranges using familiar words such as ‘Mud’ and ‘Harshness’ in addition to Hz. A piano keyboard is also displayed to set your EQ band to a specific note helping you to work musically.
29. The Hoser XT
The Hoser XT makes a great channel EQ to give that cohesive feel to your mixes. The Hoser takes advantage of some of the benefits of working in the digital domain, all while staying true to the analog sound. It is really the best of both worlds. You can also process your left and right channels separately, which is a great way to add some stereo width to a mono track, or match the tone of a stereo source.
View The Hoser XT on Plugin Boutique
30. Blue Cat’s MB-7 Mixer
Blue Cat’s MB-7 Mixer is a unique plugin that splits the signal into several frequency bands and lets you re-mix and process them as if they were separate tracks: change levels, apply panning, add built-in effects, or even third party plugins. Each band proposes controls that can be found on a mixing console, and more: bypass, mute or solo each band separately to isolate frequencies you want to work on, adjust the gain, the “stereoness” and the position in the stereo field.
View Blue Cat’s MB-7 Mixer on Plugin Boutique
Conclusion
In conclusion, the world of audio production is a sonic playground, and having the right tools is crucial to create music that resonates with your audience. Throughout this blog post, we’ve delved into the realm of the best EQ plugins and uncovered some of great options available. Whether you’re a seasoned pro or just starting your audio production journey, investing in high-quality EQ plugins is a step toward crafting audio that’s truly exceptional. So, don’t hesitate to explore these top-notch EQ plugins and discover how they can elevate your sound to new heights.
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