- Orientation MUST be vertically aligned (e.g. API 550 hardware).
- No channel strips!
- No EQ curve visualizers. Meters OK.
- Ideally 4-bands (minimum 3- and maximum 5-bands).
- Stepped knobs (very much preferred).
- Q controls.
- Resizable UI (definitely preferred).
- Maintained! Like an update in the last 5 years at least.
- Not DAW stock plugins.
The vertical orientation is a lot of what attracts me (Lindell Pultecs, wish those suckers got resizable UIs). Started looking at API 550 emulations, but quite a few devs take the classic vertical into a horizontal (e.g. Overloud EQ550), and I'm sure they have their reasons, but I'm not interested.
Edited to assemble a list based on suggestions:
- Pulsar Modular P422 Fairuz (API'ish) - Well-designed, but too cluttered.
- ACMT 500 - No Mac version, otherwise would demo.
- Airwindows Hull2 - 3-bands, oriented vertically, no Q controls.
- Analog Obsession: COMBOX (API) and TREQ (Trident) - AO interfaces too fiddly for me.
- Arturia Pre TridA (Trident) - so wide it feels more like a channel strip.
- KUSH Electra DSP - What is an "electrified transient EQ" anyway?
- Louder Than Liftoff Chop Shop - Demoed. Interesting but not what I'm wanting.
- Mixwave Electrodyne 511 - 2 band. Interface looks dead simple. Did not try.
- Nomad Factory: Analog Studio State EQ - Maybe after a refresh.
- PA SPL EQ Ranger Plus (8-band graphical) - Would look a lot cooler if it lost the right half and merged the few controls there into the left.
- PSP E27 (Avedis E27) - E27se definitely qualifies, E27 rather wide. Did not try yet.
- Purafied SLP 538 EQ (SSL 5K) - Checks all the boxes. Demoed.
- Sonimus StonEQ 4K (SSL 4K) - Demoed and was my favorite.
- UAD Helios Type 69 - Channel strip'ish but OK.
- Volko Audio QB Equalizer (API) - Package says 2017! Abandonware?
- Waves API 550 / 560 - Kinda ugly, no?
