13X Audio releases Aurora, a FREE 24-band dynamic EQ plugin

13X Audio has released Aurora, a free 24-band dynamic parametric equalizer plugin for macOS, Windows, and Linux.

This is probably the fifth or sixth similar EQ plugin I’ve seen over the past year or so. Vibe coding is definitely making dynamic EQ plugins trivial to build right now, or at least trivial enough that we’re seeing them almost monthly.

This kind of feature set used to feel exclusive to premium plugins from FabFilter and similar developers. I find it a bit funny that dynamic EQs are becoming one of the most popular things to make in this AI era, with new free ones appearing almost as often as clippers and saturators.

Earlier this year, I argued that you probably don’t need to buy another EQ plugin. Since then, a whole bunch of new free dynamic EQs have been released, with Aurora being the latest, following Bevel EQ.

So what do we get for free with this one?

The interface uses the familiar layout and color scheme that seems vibe-coded to me, but I can’t deny that it’s perfectly usable.

You can double-click the live spectrum to add a band, drag its node to adjust frequency and gain, and scroll to change Q. Aurora offers eight filter shapes, slopes from 6 to 96 dB per octave, and a vertical brickwall filter.

Any band can switch from static to dynamic processing. Each one has a Peak or RMS sidechain detector with Threshold, Ratio, Knee, and signed Range controls, so a band can cut or boost only when its target frequency crosses the threshold.

Smart Ops handles stuff like matching a reference spectrum, finding and taming resonances, de-essing, adding automatic filters, and unmasking one track against another. It writes normal editable bands onto the curve rather than hiding the result behind a macro.

Each band can work in Stereo, Left, Right, Mid, or Side mode. Aurora also offers Zero Latency, Natural, and Linear Phase processing, plus Clean, Subtle, and Warm character modes. The latest macOS update gives the two colored modes gentler harmonic voicings.

Again, something like this for free would have been mind-blowing a year ago. Now, for better or worse, plugins like this are popping like mushrooms after rain.

The download is direct, with no account, checkout, license key, activation, or trial restrictions, and Aurora works offline. The macOS ZIP is 16 MB, Windows is 4.8 MB, and Linux is 8.4 MB. Windows and macOS users manually copy the plugin files into the appropriate folders, while Linux includes an installation script.

Aurora 1.3.3 runs on macOS 11 or later as a universal VST3, CLAP, and AU plugin. Version 1.3.0 supports 64-bit Windows 10/11 in VST3 and CLAP formats, plus Linux x86_64 with glibc 2.35 or newer in VST3, CLAP, and LV2 formats.

Download: 13X Audio Aurora (FREE)

More:

• Vitric Audio releases Bevel EQ, a FREE 24-band dynamic equalizer
• Jeesonic releases EQ Pro, a FREE 24-band dynamic EQ plugin
• The best FREE dynamic EQ plugins

Last Updated on September 12, 2026 by Tomislav Zlatic.