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Widening Parametr'EQ
Blue Cat's Widening Parametr'EQ
"A powerful multi-band processor for stereo widening and narrowing"

Description

Blue Cat's Widening Parametr'EQ - WYSIWYG Mid-Side Parametric Equalizer (DX, AU and VST Plugin)

Blue Cat's Widening Parametr'EQ is a 7 bands parametric Mid-Side equalizer based on Blue Cat's Parametr'EQ algorithms, enabling you to widen or narrow the frequencies of your choice.

This special 'widening' version offers two independent equalizers for the mid and side channels with instant frequency response display. But Blue Cat's Widening Parametr'EQ is much more than a standard mid/side equalizer, since it lets you choose the position of the virtual center for the Mid/Side matrix: you can really control where you want the equalization to take place in the stereo field. You can thus use this parametric mid/side equalizer for many purposes: from simple standard equalizing anywhere in the stereo field to advanced multi-band stereo widening or narrowing.

The new non linear behavior and the included M/S output brickwall limiter will also let you modify the dynamics response of this very special plugin.

For more information about the Parametr'EQ technology, please read Blue Cat's Parametr'EQ plugin's description.

Additional information about stereo widening with mid/side processing can be found in this paper.

Mac OS X 10.5Universal BinaryWindows XP or VistaVSTDirectXAudio Unit
Price: 89 EUR or $119
[Buy Now] / [Add to cart]
Supported Platforms: Mac-AU / Mac-VST / Windows-DX / Windows-VST
Included in Bundles: All Plugins Pack / Parametr'EQ Pack

Main Features

  • True WYSIWYG 7 bands parametric equalizer with independent mid/side channels.
  • Filters designed after analog circuits.
  • The equalizer can be placed with great precision in the stereo field thanks to the 'center' parameter.
  • Separate center/sides equalizing for a precise customized multi band stereo widening/narrowing effects.
  • Non linear modeling: add some warmth or analog distortion to each EQ stage.
  • Output brickwall limiter.
  • Output peak meter.
  • Oversampling for optimal sound quality, whatever your sampling rate.
  • +-40 dB range for each band with customizable effective range.
  • Automatic gain compensation.
  • No latency.
  • Real time display of the frequency response with precise measurement and zooming capabilities.
  • Window Opacity Control: make the plugin window transparent.
  • Smooth Bypass: activate/deactivate the plugin with absolutely no noise.
  • Undo/Redo.
  • Import/Export presets and share them between the directX and VST versions.
Blue Cat Audio Standards:
  • Supported platforms: Mac-AU, Mac-VST, Windows-DX, Windows-VST.
  • Native DSP code for optimal performance.
  • Skinnable user interface.
  • Smooth Update: silent (zipper-free) parameters update.
  • Full automation support (all parameters can be automated, with smooth and continuous update)
  • No CPU load on idle: when the plugin is fed with silence, the processing smoothly shuts down, to optimize the CPU usage of your Digital Audio Workstation.
  • Real time MIDI control with advanced settings (MIDI channel and CC numbers, with complete response curve control) and MIDI learn.
  • Automation and MIDI output: record output parameters as automation curves or send MIDI CC messages to other plugins for powerful side chain effects.
  • Smooth Bypass: activate/deactivate the plugin with absolutely no noise.
  • Undo/Redo.
  • Import/Export presets in a host independent format.
  • Any sample rate supported.

Screenshots

Click on the thumbnail to enlarge.

Blue Cat's Widening Parametr'EQ - WYSIWYG Mid-Side Parametric Equalizer (DX, AU and VST Plugin) Blue Cat's Widening Parametr'EQ - WYSIWYG Mid-Side Parametric Equalizer (DX, AU and VST Plugin) Blue Cat's Widening Parametr'EQ - WYSIWYG Mid-Side Parametric Equalizer (DX, AU and VST Plugin) Blue Cat's Widening Parametr'EQ - WYSIWYG Mid-Side Parametric Equalizer (DX, AU and VST Plugin) Blue Cat's Widening Parametr'EQ - Get nice bell shaped EQ curves, even at high frequencies, thanks to oversampling.

You can find more skins for this product here.

User Comments & Reviews

"Blue Cat's range also includes a healthy selection of EQs and filters, and their Widening Parametr'EQ is another mastering tool with a twist. It's a stereo equaliser that operates in M/S mode, allowing you to apply different EQ curves to the Mid and Sides components of the signal before they are matrixed back into conventional stereo. [...] I was surprised at how effective the M/S equalisation can be for opening out a mix. A little high shelving boost and low-frequency cut on the Sides channel only can really make things more expansive, without introducing obvious artifacts or leaving a hollow centre, as some stereo width processors do. Sound-wise, the equalisation is transparent without being thin or unnecessarily clinical, and the width of the parametric bands can be set as low as 0.01 octaves, for surgical tasks such as hum removal." - Sound On Sound Magazine - May 2008

To add your own comment about this product, please contact us.

System Requirements

PC

  • Microsoft Windows XP or Vista.
  • Any DirectX or VST compatible host software (see our FAQ)

Mac

  • An Intel or PowerPC processor.
  • Mac OS X Leopard (10.5).
  • Any VST or Audio Unit compatible application.

Demo Limitations

  • One single instance of the plug-in per session.
  • The effect is bypassed for 4 seconds every 40 seconds.

Versions History >subscribe to our newsletter

2009/05/05

V3.41

Mac VST update: fixed incompatibility issues with Cubase 5 on Mac.
2009/03/09

V3.4

  • Mac Audio Unit support.
  • Mac VST Support.
  • New Windows installer (you should uninstall any previous version before installing this new one).
  • New documentation.
  • Minor user interfaces changes.
2008/03/28

V3.3

  • Skins loading performance improvement.
  • Misc user interface performance enhancements.
  • Improved parameters display in host application and settings window.
  • Fixed a crash on certain configurations while opening the global settings window.
  • Settings window is now faster to open.
  • Installer now registers the VST plugin to avoid registration issues in some host applications.
2007/09/17

V3.2

  • Undo/Redo.
  • Load/Save presets in a host-independent format: you can now share presets between the directX and VST versions.
  • New toolbar to access main functionalities.
  • Blue Cat's Skinning Language 1.3.4 support.
2007/06/04

V3.1

  • Frequency ranges have been enlarged.
  • Skins update: some sliders did not have the color of the corresponding channel.
  • Bug fix (VST): in some hosts, when a loading a project the parameters where not properly restored and the response curve was flat.
  • Bug fix (skinning): knobs did not display the disabled state image.
2007/05/21

V3.0

  • New audio engine:
    • Non-linear behavior with analog compression and distortion at each EQ stage.
    • Output brickwall limiter for output protection or compression effect.
    • Oversampling capability for optimal sound quality, even with low sampling rates.
    • New low cut and high cut filters.
    • Smooth bypass: activate each band of the EQ with absolutely no noise.
  • New GUI design and Blue Cat's Skinnning language 1.3.2 support:
    • Streamlined user interface with simplified controls for optimal workflow.
    • Zooming: adjust the dB range of the EQ and the response curve graph.
    • Frequency response measurement: new mouse coordinates display.
    • New output level meter.
    • Window Opacity Management: make the plugin window transparent.
  • Less restricted demo version.
  • Performance improvements:
    • Faster skin loading.
    • Reduced memory consumption when several instances are loaded.
  • Note: due to the number of changes in this new version, it is installed as a new plug-in. If you have a previous version installed and do not want to keep it, just uninstall it manually.
2006/11/29

V2.1

  • Now supports Blue Cat's Skinnning language 1.2.4.
  • Parameters can be fine tuned when the shift key is down, which offers a .1 dB gain resolution.
  • CPU efficiency improvement: no processing occurs when input is silent.
  • Settings window now loads faster.
  • (Bug fix): in some plug-in adapters (such as FxPansion's VST to RTAS adapter) the GUI did not display properly when first loaded.
  • (Bug fix): when reinstalling the software in another directory, the "skin not found" message was displayed.
2006/10/18

V2.0

  • Brand new skinnable graphic user interface using Blue Cat's skinning language v1.2.3.
  • Advanced MIDI control with customizable parameters curve response and MIDI learn.
  • Performance and precision improvement of the filters algorithms.
  • All parameters can now be fine tuned thanks to a text-edit popup window that appears when double clicking on user interface widgets.
  • User Manual accessible from plug-in UI.
  • DX version: the factory presets are now available from the host standard presets view (for hosts that support static presets)
  • Warning: because it now supports MIDI events, the DirectX plug-in may appear in the "Synth" or "DXi" category instead of "effects" in some hosts (such as Cakewalk Sonar). If it does not appear in you host, you might want to use our DXi Manager to de-activate MIDI features.
  • Warning: this new version breaks the presets compatibility, and is thus installed as a new plug-in. If you have a previous version installed and do not want to keep it, just uninstall it manually.
2005/06/13

V1.1

Brand new GUI based on customer feedback.
2005/05/19

V1.0

First release.
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