Stock Plugin 'Frequency' Workflow Request

[awesomeaudio]

This is one of the most powerful EQs on the market, people don’t really seem to realize it, overlooking it because it’s a stock factory plugin. But I don’t think there’s another EQ out there that does side-chain per band and also mid/side / left/right mode splits each band into two with completely separate controls.

The latter being what my feature request is about:

It would be handy if when in Mid/Side / Left/Right mode, the actual frequency (frequency, Q, gain) controls could be linked if not just momentarily.

For example, perhaps I would want Mid/Side to have the exact same frequency range, but with different dynamic settings.

Perhaps when in Mid/Side / Left/Ride mode, both the frequency section and the dynamics section could both get their own respective link buttons.

When link mode on, which ever node/parameter the user touches/moves first, the other channel/band follows.

Thanks, fantastic stock plugin!

edit

And or, a simple “Settings Copy/Exchange” button.

If I’m on Mid Dynamics, I can copy to Side Dynamics and vice versa, and for the frequency section as well.

edit 2

Here’s a video of what I’m talking about:

• First I’m in stereo mode, and I set the frequency point and dynamic level.
• I switch to Mid/Side mode and the frequencies and dynamics controls are different, when they should be unified at first imo

edit

Also, I’d love if the High-Pass/Low-Pass filters could be horizontally dynamic. The dynamic section is disabled for them.

Here’s a video of bx_dynEQ in action doing that:

Here’s a video of bx_dynEQ with link between Mid and Side, what we need for each band in Frequency

The link in bx_dynEQ is actually quite advanced, once enabled, you can disable link per parameter:

[Greg_Purkey]

@awesomeaudio

This is one of the most powerful EQs on the market, people don’t really seem to realize it, overlooking it because it’s a stock factory plugin. But I don’t think there’s another EQ out there that does side-chain per band and also mid/side / left/right mode splits each band into two with completely separate controls.

The latter being what my feature request is about:

It would be handy if when in Mid/Side / Left/Right mode, the actual frequency (frequency, Q, gain) controls could be linked if not just momentarily.

I agree and use Frequency as my main dynamic EQ. Even Dom, who I think has a very strong following, pointed this unique feature out years ago. And yes, I think part of it is the long-standing “stock factory” stigma that has existed since the beginning…or maybe SX for Cubase. Also prior to Frequency, Waves released an EQ and Frequency GUI is similar to Waves which I don’t think helps.

If crazy Dom can’t excite users about Frequency and its unique functions, what does that tell you in general about most main stream users who desire using improved dynamic EQ? Either they don’t need those additional functions or they don’t understand it. The cost is free.

And IMO it’s not the only overlooked Cubase stock factory plug.

[awesomeaudio]

For me personally, workflow is very important with an EQ and there’s maybe some room for improvement there, as well as UI. It’s not totally inviting.

The completely separated Mid/Side controls without any linkability does make that feature clunky to use, having to page back and forth between the Mid settings page and the Side settings page.

The features are kind of hidden and create needless clicking, even the Channel Type switch LeftRight/Stereo/MidSide is questionable.

The deactivated EQ nodes should probably disappear, at least as an option but there should also be right-click functionality in the EQ graph to do various operations, like adding EQ nodes at the frequency/gain values clicked on.

There’s no gain-reduction meter for the threshold.

There’s also pages within pages to reach settings. You have your EQ pages, then if you’re doing mid/side you pages for each of those as well…

… Just sort of feel like there is a lot of wasted space where they could probably have Mid/Side Left/Right all on one page. I feel like if they fit all the controls on one page, it would actually be less cluttered because it would force them to use different UI elements and get more clever with space.

I’ve got a few other Dynamic EQs, all though it’s not totally fair to compare UIs as Frequency packs more capability than they do… there are certain elements that are very nice, like Sonnox Dynamic EQ having visual feedback on the threshold knob.

It’s one of those simple UI things. I’m looking at the threshold hold knob when I’m adjusting it, so it’s nice seeing the reduction amount without having to look back at the graph.

Another nice UI element on the Sonnox missing from the EQ, is showing the side-chain range for the selected band.

imo, I feel like on Frequency if they got rid of/condensed some of the graphic UI elements/used different types of UI elements - they could easily fit two or even 4 rows of knobs/controls for both Mid/Side / Left/Right on one page.

[awesomeaudio]

@Greg_Purkey

Windows paint mockup.

Something like this, more in my opinion, puts the power of the plugin on display, rather than hiding it in pages. This mockup looks powerful, instead of just like a stock EQ plugin no different than any other:

edit

also, if you moved all the option buttons to be together in the header,
It leaves a lot of space for the Band Tabs to be quick controls, also giving the user an overview of some information all the time for each band:

edit

I forgot the keyboard takes up that space when enabled… so maybe the extra big tabs are lost if someone wants the keyboard enabled… or the devs can figure out some other workaround.