SSL announces X-EQ for Duende at AES

Solid State Logic is showcasing a new plug-in for the Duende DSP powered DAW plug-in platform at the 123rd Audio Engineering Society Convention (Booth #126).

X-EQ joins Drumstrip in extending the range of plug-ins available for Duende, with sophisticated task specific tools that deliver the finest audio performance, yet are extremely simple to use.

X-EQ is an open and transparent sounding parametric EQ that provides the user with a comprehensive range of EQ tools within an intuitive user interface. X-EQ is exceptionally flexible with the ability to be surgically precise for mastering duties or to smooth and sculpt for everyday audio production and is particularly suited to real time manipulation for dramatic filter sweep effects.

X-EQ is at first glance a 10-band parametric EQ, but each of the 10 EQ bands can be selected to provide a different type of EQ, making X-EQ a vast range of different EQ processors in one package. Bands 1 and 10 are High and Low Filters, each of which can be set to employ one of five different Filter topologies with five very different tonal characters. Bands two and nine are shelving EQs with a Q range that extend right up to 10.3 and a degree of undershoot and overshoot at higher Q settings that give a unique tonal character. The remaining six bands are all Bell EQs with a choice of nine different EQ types providing a comprehensive range of response curves. All Shelving & Bell bands can operate across a full 20Hz-20kHz frequency range with a powerful gain range of +/-20dB. All of the Bell bands can also be switched from the usual serial signal flow of a parametric EQ to the parallel signal flow of a graphic equalizer.

The Graphic User Interface is designed to make using X-EQ incredibly intuitive regardless of personal preference for click and drag graphic manipulation, on screen control, mouse wheel or numeric parameter editing. There is a real-time display of FFT frequency analysis. An A/B comparison feature enables two completely separate EQ set ups to be compared on the same source material and set ups can be saved and loaded independently. Rounding off the package are fully featured input and output sections with stereo level meters with peak hold, RMS meter and dynamic range indicator.

Key features of the X-EQ plug-in include:

• 10 band parametric EQ with individually selectable EQ type per band.
• Intuitive user interface with drag and move graphic control, on screen knob layout, mouse wheel (& fine mouse) control and numeric editing.
• Bands one & 10 are High & Low Cut Filters, each with five different selectable topographies.
• Bands two & nine are Shelving EQ's with proportional Q values.
• Bands three to eight are Bell Filters with 20Hz-20kHz range and nine individually selectable EQ types.
• Bands three to eight can be switched between standard series and parallel signal flow for classic graphic EQ style operation.
• Real time FFT signal analysis display.
• Stereo input and output metering with peak hold, separate RMS meter and dynamic range display.
• A/B facility for instant comparison of two different EQ set ups.
• Full parameter automation via any compatible host.

Based on the powerful DSP technology behind SSL's C-Series digital consoles, Duende is a 19" rack-mount unit that seamlessly integrates legendary console-grade SSL Channel EQ and Dynamics processing with a digital audio workstation. On-board DSP, connected to the DAW via Firewire, runs the SSL processing tool kit, relieving the burden on the host computer's CPU. Duende allows for up to 32 channels of processing at sample rates up to 96khz. The EQ and Dynamics Channel provides a single plug-in slot EQ & Dynamics processing solution with all the power and processing flexibility of an SSL console channel.