Two-Part Question & Request: Plugindoctor vs. UAD DSP Plugins, and Cambridge EQ Analysis
- KVRist
- 301 posts since 30 Jun, 2016 from USA
Do UAD non-native (DSP) plugins work in Plugindoctor for analysis? If so, can someone with the Cambridge EQ (DSP only) and Pro-Q3 do a test between the two, specifically measuring the slope of the Elliptic 6 high-pass filter?
The UAD manual says it's "close to a brickwall filter," but I would like to confirm it. I'm guessing it's more like a 48, 72, or 96dB/oct slope, with a slight knee and some resonance vs. the hard-edged full-on digital brickwall like in Pro-Q3, or Ozone.
EDIT: I have Plugindoctor and Pro-Q3, but not an Apollo card/interface. I am trying to gleen a little info from a Pensado "Into the Advertisement" video where he seems to really love the Cambridge EQ's filters.
TIA.
The UAD manual says it's "close to a brickwall filter," but I would like to confirm it. I'm guessing it's more like a 48, 72, or 96dB/oct slope, with a slight knee and some resonance vs. the hard-edged full-on digital brickwall like in Pro-Q3, or Ozone.
EDIT: I have Plugindoctor and Pro-Q3, but not an Apollo card/interface. I am trying to gleen a little info from a Pensado "Into the Advertisement" video where he seems to really love the Cambridge EQ's filters.
TIA.
Last edited by 2:43AM on Sun Jul 14, 2024 3:48 am, edited 2 times in total.
- KVRAF
- 4066 posts since 3 Jul, 2022
Don't you have a visualizer in your DAW? So you can check all frequencies are killed?2:43AM wrote: Sun Jul 14, 2024 3:20 am Do UAD non-native (DSP) plugins work in Plugindoctor for analysis? If so, can someone with the Cambridge EQ (DSP only) and Pro-Q3 do a test between the two, specifically measuring the slope of the Elliptic 6 high-pass filter?
The UAD manual says it's "close to a brickwall filter," but I would like to confirm it. I'm guessing it's more like a 48, 72, or 96dB/oct slope, with a slight knee and some resonance vs. the hard-edged full-on digital brickwall like in Pro-Q3, or Ozone.
TIA.
- KVRist
- Topic Starter
- 301 posts since 30 Jun, 2016 from USA
I don't have an Apollo card/interface.Jac459 wrote: Sun Jul 14, 2024 3:38 amDon't you have a visualizer in your DAW? So you can check all frequencies are killed?2:43AM wrote: Sun Jul 14, 2024 3:20 am Do UAD non-native (DSP) plugins work in Plugindoctor for analysis? If so, can someone with the Cambridge EQ (DSP only) and Pro-Q3 do a test between the two, specifically measuring the slope of the Elliptic 6 high-pass filter?
The UAD manual says it's "close to a brickwall filter," but I would like to confirm it. I'm guessing it's more like a 48, 72, or 96dB/oct slope, with a slight knee and some resonance vs. the hard-edged full-on digital brickwall like in Pro-Q3, or Ozone.
TIA.
- KVRAF
- 4066 posts since 3 Jul, 2022
Oh ok, gotcha.2:43AM wrote: Sun Jul 14, 2024 3:45 amI don't have an Apollo card/interface.Jac459 wrote: Sun Jul 14, 2024 3:38 amDon't you have a visualizer in your DAW? So you can check all frequencies are killed?2:43AM wrote: Sun Jul 14, 2024 3:20 am Do UAD non-native (DSP) plugins work in Plugindoctor for analysis? If so, can someone with the Cambridge EQ (DSP only) and Pro-Q3 do a test between the two, specifically measuring the slope of the Elliptic 6 high-pass filter?
The UAD manual says it's "close to a brickwall filter," but I would like to confirm it. I'm guessing it's more like a 48, 72, or 96dB/oct slope, with a slight knee and some resonance vs. the hard-edged full-on digital brickwall like in Pro-Q3, or Ozone.
TIA.
- KVRist
- Topic Starter
- 301 posts since 30 Jun, 2016 from USA
Nobody can lend a hand in the spirit of pluginmenship? Perhaps the Cambridge plugin is terrible?
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Funkybot's Evil Twin Funkybot's Evil Twin https://www.kvraudio.com/forum/memberlist.php?mode=viewprofile&u=116627
- KVRAF
- 12440 posts since 16 Aug, 2006
First image is the Cambridge with an Elpitical 6 filter at 15k. It's got a weird little ripple thing happening.

Next up is the Cambridge+ProQ3 with the latter set to a 96db slope and a little bit of resonance. Doesn't quite have the ripple thing, but the slope looks close enough to me.


Next up is the Cambridge+ProQ3 with the latter set to a 96db slope and a little bit of resonance. Doesn't quite have the ripple thing, but the slope looks close enough to me.

- KVRist
- Topic Starter
- 301 posts since 30 Jun, 2016 from USA
Awesome! Thank you so much for doing this! It's cool to see the quirkiness of the filter, and it's great to know that the UAD DSP-only plugins work in Plugin Doc for analysis!Funkybot's Evil Twin wrote: Mon Jul 29, 2024 4:09 am First image is the Cambridge with an Elpitical 6 filter at 15k. It's got a weird little ripple thing happening.
Next up is the Cambridge+ProQ3 with the latter set to a 96db slope and a little bit of resonance. Doesn't quite have the ripple thing, but the slope looks close enough to me.
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Can you please check a high-pass filter, let's say at 100Hz to confirm the same characteristics? Also, can you extend PD's range on the Y-axis to see how cleanly the filter acts in the stopband? How? I just recently discovered** this feature in PD where you can extend the Y-axis range by holding the mouse cursor over the values, holding CTRL and rolling the mouse wheel down. This is a great way to confirm filter operation down to -60, -90, -100dB, example. Double-click to reset. TIA!
Some Waves' plugins have some weird filters. H-EQ's filters is what initially got me into checking "below the line." RChannel has better, but still weak-in-the-stopband filtering. See attachment. Analog-modeled characteristics, I suppose. Pro-Q3 is about as clean as one could ever ask for.
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Funkybot's Evil Twin Funkybot's Evil Twin https://www.kvraudio.com/forum/memberlist.php?mode=viewprofile&u=116627
- KVRAF
- 12440 posts since 16 Aug, 2006
The HP looks the same. Here you can see an HP at 100hz versus the LP at 15k.


- KVRist
- Topic Starter
- 301 posts since 30 Jun, 2016 from USA
Right on! It appears that the slope could go on "infinitely" below the range shown, as well.Funkybot's Evil Twin wrote: Mon Jul 29, 2024 1:23 pm The HP looks the same. Here you can see an HP at 100hz versus the LP at 15k.
I love it when a plan comes together! Thanks for doing this!
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- KVRian
- 1072 posts since 8 Mar, 2009
EQuilibrium has Elliptical filters, so it would be better to compare it with that. all Elliptical filters have ripple in the passband. the Sonnox stuff is made using Lattice filter designs too which makes them have slightly different phase characteristics when the bands interact. i've never used Cambridge EQ despite having a Satellite, but i do have Oxford EQ. i don't remember it sounding special despite their claims to the novelty of the filter implementation, but i haven't opened it in a good few years
here's a free option: https://plugins4free.com/plugin/951/
here's a free option: https://plugins4free.com/plugin/951/
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