W495

Name: W495
Price: 49 USD
Author: Pulsar Audio

by Pulsar Audio · EQ · Neumann W495 mastering EQ emulation

Not rated yet

W495 is Pulsar Audio's model of the Neumann W495, a three-band EQ used for vinyl mastering from the 1970s to the 1990s.

It adds a curve editor, mid-side per band and oversampling, for $99.

Best for: Mastering, Mix Bus, Keys & Synths. Genres: all genres.

Keywords: mastering, broad-strokes, mid/side, 70s, 90s, auto-gain, enhancement, hardware emulation, mixing, oversampling, vinyl, full mix, metering, musical, transformer, built-in analyzer, bus processing, circuit-modelled, clean, colored, component-modelled, drums, electric guitar, mix bus, modern, resizable UI, simple, static, subtle, transparent, wide.

What it does

W495 is a component-level model of the Neumann W495, a three-band EQ Pulsar says was used to master "90% of the vinyl records" made from the 1970s to the 1990s. It keeps the hardware's wide, forgiving curves and transformer colour, and adds modern mixing tools on top.

Low shelf: adjustable gain and frequency, meant to add weight without mud.
Mid band: a parametric bell with gain, frequency and Q.
High shelf: adjustable gain and frequency, meant to add clarity without harshness.
Hardware character: modelled band saturation and the Haufe RK 756 output transformer, which adds subtle colour to the low end. The knobs are stepped like the original, while the curve editor allows continuous frequency settings.
Curve editor and metering: draggable curve points for gain, frequency and Q, a spectrum analyzer with fast, slow and infinite modes, plus peak, RMS and overall gain meters.
Mid-side: each band can run on full stereo, mid only or side only.
Quality options: C-weighted auto-gain for level-matched comparison, oversampling up to 384 kHz with separate playback and export settings, and a resizable interface.

The current version is 1.2.11. It has a full 14-day trial.

Source: Pulsar Audio product page

When to use it

W495 is the pick for quick, broad tonal moves with a little analog weight, especially on masters and buses. Compared with Pro-Q 4, it has only three bands and no narrow cuts, but its wide curves make it hard to make a bad-sounding move. Next to the Pultec Passive EQ Collection, it adds a full parametric mid band and mid-side per band, with less obvious tube colour. Unlike Pulsar's own 8200, it is about gentle broad strokes rather than precise parametric work.

Best for: broad tonal balance on masters and buses, plus quick shaping on drums, guitars and single tracks.
Genres: any.
Look elsewhere if: you need more bands, dynamic EQ or precise notch cuts; Pro-Q 4 or TDR Nova are better.
Tip: Audio Plugin Guy uses it with small moves: a little low boost to thicken, or a top-end lift to open up a mix.

What producers say

Reviewed as a simple, musical broad-stroke EQ; no real criticisms in the review read.

Audio Plugin Guy scored it 4.8 out of 5, praising its musical, transparent curves, the clean three-band layout and the mid-side, curve editing and auto-gain extras; it called it a plugin for "a nice, broad-stroke workflow".
Context: the same review notes it is one of several W495 emulations, and says Pulsar's record with analog models gives it an edge.

Audio Plugin Guy review

Where to buy

Plugin Boutique: $49 (regular $99)
Best Service: $79
PluginFox: $79
AudioDeluxe: $79
Pulsar Audio: $99

Tutorials and reviews

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