Sonoris Parallel Equalizer 7 Band Minimum Phase Mastering EQ (Card)

The Sonoris Parallel Equalizer is a seven band minimum phase parametric for mixing and especially mastering, and the thing that makes it different from almost every other equaliser is in the name: BANDS 2 TO 6 ARE WIRED IN PARALLEL rather than in series.

That changes how it behaves. In a normal series equaliser the gains of two overlapping bands simply add up, so it is easy to pile on more than you meant to. In a parallel design the bands interact instead. Sonoris put it well: if you have a low shelf boost and then switch on a low frequency bell boost too, it does not do much more. YOU CANNOT EASILY OVERDO IT, but you do have to work harder to get it exactly right.

The other benefit of the topology is a cleaner signal path, because all the filters work on the same input rather than feeding each other in a chain.

The filter types are fixed per band, which is deliberate. Bands 3 to 5 are constant Q bells, bands 2 and 6 are shelves, and bands 1 and 7 are low and high cuts up to 24 dB per octave connected in series with the rest. The filters are built in a feedback and feedforward arrangement so they cut and boost the way an analogue graphic equaliser does, with correct gain all the way up to Nyquist and no pre-warping error at the top of the spectrum.

If you want an equaliser with freely assignable filter types and linear phase available per band, that is the SONORIS MASTERING EQUALIZER, which is a different product and we list it separately. This one is the quieter, more subtle tool of the two. Sound On Sound reviewed both together and credited this one for its gentle clarity and its ability to pull detail back out of a mix.

Besides stereo it will process in Mid, Side, Left or Right, and there is a large graphical display with dragable handles, a spectrum analyser, three zoom levels and a window you resize by dragging the lower right corner.

Format: This is a brand new, unregistered activation card with printed instructions. Redeem the code with the manufacturer, download the software, and the licence is yours to keep.

Key Features

• Parallel band topology - bands 2 to 6 are connected in parallel, not in series, so the bands interact rather than simply stacking their gains. Harder to overdo, and a cleaner signal path
• Minimum phase, fixed filter types - constant Q bells on bands 3 to 5, shelves on 2 and 6, low and high cuts up to 24 dB per octave on 1 and 7
• Correct response up to Nyquist - no pre-warping effects, so the filters do what the display says they do at the top of the spectrum
• Mid/Side and per channel processing - works in stereo, Mid, Side, Left or Right
• Not the Mastering Equalizer - if you need freely assignable filter types and selectable linear phase per band, buy the Sonoris Mastering Equalizer instead, which we list separately. This is the subtler parallel design
• Spectrum analyser and large display - dragable handles, three zoom levels, high resolution level metering and a scalable interface
• Soft Engage and A/B - Soft Engage prevents switching noise, plus A/B comparison, mousewheel support, saved settings and full automation
• Double precision throughout - double precision internal resolution, and double precision interfacing with DAWs that support it
• Perpetual Licence - bought once and yours to keep, not a subscription. The version you activate keeps working whether or not you ever renew anything

System Requirements

• Plug-in formats - VST, VST3, Audio Units and AAX
• Windows - 32 and 64 bit VST and VST3, 64 bit AAX
• Mac - 64 bit Intel and Apple Silicon, VST, VST3, AU and AAX
• Note on versions - Sonoris do not publish a minimum operating system version for this plug-in, so none is stated here. There is a free trial on their site if your system is older
• Activation - easy online licence activation, with USB drive based activation available for offline computers
• Internet connection - needed to redeem the code, download the installer and activate the licence