IQ-Series EQ V3

Name: IQ-Series EQ V3
Price: 131.9 USD
Author: HOFA

by HOFA · EQ · Dynamic EQ

Not rated yet

IQ-Series EQ V3 is HOFA's 6-band parametric and dynamic EQ, where each band can compress or expand only when the signal passes a threshold.

It covers 1 Hz to 40 kHz with 16 filter types, per-band Mid/Side and sidechain, and a zero-latency Live mode, for €129.90 (about $148).

Best for: Mastering, Mix Bus, Vocals, Drums, Bass. Genres: all genres.

Keywords: dynamic, low latency, downward expansion, sidechain input, zero-latency, mastering, built-in analyzer, bass, external sidechain, full mix, mid/side, oversampling, broadcast, bus processing, corrective, drums, look-ahead, mix bus, mixing, resizable UI, surgical, vocals.

What it does

IQ-Series EQ V3 is HOFA's dynamic EQ, combining surgical static EQ with per-band compression and expansion so a band acts only "when necessary." HOFA describes it as a complete channel strip in one tool.

Six bands: each covering 1 Hz to 40 kHz, with 16 filter types: six shelves, four high cuts, four low cuts, peak and flat.
Cut filters: high and low cuts with 6, 12, 24 or 48 dB per octave slopes.
Per-band dynamics: compression from 2:1 to 12:1 or expansion from 1:2 to 1:12 above a threshold, with manual or Auto attack and release and lookahead via the attack control.
Sidechain: internal or external sidechain on any band.
Channel modes per band: stereo, left, right, mid or side, so each band can treat the centre or sides separately.
Workflow: band solo, drag-and-drop band reordering, per-band presets (including links to HOFA's IQ-Analyser), an analyzer with hold, and a scalable window.
Quality and latency: 64-bit processing with up to 32x oversampling, set separately for realtime and offline rendering, or a zero-latency Live mode for live and broadcast use.

The current version is V3.7.18, and a 14-day trial is available.

Source: HOFA product page

When to use it

IQ-Series EQ V3 is the better pick when you want dynamic EQ with expansion as well as compression, plus per-band Mid/Side and left/right routing, in a plugin that can also run at zero latency. Compared with Pro-Q 4, it has fewer bands (six against 24) and a plainer interface, but its expansion range and Live mode make it a flexible channel tool. Compared with TDR Nova, it adds more filter types, oversampling up to 32x and external sidechain per band, but it is not free. It suits engineers who want one EQ to handle both fixed corrections and problems that come and go.

Best for: taming resonances that come and go, de-essing by band, lifting buried details with expansion, and mastering EQ.
Genres: any; general-purpose EQ.
Look elsewhere if: you want more bands and a slicker visual workflow (Pro-Q 4) or a free dynamic EQ (TDR Nova).
Tip: use a band in expansion mode to bring up quiet detail in one range only, as one Audiofanzine reviewer did on guitar and bass recordings.

What producers say

The few user reviews read are positive about its flexibility, with CPU use the main caveat.

Audiofanzine user (January 2013) rated it 5 out of 5, calling it "so useful and effective" and using it like a channel strip for dynamic frequency fixes, multiband de-essing and noise reduction.
Criticisms: the same reviewer found that around thirty instances began to strain the computer.

Audiofanzine user review

Where to buy

PluginFox: $131.90
HOFA: $147.50 (Listed at €129.90; converted at €1 = $1.1355 (ECB rate, 29 Sep 2026))

Tutorials and reviews

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