Installation and Quick Start

An installed plug-in is missing in your VST host application or you just wonder where your VST plug-ins (virtual instruments and effects) are located? This article provides detailed information on VST plug-in installation paths on Windows. Click here to switch to VST plug-in locations on Mac OS X and macOS. How to Use Waves Plugins when Using a Custom VST Folder. Last updated on: 4:42:07 AM. All Waves plugins are installed to a folder named 'Plug-Ins V12' (or V11/V10/V9, whichever version is installed on your device), which is inside the Waves folder, located on your system hard drive.

Install the DAW Plugin

The Band-in-a-Box DAW Plugin is one of the components installed when you install the main Band-in-a-Box program. You can also find the installer in the Band-in-a-Box folder in:

There are several plugin types that may be installed. The most common type is VST3 which is recommended if your DAW supports VST3. The VST3 plugin is installed by default to the standard location, which should be found automatically by most DAWs:

In addition, all of the plugin types are available in the Band-in-a-Box folder:

Band-in-a-Box DAW Plugin Standalone.exe is a special version of the plugin that is not used within any DAW, but instead works as a stand-alone program. This file is useful for troubleshooting or for people who want to run a simplified version of the Band-in-a-Box program. You can use this program to generate tracks quickly and drag them to Explorer. There is a ReadMe file in the bbBBPluginFiles folder that describes the purpose of the other file types. Note that if you need to use the VST2 plugin, it is not installed by default, and you should check the VST2 component during installation. For VST2 there is no standard location like there is for VST3, however there are several locations that are used and preferred by different DAWs. Some common locations for VST2 plugins are:

If you would like to move the VST to another location, you can simply copy and paste from one of these default folders to your desired folder. Once the VST is placed into the correct location, it should be recognized by any DAW which uses that location for its VST folder, but you may need to get your DAW to scan for new plugins.

Load the Plugin in your DAW

Start by opening your DAW. Most DAWs automatically scan for and add VST3 plugins at bootup. The specific procedure for opening the plugin varies between DAWs, but typically you will add a VSTi (software instrument) plugin to a track. We will use Reaper to illustrate this. In Reaper you can go to the Track menu and click on 'Insert Virtual Instrument on New Track', then locate 'VST3i: Band-in-a-Box DAW VST3 Plugin' in the plugin list. At this point, you should see the Band-in-a-Box DAW Plugin user interface. The tracks section of the main screen is empty since we have not loaded a style or song, and the status icon at lower left corner of the plugin is white, indicating that the plugin is idle and not connected to Band-in-a-Box.

Verify the location of your Band-in-a-Box folder in Preferences

It is important for the plugin to know the correct location of your Band-in-a-Box folder, or else it won't work. Typically you won't need to make any changes to this setting, since the plugin can usually determine the correct folders automatically. However you should still verify that it has chosen the correct folders. Press the [File] button and select Preferences. Scroll down to the Folder Locations section.

If you have Band-in-a-Box installed on your PC's internal hard drive, the 'Path for Band-in-a-Box' will usually be C:bb. In addition, the Paths for RealTracks and Drums will usually be C:bbRealTracks and C:bbDrums respectively, unless you are using a custom location for RealTracks and Drums. If you are using an external hard drive (an UltraPAK for example), then the path might instead be something like E:bb depending on what the drive letter is. If the folder paths are red, then that means there is a problem, for example Band-in-a-Box hasn't been found in the selected folder. The fourth folder path you can specify is for 'SavedTracks'; this is in the BBPlugins folder by default (i.e. C:bbBBPluginSavedTracks), however a custom location can be specified. One thing to know is that this folder can grow large if many tracks are generated and not cleared. Press OK to exit to the main screen of the Plugin.

Generate Tracks

The Band-in-a-Box DAW plugin works just like the full Band-in-a-Box program. You type in your chords in the chord sheet, set the chorus begin/end bars, set the key & tempo, and choose a Style. Band-in-a-Box then generates a set of backing tracks. Each Style consists of a set of instruments, which may be MIDI, RealTracks (audio), or a combination. For the purposes of this quickstart tutorial we'll just load in pre-made style demo using the StylePicker.

To open the StylePicker, click on the [Select] button, and click 'Select a Style'. At this point, the plugin will connect with Band-in-a-Box and the status icon (lower left) should turn blue. This opens the StylePicker window, which is virtually identical to the window you see in the full Band-in-a-Box program.

This allows you to browse and select Styles. The number of styles that you see in this window depends mainly on which Band-in-a-Box package you have. If you have the 'UltraPAK' for example, and have purchased some 'Xtra Styles', you will see thousands more styles than if you have the 'Pro' package. You should Rebuild this window the first time you open it, so that it accurately reflects the styles and RealTracks that are available to you. Press the [Rebuild] button at the bottom of the window, and select 'Fast Rebuild'. (Slow Rebuild will also look for third party and user styles, so is usually not necessary).

Choose a RealStyle (style with all RealTracks) by looking for styles that start with an underscore character. You could choose any of them, but for this demonstration, we'll choose _BLSHUFF.STY, because it happens to be a style that is in many different Band-in-a-Box packages, and has several RealTracks. Click once on the style, and then click the [Load Song Demo] button to exit back to the main screen. (Note: to find the style quickly you could enter the style name into the search filter at the top of the StylePicker.)

At this point, you'll notice that the tracks area is filled with the names of the tracks in the style, and there are some empty squares beside each track. This indicates that the tracks are empty; before you can hear anything, you'll need to generate them. You may see a flashing blue LED next to the generate button - this is telling you that tracks need to be generated. Note that after you have generated tracks, and subsequently make some changes to the song - for example, say you change some chords - this light will flash again. This is because the tracks need to be re-generated before they follow the new chord progression.

Now click the [Generate] button. The length of time for generation is dependent on the number of tracks being generated, and the length of the song including the number of choruses. Since the demo song we chose has 5 choruses and all RealTracks it will be on the longer side. The status bar at the bottom of the plugin window gives you information about what the plugin is doing.

A popup message informs you when generation is complete. Now that the song is generated, we can see that the Tracks are no longer empty, and have green WAV 'buttons' (these aren't buttons in the traditional sense, but they are areas from where you can click and drag to move the track into your DAW or Windows Explorer).

You can press Play or double-click on the Chord Sheet to hear the generated tracks. What you are hearing is the 'Style Mix', which is the top track. This is a rendered stereo mix of all of the tracks; you'll see that all of the individual tracks are also available but are muted M by default so that you don't hear them at the same time. It may be useful for you to understand that the files used by these tracks (e.g. the wave files) are saved in a timestamped subfolder of the bbBBPluginSavedTracks folder.

In our example, we had only RealTracks, which are audio as opposed to MIDI, so the generated tracks have green WAV buttons. It is also possible for there to be tracks generated from MIDI instruments; these show up with yellow MIDI buttons. Some tracks may also have a corresponding button on the right-side of the track, which is a secondary option for that track. RealTracks may have an amber CHART button, which indicates that there is MIDI notation available for that track, and MIDI tracks may have a WAV button available, which is a MIDI instrument track which was rendered to audio using the default GM MIDI synth in Band-in-a-Box (Coyote WaveTable).

Another feature you'll see on the tracks is a Mn or a St indicator. This tells you whether the track is a Mono or a Stereo track.

Using the Generated Tracks

At this point, there are two common workflows that people use. Some people prefer to transfer the tracks into their DAW for further processing. To transfer a track, click and drag from any of the green WAV buttons into the Tracks window of your DAW - this will drag a single wave file into the DAW. Alternatively you can click and drag from the dark blue All icon of the Style Mix to drag all of the tracks at once as individual files.

The other workflow that some people use is to keep the Band-in-a-Box plugin open with the generated files and not drag them to their DAW, but instead hear them when they press Play in their DAW. For this to work, make sure the 'Sync To Host' feature is active (press the Sync button so that it is blue and has a checkmark).

You should also be aware of the setting 'Send MIDI data to DAW for playing MIDI tracks', found in the Preferences dialog. If unchecked, then the audio of the rendered MIDI track is sent to your DAW; if checked, then the actual MIDI data is sent to the DAW, allowing you to route the MIDI through a synth of your choice (this is a more advanced configuration and how it's done varies between DAWs)

Assuming you have Sync To Host enabled, then you should hear the Band-in-a-Box Plugin tracks play in sync with the tracks in your DAW. Note that the rendered tracks may or may not have a 2 bar count-in, depending on whether or not 'Lead-in' is checked. Also, note that the tempos should match between the DAW and the plugin - if they do not, you'll see a blue warning light flashing next to the tempo field:

Generating Additional Tracks

We've been focusing so far on the Style tracks, but the track table actually has three main screens that you can switch between by clicking the vertical tabs along the right-side of the Track list (Style, Extra, Riffs) or by scrolling up and down through the tracks.

The Extra tracks are additional tracks that you can generate in addition to the instruments included in the style. As an example, let's say we want to add an Electric Guitar soloist to our song. Click on the Select button and click RealTrack. This opens the RealTracks Picker, which is very similar to the RealTracks Picker dialog in the main Band-in-a-Box program.

For our tutorial, we'll select 'Guitar, Electric, Soloist Blues Sw 120'. You can find this quickly by entering some words like 'Blues soloist' in the search filter at the bottom of the dialog. Select it and press OK to exit the dialog. Notice that you are in the Extra tracks section which is color-coded green to distinguish it from the Style tracks. As before, you'll need to generate the track before you can hear it. This is where the Generate [Custom] (bottom half of the Generate button) can come in handy, since you may only want to generate the new track you have selected, and not want to re-generate ALL of the tracks.

The third section of the tracks table is the Multi-Riffs tracks. MultiRiff is a feature that allows you to choose one RealTrack instrument, and have it generate many different parts over the same song/chord progression. Click the [Select] button, and click 'MultiRiff'. In the RealTracks Picker, select a RealTrack as before, press OK, and generate.

You may face several scenarios while mixing and mastering which may include the use of an equalizer, having a transparent display to analyze what you are adding or subtracting with the EQ, multiple EQ bands, and proper CPU usage is what to look for in an EQ.

But with that said every piece of software and hardware alike creates and outputs a slightly different sound meaning they all have unique timbres and uses. Alongside that, there are some rather expensive plugins we may see online, which aren’t out of our reaches but we don’t know what we need until we need it right? Well, this is why its best to try some free EQ’s first to see what it is you like within an EQ and what it maybe you are looking for.

We become ever so comfortable with our stock plugins, they do the simple tasks for us (sometimes), they don’t run our computer into the ground, and they for sure are pretty basic. Well, this is the issue most people come to, they want a better EQ, or they want a change of visuals.

EQ History – ‘The first EQ was first used by John Volkman working at RCA in the 1920s”

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1. DDMF Colour EQ info & download
2. SPL Free Ranger info & download
3. Analog Obsession STEQ v2 info & download
4. TDR Nova Parallel Dynamic Equalizer info & download
5. Cockos ReaEQ info & download
6. Blue Cat’s Triple EQ info & download
7. Analog Obsession Merica info & download
8. TinyQ lkjb info & download
9. Sonimus SonEQ info & download
10. Ignite Amps PTEq-X info & download
11. Leftover Lasagne Pushtec 5+1A EQ info & download
12. lkjb QRange info & download
13. TDR Slick EQ info & download
14. Manda Audio 7Q info & download
15. Mellowmuse EQ1A info & download
16. Voxengo Marvel GEQ info & download
17. Kuassa BASIQ info & download

More Info & Download

Specifications:

• 64-bit processing
• Low-CPU Usage
• Customizable GUI
• Great warm sound
• 5 Bands
• Resizable Window

Features & When To Use:

Colour EQ is a 64-bit EQ plugin that offers 5 ”super parametric” bands to manipulate the frequency range. This is exceedingly handy when wanting to use more than one band in one instance; the intuitive gain knobs on the five bands allow for perfect mixing of these bands when mixing and mastering.

Using the two different types of curves, Colour EQ offers a warm sound that you just wouldn’t get from your stock EQ.

Having a bright visual display helps you to craft and mould your bands to preference.

A great way to use this plugin is when you are not getting enough warmth in your low, mid/mids, Colour EQ will add a great sense of warmth throughout the selected bands. Another cool way to use this plugin is to use two different setups with two different curve types; you can use modified versions of the EQ for selected times in your mixdowns to add the feeling of a change in energy in a breakdown or drop.

Colour EQ is a great tool to have in your arsenal for mixing and mastering, plus you may find many uses in your day-to-day production.

Compatibility:

Windows VST (32/64 bit), Windows/Mac RTAS, and Mac VST/AU format (Intel, OSX 10.5 and higher)

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Specifications:

• Four useful bands
• Volume knob
• Great sound
• Four buttons to switch between EQ settings

Features & When To Use:

With a sleek, minimalistic design Free Ranger is a powerful EQ.

With a mid-band (150Hz – 7kHz), fixed high (10kHz), low shelf (80Hz) SPL have kept things very simple so anyone can EQ with ease.

Free Ranger gives the feel of the world-renowned API 560 EQ but offers this all for free!

Free Ranger is a bodybuilder for your sounds while mixing and a gentle touch when mastering, this plugin makes EQing fun, quick and easy.

You may find yourself using the four different EQ settings and incorporate them into your mixdowns. Using them to create different feels and vibes can give your masters that final touch you’ve been looking for.

This is a must-have!

Compatibility:

macOS 10.9 through 10.15, Windows 7-10

More Info & Download

Specifications:

• mid-band (150Hz – 7kHz)
• fixed high (10kHz)
• low shelf (80Hz)
• Optical compressor knob
• Added preamp

Features & When To Use:

Simplicity is key with EQ work in the mix or master, and this plugin keeps that in mind through and through.

With a very easy to use GUI STEQ 2 has a powerful but simple way of delivering a small form factor EQ to your DAW.

This EQ gives off old school retro vibe, precise, clean, and adds a lot of detail to the mid-range.

STEQ 2 is excellent for tonal rebalancing due to the broadness of the three bands creating a pure blend between the frequency ranges.

Using this to add punch to claps and snares is also a good use. But be careful when adding to full bus groups.

This EQ from Analog Obsession is an excellent tool to keep at your disposal when thinking about doing some tasks during your mix, or why not change up those stock plugins for free.

Compatibility

WiN, OSX AU VST, VST3

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Vst3 Plugins Ableton

Specifications:

Great for:

Features & When To Use:

Nova is a parallel dynamic EQ; each band has a dedicated, dynamic section giving the user full flexibility.

Giving the option to drag and move bands in the visual GUI individually or group, this provides a natural form factor way to get results.

Using the multiband compression built into Nova your be able to manipulate your EQ even further, this will be displayed in the visual GUI with real-time feedback of the compression process. (subtly decrease the threshold to hear the difference)

In mix and mastering, you can use Nova to visually see where you may have audio issues to fix and makes it very easy to apply these changes with the drag and change feature.

The dynamic EQ is a handy tool to have in practice when mixing down full compositions – use it to bring down or up frequencies only when they reach a specific volume.

Nova is a heavyweight EQ with a lot under the hood all for free!

Compatibility:

Win XP SP2 or above, Mac OS X 10.7 or above.

More Info & Download

Specifications:

• Low CPU & RAM
• Fast and highly configurable
• Portable – copy & run
• Resizeable GUI

Features & When To Use:

ReaEQ may look basic, but under the hood, there is a lot to offer.

Being able to have as many bands as you wish is a massive bonus, you also have the ability to change all of these bands to one of the following (shelves, bands, LPF, HPF, notch, bandpass, allpass).

With a stripped-back GUI, it keeps you focused on the task at hand, not over complicating things but giving you the power of an audio god at your fingertips.

With a tremendous real-time visual display, this gives you the eyes and ear focus that you need when EQ in the mix.

Phasing is a big issue when mixing, ReaEQ gives you a ‘Show Phase’ button which will show you in your display what frequencies are being affected by the band.

When mastering you may wish to keep all bands in one EQ patch, with ReaEQ you can do this.

Stripped back and powerful ReaEQ is a favorite among many producers across a wide range of genres.

Compatibility:

WIN 32, WIN 64

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Specifications:

• Semi-parametric EQ
• +/- 40dB Range per band
• MIDI control and automation support
• Real-time display
• All sample rates supported

Features & When To Use:

The Triple EQ is a three-band semi-parametric equaliser.

With a simple and easy to read visual display of the frequencies in real-time, you will have a clear display of the EQ in front of your eyes.

Alongside the huge +/- 40 dB range, Triple EQ has a bandwidth of .01 to 5 Octaves!

An exciting feature with Triple EQ is that you can link two bands together using the ‘Link Channels’ feature. This will allow you to use them in unison; combine this with the automaton support to create quick and easy modulation. This is a great way to change an EQ while in the mix with complex automation.

Using the linking feature to create movement and progression within your mixdowns makes Triple EQ a threat.

Fully customisable shapes make this a different tool when deep in the mix or master, you will find many uses for the dynamic bands you can create—having dynamic bands that you are able to manipulate helps when visually your EQ and how it may affect the whole frequency range.

Check this one out for a small form factor powerful EQ!

Compatibility:

Windows 7 to 10, Mac OS 10.7 or newer.

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Specifications:

• Low & High Band – Shelf
• Mid Band – Proportional Q Peak
• HP & LP Filter – Constant
• Low CPU usage

Features & When To Use:

We have another FREE plugin from Analog Obsession!

This time is bringing you Merica an emulation of the API 550A console equaliser.

A simple three-band EQ delivers a lot of power to your mixes and masters. Selectively choose which frequency your band boosts or cuts with the option to the right of the knobs.

All bands kept simple and easy to get to grips with.

Meica also has a nifty and very much needed output knob, there will be no issues with clipping in the digital domain when mastering with this plugin.

A larger than appearing sound Merica is an excellent EQ plugin to use when in the mixdowns and masters.

Given that the EQ it emulates is an industry-standard plugin this small form, powerful, easy to use, and was coded by one man! Merica is a must grab for all audio creatives looking to upgrade their stock EQ plugins.

Compatibility:

VST Win, VST3 Win, VST Mac, VST3 Mac, AU Mac

More Info & Download

Specifications:

• Four bands (20 Hz to 20 kHz)
• Small form factor (ability to make larger if wanted)
• High & Low cuts range is 6 and 48 dB/octave
• Included frequency analyser

Features & When To Use:

TinyQ is a small form factor EQ.

Giving the user a stripped-back interface TinyQ offers a solution to a simple job.

Having too many settings can become overwhelming; TinyQ does what it says on the tin and doesn’t make your job any harder.

Keeping things simple when mixing down whole groups is essential – finding yourself using CPU heavy EQ, or a stock plugin just might not cut it for you. TinyEQ is excellent for doing those necessary but straightforward EQ tasks!

With the recent addition of built-in frequency analyzer, it makes EQ even easier when getting stuck into your mixes or masters.

Create awesome sounding band curves.

Great emphasis on keeping things simple goes a long way with TinyQ; the team has made a great EQ that does everything it needs to in one small package. With four bands plus high pass/low pass filters, you won’t be looking any further for your day to day EQ needs.

Compatibility:

Windows 7 or later, macOS 10.7 or later (both 64 bit)

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• Three-band Equalizer, Low, Mid, High.
• 2 Musical Filters, High-Pass Low-Pass.
• Preamp stage with a bass booster.
• 64-bit floating-point precision.
• Up to 192kHz sample rates supported.

Features & When To Use:

SonEQ has 3 bands, low (20 Hz – 100 Hz), mid (150 Hz – 4 kHz), high (6 kHz – 15 kHz). Combined with a high pass and low pass filter, plus a ‘Mid-high Q’ this means when it’s on your band its narrow and when deactivated will cause it to be wider. This indicated by the red light.

Giving the user a lot of ways to EQ but keeping things user-friendly is what SonEQ does best.

Having the volume meter is very hand when mixing with any EQ, it gives the visual display of when things are getting a bit heated for your output.

SonEQ also gives you the full control of your input and output levels. This comes in handy when you are mixing your tracks with heavy effects, causing the overall levels to become louder than 0.0dB; this is where adjusting both the input and output parameters will solve the issue.

With this plugin being free for all to use we don’t see any reason why this shouldn’t be ready to deploy at the click of a finger, whether it’s beefing up the mix with the built-in bass boost preamp staging or adding a touch of colour to the highs this plugin has you covered.

Compatibility:

Mac OSX 10.6 or newer – Windows XP or newer

More Info & Download

Specifications:

• Three equalisation modules
• Stereo/Mono switching
• Four different tube types
• Global input/output level control

Features & When To Use:

PTEq-X is a digital emulation of three famous vintage EQ.

Equipped with three EQ modules comprised of mid-range (2kHZ – 7 kHz), low-frequency (20Hz – 150Hz), high-frequency (3kHz – 16kHz).

Using the mid-range module, you can use the low, mid parameter (top left) to effect the lower mid frequencies. Alternatively use the high mid setting (top right) to cause-effect to these frequencies.

Moving down the EQ, we have our second module, which is PEQ1A EQ (Low & High). This comes with a bunch of parameters to mould your EQ patches perfectly to your source.

Finally, this is all topped off with the HL3C module; this is a low-cut accompanied by a high-cut.

You can also use the ‘Oversampling’ feature to reduce aliasing.

Use the “Tube” switch to apply or deactivate the tube amp.

Using the input and output levels will give you the ability to control any nasty peaks brought in or out of the EQ.

PTEq-X is a combination of some of the best analogue EQ’s to exist, plus its FREE!! We recommend this one for a great addition to your EQ arsenal.

Compatibility:

Windows 7 – 10 32 and 64 bit. OS X 10.7 64 bit

More Info & Download

Specifications:

• 6 Band mid-range EQ
• Presets built-in
• Algorithms based on famous analogue gear
• Designed for mixing and mastering

Features & When To Use:

Pushtec 5+1A is a versatile mid-range program EQ that has mixing and mastering at its heart.

This plugin offers six bands, all offering a fantastic sounding boost through all parameters.

A vast selection of plugins makes it easy for users to start with something super effective and tweak to their liking.

“B/W” stands for bandwidth, this allows you to tweak the selected band and adjust to your preference.

A friendly and straightforward GUI keeps this EQ a smaller form factor but with a lot of power. Being designed for mixing and mastering be assured that this plugin delivers best when applied to a whole group or a master channel.

Giving instant sparkle to a mix or a very much needed bass boost this FREE plugin has you covered!

Compatibility:

Win 7 or higher only

More Info & Download

Specifications:

• 12 bands
• peak, shelf and cut filter
• Cut filters (12, 24 and 48 dB/oct steepness)
• Stereo/Left/Right/Mid/Side routing for each band
• A global gain for loudness adjustments
• Resizable GUI

Features & When To Use:

QRange is a very straight forward, user friendly, and effective EQ for mixing and mastering.

Giving the user an intuitive click and drag feature makes EQ work easy and more controllable.

With a choice of twelve bands, there is excellent room for doing additive plus subtractive EQ all in one plugin patch. Each band has. Selection of up to five different types (peak, low-shelf, high-shelf, low cut, and high cut).

Built into the frequency spectrum, you have the power to change it to pre or post. ‘Pre’ will let you see what the frequency range looks likes before the EQ is applied, whereas ‘Post’ will allow you to see it after the EQ has taken effect.

Offering the ability to users to save and load their own presets makes it easy to bring back some of your favourite patches while working on a mix or master.

It has to be said lkjb QRange is a must-have FREE EQ plugin. Rotary vst free.

Compatibility:

Win 7 or higher, macOS 10.7 or higher

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Specifications:

• Semiparametric EQ layout
• Three bands combined with 18dB/Oct high-pass filter
• Four EQ models: “American”, “British”, “German” and “Soviet” with optional non-linearity
• Five output stages: “Linear”, “Silky”, “Mellow”, “Deep” and “Toasted”
• Saturation algorithms by VoS (“Stateful saturation”)

Features & When To Use:

TDR’s Slick EQ provides a recognizable analogue sound.

Using three bands that bring together four different EQ models.

Both low and high bands are coupled with a cut and bell feature allowing for comfortable band changing.

Auto gain estimates the gain change caused by the current EQ settings; this makes it great to compare your EQ setting during the mix. There is also an ‘EQ Sat’ button; this will activate the saturator which is very intelligently paired to your EQ bands. This will add harmonics when boosting and remain passive when cutting.

Being able to save your favourite EQ settings for a later mix or master can be done within the plugin. Coupled with a undo/redo button you never miss that sweet spot for your bands, alternatively set up two different EQs with the A/B switch.

Slick EQ gives a very stripped back interface meaning you don’t get caught up with the visuals when doing equalising, providing a focus on what your hearing. This EQ shouldn’t be overlooked, with great coding, algorithms, settings, and excellent sounding types SlickEQ delivers more than you would expect from a FREE plugin.

Compatibility:

Win 32 bit VST2, VST3, Win 64bit VST2, VST3, AAX
Mac VST2, VST3, AU, AAX 64 bit Download lfo tool vst free.

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Specifications:

• Seven band EQ
• Highpass/lowpass
• Stereo/mono options
• Left/right options
• Output level

Features & When To Use:

Manda Audio brings us 7Q.

7Q is an emulation of the beloved ‘Classic EQ’ which became discontinued, the team came together and brought the community back a redesigned version.

7Q takes off all the fancy parts and gives you the bare basics; this is what gives this a place on our list. With 7Q giving you the ability to apply your EQ to the left or right or both channels, you can independently EQ both sides of the stereo field.

Each band can be additive or subtractive. Keeping easy to use format is what this plugin does best; it doesn’t over-complicate the task at hand but assists your needs along the way wether mix or master.

Low memory and CPU usage make it easy to have multiple instances in your projects without having your computer meltdown.

7Q is a nifty EQ that is awesome for giving your sounds a little crisp boost before running into your other plugins within the chain.

Compatibility:

Win VST 32/64 bit, AAX 32/64 bit
Mac VST, AU, AAX

More Info & Download

Specifications:

• HP: 10hz – 1khz / sweepable Q
• Low Shelf: 30hz – 500hz
• Low Mid: 70hz – 2khz / sweepable Q
• High Mid: 500hz – 6k / sweepable Q
• High Shelf: 1.5k – 18k
• Phase switch
• Output level
• 64-bit internal processing
• Formats: 64bit VST, VST3, AU and AAX
• Version: 3.2
• Legacy 32bit installers

Features & When To Use:

EQ1A is a FREE analog-style EQ with a clever algorithm giving you minimal phase coloration.

This plugin has initially been paid to use the plugin, but the developers have decided to give it to us all for FREE!

EQ1A allows you to use broad bands to shape your sounds or outputs in a clean, crisp and phase-corrected way.

Being able to save you presets within the plugin makes it very easy to pull back that EQ you made on the last mix. 4-band parametric equalizer with an additional HP filter with variable resonance gives a wide range of settings to play with while keeping everything simple and user friendly.

EQ1A does what it says on the tin for FREE!

Using this within mixing or mastering may help you when wanting to add a hefty highpass or when looking to give some warmth to your mid ranges.

It has to be said with a great look, and low CPU usage EQ1A is an excellent addition to your plugins.

Compatibility:

Win, Mac

More Info & Download

Specifications:

• 16-band graphic equalizing
• +/- 12 dB gain range per band
• Channel grouping
• Preset manager
• Contextual hint messages
• Freehand drawing mode
• Stereo and multi-channel processing
• Mid/side processing
• Undo/redo history
• All sample rates support
• Linear-phase equalizing
• Internal channel routing
• 64-bit floating-point processing

Features & When To Use:

Voxengo is notorious for doing some excellent free plugins.

This addition is the Marvel GEQ, which is a fifteen band linear phase EQ.

There is a routing tab that allows you to affect the signals mid/sides independently. (orange slides)

Also giving full independence to the mid/side output level, becoming very useful when mixing and mastering.

Bypass feature makes it simple to hear what your EQ is doing to your sound source. Alternatively, decide between two EQ setups with the A/B mode.

For quick EQ drawing, you can hold ‘Ctrl or Cmd’ and click across the EQ drawing in your fader settings with the click of a mouse.

Having a stripped back form factor with enough controls to complement your mixing tasks this plugin has to be our list today.

Compatibility:

VST Win, VST3 Win, VST Mac, VST3 Mac, AU Mac

More Info & Download

Specifications:

• Three-band EQ
• High, mid, low
• Presets tab
• Output level
• Very simple to use

Features & When To Use:

BASIQ is a three-band EQ.

It keeps in mind that EQ work for mixing and mastering doesn’t have to be a headache or over complicated.

BASIQ is a design similar to the classic ‘Baxandall Equalizer’ which is knowns for its natural-sounding shelves and HiFi quality responses.

Adding a smooth, gradual shimmer or warmth instead of a surgical sharpness is what BASIQ does best. Use on groups or a master chain to subtly but significantly add character with the turn of a knob.

With some added presets you be able to get a quick change in tone with the click of a button.

The small form factor makes this BASIQ a powerful tool to be used within the mix or master.

Compatibility:

Win, Mac, VST, AU, 64 bit

With all of that said, grabbing all 17 plugins wouldn’t do you any harm, but we want to break down our top 3 picks!

In our top spot, we have Colour EQ by DDMF.

This plugin brings so many features that you would expect from pay to use plugins but all for FREE! Another fresh point is that the curves you can create with this cannot be done on other EQ plugins, giving Colour EQ a versatile approach.

Low-CPU – Usage Customisable GUI – Great warm sound – 5 Bands

Coming in second is Nova by TDR.

Parametric, dynamic EQ, and multiband compression are all built into an excellent looking FREE plugin.

Nova has a built-in dynamic EQ parameter when mixing, and mastering using a dynamic EQ is crucial sometimes. Having this all in one plugin for free is hugely commendable to the team who developed this plugin!

Parametric equalization – Dynamic equalization – Frequency selective compression – Multi-band compression – Wideband compression

And finally, our last top pick is ‘Triple’ by Blue Cat.

This awesome plugin has so many features you just wouldn’t expect a FREE plugin to have.

With a fresh interface and drag and click feature to make EQing even more natural Triple is a powerful EQ.

Vst2 And Vst3 Plugin

Semi-parametric EQ – +/- 40dB Range per band – MIDI control and automation support – Real-time display

Sonar Plugin Layout Showing Vst3 And Vst Plugin

Today we have covered a lot of great FREE EQs for mixing and mastering. Amazingly, we have developers putting out all of these plugins for producers/sound engineers to level out the playing field. As we have all seen these ‘not to name’ brands releasing rather expensive EQs that we just can’t fork out for, but with the way, music has progressed today in the digital domain it has become much more accessible for creatives to share their ideas and effects for free.

Sonar Plugin Layout Showing Vst3 And Vst Key

With that said, they all have their benefits and downsides, but with them all being free, there is no reason you can’t pick them up and use these in your mixes or masters today!