FabFilter: Pro-Q 4 Plug-In

Since its release in 2018, FabFilter’s Pro-Q 3 [Tape Op #132] has become one of the most used, if not the most used, EQ plug-ins for professionals and enthusiasts alike. Seven years later, Pro-Q 4 offers several new features and updates, giving FabFilter fans everywhere a reason to celebrate. From new character modes and an instance list feature to new advanced spectral dynamics processing and improved continuous slope control, this EQ plug-in has something for everyone.

The new feature that first caught my attention was spectral dynamics processing. FabFilter now provides the option of switching from Dynamic EQ mode to Spectral mode, which only removes certain frequencies, rather than everything within the band, when they cross a threshold. This threshold is set automatically but can be adjusted by the user, along with the number of bands and attack and release times. For those of us who regularly use dynamic resonance suppressors to soothe our tracks, this is not that. Spectral dynamics mode is more like a bunch of tiny dynamic EQ bands that can surgically remove problem frequencies rather than making lots of tiny little compressor bands to do the same job. This feature is for brain surgery, not a Swedish, deep tissue massage, if you’re following my analogy. Let’s say you have an acoustic guitar, and the low mids are a bit unfocused or cloudy. When the artist plays a chord, there’s one particular frequency that jumps out, but then the next chord changes that frequency, and the next one, and so forth. I can make a band that covers that general area, turn on Spectral mode, set my amount of reduction, and listen as the Pro-Q 4 knocks down those frequencies (and only those frequencies) as they change, rather than making several bands and setting each one to do the same job. Additionally, I can make the attack and release times immediate for more precision, make them longer if I want more subtlety in the effect, or anywhere in between. It’s a great quality of life change and definitely speeds up the process of addressing problem frequencies that traditional EQs aren’t capable of.

The second feature that piqued my interest was something I never thought I’d experience in a FabFilter EQ plug-in: New character modes. FabFilter allows us to choose between Subtle, which adds what they vaguely describe as “a subtle, vintage type of saturation,” and Warm, which adds “a slightly more apparent, tube-like form of saturation and colored sound.” I have to say, these modes are major advances for my workflow. In the past, I’d use anything but a FabFilter EQ to introduce some color to my sound. A single instance of the Pro-Q 4 with a character mode turned on may seem inconsequential, but over the course of a mix it adds up nicely. As an example, I’m currently mixing a session that was recorded with some very high quality but flat-sounding preamps and engaging either of the character modes makes the entire mix profile pop forward immediately. Whether this is useful to you or not will depend on your workflow, but for me, it removes an extra step in several different scenarios and gives me another tool for my mixing process. If you’re a “more is more” kind of mixer, character mode is a no-brainer.

I’ve always maintained that FabFilter excels at introducing features I didn’t know I needed, and in this case with another new Pro-Q 4 feature. While “need” may be a strong word to use, the addition of the Instance List certainly makes a case for handiness. This feature is an upgraded version of the Pro-Q 3 analyzer panel that allows you to click on the name of your track at the bottom of the GUI and view a pop-up of all instances of Pro-Q 4 in your session. From there, you can make adjustments or create new bands, rather than going from track to track, opening and closing, backtracking, swapping back and forth, having multiple plug-ins open at once, etc. The only limitation is that you aren’t able to deep dive into some of Pro-Q 4’s more advanced features from this window, but it’s still very handy. Collision detection is now much easier to see and, therefore, address frequency collisions. I can now also pin Pro-Q 4 instances to the top of the window, search for instances, zoom in or out, etc. The convenience factor here is significant, and full-screen mode helps maintain focus. Sound designers and composers with hundreds of tracks may find the Instance List to be their new best friend.

While there are a few other innovative bells and whistles that could be interesting to some, such as being able to draw in multiple bands with a single mouse gesture, the addition of attack and release times, plus the Dynamic EQ function (a feature that has long been requested from Pro-Q users) helps FabFilter keep up with competition. These changes alone may be enough for some to upgrade. Rather than having to choose one slope or another, users can now slide their cursor to any slope value, allowing for a new level of precision. There are some other helpful additions to the new version of this EQ, so visit their site to see a complete list. FabFilter’s Pro-Q series has been an industry trailblazer for years, and predictably, the Pro-Q 4 does not disappoint. As a mainstay EQ plug-in, I’ve been hard-pressed to find a more comprehensive option than the Pro-Q 4.