SPCTRL EQ Review
Tonstrum and GS DSP paired up to produce a powerful spectral EQ, aptly named SPCTRL EQ. A spectral equalizer differs from a tradition EQ in a few ways, they are often quite a bit more unnatural sounding and sorta dry as they produce a different set of artifacts in comparison. The total number of bands affects these qualities quite a bit, and can introduce strange distortion or blurring effects. Couple this with SPCTRL EQs clean and response dials and you can really adjust the strength or subtlety of this effect. SPCTRL EQ has a wonderful and minimal UI with soft colors and a flat design making it quite the eye catcher. Every interaction is simple and straightforward with just enough information to communicate what’s going on without overwhelming you.
The EQ section has a nice selection of tools to quickly draw and transform interesting shapes. I really like when plugins do this well, as the ability to draw alone isn’t quite as powerful as a collection of tools that allow you to experiment with different ideas. Next there is a modulation section allowing you to add up to 10 modulation sources, which include LFOs, Custom LFOs, Random, and an Envelope follower. Modulation can be routed to any of the transformation controls to add motion to thee equalizer curve. The transformation controls are where SPCTRL EQ gets fun, they allow you to take the drawn shape and move it and stretch it around in a few different ways:
Amount: Adjusts the level of the EQ curve, and inverts it at negative values
Shift: Rotates the EQ curve across frequencies, saw wave modulation with a depth of 1 will rotate a full 360 degrees creating infinite scrolling
Stretch: Shrinks or grows the curve shape, when shrinking it duplicates the curve up to 4 times creating a repeating pattern
Skew: Bends the curve left of right, it’s worth noting this occurs after shift, meaning the shifted curve will bend and warp as it rotates through the spectrum
Spread: Pushes the curve in oposite directions per left and right channels
How I use it: I like to use SPCTRL EQ on sonically dense sounds, such as super saws, white noise, or textures. One of the draw tools has controls that allow you to create incredibly complex shapes, with multiple peaks and valleys. Creating shapes with lots of notches can really sculpt your sound into something new, especially after you add modulation to the morphing controls. Using tempo synced custom LFOs for creating rhythmic patterns can also be a lot of fun, especially if you add in a little randomization, which can be either smooth or SH.
On the Surface SPCTRL EQ might just look like an alternate form of creating tonal adjustments, but when you dive in and get into the modulation and morphing controls, you discover there is quite a bit more it is capable of. In a lot of ways it is very similar to Morph EQ and Shade, but with the key difference of being spectral, providing a unique character devoid of the same phase curves and ringing present in traditional EQ. It’s not a tool I always break out, but when I do it provides me with a lot of joy. I have not touched everything in this one yet, for example the Envelope follower can target specific frequency ranges, which I’m sure can be used in clever ways for more surgical repair work. SPCTRL EQ is obviously not for everyone, but I’m certain some people will see this and know it’s exactly what they’ve been wanting.
you can find SPCTRL EQ on Tonsturm’s website: https://tonsturm.com/software/spctrleq/