Based on the first parametric equalizers that started it all, the AMEK EQ 200 is a beautifully transparent plugin EQ, inspired by the classic sound of icons like the GML 8200 and vintage SONTEC EQs.
Plugin Alliance and Brainworx are proud to bring you the very first in a series of new plugins under the iconic AMEK brand, which has just joined the Plugin Alliance family. The first product under the new AMEK brand is the EQ 200, which is modeled after some of the most coveted hardware EQs ever designed.
Drawing on years of experience in analog modelling, Brainworx goal with the EQ 200 was to develop a plugin that captures the DNA and recreates the unique sound of the most legendary parametric equalizers of the 70s and 80s.
This era was dominated by new, paradigm-shifting EQ designs from brands such as SONTEC and GML, which offered groundbreaking new features, including parametric control: the ability to adjust the center frequency and bandwidth for each band. While this is a standard feature on EQs today, it was an absolute audio revolution back then.
The extraordinary resolution, extreme transparency, enormous headroom and surgical precision of these classic 70s and 80s mastering-grade EQs served as the inspiration for many later equalizer designs. And for many top engineers, these original parametric EQs are still considered unrivaled tools, even today.
These early high-end parametric EQs were born during an amazing era for pop and rock music and lived on to become true industry standards for the next 30+ years. Today, they can be heard on countless major recordings, as they are still actively used in many of the very best mixing and mastering studios on the planet.
The AMEK EQ 200 Plugin is inspired by the sound of Brainworx founder Dirk Ulrich‘s own GML 8200 EQ and vintage SONTEC EQs - some of his all-time favorite pieces of analog outboard gear.
But Dirk and the Brainworx modeling team decided to take things a step further, enhancing the original design with many useful plugin-only features, such as innovative Auto-Listen features, variable high-pass and low-pass filters, M/S processing, and their groundbreaking patented TMT (Tolerance Modeling Technology, US Patent No. 10,725,727), to offer an unrivaled analog experience in the box.
With all these additional features, the AMEK EQ 200 offers everything you need to bring the glorious sound and intuitive workflow of the very best vintage EQs to your DAW.
The AMEK EQ 200 plugin is a complete 7-band EQ, with 5 parametric bands, plus added high and low pass filters. It operates in Stereo, Dual-Mono, Mono and M/S modes. Each of the five wide, overlapping EQ bands offers up to 15 dB of boost or cut and an adjustable bandwidth (or "Q") control from 0.4 to 4. The lowest and the highest bands can also be switched to shelving mode.
Brainworx included their well-known retractable “Extra Unit” which provides the following features, that cannot be found on any of the original analog idols: Brainworx ́s Tolerance Modeling Technology (TMT), M/S Processing, Mono-Maker, Stereo Width, Correlation, Balance, Input and Output Meters.
Brainworx Plugin-Only Features
- Brainworx TMT inside: Patented Tolerance Modeling Technology (TMT) simulates channel-to-channel variances in electronic components for the most realistic analog sound possible inside a DAW
- M/S Processing: A simple workflow enhancement to dramatically tweak the width and depth of your mixes
- Mono-Maker: Sums your low-frequency content to mono, giving you focused, punchy bass response.
- Stereo Width: Expand the stereo width of your tracks.
- High Pass & Low Pass Filter: Continuously variable filters with a 12 dB per octave slope
- Variable THD control: For adding extra analog mojo and tone
- Correlation, Balance, Input and Output Meters: To better understand and control your EQ curves
- Auto Listen: Available on all five bands to audition each change in isolation
- Scalable User Interface: To perfectly suit the size of your screen
