Eventide and Newfangled Audio have announced the release of EQuivocate, an innovative 26-band equalizer VST/AU/AAX plugin using filters which are modeled on the human ear. The plugin is offered as a free download (iLok account required) until October 31st, 2017.
EQuivocate ($99 value) is a linear-phase equalizer with 26 auditory filters which correspond to different parts of the human ear. The idea behind this design was to create an equalizer that would sound as natural and musical as possible. The approach used in EQuivocate is based on a concept known as the MEL Scale which states that breaking up a sound using a MEL-spaced filter bank will result in a division which closely represents the critical bands of human hearing. Our ears can only detect a tone if it is a certain distance from another one which is playing simultaneously, which is why EQuivocate breaks the incoming audio signal into 26 bands which are processed individually.
See also: EQ Tutorial Part 2: Subtractive EQ (VIDEO)Even the interface reflects the developer’s intention to make EQuivocate highly musical and intuitive, allowing the user to freely draw the EQ curve simply by clicking once and swiping the cursor across the screen. The hand-drawn curve can later be fine-tuned by toggling off the “Draw Curve” feature and adjusting the bands manually. Speaking of the user interface, it comes with three different color schemes (dark, gray, white), to better match the design of your digital audio workstation.
Another interesting feature is the “Match EQ” tool which matches the tone of one audio signal to another with the click of a single button. It is also possible to solo individual bands for detecting problem frequencies, as well as to use the “Auto” feature to automatically compensate for volume changes introduced by the equalizer. The plugin includes dozens of factory presets created by Richard Devine, Jeremy Lubsey, Alex Saltz, and others.
EQuivocate was developed by Newfangled Audio, a new company started by the veteran audio developer Dan Gillespie who previously worked at Eventide for 15 years. This is the company’s premiere release, and hopefully only the first plugin of many to come. Please note the EQuivocate is valued at $99 and is being offered as a free download for a limited time only. You will need to claim your copy before October 31st.
Also, keep in mind that an iLok user account is required to activate EQuivocate on your computer. You can register for a free iLok account and install the iLok License Manager software to complete the activation process (the USB dongle is optional).
EQuivocate is available for free download via Eventide (49.8 MB download size, ZIP archive containing EXE installer, 32-bit & 64-bit VST/AU/AAX plugin formats for Windows & Mac OS).
