Magpha mastering EQ sounds analogue “all the way up to 20khz”
5,0 / 5,0 | 
Online mastering service and software developer Balance Mastering has released a mastering EQ plug-in called Analog Magpha EQ. Featuring an extremely minimalistic, distraction-free user interface, this EQ offers true analogue phase behaviour up to 20kHz and very broad Q factors (<0.1) for final wideband tone sculpting.
Behind this simplistic-looking EQ lies an “accurate match of analogue prototype curves in magnitude and phase”, stepped controls for easy comparisons and precise gain adjustment as well as Stereo/Mid/Side band modes for full stereo field control.
More importantly, Balance Mastering has developed a new technology for “extremely accurate” matching of analogue prototype curves in both phase and magnitude — supposedly better than traditional digital equalizers.
Matching analog phase up to 20kHz at standard sample rates makes for superior sound quality, Balance reckon, saying that they are “praised in analogue hardware by mastering engineers”, typically when “a few bands of mid or high frequency EQ are engaged”. So much for the marketing spiel, but will this sound different to the many mastering EQs out there?
It does look like there’s serious technical mojo behind this plug-in. Balance Mastering will be showcasing its accomplishment at the Audio Engineering Society’s Milan 2018 event with an accompanying peer-reviewed paper called Improving the Frequency Response Magnitude and Phase of Analogue-Matched Digital Filters. Big business! There’s a demo version available, so check it out and let us know what you think.
Price and availability
Magpha EQ is available at an introductory price of GBP 80 until 7th May, when the price will climb up to a regular GBP 110. It requires subscribing to Balance Mastering’s marketing newsletter, which apparently only sends up to 4 marketing emails per year — God bless ’em.
More information
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