SurferEQ 2

Name: SurferEQ 2
Price: 199 USD
Author: Sound Radix

by Sound Radix · EQ · Pitch-tracking EQ

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SurferEQ 2 is an equalizer whose bands follow the pitch of a monophonic vocal or instrument, so a boost or cut stays on the same harmonic as the notes change.

It adds a harmonic filter, MIDI control of the bands, a spectral gate for ducking, and a zero-latency mode, for $199.

Best for: Vocals, Bass, Guitars, Keys & Synths, Acoustic Instruments. Genres: all genres.

Keywords: vocals, bass, low latency, spectral, tracking, built-in analyzer, creative, sidechain input, zero-latency, keys, sound design, undo/redo, CPU-light, extreme, metering, MIDI-controllable, mixing, static, surgical.

What it does

SurferEQ 2 is a pitch-tracking equalizer: it follows the pitch of a monophonic instrument or vocal in real time and moves its bands with each note, so a boost stays on the same harmonic as the melody changes.

Seven bands with SURF mode: any band can be set to SURF, which places it relative to the note being played instead of at a fixed frequency.
Filter shapes: high-pass, low-pass, shelf and bell, built on asymmetric filter algorithms meant to keep transients and energy intact even at extreme settings.
Harmonic Filter: a four-mode filter that shapes a whole harmonic series from a single band.
Pitch detection controls: threshold, tracking, surf time, attack and recovery settings tune how the plugin follows the source.
Spectral Gate: engages bands only above or below a level, in normal or reversed mode, for ducking or bleed control.
MIDI and side-chain: three MIDI modes, including an EQ Instrument mode that lets you play the band positions from a keyboard, plus a side-chain input for external pitch detection.
Monitoring and workflow: spectrum analyzer, spectral level meters, a zero-latency mode, undo/redo and 64-bit internal processing.

The current version is 2.1.2 (December 2022). A free trial is available.

Source: Sound Radix product page

When to use it

SurferEQ 2 is the pick for shaping the tone of a single melodic line note by note. Compared with FabFilter Pro-Q 4 or TDR Nova, which cut and boost at fixed frequencies, SurferEQ 2 moves its bands with the pitch, so a bass line keeps the same weight on every note. Its slopes are broad, so it is weaker than Pro-Q 4 for surgical cuts. It is more of a creative and tonal tool than oeksound bloom, which balances tone automatically, and more focused than Wavesfactory Trackspacer, which ducks frequencies between tracks to fix masking.

Best for: bringing out fundamentals or harmonics in bass lines, vocals and lead instruments, and creative harmonic shaping in sound design.
Genres: any style; especially useful for bass-led electronic, hip-hop and pop.
Look elsewhere if: your source is polyphonic, such as chords or a full mix, or you need narrow corrective cuts; Pro-Q 4 does that better.
Tip: use the Spectral Gate to tame bleed, such as cymbals in tom mics (Tape Op).

What producers say

Reviewers rate it highly as a unique tonal and sound-design EQ, with the main limits being shallow slopes and monophonic sources only.

MusicTech (2017) gave it MT Choice and Innovation awards, praising the improved pitch tracking, harmonic filters and how it sounds when pushed; it noted the slopes are too shallow for surgical work.
Tape Op (issue 129) called it a "modern day classic" and "one of few digital EQ plug-ins that sounds fantastic", also praising the low CPU use and the analyzer.
Usage tips (Tape Op): try it across drums, bass and vocals, and put the Harmonic Filter on reverb sends with side-chain control for creative effects.

Where to buy

Sound Radix: $199

Tutorials and reviews

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