MIA Laboratories 358 Enhancer: Balance frequencies without an EQ
MIA Laboratories has released the 358 Enhancer. The developer says that the plug-in gives you precise control over the bass/treble frequency balance of a mix. But it’s not an EQ: Despite its unassuming looks, the 358 Enhancer uses complex, internal multi-band phase processing to enhance your audio tracks.
MIA Laboratories 358 Enhancer
MIA Labs says that the 358 Enhancer can perform subtle or drastic frequency balance correction. The plug-in achieves this through internal multi-band phase processing. According to the developer, this process delivers more dynamic and realistic results than an equalizer. Besides the input attenuator, there are only two controls for boosting the low and high frequencies. The LF band is fixed at 150 Hz, while the HF band operates at 2.4 kHz. According to MIA Laboratories, the 358 Enhancer employs a detection stage based on the same emulation of an analogue circuit as the company’s 925 compressor.
The 358 Enhancer also offers a phase compensation mode for stereo enhancement on the mix bus. MIA Labs says that this process is applied to the entire bandwidth of the source material. According to the developer, this mode provides “stereo signal conditioning and enhancement” for program material with panned sounds and instrument position information. MIA Labs claims that the phase compensation mode improves the perception of the soundstage, without affecting the frequency content and dynamics.
With simple controls, but complex processing, the MIA Laboratories 358 Enhancer offers a similar concept to plug-ins like Zynaptiq Intensity or FireSonic FireMaster. The demo files sound quite good, and MIA Labs has a rather generous introductory offer at 50% off, so I can see the 358 Enhancer making its way into many producers’ plug-in collections.
Price and compatibility
The MIA Laboratories 358 Enhancer is now available from the company’s website for EUR 49. After the introductory period, the price will increase to EUR 99.
The plug-in runs on Windows 7 or higher and macOS 10.7-10.14. It is available in VST, VST3, AU and AAX formats (64 bit only). You’ll need an iLok account or dongle for activation.
More information
Audio demos
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