EQuivocate

EQuivocate represents a thoughtful departure from conventional parametric EQ design, built on the principle that effective equalization should mirror human auditory perception rather than arbitrary frequency divisions. Newfangled Audio's implementation uses 26 filters distributed across the Mel Scale, a psychoacoustic model that spaces frequency bands according to how the human ear actually perceives tonal relationships. This approach yields noticeably more natural results than standard graphic or parametric designs, particularly when making significant adjustments across the spectrum.

The plugin employs linear-phase filtering to minimize pre-echo artifacts, a critical consideration in mastering applications where phase coherence matters. The filter architecture allows independent adjustment without the crosstalk inherent to traditional IIR designs, meaning each band operates with genuine isolation. For mixing contexts, this translates to surgical precision without the tonal compromises common in other tools.

The standout feature is Match EQ functionality that analyzes reference material and applies complementary equalization without attempting to model inaudible spectral minutiae. This pragmatic approach avoids the unnatural artifacts that plague more aggressive matching algorithms, making it viable for both tonal matching and reference-based mixing decisions.

EQuivocate serves mastering engineers, critical mixing tasks, and production scenarios where transparency matters. The customizable filter bank, automatic level compensation, and per-band solo functionality provide adequate control for advanced users. While the Mel Scale approach demands some acclimation for those trained on traditional EQ layouts, the sonic payoff justifies the learning curve. This is a genuinely engineered tool rather than a conventional EQ with marketing-friendly features bolted on.