I definitely like what this version of Mäag does to my acoustic guitars when using M/S EQ. It really breathes life into them. Yes, the dip switches are somewhat awkward, but on the other hand, you may accidentally find something interesting you were not looking for. 😃 And it is always a good idea to break your routines and do things differently! For some reason I love this plugin even more than my other eq:s with similar capabilites (e.g. Manley Massive, Kiive M5133, AMEK 250 etc.).
As mentioned, PLEASE BE CAREFUL Mastering with this EQ. It colors the sound by default with boosts and cuts and there are very drastic changes being done without even boosting or cutting any band. Learn what it does off the bat and when you switch the frequencies, then see if it's a good fit for the record. Otherwise I would go cleaner than this on mix bus / mastering. Could be cool for synths and other elements in the mix potentially though.
For mixing purposes I still prefer Tim Petherick's Silk EQ 259b Nebula library over Maag EQ4. Nebula plugins are always a bit fiddly to set up but worth it for the exceptional sound. Of course you have to catch Nebula on sale at Acustica to make it worthwhile.
I have been wanting to pick up the EQ4 for some time now, but it was mad expensive. For some reason I found myself with the 20-dollar upgrade for this in my email, so I'm getting it Lol Great video White Noise!
The frequency selectors, all of them the filters were pulled straight from older MAAG EQ plugins. To make them parametric, it requires the developer to rewrite the code and measure the real hardware. That can be extremely time wasting. Same goes to the soft clipping, just copy Magnum K soft limit and be done with it. To make a new one means they have to put out an actual work for it. Why would they do any of that right ? if they can easily recycle the filters, soft clip from their 13 years old plugins ? Packed them into one new shinny GUI with all the brainworx 13 years masterpiece technology bottom section, TMT, then sell it again as mastering edition.
Agree with all the complaints. In a way thats why i like this EQ, so many transparent or similar options in the box i like ones with personality and this has loads the gui included😂. Maybe calling it a mastering EQ is a stretch, and for mix bus tone shaping it may not be first choice but it seems to have a nice tone and achieve results, that you may not have otherwise with traditional eq or with visualisers.
Frankly I only picked it up cause of a $20 loyalty offer which is reasonable and I like the original. After using this though. As you said it feels more tedious than need be and the switches are confusing. Idk something about the switching being up up/down switch and the labels is displaying left/right also bothers me lol. Which your Plugin Doctor testing though. All those interactions where it's boosting just by switching bands or frequency seems very odd to me too. So idk if I'll use this for much more than the air band. And as someone else said, it's probably a copy pasted code for the clipper from the Magnum K which I don't like anything about that plugin so, won't be using that. I don't like the type of auto gain it has. It all seems very gimmicky lol.
Is it just me or does the drastic change in the curve when selecting the frequencies before you have added or subtracted gain counterintuitive for mastering? Mastering is down the minuscule changes. Granted I'm not a mastering expert by any stretch but I always thought you want flat up to the point of you actually engaging gain/attenuation.
Going for Slick EQ M tbh, the left and right stuff is just over complicated, and the GUI hurts my brain. I feel like more is put into the GUI than the sound on these things, too much hype
So which EQ you like the most (for mastering): Amek, Maag or Pulsar? I kinda like Pulsar, from your "Parallel EQ" video you did few months ago, it kinda sounded very special. Also, when will you finally switch to Mac, Marlon? :)
in mastering, I usually pick the Amek 200. Pulsar second when I need to do something with 2 bands very close together. Mac: i use them! In my studio the main computer is a mac. I prefer PC for editing and grabbing video, but you can always donate me a shiney new mac m2,m3 or m4, i'm not picky ^^
@@whitenoisestudio I know you have a Mac, just wondered why is easier to use PC for UA-cam. And haha, donate a new M4 :) I bought my M1 MacStudio at Upgreatest punkt NL :)
A lot has to do with personal preferance obviously, but the things I really think are better on PC is the whole file managment system with copy paste delete and moving files around. The cmd instead of CTRL on mac is ergonomically worse for me, I am rally a WASD guy thanks to gaming. Storage capacity is another one, I have around 8TB of storage on my PC, where OS is on its own drive, audio mixing stuff is on another, samples on a seperate one and video stuff is another as well, no need to use external drives. Upgradebility: Went from a nividia 2060 to 3080 to 4080super for instance, which all were big improvements for my video editing speed. PC storage got upgraded as well over the years for me, CPU included. On mac I find that audio plugins usually work with less issues right out of the box, often it seems that developers dont spend as much time debugging plugins for pc. Install on mac is quicker and I feel mac OS is a bit more robust usually than PC, as long as you dont go with the latest yearly OS upgrades. And my macbook air m1 is still the best laptop I ever used, I really like the batterylife and compactness of the laptop. The speakers are great as well, i happily listen casually to music on them.
@@whitenoisestudio Yeah, I know - I was looking for Total Commander substitude for Mac, since on PC I was using Norton Commander since late 80s. I tried several applications, but none did match my expectations. It takes getting used to, I prefer that Unix feel on Mac (since MacOS is based on FreeBSD). I hate Windows 11 - it is way too slow (regardless of my i9 with 12900K CPU and SSD and RAM), and I just couldnt figure out what is making my audio interface glitch (and stop working!) every 60-90 minutes (occasionally, but it happens), without any apparent reason at all (later I've read that people had similar issues and that they were related to some Chrome extensions, which sounded so stupid to me). On Mac I don't have any similar issues, maybe when I overburden my Nuendo sessions with plugins, but even that - rarelly happens. Even if it happens, I know the reason why - and that's why I hated my Windows 11 PC, rather powerful machine that didn't work properly, drove me insane. So I switched to Mac, and I am not coming back to Windows 11 ever again (except ocasionally, maybe few times a year).
Yeah I picked it up for the $20 loyalty offer, but this eq really is not intuitive. I'm a bit disappointed with how the nonlinear qualities seem to throw your expectations out the window when working with it. Hopefully it becomes more intuitive with further use. I dont have that many plugins & only one other eq with m/s processing so I really want this to be in my rotation. So far though I like my eq4 & magnum-k better
A mildly demented EQ which doesn't "equalize" at all... the only useful feature (Air) is one I already have multiple times, as with M/S. I suppose it might be useful for someone with few other plugins. I have enough headaches already, don't need this one.
Have you ever wondered what it feels like to see all these plugins come out emulating what you already have in hardware? Yeah.... um.... yeah... lol. Here's some advice to anyone reading... save your money and buy hardware, plugins are [MOSTLY] a scam.
If you can approximate the sound of hardware with software at a fraction of the cost then surely it’s an option worth considering. The generalization that software plugins are a scam is just loopy. Try telling that to some of the most successful artists, mix engineers and producers. All hardware is not the same - some crap, some ok, some brilliant - just as software developers create great and not so great plugins. In the end it’s about choice and how your finances influence your choices. 😊
@@triplebeam23 except the compulsion to buy “every version” (all 17) in the box to make sure you have the “most accurate” emulation. Then in 20 years none of it works or is supported, but the analog version is still worth what you paid for it if not significantly more
Oh brother, I'm so tired of those analog imitation cluttered, skeuomorphic interfaces and digital knobs not designed for mouse input. Take notes from the likes of Pulsar on how to create a non-linear emulation plugin and still make it appropriate for efficient, digital control.
Yeah I dont get it either. Different user interfaces require different layouts and tools you'd assume. On hardware I get it when something has to be a certain way, there can be physical limitations. With software, those limitations usually arent there, so why not make it a better user experience.
I like that you show plugin doctor in your reviews, saves me the time to demo just to fine out its just a digital EQ with a fancy GUI.
it's not digital, is an analog emulation
I definitely like what this version of Mäag does to my acoustic guitars when using M/S EQ. It really breathes life into them. Yes, the dip switches are somewhat awkward, but on the other hand, you may accidentally find something interesting you were not looking for. 😃 And it is always a good idea to break your routines and do things differently! For some reason I love this plugin even more than my other eq:s with similar capabilites (e.g. Manley Massive, Kiive M5133, AMEK 250 etc.).
Great video! I love my Maag EQ4 and use it on almost every channel. As far as mastering, my PSP Audioware Master Q2 hasn't failed me yet.
I really like it it's great 🤘💀🍻🔥
As mentioned, PLEASE BE CAREFUL Mastering with this EQ. It colors the sound by default with boosts and cuts and there are very drastic changes being done without even boosting or cutting any band. Learn what it does off the bat and when you switch the frequencies, then see if it's a good fit for the record. Otherwise I would go cleaner than this on mix bus / mastering. Could be cool for synths and other elements in the mix potentially though.
Exactly right
Tone shaper, mix into it 😊
For mixing purposes I still prefer Tim Petherick's Silk EQ 259b Nebula library over Maag EQ4. Nebula plugins are always a bit fiddly to set up but worth it for the exceptional sound. Of course you have to catch Nebula on sale at Acustica to make it worthwhile.
@@jimslominski8006 and Nebula finally went Apple Native. Been using TimP’s SSL comp again.
I have been wanting to pick up the EQ4 for some time now, but it was mad expensive. For some reason I found myself with the 20-dollar upgrade for this in my email, so I'm getting it Lol Great video White Noise!
The frequency selectors, all of them the filters were pulled straight from older MAAG EQ plugins. To make them parametric, it requires the developer to rewrite the code and measure the real hardware. That can be extremely time wasting. Same goes to the soft clipping, just copy Magnum K soft limit and be done with it. To make a new one means they have to put out an actual work for it. Why would they do any of that right ? if they can easily recycle the filters, soft clip from their 13 years old plugins ? Packed them into one new shinny GUI with all the brainworx 13 years masterpiece technology bottom section, TMT, then sell it again as mastering edition.
Agree with all the complaints. In a way thats why i like this EQ, so many transparent or similar options in the box i like ones with personality and this has loads the gui included😂. Maybe calling it a mastering EQ is a stretch, and for mix bus tone shaping it may not be first choice but it seems to have a nice tone and achieve results, that you may not have otherwise with traditional eq or with visualisers.
Just adding an m/s switch on the regular maag4 will be nice
Great overview!
Thanks!
Frankly I only picked it up cause of a $20 loyalty offer which is reasonable and I like the original.
After using this though. As you said it feels more tedious than need be and the switches are confusing. Idk something about the switching being up up/down switch and the labels is displaying left/right also bothers me lol.
Which your Plugin Doctor testing though. All those interactions where it's boosting just by switching bands or frequency seems very odd to me too. So idk if I'll use this for much more than the air band.
And as someone else said, it's probably a copy pasted code for the clipper from the Magnum K which I don't like anything about that plugin so, won't be using that.
I don't like the type of auto gain it has. It all seems very gimmicky lol.
just seeing the GUI I know I won´t need it...
It makes my head sick
I like the Maag 4 but I will stick to other eqs like the Weiss, Q3 or BX digital V3 for ms on the master…
Is it just me or does the drastic change in the curve when selecting the frequencies before you have added or subtracted gain counterintuitive for mastering? Mastering is down the minuscule changes. Granted I'm not a mastering expert by any stretch but I always thought you want flat up to the point of you actually engaging gain/attenuation.
I prefer more subtlety as well in a mastering tool. Sometimes you're working with 0.1 to 0.3 of a db in mastering (given that the mix is good).
Going for Slick EQ M tbh, the left and right stuff is just over complicated, and the GUI hurts my brain. I feel like more is put into the GUI than the sound on these things, too much hype
So which EQ you like the most (for mastering): Amek, Maag or Pulsar? I kinda like Pulsar, from your "Parallel EQ" video you did few months ago, it kinda sounded very special. Also, when will you finally switch to Mac, Marlon? :)
in mastering, I usually pick the Amek 200. Pulsar second when I need to do something with 2 bands very close together.
Mac: i use them! In my studio the main computer is a mac. I prefer PC for editing and grabbing video, but you can always donate me a shiney new mac m2,m3 or m4, i'm not picky ^^
@@whitenoisestudio I know you have a Mac, just wondered why is easier to use PC for UA-cam. And haha, donate a new M4 :) I bought my M1 MacStudio at Upgreatest punkt NL :)
A lot has to do with personal preferance obviously, but the things I really think are better on PC is the whole file managment system with copy paste delete and moving files around.
The cmd instead of CTRL on mac is ergonomically worse for me, I am rally a WASD guy thanks to gaming.
Storage capacity is another one, I have around 8TB of storage on my PC, where OS is on its own drive, audio mixing stuff is on another, samples on a seperate one and video stuff is another as well, no need to use external drives.
Upgradebility:
Went from a nividia 2060 to 3080 to 4080super for instance, which all were big improvements for my video editing speed.
PC storage got upgraded as well over the years for me, CPU included.
On mac I find that audio plugins usually work with less issues right out of the box, often it seems that developers dont spend as much time debugging plugins for pc.
Install on mac is quicker and I feel mac OS is a bit more robust usually than PC, as long as you dont go with the latest yearly OS upgrades.
And my macbook air m1 is still the best laptop I ever used, I really like the batterylife and compactness of the laptop. The speakers are great as well, i happily listen casually to music on them.
@@whitenoisestudio Yeah, I know - I was looking for Total Commander substitude for Mac, since on PC I was using Norton Commander since late 80s. I tried several applications, but none did match my expectations. It takes getting used to, I prefer that Unix feel on Mac (since MacOS is based on FreeBSD). I hate Windows 11 - it is way too slow (regardless of my i9 with 12900K CPU and SSD and RAM), and I just couldnt figure out what is making my audio interface glitch (and stop working!) every 60-90 minutes (occasionally, but it happens), without any apparent reason at all (later I've read that people had similar issues and that they were related to some Chrome extensions, which sounded so stupid to me). On Mac I don't have any similar issues, maybe when I overburden my Nuendo sessions with plugins, but even that - rarelly happens. Even if it happens, I know the reason why - and that's why I hated my Windows 11 PC, rather powerful machine that didn't work properly, drove me insane. So I switched to Mac, and I am not coming back to Windows 11 ever again (except ocasionally, maybe few times a year).
🔥
Yeah I picked it up for the $20 loyalty offer, but this eq really is not intuitive. I'm a bit disappointed with how the nonlinear qualities seem to throw your expectations out the window when working with it. Hopefully it becomes more intuitive with further use. I dont have that many plugins & only one other eq with m/s processing so I really want this to be in my rotation. So far though I like my eq4 & magnum-k better
No one needs another plugin. And also, it's so cluttered. Not that I don't know how to use it. Just use Weiss EQ.
A mildly demented EQ which doesn't "equalize" at all... the only useful feature (Air) is one I already have multiple times, as with M/S. I suppose it might be useful for someone with few other plugins. I have enough headaches already, don't need this one.
Most plugins are a scam with shiny GUI... None of these are worth more than $20
so you won't even pay $20 for shiny GUI....?wow. What ? do you actually pay for?
@@thecliqueshallsetyoufree8745 I buy good utilities like Fabfilter stuff and similar...
Have you ever wondered what it feels like to see all these plugins come out emulating what you already have in hardware? Yeah.... um.... yeah... lol. Here's some advice to anyone reading... save your money and buy hardware, plugins are [MOSTLY] a scam.
100% lol agreed. This seems scammier than most too
If you can approximate the sound of hardware with software at a fraction of the cost then surely it’s an option worth considering. The generalization that software plugins are a scam is just loopy. Try telling that to some of the most successful artists, mix engineers and producers. All hardware is not the same - some crap, some ok, some brilliant - just as software developers create great and not so great plugins. In the end it’s about choice and how your finances influence your choices. 😊
Ya wanna know what a scam is.. paying 3k for machine i can get 95% itb 😂
@@triplebeam23 i have both, hardware and vsts, its not 95% but keep up the illusion guys lol
@@triplebeam23 except the compulsion to buy “every version” (all 17) in the box to make sure you have the “most accurate” emulation. Then in 20 years none of it works or is supported, but the analog version is still worth what you paid for it if not significantly more
Oh brother, I'm so tired of those analog imitation cluttered, skeuomorphic interfaces and digital knobs not designed for mouse input. Take notes from the likes of Pulsar on how to create a non-linear emulation plugin and still make it appropriate for efficient, digital control.
Yeah I dont get it either. Different user interfaces require different layouts and tools you'd assume. On hardware I get it when something has to be a certain way, there can be physical limitations. With software, those limitations usually arent there, so why not make it a better user experience.
Lookz horibble My ADHS is itchiinng!
Hm. Seems useless to me.
Pass 🫶