So, I’ve been diligently saving for a good, clean eq with m/s capability for some time now. I’ve settled on Fabfilter Pro-Q 2. But now, on the same day that FF start their holiday sale on bundles, I discover Cubase 9 is out with a new eq that has these features and a few more…grrrrr, decisions!
I have trialed Pro Q 2 (loved it!) but as there is no demo for me to try for Cubase 9 and compare the new eq, I was wondering (for those of you that own both) how are you finding it in relation to Pro-Q 2?
I really don’t know which way to jump now! To be fair, Cubase 8.5 is already pushing my aging computer to its limits…though I’m hearing that 9 is a little less greedy and more stable…
Would love to hear your thoughts on the comparison.
Fabfilter Q2 is a more pleasant experience to use. Looks fantastic and the display adapts to the size of the cuts you’re making. If EQ is GUI then Fabfilter wins hands down.
Unfortunately, my demo ran out a couple of weeks ago, but I did love that I could have the eq full screen…I somehow found it easier to hone in and concentrate without anything else on screen.
There’s another conversation in this forum that covers a lot of what will be brought up in here as well. It’s called “Frequency EQ is Fantastic” or something - check it out.
Pro Q is clearly, slightly better than Frequency. That said, if you’re looking at value, a Cubase update which includes frequency for just over half of the standard retail price of Pro Q… is kind of a no-brainer if you’re on a budget. Pro-Q 2 is great but I don’t think it’s essential/irreplaceable or anything.
In fact we’ve more options in Pro-Q 2, more bands and 3 modes for Linear Phase, Natural Phase…
And it’s resizeable. That’s a feature I don’t understand why the creators of VST3 plugs didn’t implement that on their plugs…
I personally prefer Pro-Q 2 for the reasons stated already in this thread. More options and a better GUI. Fabfilter is super hard to beat or even match at their game, so I don’t think Steinberg should bother with new plugs like this, though I totally understand that some will disagree with that.
I can’t speak for anyone other than myself, but I’m definitely sticking with FabFilter’s Pro Q. Steinberg also offers some decent reverbs, but again I much prefer a product from another developer.
So as long as each EQ has a different coloring to offer it’s users, there’s room for many, if not all, of the equalization tools in the market.
Each recording we treat could benefit in a different way from the various algorithms or circuits of different plugins and hardware EQ’s.
As FabFilter’s ProQ2 is my goto in-the-box EQ, I challenged myself during my last mix to use the new CPro9 Frequency EQ instead and not use ProQ2 at all.
Did my mix suffer in the slightest or lack in quality compared to my previous? No, not at all.
In fact, I dare say it may have even benefited in the immediate from the challenge of using an unfamiliar tool to do the job. Forcing me to pay even more attention to the fine adjustments and their results as I learned the new tool.
Would I wholesale abandon ProQ2 for Frequency?
No. I feel each has its place in the VST toolbox and each will find its place in my future mixes.
Agreed! This reminds of a song I mixed last month where I challenged myself to only use native plugins in Cubase, and…the mix came out every bit as good as when I used any number of “boutique” plugins. Probably different in some ways, but without a doubt just as good. It all comes down to what one prefers GUI-wise, one’s mixing skills, and also as you said: if there’s a certain sound/color that one wants. ProQ2 and Frequency are both very neutral sounding to my ears, so I wouldn’t use either for any kind of specific coloring – in that way they’re pretty much interchangeable.
I see no reason why anyone should regret having bought Q2. But as someone having considered it, and now having used Frenquncy for some days, I see no urgent reason at all for that buy any more.
I think in fact that’s the basic question: Does Frequency offer enough to skip the immediate need for a third party EQ replacement? For me that’s a clear yes, and money value of about 150 bucks which I can invest for more urgent things. Of course all other EQ options are still open to all of us.
Unless there’s some killer features not mentioned in the FreqEQ promotional material (disclaimer: I have not as yet acquired CB 9), that statement is pure nonsense. I seriously doubt you could find even one single Q2 user world-over who would willingly switch from Q2 to FreqEQ.
If you didn’t buy proQ yet, you now no longer need it, same for waves h-eq, same for DMG.
if I would have bought ProQ before, I would have sold it now.
Freq EQ is great.
How are you able to speak so confidently when you haven’t even compared both EQs side by side? -_-
To OP,
This is why you have to be careful who’s advice you take into account when asking for them online. Some people will reply without actually having done a side by side comparison of the products in question (even when you specifically asked for the advice of Pro Q-2 owners, which he clearly is not).
Ofcourse I compared them, what makes you think I would post uneducated statements?
ProQ and DMG stuff have been demo-ed by me many many times. I had H-EQ, but sold it.
ProQ was even on my xmas list this year, but xmas came early.
ProQ and DMG stuff have been demo-ed by me many many times. I had H-EQ, but sold it.
From the FabFilter site:
Free 30-day trials
This page offers fully functional 30-day trial versions of all plug-ins. When the demo version expires, you can simply unlock it with a personal license key, available for purchase in our online shop.
Source:
Unless you’re “demoing” a pirated version, I’m not sure how you’re able to do that many, many times.
To be honest I would not be without Pro Q 2. Actually it is difficult to have too many eq’s or compressors as they all have their own unique flavours. Pro Q 2 is a very surgical and precise tool that you get better at the more you use it, The GUI is a thing of genius like all FabFilter plugins. (Actually I am really loving the Pro R reverb at the moment.)
I usually find that if one eq is not doing it for me I can swap to something with more character like the Lindell Audio PEX-500 which oozes character. I also have all the UAD Neve stuff which I love too. My experience tells me that whilst there are good and really good eq’s there is no “best” eq. They all have their own strengths. The more the merrier.
