Mäag Audio EQ4
by Brainworx / Plugin Alliance · EQ · Analog model
vst3s Score 8.5/10 · rated #7 of 10 EQs
A model of the Mäag Audio EQ4, known above all for its Air Band: a high shelf that can be centered as high as 40 kHz to open up the top of a vocal or mix without brittleness.
Its six bands are broad and forgiving, so it is used for tone shaping rather than surgery.
Best for: Vocals, Mix Bus, Mastering, Acoustic Instruments. Genres: Pop, R&B & Soul, Electronic & EDM.
Keywords: vocals, bus processing, mix bus, enhancement, mastering, full mix, hardware emulation, undo/redo, bass, kick, lead vocals, mixing, musical, resizable UI, skeuomorphic, static, subscription, transparent, warm, wide.
What it does
The Mäag Audio EQ4 plugin, made by Brainworx for Plugin Alliance, models Cliff Maag's six-band EQ. Mäag calls it a musical EQ rather than a surgical one: it's for sweetening sounds, not fixing them.
- Bands: fixed bands at Sub (10 Hz), 40 Hz, 160 Hz, 650 Hz and 2.5 kHz, with low phase shift, so they interact and give wide, natural curves.
- Air Band: the EQ4's signature, a boost-only high shelf selectable at 2.5, 5, 10, 20 or 40 kHz, for adding breath and openness.
- 2024 update: a resizable interface, a switchable Black Edition faceplate, a Level Trim, undo/redo, and detented, recallable controls.
- Availability: included in Plugin Alliance's subscriptions.
Source: Brainworx / Plugin Alliance product page
When to use it
The EQ4 is the one to reach for when a vocal or a mix needs air without harshness. Its fixed, broad bands make it quick; for precise work, pair it with Pro-Q 4 or Kirchhoff-EQ. The Manley Massive Passive can also open up the top end, with more control but a steeper learning curve.
- Best for: lead vocals first of all, plus acoustic instruments, the mix bus and mastering; the low bands add weight to bass and warmth to kicks.
- Genres: pop, R&B and hip-hop vocals, and electronic music.
- Tip: Mäag suggests using the blue and black skins to tell instances apart, for example blue for vocals and black for instruments.
What producers say
Engineers love the Air Band; the complaints are about missing controls.
- MusicRadar's Stuart Bruce said the Air Band adds a presence he hadn't heard from plugin EQs, and found it great on acoustic sources and vocals, though it takes some learning.
- Sound On Sound's Matt Houghton, reviewing the hardware, found the plugin a touch more clinical than the real unit.
- A KVR user praised the transparent Air Band but missed a 15 kHz Air setting, a Q control, per-band bypass and a mix control.
- Sweetwater users use it on vocals and the stereo bus, and say it compares well with the 500-series hardware.
- MusicRadar review
- Sound On Sound: Mäag Audio EQ4 (hardware)
- KVR product page and user review
- Sweetwater user reviews
Where to buy
- Sweetwater: $115
Tutorials and reviews
- Mäag Audio EQ4 - Quick Overview (Plugin Alliance)
- Maag EQ2 and EQ4: Airband on vocal and guitar
- A guide and review to the Maag EQ from Plugin Alliance
- Mäag Audio EQ4 MS - Walkthrough
- Mäag Audio EQ4 1.2 Update - What's New?
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