My favorite EQ or cleaning the mess with FabFilter Pro-Q

Hey guys, it’s Andre.

EQs are pretty much one of the basic tools in every producer’s arsenal and come with every DAW out there. Pro Tools users are blessed with the pretty good Digirack EQ 3.  Most tasks, I’m solving with the Digirack EQ, but still another manufacturer made it into my list of favorites – FabFilter with their Pro-Q.

Check why this EQ is so special for me and why it managed to get in every session of mine.

Let’s start with my favorite feature: The Pro-Q comes with a built-in analyzer (Pre-EQ and Post-EQ) which is an absolute plus for me. I’m no big fan of switching between EQ window and analyzer window, especially when working with a smaller screen.

By double clicking somewhere in the frequency range, a new EQ band will appear and can be controlled by either using the knobs or touching it directly above. To avoid confusion, when using multiple bands, every band has its own color, which will be highlighted, when you’re editing the current band.

The Pro-Q soon became my standard mastering EQ and this is what it’s designed for. I’m using this EQ to search for clashing frequencies, which cause some very nasty side noises in your mix. Just set up one band with a high Q and a high gain and then just get through the frequency spectrum, until you find the noises you don’t want. Keep your band at that frequency and then just lower the gain.

You can even create more complex mixes by using the different channels. The Pro-Q allows you to either edit the left and right channels separated or the mid and the side. Every band can be used for both sides at once or just one of them. You can edit this in the bottom left above the little scissor.

The built-in analyzer, the possibility of moving one band through the entire spectrum (not every EQ can do this as easy as the Pro-Q) and the easy and intuitive handling made the Pro-Q my mastering EQ of choice.

Of course, in the end, it is personal taste, especially when it comes to a plugin like an EQ, but this one became a favorite of mine. If you think, you’ve found something more suitable for your taste, let me know. Comments or mail to blog@benztown.com

Cheers and have a great one