Motown EQs

Name: Motown EQs
Price: 24.99 USD
Author: Nomad Factory

by Nomad Factory · EQ · 7-band passive graphic EQ emulation

Not rated yet

Motown EQs models two 7-band passive equalizers, the Motown Music Tone and Film Tone units, with fixed frequencies and proportional Q.

Each band switches between Music and Film frequency sets with ±8 dB of gain. It lists at $149 and is on promotion for $24.99.

Best for: Vocals, Drums, Bass, Keys & Synths, Mix Bus. Genres: R&B & Soul, Hip-Hop & Trap, Pop.

Keywords: hardware emulation, bass, drums, mixing, simple, vocals, A/B compare, CPU-light, keys, musical, beginner-friendly, broad-strokes, bus processing, classic, full mix, gentle, mix bus, modern, resizable UI, static, warm.

What it does

Motown EQs emulates the Music Tone and Film Tone passive equalizers built for the Motown studios, in one plugin with seven fixed bands. Nomad Factory aims it at producers and mix engineers who want "classic warmth and tonal character" in modern genres.

Seven fixed bands: a graphic-style layout with one gain control per band and no frequency or bandwidth knobs, so tone shaping is quick.
Music or Film sets: each band can use the frequency of the original Music Tone unit or the Film Tone unit, so you can mix the two characters band by band.
Gain range: -8 to +8 dB of boost or cut on every band.
Proportional Q: the bandwidth follows the gain. Small moves give broad, gentle curves; bigger boosts or cuts get narrower and more focused.
Version 2 updates: upgraded DSP and a resizable interface.

Version 2 was released on 27 October 2025. The developer's store showed a promotional price when checked. The product page does not mention a demo.

Source: Nomad Factory product page

When to use it

Motown EQs is the pick when you want fast, fixed-band colour rather than surgery. Compared with the Pultec Passive EQ Collection or PuigTec EQs, it trades the famous low-end boost-and-cut trick for seven evenly usable bands and a choice of two frequency sets. It is far simpler than the Manley Massive Passive EQ, which has sweepable bands and adjustable bandwidth, and it can't do the precise, narrow work of Pro-Q 4 or TDR Nova. On the other hand it is very cheap, light on CPU, and the proportional Q keeps small moves broad and musical.

Best for: quick, musical tone shaping on vocals, drums, bass and keys, where a few broad moves are enough.
Genres: R&B, soul, hip-hop and pop.
Look elsewhere if: you need sweepable frequencies, narrow cuts or dynamic bands; Pro-Q 4 or TDR Nova are far more flexible, and the Manley Massive Passive EQ gives passive colour with full control.
Tip: audition it on your own material first; the proportional Q means boosts change shape as well as level, which makes strict A/B comparisons harder.

What producers say

Older reviews of earlier versions found it easy and efficient, though some preferred rival emulations for realism.

rekkerd.org (2008, reviewing it as Retrology Motown) praised the straightforward interface, low CPU use and "quite liked the results"; it noted the proportional Q made precise A/B comparisons difficult.
Audiofanzine user (2010, as Motown Studio EQs) rated it 3 out of 5: easy to use with no manual needed, but found the URS version more realistic.
Criticisms: fixed frequencies limit flexibility, and the Audiofanzine user felt not all frequencies were covered between the two units.

Where to buy

Nomad Factory: $24.99 (regular $149)

Tutorials and reviews

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