Just wanted to introduce you guys to an outstanding vst/au/aax EQ (mac/win)

Want to talk about music hardware or software that doesn't include Reason?
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Theo.M
Posts: 1035
Joined: 16 Jan 2015

01 Sep 2015

Hey guys I won't make a habit of this, as I certainly don't want to be like he who shall not be named. Occasionally though, a plugin comes along that is so exceptional for the money, that it needs to be said!
I know many of you use reason as a slave via rewire to another DAW - and until I quit reason i often did this myself. But i was always searching for the right EQ to use outside of reason, and I kept going back to the synapse as it just worked for me the way my mind does. Therefore, all of my eq-ing of *reason* stuff, was done in reason with synapse, not in logic.

The last 2 weeks i have been searching for the one EQ. I tried dmg audio's 3 eq's, , fab filter, sir audio, ddmf, many many free ones.

Between ludicrous prices for some, (dmg, fab filter) to way too buggy (ddmf), to missing too many features (sir and freebies, voxengo missing critical curves imo), etc etc, i couldn't find one i could justify dropping the cash on. I found the underdog - http://acondigital.com/products/equalize/

Now i have seen this on sales for 69$ at resellers, and I am sure there will be an Xmas sale again anyway. But at it's full price of $99, a whole $80 cheaper than fab filter, $200 cheaper than equilibrium, etc - it's just amazing - cause in most cases it does more than all of them, and is fabulous to use.

seriously, i reckon i spent at least 40 hrs of actual plug in testing in realtime, trying to find the right EQ. Fab filter is FANTASTIC and my second choice, but the ONLY thing it has over the acon is the spectrum grab, and in all other departments, the acon does more.

Most importantly, the acon has the most control over the slope/shape of any EQ i have ever used!

It has all the usual suspects - solo band, auto gain, responsive analyser, 12 bands - but it goes further with full retina support (like fab filter, so it looks erm, fabulous at high res), ultra low cpu (overall when comparing all the modes, 1:1 with fab filter, so equal lowest around), but it has a couple of really unique features - the slope is continuously variable - ie on the fab filter and all others actually, ALL of them ,you divisions of 6 or 12 on the cut filters. the acon starts at 1.0 to 120 - in decimal points all the way, with a smooooth as butter slider (typed values accepted also, as are fine drag values with command held down). No other EQ does that. Plus on the shelves he has slope AND q as well - you can make shelving curves you just can't in other EQ's.

I just feel that fab filter and dmg get so raved about, and amazing plugins like this that are way cheaper, get left by the wayside. The developer and owner is a truly nice person, and just to get this out there - i paid for this EQ, this is not a promo or anything for a free copy. In fact i pointed out some bugs to the dev (still in the official release but in some days the fixes will be available for all) and said they would have to be fixed before i considered purchase - all were done in days. I am also a huge supporter of well priced plugins, that do a great job, that use just a simple single line serial code - he has some other very cool plugins at equally VFM prices - restorers, noise reducers, clip repairers, a free fab chorus, and a KILLER reverb. Honestly you couldn't support a nicer dev - so if you are here as a dual user, reason and another daw, and also looking for a great EQ, i highly recommend it.

I have been in talks with the dev trying to convince him to add a S/C input (as he already has capability for two analyser curves) to enable one curve to be the sidechain, so you can compare clashes in real time over a high res analyser. I also suggested a simple dynamic mode (attack/release and amount), and just so he can truly offer everything PROQ does at half the price, an alternative to pro Q's spectrum grab (the spectrum slows so you can grab peaks and remove them) just to soothe those defending FF's price cause of this feature. In fact if he adds this, this will do way more than ProQ2 as it has way more curve control.

He is very receptive and just so cool to talk to. Have been pm ing with him at KVR.

just a hilarious example of what could be done with this EQ.. you could stack ten 120 db cut filters LOL.

I men the sky is the limit. for critical EQ ing, mastering, track duties - this is now without a doubt my go to EQ.

Oh and it has linear phase modes, mixed phase (which allows you to dial in the latency and the daw adapts perfectly) and a zero latency minimum phase mode. I can get hundreds of instances on my macbook :) And there is a simple row of buttons, for m/s/l/r/stereo for each and every band! Oh and a draggable resizable gui too.

Cheers! If you are interested, watch the video at the link above, it's great.

Image

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freeQlow
Posts: 616
Joined: 19 Jan 2015
Location: East Coast

05 Sep 2015

What Fab Filter did you try Pro Q 2?
Presonus has one factory that is similar.

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decibel
Posts: 974
Joined: 07 Mar 2015

05 Sep 2015

you should hassle the developer to make some RE's lol :)

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selig
RE Developer
Posts: 11685
Joined: 15 Jan 2015
Location: The NorthWoods, CT, USA

05 Sep 2015

Theo.M wrote:but it has a couple of really unique features - the slope is continuously variable - ie on the fab filter and all others actually, ALL of them ,you divisions of 6 or 12 on the cut filters. the acon starts at 1.0 to 120 - in decimal points all the way, with a smooooth as butter slider (typed values accepted also, as are fine drag values with command held down). No other EQ does that. Plus on the shelves he has slope AND q as well - you can make shelving curves you just can't in other EQ's.
Thanks for the heads up Theo!

No other EQ has this that's on the market does this - I've been doing the fully variable slope thing with Reaktor for YEARS now just waiting for the day someone else thinks of it. Looks like I waited too long and someone has beat me to the punch - ouch!

But I can say the variable slope concept is something I'm guessing many others will implement over time as it is amazingly useful on both filters and EQs, and I'd love to check this out to see how (if?) they dealt with all the issues surrounding this feature!

:)
Selig Audio, LLC

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EnochLight
Moderator
Posts: 8405
Joined: 17 Jan 2015
Location: Imladris

06 Sep 2015

selig wrote:
Theo.M wrote:but it has a couple of really unique features - the slope is continuously variable - ie on the fab filter and all others actually, ALL of them ,you divisions of 6 or 12 on the cut filters. the acon starts at 1.0 to 120 - in decimal points all the way, with a smooooth as butter slider (typed values accepted also, as are fine drag values with command held down). No other EQ does that. Plus on the shelves he has slope AND q as well - you can make shelving curves you just can't in other EQ's.
Thanks for the heads up Theo!

No other EQ has this that's on the market does this - I've been doing the fully variable slope thing with Reaktor for YEARS now just waiting for the day someone else thinks of it. Looks like I waited too long and someone has beat me to the punch - ouch!

But I can say the variable slope concept is something I'm guessing many others will implement over time as it is amazingly useful on both filters and EQs, and I'd love to check this out to see how (if?) they dealt with all the issues surrounding this feature!

:)
Hey Selig - this would make a great - UNIQUE - feature for a new Selig Audio eq! ;)
Win 10 | Ableton Live 11 Suite |  Reason 12 | i7 3770k @ 3.5 Ghz | 16 GB RAM | RME Babyface Pro | Akai MPC Live 2 & Akai Force | Roland System 8, MX1, TB3 | Dreadbox Typhon | Korg Minilogue XD

Ostermilk
Posts: 1535
Joined: 15 Jan 2015

08 Sep 2015

Another heads up to Acon who as well as this excellent EQ and the other tools you mention produce a great static audio editor too.

Acoustica versions start from an excellent free version that often gets overlooked on Windows in favour of Audacity, even the free version offers stable VST and ASIO support among other advantages it has over the well-known open source editor and the full-blown premium edition is only $119 too and includes an excellent restoration suite.

As you say Theo great VFM products with no compromise on quality.

http://acondigital.com/products/acoustica-audio-editor/

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ScuzzyEye
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08 Sep 2015

Ostermilk wrote:Acoustica versions start from an excellent free version that often gets overlooked on Windows in favour of Audacity, even the free version offers stable VST and ASIO support among other advantages it has over the well-known open source editor and the full-blown premium edition is only $119 too and includes an excellent restoration suite.
Just pointing out that the newest version of Audacity now has VST effect support, but still no ASIO. This Acoustica sounds cool, though. I should at least check it out.

Ostermilk
Posts: 1535
Joined: 15 Jan 2015

09 Sep 2015

ScuzzyEye wrote:
Ostermilk wrote:Acoustica versions start from an excellent free version that often gets overlooked on Windows in favour of Audacity, even the free version offers stable VST and ASIO support among other advantages it has over the well-known open source editor and the full-blown premium edition is only $119 too and includes an excellent restoration suite.
Just pointing out that the newest version of Audacity now has VST effect support, but still no ASIO. This Acoustica sounds cool, though. I should at least check it out.
Notice I used the word 'stable' in front of VST support... :puf_bigsmile:

Not knocking Audacity though it's a great editor.

User avatar
Theo.M
Posts: 1035
Joined: 16 Jan 2015

10 Sep 2015

Ostermilk wrote:Another heads up to Acon who as well as this excellent EQ and the other tools you mention produce a great static audio editor too.

Acoustica versions start from an excellent free version that often gets overlooked on Windows in favour of Audacity, even the free version offers stable VST and ASIO support among other advantages it has over the well-known open source editor and the full-blown premium edition is only $119 too and includes an excellent restoration suite.

As you say Theo great VFM products with no compromise on quality.

http://acondigital.com/products/acoustica-audio-editor/

agreed. Acoustica is a very affordable, very viable alternative to sound forge/audition/wavelab elements for windows users. Especially the premium one.

It's just so easy to use and so fluid in the hand - sure it's not got all the features of the full $600 wavelab but what does.. certainly nothing at the 100$ price point.
I think the premium one gets the full(and excellent) restoration suite as well which normally costs more than the package just for the plugin!

If i was using windows as primary i would actually use acoustica as my 2 track, as i find it so natural and easy to use. But on mac, (the best ever was tc audio spark XL but like only TC can do with such regularity, they killed it off 1 decade back), I use twisted wave. If i am doing discs, which is rare these days, waveburner is still rockin as ever.

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