SW34EQ MK2

Name: SW34EQ MK2
Price: 22.7 USD
Author: HoRNet

by HoRNet · EQ · 1980s console channel EQ

Not rated yet

SW34EQ MK2 emulates the four-band EQ of a 1980s American mixing console channel, modelled on a unit at Virus Studio in Siena, Italy.

It has two shelves, two parametric bands with three Q options, high- and low-pass filters and adjustable analog saturation, for about $22.70.

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

Keywords: mixing, hardware emulation, 80s, analog-sounding, drums, vocals, electric guitar, piano, auto-gain, bass, bus processing, classic, full mix, metering, mix bus, moderate, oversampling, smooth, static, transparent, utility.

What it does

SW34EQ MK2 is a four-band channel EQ "modeled after a single channel strip from a legendary American mixing console", a unit at Virus Studio in Siena, Italy. The analog colour of the original, saturation and hiss, is part of the model.

Shelves: a high shelf and a low shelf for broad tone shaping.
Parametric mids: two parametric bands, each with a choice of three Q settings.
Filters: an 18 dB/octave high-pass and a 12 dB/octave low-pass, both with adjustable frequency.
Auto gain staging: automatic input adjustment to 0 VU, so the model is driven at the level it expects, and automatic output compensation for the input knob.
Linked gain: an option to link input and output gain, so you can push the saturation without changing the overall level.
Analog emulation: adjustable saturation (up to four times more than the first version) and adjustable hiss, with automatic internal oversampling.
MK2 workflow: a pop-up control window for the knobs.

The current version is 2.3.0. The demo is fully functional but goes silent now and then, cannot save settings and ignores host automation.

Source: HoRNet product page

When to use it

SW34EQ MK2 is a cheap, simple console EQ with built-in saturation, best for broad moves with some analog colour. Modern Mixing found the original version came closer to an SSL-style sound and workflow than anything else it had tried, which makes it a low-cost option for that style of subtractive mixing. Compared with Pro-Q 4 or TDR Nova it has no spectrum display, dynamic bands or precise numeric values, but it adds drive and hiss that clean digital EQs lack. Against Pultec-style EQs such as the UA Pultec Passive EQ Collection or Waves PuigTec, it has fully parametric mids and steeper filters, making it a better all-round channel EQ than a broad tone-shaper.

Best for: channel EQ with mild console colour on vocals, drums, pianos, acoustic instruments, guitars and buses.
Genres: rock, pop, indie, acoustic and any style that wants analog-console tone.
Look elsewhere if: you need surgical, dynamic or linear-phase EQ (Pro-Q 4, TDR Nova), or very smooth high-end air (Mäag EQ4).
Tip: Modern Mixing drove the input harder on percussion and acoustic instruments for saturation, and used mid boosts to help pianos cut through without sounding thin.

What producers say

Users and reviewers rate its sound highly for the price; the plain interface is the usual reservation.

Modern Mixing (2014, original SW34EQ) gave it 9/10 and called it "a very easy BUY NOW purchase", praising saturation that "sounds better than some much more expensive plug-ins" and strong mid-range bands.
KVR users rate the MK2 5 out of 5 from 1 review; the reviewer (2020, version 2.0.1) found it "very transparent and smooth" with "very soft" saturation, and put it on a par with Acustica PINK and bx_console N.
Criticisms: Modern Mixing found the interface uninspiring and the shelving bands weaker than alternatives.

Where to buy

HoRNet: $22.70 (Listed at €19.99; converted at €1 = $1.1355 (ECB rate, 29 Sep 2026))

Tutorials and reviews

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