PlugInBoutique Scaler EQ just released today!

[pavvel]

Being a huge fan of Scaler, this looks VERY interesting. Just announced today.

More Info

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Plugin Boutique’s Scaler EQ
The World’s First Truly Musical EQ

Plugin Boutique are proud to announce Scaler EQ as a VST/AU/AAX plugin for PC and Mac. Following on from the award-winning Scaler music theory plugin, Scaler EQ offers a remarkable new way to EQ with musicality and colour.

By enhancing only note frequencies in key with your song, and reducing only note frequencies that aren’t, Scaler EQ can provide a new spin on working with cuts and boosts, increasing the tonality behind your music and providing new harmonic avenues.

And for when you just want a regular, fully-featured, modern EQ, Scaler EQ has you covered with its familiar workflow, choice of band types, mid/side operation, dynamic bands and stereo enhancement. There are even highly unique Magic Shelf bands that

Scaler EQ is available now from Plugin Boutique for £49. For detailed pricing information, please see the bottom of this press release.
The World’s First In-Key EQ

Thanks to its Harmonic Peak and ‘Plus/Minus’ filter types, performing a boost on Scaler EQ means only boosting frequencies that are in-key with the currently set scale. Making a cut with the same band will reduce only the out-of-key frequencies – although it can be set to cut in-key frequencies too, which can be helpful for mixing.
The World’s First In-Key EQ

Thanks to its Harmonic Peak and ‘Plus/Minus’ filter types, performing a boost on Scaler EQ means only boosting frequencies that are in-key with the currently set scale. Making a cut with the same band will reduce only the out-of-key frequencies – although it can be set to cut in-key frequencies too, which can be helpful for mixing.

More Info

[DaveClark]

I think that this is a great idea, and I actually created some filters many years ago that did exactly the kind of thing that this plugin does. I am quite disappointed that they have filed a patent claim, because this idea is obvious to anyone trained in the art. There were some posts on the Internet years ago about doing this kind of thing, I believe here on KVR. No doubt there are other people who have at the very least experimented with ideas like this, and probably others who have made public their own thoughts about it.

I wish the folks involved in this plugin the best of luck, but oppose their patent application. I encourage anyone else who has worked with this kind of idea to make their work known publicly if they haven't done so already and/or to contact USPTO or the equivalent of USPTO in their own country. Over the past two decades or so, I have become very tired of seeing patent applications for things that my colleagues and/or I have already thought of and believe are very straightforward applications of things we learned long ago in school while taking introductory courses.

Edited to add USPTO protest information, esp. if you have either patent or non-patent publication references:

https://www.uspto.gov/web/offices/pac/mpep/s1901.html

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One of many things that this kind of filter is good for is to clean up distorted recordings. I was surprised when using one of these filters how much it cleaned up distorted guitar. The results were interesting in that they had some earmarks of distortion, but sounded very pleasant, but not the same as mild distortion. It was a unique kind of sound.

[serge]

This is one of those plugins that makes me wonder, why doesn’t every EQ do this! Can’t wait to try this with my Soma Labs Lyra-8.

[Ploki]

This is one of those plugins that makes me wonder, why doesn’t every EQ do this! Can’t wait to try this with my Soma Labs Lyra-8.

because there's more to timbre of sound than harmonic series, because most acoustic instruments have slightly detuned harmonic series (even across range), because small inharmonicities create rich sounds (piano is extremely inharmonic for example), because EQing with such high Qs so aggressively will either create weird phase issues or ringing, because it's actually very nonmusical way to approach things.

If you want everything in perfect harmonic pitch and ratios use sinewaves and hermode tuning and you won't even need to EQ anything.

I have absolutely no clue why would i use this aside from some extreme creative purposes.

[Jorchime]

I think that this is a great idea, and I actually created some filters many years ago that did exactly the kind of thing that this plugin does. I am quite disappointed that they have filed a patent claim, because this idea is obvious to anyone trained in the art. There were some posts on the Internet years ago about doing this kind of thing, I believe here on KVR. No doubt there are other people who have at the very least experimented with ideas like this, and probably others who have made public their own thoughts about it.

I wish the folks involved in this plugin the best of luck, but oppose their patent application. I encourage anyone else who has worked with this kind of idea to make their work known publicly if they haven't done so already and/or to contact USPTO or the equivalent of USPTO in their own country. Over the past two decades or so, I have become very tired of seeing patent applications for things that my colleagues and/or I have already thought of and believe are very straightforward applications of things we learned long ago in school while taking introductory courses.

Edited to add USPTO protest information, esp. if you have either patent or non-patent publication references:

https://www.uspto.gov/web/offices/pac/mpep/s1901.html

I had the same reaction. Filing a patent feels aggressive and unfair to me. But I am not very familiar with patents and oppose the idea of software patents in general.

[El°HYM]

This is one of those plugins that makes me wonder, why doesn’t every EQ do this! Can’t wait to try this with my Soma Labs Lyra-8.

The Lyra-8 isnt even chromatically tuned, or is this the reason you want to throw such an EQ on it?

[Ploki]

the mastering example on vocals on the livestream right now sounds pretty bad :/

[Dewdman42]

Filing a patent doesn't mean that much. They are open to interpretation and basically many people usually have to file numerous patents surrounding some product they have so that if anyone else copies it, then they will try to file a lawsuit and fight it out over whether there is patent infringement or not. But you cannot have a patent on just anything. I personally do not think a patent that said something like "EQing the harmonic series" would be a patent with any clout that would win in court. They would need to say there is something unique about the process by which they accomplish that outcome...and file a patent perhaps on that. Trying to patent the use of certain frequencies according to harmonic series is a laughable patent to try to take to court. it's like trying to put a patent on using salt and pepper together on your food. but look more deeply at their patent, if it is any way related to specifically HOW they go about applying EQ in some unique way....then maybe they have a right to a patent...why not. But trying to block everyone else from using salt and pepper on their food is just lame, I agree.

[perpetual3]

Does anyone here actually know the legal standard in the US to successfully receive a patent? And what does it really matter if you’re a musician/producer/engineer anyway?

[Digivolt]

This is one of those plugins that makes me wonder, why doesn’t every EQ do this! Can’t wait to try this with my Soma Labs Lyra-8.

because there's more to timbre of sound than harmonic series, because most acoustic instruments have slightly detuned harmonic series (even across range), because small inharmonicities create rich sounds (piano is extremely inharmonic for example), because EQing with such high Qs so aggressively will either create weird phase issues or ringing, because it's actually very nonmusical way to approach things.

If you want everything in perfect harmonic pitch and ratios use sinewaves and hermode tuning and you won't even need to EQ anything.

I have absolutely no clue why would i use this aside from some extreme creative purposes.

I feel like all it will do is sterilise your music, I guess if that's your goal for some really cold and pristine sound, but most music, it's the imperfections that are part of the perfection

[neverbefore]

harmonic band eq has been out for ages with apQualizr 2 - which is more than a very nice eq. But that deoesnt mean this new one doesn't offer something different and worth while

[Dewdman42]

I feel like all it will do is sterilise your music, I guess if that's your goal for some really cold and pristine sound, but most music, it's the imperfections that are part of the perfection

Maybe. Will look forward to trying it. But once upon a time didn't zynaptic do something like this with adaptaverb? I guess the difference with this one is actually applying a musical scale to it.

The reason I don't like the patent is because I have low confidence that this particular software maker will make a top shelf EQ out of it with all the best DSP. I would much rather see some of the other high equality EQ plugin makers discover this as a useful mode and add it, with superior DSP inside. well hahaha, that is exactly why they got the patent to prevent that from happening...so it is what it is...

we shall see how it sounds. people have had EQ's with keyboards along the bottom for a long time already, but as best as I can tell, this is the first one that would let you quickly apply a scale..which is really just a preset of bands if you think about it...not exactly revolutionary and it's debatable that is enough to merit a patent if you ask me

[Dewdman42]

harmonic band eq has been out for ages with apQualizr 2 - which is more than a very nice eq. But that deoesnt mean this new one doesn't offer something different and worth while

That is the harmonic series, as opposed to applying musical scales. I'm not sure the benefit actually of musical scales in EQ now that I think about it. Well anyway it will be interesting to hear results on you tube.

[neverbefore]

harmonic band eq has been out for ages with apQualizr 2 - which is more than a very nice eq. But that deoesnt mean this new one doesn't offer something different and worth while

That is the harmonic series, as opposed to applying musical scales. I'm not sure the benefit actually of musical scales in EQ now that I think about it. Well anyway it will be interesting to hear results on you tube.

Oh, my bad. apQualizr allows for midi input but I think it is just mono input so no chords. Even so ScalerEQ looks like a great creative tool for me (as is apQualizr2)

[Michael L]

I have an EQ with bands that I can set to a note, or I can set any band as a follow EQ to boost or cut -12 to +24 semitones from the midi input.
The problem is that 12ET scales do not equal harmonic series. You can hear the difference between chords in equal tuning and just intonation.
Boosting notes can increase dissonance with existing harmonics and muddy the sound of instruments, which is probly why the Apqualizer video uses sounds with few harmonics for examples.