Electra DSP

Name: Electra DSP
Price: 149 USD
Author: Kush Audio

by Kush Audio · EQ · Analog-modeled EQ (Kush Electra)

Not rated yet

Electra DSP models the filters of Kush Audio's hardware Electra EQ, with a flexible high shelf, deep bass reach and proportional-Q mids that tighten as you boost.

It is aimed at reshaping drum tone and transient definition, for $149.

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

Keywords: drums, bass, punchy, CPU-light, vocals, analog-sounding, electric guitar, mixing, tight, transparent, broad-strokes, bus processing, drum bus, musical, perpetual licence, smooth, static, subscription.

What it does

Electra DSP is Kush Audio's plugin version of its hardware Electra EQ, built for "fast, smooth, punchy equalization". It uses broad, musical bands and no numeric readouts, so you shape tone by ear rather than by dialling in exact frequencies.

High shelf: ±12 dB, sweepable from 3.8 to 20 kHz; Kush calls it "surprisingly flexible" for top-end shaping.
Low band: ±9 dB, swept from 25 to 400 Hz, reaching low for weight; it can be switched to a resonant 12 dB/octave high-pass filter.
Two proportional-Q mids: ±12 dB each, together covering about 30 Hz to 5.4 kHz; the bands get narrower as you boost, which adds transient snap.
Interface: concentric knobs, with the outer ring choosing frequency and the inner ring setting gain, and no number displays.
Focus: designed around drum tone and transient definition, and described as "unapologetically analog in character".
Light on CPU: reviewers found it cheap enough to run across a whole session.

A perpetual license is available, and a 10-day demo is offered. It is also included in Kush's subscription to all its plugins, and in its Channel Strip bundle.

Source: Kush Audio product page

When to use it

Electra DSP is the pick when you want a quick, punchy analog-style EQ that you set by ear, especially on drums. Compared with Pro-Q 4 it is far less precise: there are no narrow Q options, no numbers and no dynamic bands, but the broad proportional-Q bands make big moves sound natural. It is punchier and more transient-focused than TDR VOS SlickEQ, which is gentler and cheaper. Next to the Pultec Passive EQ Collection it is more flexible in the mids, with two sweepable bands rather than a fixed-style passive layout, but it lacks the Pultec's classic low-end boost-and-cut trick. It has no master output gain, so level matching needs another plugin.

Best for: drum tone and punch, plus bass, guitars and vocals that need broad tonal moves.
Genres: any style, especially rock and hip-hop.
Look elsewhere if: you need surgical cuts or dynamic EQ; Pro-Q 4 or TDR Nova are more precise.
Tip: boost on the mid bands rather than cutting to use the proportional Q: the band tightens as gain rises, sharpening the attack.

What producers say

Reviewers rate it as a great-sounding, transparent EQ that rewards mixing by ear, with the unusual layout the main hurdle.

Computer Music (MusicRadar) praised its "expensive sound" and transparency, and said it can make "rapid and dramatic improvements" to mixes.
Everything Recording liked how the gain-to-Q interaction adds snap and new texture, and the low CPU use.
Criticisms: an unconventional layout that may frustrate some, no narrow Q, no master gain, and no presets at the time of review.

Where to buy

Kush Audio: $149

Tutorials and reviews

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