if i want harmonics, i use saturation plugins not an eq.

 

They may, but the nice long lists are what they have in their mixing templates. So those 20 plugins may be loaded into the template, but they are disabled. It's all your most go-to stuff, readily accessible. They can listen to a few individually but all at once. It also even sets you up where you might have them load with "presets" (custom settings or not) already set so they are already very close to being set.

A buddy of mine has been trying to convince me to build such a thing for a while. He got me to watch this Puremix "tutorial" video as one of the better ones on this particular subject. It was informative but also an easy watch. His assistant knows his stuff better than most "experts" you see making videos on Youtube. PureMix Michael Brauer The Evolution From Analog to Digital Brauerize. It even includes his own plugin list that is worth the download for just the list. to me, anyway. I've been using this guys plugin presets forever in Waves etc; so maybe I was an easy sell, but the price was also right.

 

Last edited: Mar 25, 2024

It's because some eqs are supposed to be really clean and clinical, and most of those analog modeled eqs give some sort of color, not only on the input stage, but if you're boosting some eqs you're boosting a distortion that can be desirable. It's scary, but once you know the sound that those eqs will give you, it becomes natural and quick. Massive is a good example of an eq with nice and unique distortion on boosts.

 

I'm not going to say that's unnecessary or a waste of time cuz some people might be genuinely having a great time learning and using different EQs and that's totally fine, some might even succeed doing that but my tiny little brain is focused in so many things since I engineer every step of my productions that I can't conceive spending this much time testing and remembering the details of so many EQs. Regardless of it I feel a bit safer knowing that some of my favorite mix/master engineers don't do that and can still deliver great results.

I always use Pro-Q 3 and the EQs in Infinistrip for my tracks. So far I'm pretty happy with my mixes and I haven't felt like I'm missing out but this can change in the future ofc. I mainly use Massive when I'm making "vintage" stuff like funk, citypop, etc. It sounds great, there's also that other EQ from Pulsar that I use from time to time. Pulsar is just great.

 

Last edited: Mar 25, 2024

Agree about Softube's Trident and Voosteq's N.

Pulsar's Massive and Analog Obsession's Fiver are peculiar.

But I guess my favorite EQs are Red Rock Sound's AQ Series.

 

Those sound pretty analog for my ears. I'd not worry if the only analog style EQ's i used were from this plugin. Fantastic one. I just don't use because lots of them can eat my CPU really quick.

 

That's why I recommended you it, for the same reasons as I did. I am constantly experimenting and build every track from a blank project. The purpose of the ABCD implementation template is so that all the options you want are dialed in, and you can actually mix while you are mixing. The only "learning" they talk about is matching and calibrating plugins to exactly,(as close as possible anyway) replicate his old analog setup at Electric Lady studio when he switched to ITB mixing entirely. The guys whole template is built around everything being tactile and there even before you need it. And that's how you end up with such an extensive and well thought out plugin list like @steviedude and @riddimmachine posted about.

 

see, it's not even that hard to understand. That's how it works for me. I probably use only 1 band or just the channel strips but everything is already up there per channel, sometimes need 3 EQs, depends just route the tracks into the template tracks and process. I have like 30-40 Sent channel all ready, but disabled at start. Most channel are already shaped like a "tone box" with few plugins already dialed it. These are tested and went through countless of mixes, slowly shaping up to what they are now. I don't have time to start from the scratch, blank project everytime I get 40+ tracks coming in. These days people do their "production" at home and some online job coming in with 60-70 tracks and with few specific reference songs that I have to get in the ballpark for as per the client request. No way it's possible with just leaving the track the way it is, even thought the track doesnt need EQing kinda need to EQ it to get to the reference ballpark. I'll lose client real quick if I don't try my best to make it sound like the ref. This is not Mix With The Master or Top 100 big studio stuff that the track is good enough so I don't have to do anything about it, these are track recorded by fucking teenagers in their dad's garage, small studios, bootleg live shows, festival sets and sometimes a full band song been put up together in each of their bedroom separately. Earlier today I just mixed a live acoustic song recorded through a small mixer in a cafe with Lana Del Ray reference song. It's a 4-track, that I need to stem separate and then mix again. Obviously need shit tons of EQ just to clean up the tracks and color them so it sounds bearable.

 

I get it. I'm sitting between two stools, so to speak.

I hate having too many plugins that basically do the same thing. For the reasons you mentioned.
On the other hand, I also hate using an EQ for everything. I've been using Swiss army knife EQs for a while that can do just about everything.

But I prefer to open a project, look at the inserts in the mixer and see at a glance what's going on.

• PSP E27? All right, I've applied broad brush strokes and saturation there.
• Sonnox Claro? All right, that's where my general EQ is.
• bx_console SSL 4000 E? Here I either wanted subtle differences in the filters in the left and right channel and was too lazy to do it manually, or I did something channel strip specific.
• Sonnox Dynamic EQ? Ok, I worked dynamically here.
• TDR Infrasonic? Good, this is where I took care of my low end precisely.
• DDMF LP10? Apparently the phase of the filter was important to me here.
• Etc...

The same applies to other processors. I look at my project and know immediately what's going on.

 

Last edited: Mar 25, 2024

kirchhoffeq
It has the emulated curves of several classic analog EQs. If I recommend one, it is that one. You have all the best EQs in one, added to the classic one that it provides from a current digital EQ. The important thing is the musical curves. Everything else that adds harmonic distortion and balbalba. There are dedicated plugins. that's why they do it better

 

just can't get enough

 

That's interesting to know, my template isn't so detailed to the point of having so many different tools in so many different tracks, at least not when I'm making my own music (I never know what I'm going to do!). Anyways, this made me curious regardless, I might give them a try later whenever I have time.

 

It's not an easy task. On the beginning of the craft of my actual template i got pretty overwhelmed and even created a thread here on the forum. @Sinus Well gave me a nice tip of trying to reduce the amount of plugins and analog emulations to avoid unecessary stress and work better. After i found the ones i love i don't even stress anymore to find a better option, until it show ups on my face in a way i can't avoid (through coments here, on the sister site, etc). If it works better i replace, if not, i delete.

 

That pretty much sumps it up. Really liked the Boz digital and Luftikus. They were highly recommended so I grabbed them first. Rest are collected too with the exception of Waves and Acustica. Many thanks for this extensive list, your help is highly appreciated.

 

Alright, will keep that in mind. The description for every analog based EQ says it's based on a legendary unit, doesn't say which. Takes time to investigate.

Currently trying Voosteq Model N and absolutely loving it. Pretty much everything in it, preamp, saturation, compressors, Eqs, analog circuit simulation with plethora of other features. Very good stuff. Thank you very much for bringing this to my attention.

Nomad Factory also has some very cool stuff. Especially liked their AlTec emulation. Many thanks for the cool suggestions, very good stuff. I see myself using Model N everytime.

Thanks again No Avanger for taking interest in my thread.

 

I tried to give Model N a fair try, but I do not know if I was already cynical about their plugins because of their compressor. I'm glad I did actually, because that "mental rack space" got the Pulsar Modular P11 Abyss. I really like their plugins, but I have not had the same reaction to their new EQ plugin/Sidecar as many people. Maybe it will grow on me. I like the Nomad plugins, but the first one I really was going to was their Drum Tools plugin. It's great for lofi drums, but I more often end up with it on some cymbals. It's almost like replacing Kit Pieces in a drummer plugin. Switch manufacturer? No problem. But back to the Model N, I ended up buying IK Mixbox because it was on sale for a silly cheap price. None of the "extended demos" ever worked for me on Mac. I tested Mixbox for about a half hour and bought it, based on quality. But for the price is was a complete no-brainer anyway. Another "racks" style channel strip I like for certain situations is the NoiseAsh racks.
We have so many good options, but I still end up back at individual plugins for my music.

 

Right, this part sucks. Sadly, there's no list with all the emus and the hardware they're modelled after.

 

i dont have one. but the fab filter pro q 3 sucks! i just dispise it

 

You either need better ears or better bait. I try to conserve cpu where possible, and for me an easy one is to not use the emulated analog EQs the thread is about, until I am either about to bounce/stem tracks. Or after I am working mostly with stems. Aside from my 14 year old mac, I would probably do it anyway. I think many people do a lot of intricate production work way too early in their projects. It's very hard to delete something you worked 2 hours on, and you will waste even more time trying to fix it or make it fit. Maybe you just use your DAW stock EQ there, but you can put Pro-Q3 into any situation like that and have 0 worry about it. It is the eq Swiss Army Knife.

 

if i want quick eq i go ableton stock's. if i want the best, i go aqua's salt , vertigo vse-2 or p455 mdn sidecar. these 3 have analog curves if i'm not mistaken; well they sound expensive to me