Feedback Hunter

Name: Feedback Hunter
Price: 99.99 USD
Author: Waves

by Waves · EQ · Automatic feedback-suppression EQ

Not rated yet

A live-sound plugin that rings out monitors and PA systems for you: it plays white noise, analyzes the mic-speaker relationship and builds a corrective EQ curve.

Waves says setup can take as little as 30 seconds, and it treats the whole spectrum during soundcheck rather than notching single frequencies mid-show.

Best for: Vocals. Genres: all genres.

Keywords: corrective, built-in mix knob, spacious, static, vocals.

What it does

Feedback Hunter is a Waves tool for FOH and monitor engineers that aims "to ensure maximum gain before feedback—fast." It analyzes the response of a mic and a monitor or PA and creates an EQ curve that optimizes the relationship.

Automatic analysis: press Setup and the plugin plays loud, continuous white noise through the monitor chain, measures the mic-speaker interaction and builds a filter; then switch to Show mode.
Headroom and Noise: set the target headroom before feedback (default -4 dB) and the level of the test noise, so it can work in noisy rooms.
Depth: scales the resulting filter in Show mode and acts as a dry/wet control.
Frequency brackets: limit the range the filter is allowed to affect.
Whole-spectrum approach: unlike Waves X-FDBK, which cuts single notch bands during a show, Feedback Hunter processes the full spectrum and is meant for setup time.

Source: Waves product page

When to use it

Feedback Hunter is for when you want the ringing-out job automated during soundcheck with one analysis pass per mic and wedge. Unlike Waves' own X-FDBK, which finds and notches individual feedback frequencies and can run during a show, it works before the show, and unlike a manual EQ such as FabFilter Pro-Q 4, which lets an experienced engineer ring out a system by ear, it does the job automatically.

Best for: ringing out wedges, sidefills and PA before a show, especially with volunteer or time-pressed crews.
Genres: any live setting: concerts, worship, conferences and school events.
Look elsewhere if: you need feedback control during the show itself (X-FDBK) or you can't blast test noise through the system.
Standout: a full corrective curve from one short analysis instead of a manual ring-out.

What producers say

Waves customers report fast, effective results; the main caveat is needing time and freedom to play loud noise through the system.

Waves customers (2025) rate it 4.2 out of 5 from 14 reviews; one used it on sidefills and monitors with "Great results under a Minute," another said it removed feedback in under a minute before an event.
Waves customer (2025) summed it up as doing "exactly what you think it does" and doing it very well.
Gripe: one user (2025) noted it works well only "when you have the time and freedom to blast pink noise."

Feedback Hunter customer reviews - Waves

Where to buy

Waves: $99.99 (regular $149)
AudioDeluxe: $99.99 (regular $149)
Plugin Boutique: $99.99 (regular $149)

Tutorials and reviews

Similar plugins

X-FDBK by Waves · Feedback suppression · $74.32

All EQs