Matthew Lindsay has released NCL EQ, a flexible high-quality 10 band parametric equalizer plug-in.
It’s designed to be clean, precise and to minimise digital artifacts such as frequency warping. Uses include mixing, tracking, and mastering.
NCL EQ features
- 64 bit internal precision.
- Oversampling of the high bands.
- Selectable filter types.
- AB to quickly compare settings.
- Adjustable meter ballistics.
- Key commands for quick editing:
- – Control left click zeros gain controls.
- – Holding alt increases knob stiffness.
- – Holding shift allows fine tuning of the frequency control in steps of 100 Hz.
- – Holding shift+tab allows fine tuning of frequency in 1 Hz steps.
NCL EQ is available as a freeware VST effect plug-in for Windows PC.
Note: NCL EQ was made in synthedit, but all the DSP and a large section of the GUI uses custom modules coded in C++
9-Nov-2009: updated NCL EQ to version 1.1 – Improved multi-core support and reduced file size (same download link below)
NCL EQ (Download size: 1.35 MB)
Matt,
VERY nice work! This EQ is GOLD! I Even a noobie like me can get some very good results with a bit of patience. I got rid of some stubborn harsh highs on my guitar tracks. I also made a “fake” bassline sound A LOT more authentic (I used a regular electric guitar to play my bass lines, using a pitch dropper on my multi-effects pedal to make the guitar sound like a bass guitar *sort’ve* …Your EQ really helped me to get it to sound just like a real bass guitar). I also use your EQ on my final masters. MANY nuanced, and tricky to achieve adjustments can be made to individual tracks, and also masters with this plug-in.
For those who want precision AND flexibility, let me explain:
You have a full 10 frequency bands that you can boost or cut very precisely…by a lot, or only by a tiny bit. AND you can very precisely raise or lower the EXACT frequency that each of these 10 bands control.
ALSO: you can precisely the RANGE of frequencies that each of your 10 bands cover. In other words, this is just about the most flexible EQ you’re going to find, in my opinion.
I expect to use this EQ for many years. Right now, I am totally broke, so finding this plug-in is like finding a diamond.
Matt, you have my sincere appreciation! And people….I see that the last posts were a few years ago…but don’t let that fool you…this VST is FRESH!
Thanks again Matt for your time and effort!
Hi Matt;
Great plugin – thanks for all your hard work. When you say “oversampling of the hight bands” does that mean only on certain bands on the EQ itself (e.g., say, the last 4 on the right) or does it mean any of the 10 bands past a certain frequency?
Thanks
how to activate this please?im tired figuring
You need a VST host to use this plugin.
Good to read that it is a rather popular EQ, it sounded great in beta with a ‘funky’ GUI and it gets alot of use here Matt. Same deal with the NCL Phase EQ especially the Mid/Side processing. Now you have done a soft-clipper how about a Mid/Side Peak Limiter maybe. Guess the Mid/Side levelling/balancing processing would be done prior to a final output sum hitting a regular wideband Limiter (with soft-clipping option?). Brainworx have released a mid/side limiter but it is not cheap and not that easy to use. Implementing your EQ into the mid and side part of the plug-in would be great aswell – If the above is do-able my friend?
I am no dev so i would not know but i sure would like to see something like the mentioned all under one roof ;)
All the best and take care
Dean/Nekro
This was the eq that made me go “Ah, now I get it!” about equalizing. Thank you very much for it.
Beautiful EQ! Works so well . . . thank you very much!
Huh, there’s always something new to discover. Great, great EQ, I think I’ll include it in our VST hall of fame – thanks Mr. Lindsay … and thanks to Ronnie for hosting it.
I have spoken to Ronnie about this and he has now linked back to the original 1.0 version. If you are having problems please download this version.
I will work on get to work on fixing version 1.1, but please be patient.
Once again sorry to any of you that this has caused problems.
yes Matt, pls fix this, i like your EQ pretty much, using it espicially for bass and highs, it has nice quality, but it pisses me off, when it resets my settings, everytime after i reopen my project in FL Studio 7
OK, I think I may know what the problem is. I’m still looking into it, but I’ll post back as soon as I have a solution. Sorry for those having troubles with this.
ohhhhh. i was curious about that folder. thanks for the info. i have had fl6 for a while i like it i will upgrade eventually.
i will continue to check on comments on this issue on your site.
is it just fl that others have been having issues?
i wonder?
ive had the effect for a while, but just noticed it wasnt saving my settings.
had to go threw all my songs and take off the ncl.
and use another.
There is nothing to reinstall. The extra folder you are seeing is because this plug-in was made with SynthEdit, which automatically creates this type of folder when the plug-in is loaded.
I’m afraid it might be an incompatibility with FL Studio 6… I think I still have a copy of version 6 installed, I will check later how it works on my machine.
Btw, why not upgrade? Version 9 has so much more to offer.
should i reinstall?
im using flstudio 6 xxl producer edition.
i unzipd the folder and put it in my fl vst folder and
i noticed that there was another folder within the ncleq folder, with other items in it. what are those?
the eq works but just does not save my eq setting when i tweek it, and save my project
:(
@Chuck, which version of FL Studio are you using? No problems here with v9.1.
has anyone got the settings to save.
i use flstudio and when i tweek the eq and save.
and then reopen the song my settings go back to default.
Hi,
I like ncl eq, it sounds very neutral.
If Matthew update the soft, i think i would be great to add a paragraphic fonction.
thx
DC
Ya i’m experiencing the same problem. Its especially notable when I try and use the read/write automation. If I reopen the plugin settings I lose all the buttons positions and it doesn’t seem to want to save my presets either.
It’s saving settings on my system. I’d be interested to hear from other people as well.