Plugin interface — screenshot pending
EQ

API 550B

Waves

Where to get itAvailable from Waveswaves.com

A vintage-modeled 4-band parametric equalizer based on the legendary API 550B design from the late 1960s, featuring proportional Q technology that intelligently adjusts filter bandwidth based on gain settings for smooth, musical sound even at extreme boost/cut levels. The 550B provides 7 switchable filter frequencies per band spanning up to 5 octaves, delivering the hallmark warm, transparent tone that defined high-end studio recording for decades.

Written from the manual and checked against it. How we check

Key Features

01Four overlapping EQ bands with 7 switchable filter frequencies per band
02Proportional Q automatically widens bandwidth at lower settings and narrows at higher settings
03Switchable shelf/bell filter types on low and high bands
04Low and low-mid bands with frequency range from 30Hz to 1kHz
05High-mid and high bands covering 0.8kHz to 20kHz
06±12dB gain range in 2-3dB steps per band
07Analog modeling toggle for enhanced vintage character
08180-degree phase/polarity inversion control

Things to Try

  • 01Enable Analog modeling for enhanced warmth and vintage character in the output section
  • 02Push the EQ harder than typical parametric EQs thanks to proportional Q preventing harsh resonances
  • 03Use the low shelf/bell selector to switch between gentle shelving and precise peaking on bass frequencies
  • 04Combine low-mid and high-mid bands to surgically target presence range issues on vocals
  • 05Engage phase inversion on parallel processing chains to test for phase coherence with the mix bus
Official Website↗

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