AU3FX: PeakQ

What it does

A four-band parametric stereo EQ from the developer of AUM and AudioShare. Bands one and four are a low cut and a high cut, the two middle bands are peaking with variable Q, and each band has gain, frequency and an on-off switch. There are input and output meters, an output level, a spectrum analyzer behind the curve and a small preset list you can add to.

In the demo

Jade uses the gain readouts to explain how EQ boosts add level to a mix, then narrows the Q to hunt down a ringing frequency in an acoustic guitar. She runs it across finished mixes, in Loopy Pro, and in GarageBand where she A/B tests two guitar tracks with and without it.

Worth knowing

It is deliberately small: four bands, no dynamic EQ, no mid-side, no match. It is built to run many instances cheaply on older hardware. A bundle covers it alongside the other AU3FX effects.