Why are there so many EQ's?

[liquidsound]

How about 60 band to begin with and then use 400 of it in series?

https://photosounder.com/splineeq/

sorry, i wanted hardware.
with one slider per band, no edit screen, "knob per function" or nothing!

It can be done but what about the shipping fees

[ramseysounds]

One eq will do all of your tasks. They’re all the same and are just glorified filters. I have bought lots, but they don’t doing anything your daw’s eq will do

[rlared]

So far everyone seems to agree that they are pretty pointless. Has anyone bought one recently and if so why?

[plexuss]

So far everyone seems to agree that they are pretty pointless. Has anyone bought one recently and if so why?

That's because this thread is an echo chamber.

[swilow11]

So far everyone seems to agree that they are pretty pointless. Has anyone bought one recently and if so why?

I brought proq3 because I like the way it works. I cannot hear any qualitative difference between it and the native Cubase ones but the functionality is better. I could live without it though.

[Jac459]

So far everyone seems to agree that they are pretty pointless. Has anyone bought one recently and if so why?

Eq/filters may sound the same at normal range, but if you crank the resonance and drive, the way they behave can be very different.
For example with fabfilter volcano 3, the filter type will dramatically change the sound (at high resonance/drive level).
So it is useful if you are doing some subtractive synthesis with it.

For pure eq like pro q3, it is the features and types of algorithms (in view of the phase) that matters.

But I definitely agree. An EQ daw can do the job very well too, it is a question of quality of life.

[plexuss]

There are many aspects to EQ plugins that can affect their sound: the nature of the curves, phase response, various kinds of other distortion, digital artifacts like cramping and aliasing, some EQs have other issues like ringing in the frequency response and also the coding techniques used. If two EQ are the same in these regards (and I am sure there are others I am not aware of) then yes they should sound the same. But with so many variables, there are so many different EQ plugins.

[dayjob]

You need one eq for each frequency.

[plexuss]

You need one eq for each frequency.

How many frequencies are there?

[dayjob]

You need one eq for each frequency.

How many frequencies are there?

Depends on your hearing. But let’s say 20hz to 20khz. So, obviously, thousands of eqs are needed.

If anything, the developers need to make more eqs

[plexuss]

You need one eq for each frequency.

How many frequencies are there?

Depends on your hearing. But let’s say 20hz to 20khz. So, obviously, thousands of eqs are needed.

If anything, the developers need to make more eqs

If you can divide frequencies down then really you'd need an infinite number of EQs. So perhaps there are in fact not enough EQs and we need more and more!

[Jac459]

There are many aspects to EQ plugins that can affect their sound: the nature of the curves, phase response, various kinds of other distortion, digital artifacts like cramping and aliasing, some EQs have other issues like ringing in the frequency response and also the coding techniques used. If two EQ are the same in these regards (and I am sure there are others I am not aware of) then yes they should sound the same. But with so many variables, there are so many different EQ plugins.

There is an interesting video about that by the very great Dan Worrall testing different EQs and zero summing them to compare sound. Many of them are actually equivalent.

[eytanmich123]

There are many aspects to EQ plugins that can affect their sound: the nature of the curves, phase response, various kinds of other distortion, digital artifacts like cramping and aliasing, some EQs have other issues like ringing in the frequency response and also the coding techniques used. If two EQ are the same in these regards (and I am sure there are others I am not aware of) then yes they should sound the same. But with so many variables, there are so many different EQ plugins.

If I were to quote Cpt. Queenan (from the movie "The Departed") I would have said:

We deal in deception here. What we do not deal with is self-deception

A very large portion of the market of EQ's sound more or less the same. it was proven time and time again.

So how do we differentiate them software EQ's (in order to ask money for having them) ?
by tricking our eyes (via the GUI),
by evoking nostalgia and emotions ("this EQ was used by "The Hungry" in their song "One bread two yogurts")
or by cheap marketing ("I have no idea what it does, I don't know how it does it, but it's like fairy-dust all over my audio" ... or: "9000$ worth HW in a 250$ plug !!" - or, in cellphone language : "your Samsung is more powerful than the computer onboard Apollo 11 !!". no $hit ! and this is relevant... how ?).

It's all about money. and wherever there is demand... someone would deliver

Descartes:"I think therefore I am".



lets paraphrase :
"I consume therefore I am"

[machinesworking]

Because EQs as pointed out are filters, and if you think all filters sound the same, then I can't help you.

You only really need one surgical EQ, and EQs for their filter characteristics is a subjective thing.
I have the old Nomad Factory EQs and various ones from bundles I like. The three I use the most is the DAWs built in EQ, EQuillibrium, and Nomad Factories Pulse Tec.

[PatchAdamz]

Why so many EQ's or stars in the sky, or sand on the beach, or flowers in the garden.....

Why?