Can You Hear The Difference? Stock EQ vs Pro EQ
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- Опубликовано: 3 окт 2024
- Let's compare Stock and Paid for plugins in a blind listening test.
Fruity Parametric EQ2 vs Fabfilter Pro Q3
Which EQ sounds better to you in these blind tests?
I am always asked which EQ is better and in this video I test out a few different methods of EQ and try to hear the difference. The results might surprise you...
What is your go to EQ? Let me know in the comments down below.
The song in the demo is our Interlude - • Miavono - Interlude (O...
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Which EQ sounds better to you in these blind tests?
I am always asked which EQ is better, in this video I test out a few different methods of EQ and try to hear the difference. The results might surprise you...
So which is good?
Fab filter pro q3 is the best
@@SCIENCELOGY What do you hear that makes it better (Besides obviously the workflow and all the extra modes it has etc!)
@@windaworld_pk Watch the video, It's only been 3 minutes and you haven't heard the demos yet!
For me I can hear that the fab Eq does slightly better in the high end. But in the drum example I could hear the drum sound a bit more heavier than the fab eq, But I have to he really listening to hear it. Thanks for the video
4:02 when the music is too beautiful that you dont care which EQ is better
Exactly my thoughts
Can we have the one hour version of this part?? :)
hahahah you got me
You nailed it. The biggest difference isn't sound, it's workflow. Pro Q3 is also incredible at analyzing tracks against each other and showing you where the conflicting frequencies are at visually. This allows you to choose which track you want to make a cut at and quickly drop out some DB.
The right tool for you is whatever one allows you to get to your desired result most effectively and efficiently. If budget it your number one concern then just watch as many tutorials as you can to learn whatever plugin you have. There are lots of successful producers who only have a crappy laptop and FL Studio. There were also some killer records made at Abbey Road.
Great video. Thanks for taking the time to do this shootout.
This is just like 2 spidermen pointing eachother.
No , you can't be serious
Yes
Thank you so much, you have put my mind at rest, as I have said in previous comments I was a Plugin addict, always buying new ones, and better ones, which I did not need, I had everything I needed in FL Studio already. Your video was great proof of this, thanks.
FL doesn't even have a good mid side split eq.
@@RevCQ7 and are you making enough money off your music for that mid side EQ to even matter? No you're not. you know why? Because if you were making money off your music you wouldn't have time to drop meaningless comments on RUclips videos.
vacuumcleaner3000 that’s not true get your money up
I use stock EQ and I can say that it works just as good as the paid one. It's just about finding those sweet spots. Great video as always! :D
Couldn't agree more Stefan!
Check for example a high pass filter with the stock EQ at an instrument. it will not cut well. some bass frequencies come thru. With better EQ you don't have this. Thats just my opinion
@@philippsprg3210because the wide is not in the same setting as profab you can profab has little larger wide so of cuz it going sound better in high end
Love your highly effective unique videos.
Other fl producers just beat around the bush
(Busyworksbeats)
610 Smoke yeah he sucks
EQ 2 in the second test sounded slightly "fuller". Maybe it was my imagination or the music varied enough to make a slight difference, but I practically strained to hear it, so it didn't make a big difference at all. Also, yes to the other VST comparison videos. Great job!
I was SO sure EQ1 was fabfilter on the instrumental. But I was so happy to be wrong. Now I dont have to go drop money just bc everyone else does :) :) :) thank you so much. your tutorial sare amazing
The cello is beautiful.
just one sentence brother "you're too good", be it your music, your inspiring suggestions, the workflow, and most importantly the positivity for the beginners, most of the production world is so busy in complicating things for all, but you untie those strings, I am a production enthusiast as well, and i draw so much positivity from you to get the most out of whatever plugins and platform i get. I wish good health and happiness to you brother. 🙂❤️
Wow that was a lot of sentences
Please compare stock reverbs, distortions and multiband compressors with pro ones pleeease!!!! I used ATH m50X with claibration to listen to the difference and I find that the pro q some has a slight bassy edge to it? The analog EQ sounded boxy to me too BTW.....
Yeah the SSL one had a very coloured sound when I was editing on my Dynaudio LYD7s I noticed it even more when I got the true stereo image (as opposed to my headphones)
I used m50x too I also heard that slight bass deep under
check up on Oril River , the best free reverb plugin , believe me :) ... Temper, the best free distorsion plugin ... as multiband compressor I use only Fabfilter MB and Maximizer
@Rafi Mohammad Well genelec is really trusted but I'd be asking what's wrong with the bm5s, is it the bass not having the extension or is it the soundstage. I've always found that the issue is usually treatment or placement of speakers. My Dynaudios sound terrible is they are not on the stands in the right place. Even with isopads of they are on my desk I'd rather mix with rokit 5s! What do you think?
I too noticed the bass difference using the same headphones. I didn't even use the Sonarworks calibration for this.
First off all thank you for this Test! i was not able to tell the difference. But i think it's realy interesting how much design and the fact that something is used by pros and therefor is thought about as a "professional plugin" makes it complicated to get your head around the fact that it's (sound wise) not that big of a difference. And i'd appreciate a comparison of Reverbs - Cheers again!
This video is proof that gear doesn't make a difference, it's all about who is using it.
Lol. Keep telling yourself that.
meded moon yeah gear is important but someone very skilled with only stock plugins could still easily produce better than someone who’s rich but sucks
@@loganherhold8944 That's a fair assessment, but, totally irrelevant, because the idea is to have it all if you can. The results will be optimal if your skills and your equipment are a 10/10 not just one or the other so instead, let's make this assessment: Of 2 individuals whose skills are a 10/10, one has only software, one has gear, the person with the gear WILL make better music than the one with who has only software. How's that?
No, it's proof that RUclips compresses audio to shit :-)
Gear doesn’t make a difference only up to a certain, reasonable, extent. You can utilize decent/“okay” professionally passable gear/plugins to make something great & comparable to ppl working with more expensive equipment....but you can’t make anything great & comparable with shitty gear/plugins, at least as far as the production side goes. You can still create, arrange & structure amazing music even with shitty gear(aside from a DAW which allows for such arrangement) IMO there is a important distinction to be made between creating(aka writing/composing) arranging & structuring music, and the “production” side of “music production”. Which is sound design, mixing & mastering. Composition is included in the way we use the term “music production” these days, but they are not one in the same.
Thanks on behalf of all the bedroom engineers around the world!
This was a great test! I personally could hear a slight difference, I can't exactly explain what but I could hear it. Really great how you can get a great sound with just the basics!
there is definitely an audible difference with the SSL but the other EQs were near identical in my opinion. Great video!
Thank you so much I was waiting to know the difference between free and paid eq
Great demonstration. This had renewed my confidence in FL Stock EQ. I usually only use Pro Q when I need a bit more control and precision. Thanks Michael!
To be honest, I dont hear a Difference :D
Honestly Joel, neither do I :)
me 2 ：D
i listened first on headphones and noticed no difference.
then i played it on my laptop speakers and i heard a huge difference.
turns out i changed position slightly to get comfortable.
Same dude
Me too
I am a Producer/Sound-Engineer from Nigeria!!! Excellent work out there man!! Your videos are a positive influence.
Thanks! I've been stressing about buying the pro Q3 just because, like you said, everyone is using it. But now I know it's not gonna make my productions sound any better at all.
Hi everyone. I have given up on myself and my set up long time ago being un-able to hear most of the stuff people are showing on RUclips. But in this video I could hear the difference with my eyes closed. In the first test I liked the FabFilter but in the second I preferred the stock EQ. The last example was too short for me to be able to evaluate the difference and preference but I could also hear the difference. Thank you for the nice video.
I want to mention that with Parametric EQ, I turned it from Legacy to Enhanced mode and HQ, and I did a null test with it. The legacy mode had stuff leftover, but the Enhanced mode completely nulled. Might be worth testing the part out, because I'm unsure if that will have an impact on the null test he did.
Great video! I def. heard a slight difference in both and as you were asking us to pick which one sounded a bit better it ended up being FL's EQ2 for me. Thanks so much for these videos. You are awesome at what you do.
Dude. Thank you very much. You’re definitely one of my favorite Music RUclipsrs so far.
I liked this experiment. I listened closely and chose the fabfilter both times. Good stuff!
Yes I heard difference in my cheap earphones it's that highend ,(it's that clap sound -the crisp factor is more in the stock eq than fab.(I am not using any studio headphones ,heard it in a regular earphones)
I think the interface and workflow is the main difference... The fabfilter plugins are excellent and you can do a lot of things with them (not necessary to improve the sound directly but you can hear the details in stereo image for example, you can head single frequencies and decide which is ruining your audio... So it makes you work more exact and better obviously)
Good video as always ♥️
Very good video - thanks for that! It made me realise that the difference between EQ plugins is probably not the sound that comes out, but the workflow that it provides to make you find that sound, i.e. right setting. Some non-graphic tools (Scheps omni channel) force you to only use your ears, which can be good. FF-Q3 provides massive graphical analysis so you can make your eyes spot features in the sound, which for me is very helpful. Love it.
i loved that you thought of making a video for this topic. great idea! Personally i couldnt hear a difference, and before watching this video I've thought about buying Fab Filter because i had originally thought it was "better" so thank you for saving me a lot of money. I use the fl stock eq. The only thing I'd say that would give Fab filter the advantage would be the visuals. I gotta say I prefer their frequency viewing format rather than the spectrum view on the Stock eq. Sometimes its hard to analyze frequencies to a tee.
The warmth in the 200 hz boost where more pronounced on the fabfilter. In the lowpass example the parametric left more high mids that the fab, that, depending the cut, can be a good or a bad thing depeding the case. Really great video!
you always answer the questions my mind hits me with at 3am ... thankyou for all you do
This video was super helpful. Appreciate taking the time to offer us this. Im a Logic user and Im going to base my decisions on workflow vs the sound.
I could tell a difference much easier with the orchestral track. The paid eq is better imo for that probably because we are hearing its effects on a wider range of frequencies
Good stuff, you pointed me to Fruity Convolver mate, absolutely incredible how lush and subtle this reverb!!! Never would have touched it without watching the video 👊. About EQ’s indeed fabfilter is my go to and fastest way of producing with but in the end sound wise it does never make a whole lot of difference indeed. Keep it up mate, you are awesome 👍
Every single video of you is just honest and great!!! 🙏
Love your Videos bro! I got on both tests right which one was which, but as you said I still couldn't really decide which one sounded better. Both do a great job.
I was 2 clicks away from buying a $499 Fabfilter essential bundle, This video helped me save that money . Thanks Micheal.And no i didnt hear any difference at all (listening to it on my DT 770 Pro Beyerdamic headphone)
I believe I could hear the difference in both cases - and the one I prefer was actually stock, but on the other hand the pro one might be more neutral sounding.
(less coloring/resonance/reverb?)
Would be useful to also hear what both sound like vanilla for comparison.
Anyway I think this is great news, as it democratizes music production more, making quality plugins more widely available.
On the other hand it's bad news if you're used to blaming your gear as being a significant hindrance to pulling off a great sound, which I know I at least used to.
It's not which EQ is better, all EQs do the same stuff, all EQs share similar workflow.
The only difference there is *YOU* , *the one who using these*
Egh, there's certain sensitivity, color, bit rate etc, I'm looking for a badly needed track to track EQ. Not so much a master. PC is strong though. But track to track. Not sure how heavy Fab is?
All EQ have different phase response and so bout every EQ sounds the same imo. Those differences results also inn different openess or lively or wide perception.
I could honestly tell the difference, and it makes me really proud cause I've always had a slight doubt that my hearing is getting worse!
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It's definitely not significant, nor it is game-changing, i think what makes the difference is only the user-interface and ease of use and not the actual sonic or audible quality, most plugins are coded really similarly....
First test sounded totally the same for me, even after listening multiple times. For the second test I could immediately hear a slight difference between the two on my DT 770 Pro and I prefered the second one (Pro-Q) because it sounded a tiny bit "brighter" or "warmer" like it had a slightly higher Q for both peaks. In the end I think it's most about ergonomics and of course features and here the Pro-Q really shines. 150 bucks aren't that huge of an investment if the plugin enhances your workflow and you use it regularly for years to come. Great video btw!
I agree with you, it seems like a lot to pay but when it's that loaded with features and speed up your workflow, it's a steal!
definitely bruv it's there! I'm using The yamaha hs5 and that's crazy the way you can hear it in 3d , panning of the hihats is clear with a higher resolution!!
keep sharing that knowledge fam
And here I am listening on 5$ ear buds and I can't hear the difference
😂😂😂
I'm listening on $1,200 monitors, and I don't hear a difference either. The difference is in fact inaudible, as he demonstrates when doing the cancelling test.
i heard the difference on my technias
Absolutely Super video. I own soon many plug ins and I realize now more than ever that unless it a modeled eq I can't hear the difference either. Thank you
Thank you for using the same setting. U r the only person 2 do that in the 8 vids I’ve watched 🙏 ps u should do a vid on fabfilter pro r reverb plug-in if you haven’t.
Awesome video man!
The fab filter adds a little 'breath' to the higher frequencies (heard particularly in the drum loop) and can be used if you wanted to liven up a dull sound. If you know what you're doing, any decent EQ (ones that don't have any glitches or artifacts) can be used to get whatever sound you want.
The stock EQ is very good and is fairly transparent, but the important part is learning what everything does and not just looking at the shape. Also, DON'T FORGET TO LISTEN TO YOUR SOUND! lol
have fun mixing and be kind to your computer's cpu
I just looked up those headphones you have and the price tag made me sweat lol. Btw I really appreciate these vids you make. Really took my production to the next level.
They are far above my budget, the company gifted them to me and I was very lucky!
Your videos are soooo good !! The best tutos about fl studio on youtube in my opinion my friend !! It tought me so many things ! And now I try my best on my channel to teach what I know thanks to you !
Good job sharing your knowledge! I'm happy to hear I have helped you :)
You should do more tutos ! You're good at it ! :)
In the mix is one of the best music youtube channel
@@OCadBane Yes you're right ! I checked it ! I'll be waiting for the next vids to see how it goes !
@@OCadBane Thank you ! I will !
I heard huge differences, but I never thought to compare EQs like this. Thank you for the knowledge
lol you're hearing "huge differences" which are isolated to make it even easier to hear here 3:19 and here 5:31?
I Found That Fab Filter has more functionality and far more versatility when it comes to more surgical procedures such as working on vocals. The display Difference adds a nice touch. Fab filter’s Eq (amongst loads of other functions) allows you to listen to each band separately which is really awesome. Fl’s stock EQ still does the job but you get that extra edge with the Fab Filter’s EQ. At times I’ve used used both and they worked brilliantly together. I got The simplicity from the Parametric EQ and the Complexity From Pro Q. Great Vid by the Way
Listening the video while reading the comments and to be honest I don't hear a difference. Sometimes we want to invest in big company name plug-ins when we have all we need within FL Studio. Its not what you have, but rather how you use it. Great video.
Using a pair of KEF Q350 I noticed that the sound on fabfilter has more quality.
I'm not using the fabfilter for my mixes but I'll change soon.
Got them before the results.
That's a nice video, thanks for this demonstration!
Would love to see a video comparing stock reverbs and delays to payed ones! Great video as always :)
I actually heard the difference each time. There seems be be more dynamics in the Fabfilter to my ears.
right i heard a difference
I was heavily considering switching to FabFilter's Pro-Q, until another video of yours that I saw. I thought the Fruity Parametric was missing some functionality, until you right clicked on a node in Fruity Parametric in the other video, and it cancelled every reason why I was considering switching. I was so pumped about that. I genuinely enjoy Fruity Parametric. It's look and workflow, but more importantly what it is capable of, and how it sounds.
In the Drum loop example, I was not able to determine a difference. But in the other example, I was able to tell. Maybe it's in my head. I'm using a Tascam US-4x4, with Sennheiser HD 201 headphones. I believe I am able to hear a very subtle richness in the Pro-Q that I don't seem to hear in the Fruity Parametric. I'm talking less than a 5% difference. Usually, with differences that subtle, I tend to walk away from it to come back later with a difference mindset, and see if I think the same thing. I hope I am not alone in that approach.
All of that being said. This solidifies my decision to stick with Fruity Parametric.
Your videos always helps to learn new things.. I normally use the stock EQ 👍👍
I hear a small negligible difference. Choice 2 and B sound more compressed or “ in your face”. Again it’s REALLY insignificant.
Great video man!
I use a lot of stock plugins to save on resources, though I always figured in the case of EQ, it's mostly workflow that's the difference. This video seems to reaffirm those thoughts, though it might be a bit different with a more analog modeled EQ
I'd like to thank you for saving me from being seduced by beautiful graphics and impressive sounding functionality and ultimately forking out a lot of money for a tool that doesn't appear to do anything better than a stock plugin, or, if it does, the difference is marginal.
Yee, I heard that fab filter is more clean in both situations, it's the reason why I love it and use it especially on drums and basses
Agree!
I think pro q is more flexible and I just like the interface better than parameq. I think functionally in some cases they can be similar. Can't do dynamic EQ or stereo-seperated EQ in parametric tho.
I preferred A on the first, the difference i could hear is on the top end and the first was preferred to me because it was just a tad darker
again - every second worth watching and listening! ...especially the beautiful cello piece in this one
Thank you for this kinds of videos. Sometimes it's just a mind trick that drives you crazy. Only because there's "pro" label on it doesn't mean that it's better. Great video.
Agree. I've done this several times with the slate products (Which I LOVE) but if my ears prefer the stock compressor then that's what I have to go with :)
Thank you so much! It's really good comparison!
i only heard a diff for the drum loop on the snare the stock seemed to have more low end... very great and reassuring video, loved it :))
The only plug ins I think it’s worth having are probably the soundtoys bundle (or the effect rack) because they do stuff you can’t do with stock plugins (at least in logic), a Valhalla reverb one (again they do things you can’t do in stock - even the couple of free ones are fine) and arguably the izotope music set (particularly nectar, neutron and ozone) because I think the automation and chain nature of them are incredibly useful, at least for beginners and intermediate users. I think there are some more musical ones that are useful though (like different guitar amp/ cabinet models and instruments etc).
Whatever the conclusion might be , at the middle of the video at 4:40 I paused to just mention that , this particular music , the cellos , the strings and all of the elements just touched my heart Mike , it's so melodic and relaxing .. I just can't resist listening to that multiple times... I can write a thousand words in its praise... I might be overexcited.. but .. it's really really greeeaaaattt :)) hats off
Wow thank you, I've linked the song in the description of you want to hear the whole arrangement. The guy playing the cello has a beautiful soul
@@inthemix I'm so happy to see that , such good musicians , with positivity and vitality still haven't been submerged under the , global , and overrated influence of hip-hop and senseless "raps". This is what we call music , Mike.. Thanks a lot , for all that u pay to the community !! Love ur work :))))
awesome. please continue those A/B comparisons. awesome. i thought i heard "a minimal difference" between Fab and stock EQ but couldnt really tell which i liked better.i did identified the eq everytime right but it could be margin of error. than regarding the slate ssl: yes, felt the same here. bit boxy and it was easy to hear it. I´m using a Cambridge DacMagic 100 D/A a Burson Soloist SL MK2 headphone amp and AKG K712pro´s.
Thank's for another great video Mike. Couldn't hear any difference but I've first watched your video on reverb and that's a different story ;o)
Can’t here a difference with the drums but the sound seemed better with the pro Q on the strings. I clearly found it more lush, thicker...felt like there was more information coming to my ears. Listening on an iPhone
A year later, new headphones and I believe I've still picked the same.
First test, couldn't tell at all.
The rest - definitely Fruity Parametric EQ2, the others felt narrower and little bit dull. Fruity sounded wider, spacious and lively.
I couldn’t tell the difference with the drums, but I could with the second example just a bit. Still, this has convinced me to hold off on buying an EQ for a bit, thanks!
I liked A more for the first drum test. A was softer on the ears. Wheras B hit harder not in a good way.
Small difference. But noticeable
I can hear the difference between A & B with my Audient ID4 MKII & ATH M50X, it's really surprising me that I can answer both questions with the right answer.
1st, there is no such big difference between them but I can hear clearly that the low-end on the A was really clean, on the other hand the B sounds like it left more low-end and still sounds boomy, look by the EQ curves I believe that A is the FabFilter and I was right.
2nd, from the first time it switched from A to B I can hear that the B sounds more musical, full-bodied, and expensive.
Maybe there's no such big difference but price is matters!
I could tell the difference both times on my laptop speakers of all things haha. Something about the fab filter sounds more full? The difference is very tiny but I definitely felt like I could feel a loss of richness and maybe a tiny bit more tin in the parametric EQ.
I want to commend you on your excellent tutorials, and overall adherence to the rule of cool.
In the second example, my favourtie was the pro fab filter (EQ 2), it had more low end and an all togther richer and thicker sound than the FL stock eq
Stopped the video at 3:00. A seemed a little brighter than B... but not much. But which is better is pretty subjective.
Stopped at 5:00. Number two seemed more present in the mix and more defined. I didn't cheat when I posted each of these. I can hear a difference and I do prefer the Fab Filter EQ, especially on full mixes. I listened on a pair of computer speakers bought quite a few years ago. The difference is definitely subtle and along the lines of mastering quality.
I heard a difference and could identify Fabfilter in both cases. I work with Fabfilter, so that might be the reason. The stock EQ, however, is very good and you do not need to shell out loads of cash to make excellent music.
the thing with stock and pro eq is features, you get more control with Fabfilter Pro Q 3 vs parametric EQ 2
I A/B’d with my EarPods, every time I picked the FabFilter, it has more information in the high end. The SSL is a coloring EQ, I use it for specific sounds..Great song by the way!
Got the 1st 2 blind tests right! On the 2nd test the q3 is louder but has a lil more depth to my ear! Using Focal Spirits headphones!
Cool vid. Would be interested in seeing one on compressors with the same settings as well
Maybe Fruity Compressor vs Fabfilter or Slate Digital..or ever TRacks ?
@@inthemix yep. or maybe even the emulations that engineers "cant live without" ex: LA-2A, 1176, etc
@@MylesSquared Oh good idea...Fruity Compressor vs my 1176 licensed clones... this could be interesting and I have not tried it before :)
@@inthemix yeah pls
i could tell the difference both time, in the first example the stock eq had boosted high frequency when compared to fabfilter, in the second one the fabfilter had more detail in the cello during the vibratos.
I could hear a difference in the second example. When it switched from eq 1 to eq 2, it felt like it opened up a tiny bit and sounded slightly more natural. It was pretty subtle though and both EQs worked fine.
I use FabFilter Pro-Q 3 a lot, I think the layout and the extensive range of settings are what makes it my go to EQ
I just bought it, I love how easily you can see clashing frequencies, and the spectral grab is amazing
Thanks great videos as always. Keep up the great work. I learn a lot from your vids.
Best Regards
Wow Thank you in the end....Do best with what you have first and later with the paid especially expensive ones..
Thank you for great and CLEAR content.
Installed, everything works, thanks!
I noticed people that work with clean production always say they don't need to do much with the EQ. Certain styles of music definitely require workhorse EQing. Thanks for the vid, I definitely feel better about purchasing EQ3 now! I had been using Ableton's stock and some others but FabFilter became my go-to very quickly!The GUI is great and it always seemed to be a bit more transparent.
BRAVO!
Well done, sir!
interesting, honestly gotta give credit to the imageline fl studio team for making such high quality plug ins stock.
Do more comparison videos please.... you're amazing 😍 I love your content.
im listening on my yamaha hs8's & hs8 sub. Cant notice any difference. The Phase cancels only result of the way he modified the curves by hand. So imo it really doesnt matter wich plugin you use. EDIT: The orchestra track is nice af, good work! :)
With your expertise input, you should do the same test with fruity limiter for compression
I could easily pick out the fab filter EQ in both examples with it's slightly better sound quality. Listening on Audio Technica ATH-M50x headphones.
Even if Fab filter has more bands, you can simply add another instance of the Fruity EQ if you want to do more EQ-ing.
Helpful video by the way - thanks !
I don't think I've ever used more than 4 or 5 bands on an EQ but yes using two give you lots of flexibility. Fabfilter is a beast!