Gem EQ84

Name: Gem EQ84
Price: 99 USD
Author: Overloud

by Overloud · EQ · British Class A EQ (84 style)

Not rated yet

Gem EQ84 simulates a classic discrete Class A British EQ, including its transformers, harmonics and saturation.

It has six bands and a mic/line preamp simulation. It costs about $101.06 (€89, regular €139).

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

Keywords: British console, transformer, bus processing, vocals, 70s, classic, electric guitar, hardware emulation, resizable UI, undo/redo, warm, A/B compare, CPU-light, enhancement, fat, full mix, gritty, mix bus, mixing, musical, static, subtle, vintage.

What it does

Gem EQ84 models a discrete Class A British EQ module from the 1970s, which reviewers identify as the Neve 1084, and extends it with an extra mid band and continuous frequency controls. Overloud aims for a "warm, fat, and rich sound" with a detailed midrange.

Six bands: two shelving, two peaking, a high cut and a low cut; the second peaking band is an addition to the original.
Continuous frequencies: frequencies sweep freely instead of using the hardware's fixed steps, with detents that snap to the traditional points.
Preamp: mic and line preamp simulation with transformer and harmonic saturation; raising the input moves it from subtle warmth towards grit.
Transformers: simulation of all the transformers in the original unit.
Band cue: solo a single band to hear the frequency region it is affecting.
Workflow: resizable interface, A/B comparison, multilevel undo and redo, scribble strips and an extensive preset library.
Low CPU: Overloud quotes more than 1500 instances on a MacBook Pro Retina.

KVR lists version 1.3.5. A trial is available.

Source: Overloud product page

When to use it

Gem EQ84 is for bright, forward British console colour with more flexibility than the hardware. Compared with the Pultec Passive EQ Collection, it is less clean and more saturated, with a hard high-end edge that grows as you push the input. Unlike PuigTec EQs, it is a full channel EQ with two peaking bands and filters, so it handles corrective moves as well as tone shaping. Against Pro-Q 4 or TDR Nova it has no dynamic bands or analyser, but it adds the preamp and transformer colour those clean digital EQs leave out.

Best for: adding presence and sparkle to duller vocals, guitars and busses.
Genres: all genres; rock and pop in particular.
Look elsewhere if: you want clean, precise EQ (Pro-Q 4) or a softer, smoother top end (Pultec Passive EQ Collection).
Tip: users suggest raising the input one notch for saturation, then a 10 kHz boost on vocal busses or 8 kHz on instruments.

What producers say

Users like its saturated, musical character, and Sound On Sound found it effective but hard-edged.

Sound On Sound (Gem Studio review, August 2021) said it "majors on high-end sparkle, with a hard edge" that grows with input gain, and praised its additions over the original design.
RealGear forum users called it "quite nice" and worth having at a sale price, liked the detented sweepable frequencies, and one found it less clean than the UAD Pultec.

Where to buy

PluginFox: $99
AudioDeluxe: $99
Overloud: $101.06 (regular $157.83) (€89 (regular €139) incl. VAT converted to USD (ECB rate, 29 Sep 2026))

Tutorials and reviews

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