Review: FabFilter Pro-Q 3

FabFilter recently updated their powerful Pro-Q equalizer plugin to rev3. This is my first dive into a FabFilter product, and overall i'm very impressed. FabFilter focuses on modern GUI design and aesthetic in a world where plugin developers are focusing on replicating vintage gear, and I kind of love them for it. Pro Q is available now for $179 from FabFilter.

Pro-Q is an equalizer, so this review by default can't be the most exciting thing in the world - after all, every producer has dozens of EQ's in their arsenal, and they all get the job done. So why should you consider Pro-Q at all? I think the answer to this question lies in the features, so lets take a look.

FabFilter Pro-Q Features

• 24 Band Graphical EQ

• Each band can be made into a Dynamic EQ

• Surround Support (up to Dolby Atmos 7.1.2)

• Mid/Side Processing (each band can be mono, stereo, mid, side, left, or right)

• Many filter types, up to 96dB/octave slopes

• Spectrum analyzer with 'collision detection' to inspect clashes between instances of Pro-Q

• Band solo mode to isolate problem frequencies

• Ability to switch frequency scale to note values instead of Hz

• Separate mastering and mixing display ranges

• MIDI Learn mode to control currently active bands with MIDI

• A beautiful modern resizable GUI

SO... FabFilter's Pro-Q is insanely feature packed. While many of these features are easy to let slip under your radar, I think there are some that are extra important. For example the mid/side processing options allow you to finely control how your audio source sounds in space without having to duplicate tracks and copy audio (even if you don't need the surround support). The dynamic EQ feature is very handy, as it allows you to control problematic frequencies only if they occur above a certain threshold - this can save a ton of time manually editing automation curves.

FabFilter Pro-Q GUI

You really can't skip over the fact that this EQ is beautiful and fun to use. Chances are you use an EQ on almost every track in your compositions, and you spend more time than you'd like to inside of an EQ. For many applications almost any EQ will work, but there are plenty of situations that arise where you need surgical precision and you're spending 10 minutes at a time finely drawing EQ curves. Pro-Q gives you some sweet eye-candy to stare at and tries to make your life easier at every turn. The GUI even supports Retina displays, so you can resize this thing huge and give yourself a light show as you dive deep into EQ edits.

FabFilter Pro-Q Price

I don't always talk about price, but when I do its usually only when I think its a great deal or a bad deal. In this case I think Pro-Q is an incredibly expensive plugin. It retails full price for $179, enough cash to buy a very nice sample library of a bundle of plugins. If you've been around the audio software market long enough you'll probably have noticed how the game is played - set your prices high, but discount them greatly during sales and inside of bundles to create a bigger perception of value of savings. Pro-Q is no exception to the rule.

You can get FabFilter's Pro Bundle for $554, which contains 7 plugins valued at $1,313. This brings the cost down to roughly $80/plugin - a much more fair price for Pro-Q. Do I think everyone needs to buy an $80 EQ? - definitely not. But if you don't have an EQ that you like or it doesn't have the features you need, Pro-Q is a fantastic option and is well worth the money in the bundle. Just don't pay full price for it unless you absolutely need it!

Conclusion

I think everyone would love FabFilter's Pro-Q, and everyone should get the free trial off of their website if you're in the market for a new EQ. However I think everyone can agree that $179 is a lot of money for an EQ plugin, especially if you don't do music production professionally. On the other hand, if you want the best tools you're usually going to pay the most money, and in terms of features this is pretty much as good as they come. In terms of raw functionality, sound, and user experience this plugin is a 5/5 - but factoring in the cost its something less.

In my reviews I try to leave price out of the final score, because its not necessarily an indicator of the quality of the product. I'm going to do the same for this, but I want to stress how insanely expensive this EQ is unless you get it in a bundle.

Final Score

5/5 Stars

Great, but only buy it in a bundle!