Wasted Audio released WSTD EQ, a freeware equalizer plugin for Windows, macOS, and Linux.
There is something intrinsically charming about a no-frills workhorse equalizer. Wasted Audio has released WSTD EQ, a three-band equalizer, and it’s not a bad little freebie.
WSTD EQ is relatively simple in terms of features, having only three bands that can be manipulated at a given time.
Users can’t adjust the affected frequencies of the low and high bands, but the mid band is up for grabs. Each of the three knobs has 15dB of range, and the EQ itself seems to have something akin to a proportional Q as the resonance increased with the volume when cranked while I was testing it.
The bottom line is, WSTD EQ is virtually as simple as an equalizer can be. If you need a no-frills EQ to speed up your mixing workflow, this could be it.
WSTD EQ is a companion to Wasted Audio’s previous plugins WSTD 3Q and the WSTD Flangr. I do admire the shockingly austere presentation of the plugins themselves, as they are immediately functional with a minimal control set.
WSTD 3Q is an interesting equalizer that shares a lot of similar design DNA with WSTD EQ. Where it diverges is in its ability to separate its outputs into three different bands. No clue how usable this is for most producers, but it is a novel feature nonetheless.
WSTD Flangr has an equally straightforward interface, with intensity, speed, feedback, and mix controls present on the plugin. In motion, this sounds perfectly adequate and is a great little flanger. Will this replace your flanger of choice? That’s hard to say, but it’s hard to argue with the pricing.
All Wasted Audio releases are open source and come in a variety of plugin formats. Supported operating systems are Linux, macOS, and Windows. Plugin formats provided are LV2, VST, VST3, and CLAP (also available as a standalone application).
Where a standalone EQ is useful, I couldn’t possibly tell you, but it’s a nice option, I suppose.
All of Wasted Audio’s releases are free, but you can support the developer with an additional donation if you so choose.
Download: WSTD EQ
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Last Updated on March 9, 2023 by Tomislav Zlatic.
