Neve Eq Vst Plugin

16 different EQ plugins

McDSP British-E. 6020 Ultimate EQ is a collection of ten 500-series style equalizer models, including the British-E EQ, based on the 1073. Although the British-E is only a small portion of what this powerful plugin has to offer, it does an amazing job of emulating the sound of Neve.

Today the market for VSTeq plugins is saturated and prices have dropped a lot since a company could sell their SSL bundle for over $3000. The marked for new 5 band equalizers is practically gone.

The number of DAW users is higher than ever but that also goes for the number of developers bursting out products.
The value of music has fallen and so has the music production gear used to make it.

Emulating old analog hardware has been popular and is probably still selling.

This article is about software equalizers and we take a look at 16 of them grouped by following styles

  • Solid State Logic
    • SSL Native tools based on the famous large console from the late '80s and forward
  • Neve
    • The fat analog op amp sound from the '70s will always be modern
  • Pultec
    • An all-valve design with cut and boost on the same bands for different curves
  • Modern
    • Clean digital software rewriting the take on a user-friendly plugin with a good sound

SSL style

SSL like equalizers are equalizers emulating analog equalizers from the 80's console.

  • SSL Native Channelstrip V6
  • Metric Halo Channelstrip 3
  • Waves 4000
  • Native Instruments Solid Series

Neve style

A series of equalizers emulating some of the classic designs by Rupert Neve

  • Scheps 73
  • VEQ4
  • Stillwell Audio 1973

Modern digital style

Vst plugin helix. Modern digital equalizers developed with optimized GUI and multiple bands.

  • Izotope Inc EQs
  • SSL X-EQ
  • Fabfilter eqs

Pultec style

An old analog Valve based design giving unique features and sound

  • IK Multimedia EQP 1A
  • Nomadfactory AS Pulse

the plugins

Modern eqs with no emulation

Moderne digital plugins that do not try to sound like any old gear has the highest versatility and best GUI options compared to the more or less faithful emulations. Companies like Izotope Inc and SSL have good modern equalizers with a user-friendly GUI.

Fabfilter Pro Q 2 and 3

This has become very popular for its interface and features. Clearly an inspiration for other developers.

  • Multiband up to 24 bands
  • Mouse scroll Wheel features
  • Single-band listen mode
  • New and clever GUI


Izoptope inc Neutron (version 2 and 3)


Izotopes extensive channel strips with multiple bands

The plugin is known for its new technology masking feature that connects instances in a network where you can see analysis from other instances as information.

SSL X-EQ


SSL X-EQ and SSL X-EQ2 is a modern multiband plugin like the Fabfilters. High-quality processing with an SSL sound.

The new Version 2 has a unique band parameter pop-up controller where you easily control most band parameters.


SSL X-EQ 2 has a small but well laid out gui and icons pop-up

Cubase Frequency

Frequency is a good versatile equalizer plugin build into Cubase DAW from version 10 Professional.

This is actually all you need in Cubase

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  • 8 bands
    • Stereo and MS
    • Linear option
    • Auto listen mode for isolating a band but not quite as elegant as others
  • Frequency to note on the keyboard

Like a lot of other Steinberg interfaces it is a bit clumsy but the audio processing results are still good

Neve style eqs

This is a classic brand series defined by the selected fixed frequencies and the band widths

Waves VEQ4

Waves VEQ4 is a cpu lightweight plugin with 4 bands emulating old analog gear.

This plugin is suitable for a full mixer setup emulation an all channels analog rack.

Waves Scheps 73

Scheps 73 is a plugin designed with Andrew Scheps. A high quality tool with distinct analog features emulating the original hardware.

A good emulation but a pretty cpu heavy plugin that might need track freeze if used on multi channels. Use it on the important channels.

Waves API 550B

The 550B plugin is a faithfull emulation of the old 500 format discrete 4 band hardware version by API. With overlapping frequencies the 4 bands is very versatile.

An old plugin but it still has a 550B sound and a low cpu usage/latency for a full 48- or 64 channel mixer setup.

Pultec style eqs

A series of emulated valve equalizers with a unique analog design with cut and boost on the same bands.

IK Multimedia EQP 1A

An emulation of a classic valve unit in a different design. It has boost and cut on the same bands the can form musical curves.
It works well for deep bass work. A good plugin for bass drum deep bumps.

Nomad Factory AS Pulse EQ

Neve Eq Vst Plugins

It sounds fine but the GUI is a little less readable compared to the IK EQP 1A.

SSL style eqs

The SSL is a series of great tools with a certain sound that can do it all

Plugin

SSL Native Channelstrip V6


SSL Channelstrip V6 is a great plugin that contains an emulation of the channelstrip from 4000 E and G series mixer sections. Sound close to the real console.

Metric Halo Channelstrip 3

An old but still good channelstrip with a SSL like sound with good performance. One of the most CPU efficient of the plugins mentioned here.

Waves SSL 4000


SSL 4000 e was probably the first SSL 4000 emulation done in software. A very cpu lightweight plugin but it has a little latency. The never CLA MixHub has even more of the SSL sound including preamp modeling.

Nomad Analog Studio Rack State EQ


A Nomad Factory version of an analog SSL E strip from the 80´s. The GUI is a bit small but it sounds good.
No VST3 support.

SSL 4000 Channelstrip E


An old plugin emulation of the SSL 4000 E and G. Very lightweight but also very old and overrun by others but if you already own this one, use it.
This tool has a bit of latency but very low cpu usage.

Native Instruments Solid EQ

Best eq plugins

This another bread and butter SSL design from Native Instruments. the GUI is a bit small on a large screen but it has the standard features and easy switch between e and g versions of the design. Zero-latency and a low CPU usage makes this a useful plugin for large projects.

CPU Usage

CPU usage and latency can sometimes be a factor in the process before final mixing. When composing a latency-free setup is much more playable than a setup with latency.

The following image is a screen dump with relative CPU usage comparing 16 equalizers and lower is better.


CPU usage and latency metering from Reaper Daw. Equalizers.
# FX is the number of insert VST plugins in the channel. PDC is Plugin Delay Compensation.

It is good to have a few very CPU lightweight options for composing and other pre-final mixing tasks. According to the CPU usage meter in the image above the Fabfilter equalizer is amazingly low and makes this a no brainer.

When to use what

In a practical reality, most software eqs can solve most tasks but some are better and easier than others. Fixed frequency bands might help the rookies or give a certain character.

There are in fact very few situations where you need to buy a certain plugin.

Plugin selection strategies

Different plugin strategies to go for:

  • Stay with the build-in DAWs equalizers
    • All professional audio workstations are made with what you need for professional mixing
  • Go for what you have
  • Have at least one plugin in every category in the toolbox
  • Ignore the analog emulation jungle and use one modern 'can do it all' plugin
  • Whenever you are bored or stuck, buy a new plugin
    • This is a popular but expensive and emotional strategy. Not exactly advisable but too much is never enough

Conclusion

There is not a plugin mentioned in this article that you should not use. All of them have their use. The newer products are of cause the best in audio quality but also tend to be more most CPU requiring some of the older emulation plugins are still useable.

Other similar articles

For similar articles on different tools check out these:

Neve Eq Plugin

There’s something magical about the sound of a large-format Neve console that you just couldn’t get from your DAW until bx_console came along. Brainworx’s revolutionary plugin delivered a startlingly realistic model of the rare 72-channel Neve® VXS™ analog console owned by producer/engineer Dirk Ulrich, Founder and CEO of Brainworx.

Thanks to Brainworx’s pioneering Tolerance Modeling Technology, every one of bx_console N’s selectable 72 channels simulates a different Neve VXS channel by modeling the slight channel-to-channel variances in the values of its analog components. Strap a bunch of bx_console N plugins across your mix, and you get the deep, wide and punchy multi-channel analog sound of the classic Neve VXS—inside your DAW!

No Two Channels Sound Exactly Alike — Just Like with Analog

Typical channel strip plugins only model ONE channel of a mixer. No matter how many instances of that one-channel plugin you use, you get the same equalization curves, compression times, and frequency & phase responses.

Even if you use different control settings for the plugin on every track, you end up with flat, narrow, two-dimensional digital sound.

In contrast, each channel on a large-format, analog mixing console sounds a little different, creating a much more complex and dimensional sound. That’s what bx_console N does too. The plugin uses Brainworx’s proprietary, patent-pending Tolerance Modeling Technology (TMT) to accurately replicate variations in the values of over 150 individual electronic components specified by the original Neve console designer, giving you the deep and wide “mixed on a big Neve analog console” sound your DAW has been starving for.

The Sound, Feel and Workflow of a Neve VXS Console—In Your DAW!

Each instance of bx_console N includes meticulous models of the comprehensive Compressor/Limiter, full-featured Expander/Gate, powerful 4-band EQ, and wide-ranging High Pass and Low Pass filters in the Neve VXS analog mixing console. But because bx_console N was designed using TMT, the EQ and Dynamics curves for these processors are a little different on each and every channel - like in a real VXS console. These slight variations add the complexity, nuance, depth and width that only analog could give you - until now.

More Powerful Than the Original

bx_console N adds many Brainworx modifications and new, contemporary features lacking in the original Neve VXS console, greatly increasing the plugin’s flexibility. The Compressor/Limiter’s new Mix (Dry/Wet) control is your ticket to crafting monster drum sounds and in-your-face guitar tracks using parallel compression.

Unlike with the original VXS console, you can adjust the threshold for the Compressor’s secondary release time to keep it from pumping and whipsawing delicate acoustic guitar tracks. Raise the dedicated HPF control in the Compressor’s sidechain — another plugin-only feature — to keep heavily compressed drum and electric bass tracks sounding punchy, and leveled male vocals sounding warm and round.

One mouse click switches the EQ from post- to pre- Compressor, helping you to craft a huge but controlled bottom end on bass tracks and full mixes. Boost the THD control to lather vocals, bass, electric guitar and drum tracks with lush saturation, independently per channel, adding girth and density.

While you’re mixing, simple mouse clicks in the plugin toolbar let you alternately solo mid and side channels on stereo tracks, helping you to hunt down undesirable distortion and phase problems in a heartbeat. bx_console N is a Neve VXS console on steroids!!

No, this is not just a 'channel strip' model.
bx_console N is a complete 72-channel analog console inside your computer!

If you own bx_console N you can buy the SSL 4000 E/G consoles for just $99! Just make sure you are logged in and you will see the $99 price for these products.

Eq Plugin Free

Legal Disclaimer: bx_console N was developed by Brainworx using its own modeling techniques, and one of the products studied was the Neve VXS. Neve, 88R, and VXS are registered trademarks of AMS/Neve Inc., which is unaffiliated with Brainworx. AMS/Neve have not licensed any intellectual property for use in the bx_console N, nor have they endorsed or supported the bx_console N in any manner.

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