Equalizers / measured

EQP-1A

IK Multimedia · VST3

10.0/10 Measured score · Measured signal quality · how scored

Tonal shaping

±1.69 dB

moderate · character, by design

Harmonic character

0.378%

subtle · character, by design

Noise

10.0/10

< floor · scored

Level dependence

-67 dB

subtle · character, by design

Latency

34 smp

factual · not scored

On the bench

48 kHz · 512-block · offline · same procedure for every plugin
Magnitude responsestepped sine, −12 dBFS
2026-07-17T18:06:40.832628 image/svg+xml Matplotlib v3.10.9, https://matplotlib.org/

Output level vs. frequency.

It shapes your tone by up to ±1.7 dB on purpose — that built-in curve is part of its sound.

Distortion vs level1 kHz, THD / THD+N
2026-07-17T18:06:40.919820 image/svg+xml Matplotlib v3.10.9, https://matplotlib.org/

THD   THD+N. THD is the trustworthy figure; THD+N is method-floor-limited at low levels.

It adds a little harmonic color (0.38% at full level) — a gentle warming.

Latency, reported
34 smp
Latency, measured
34 smp (matches)
Onset
21 smp
Noise floor
below measurement floor
Linearity residual
-66.9 dB (1000 Hz, -12/-18 dBFS)
Processing cost
not measured

Its own background hiss is below what the bench can even measure, so it adds no noise you would hear.

How hard you push it changes what it does (a -67 dB gap between levels) — expected for a saturator, which reacts to input level.

It delays the audio by 34 samples (0.7 ms at 48 kHz) and reports that delay, so your DAW lines it back up.


What these measurements mean

read from the numbers above · character / coloring design

On the bench it behaves like a coloring tool, scoring 10.0/10 on how clean its signal path is; its tone-shaping and harmonics are reported as character, not graded as faults. It shapes your tone by up to ±1.7 dB on purpose — that built-in curve is part of its sound. It adds a little harmonic color (0.38% at full level) — a gentle warming. Its own background hiss is below what the bench can even measure, so it adds no noise you would hear. How hard you push it changes what it does (a -67 dB gap between levels) — expected for a saturator, which reacts to input level. It delays the audio by 34 samples (0.7 ms at 48 kHz) and reports that delay, so your DAW lines it back up.

Measured score 10.0/10 — signal-path noise floor (the shaping and harmonics are the design's intent, shown as character, not graded). How scoring works.


What people report

sourced sentiment · in our words, not a bench measurement
7.5/10 published & press sentiment, 2 sources · a separate figure from the measured score

Consistently praised

  • The layout faithfully follows the original Pultec, so it stays simple to operate and quick to learn even for people new to this style of EQ.
  • The high-frequency shelving is repeatedly called smooth and musical, and the trademark simultaneous boost-and-cut move is great for adding weight to kick, bass and whole mixes.
  • As a software stand-in for costly outboard, several users felt it delivers the Pultec flavour at a far more approachable price.

Common criticism

  • One reviewer found the midrange too limited, with cut offered only at the low and high ends and no dedicated mid control for corrective work.
  • It doesn't fully convince as a match for a genuine hardware Pultec, and a couple of users suggested it makes more sense bought within the full T-RackS suite than on its own.

A review score is shown only when at least two independent sources — published reviews or genuine user discussion — return usable text. Launch or announcement coverage alone does not qualify, so some plugins read N/A here while still carrying a full measured score above.


How it sits in equalizers

measured score + bench figures, then the sourced review score (separate, N/A if unscored) · alphabetical · not ranked
PluginMeasured /10Mag devMax THDLatencyNoiseReview /10
4020 Retro EQ9.2±1.4 dB0.000%0 smp<floor8.0
6020 Ultimate EQ9.5±0.9 dB0.000%0 smp<floorN/A
AE400 Active EQ10.0±0.0 dB0.000%0 smp<floor7.8
Bettermaker EQ232D10.0±0.0 dB0.000%32 smp<floor8.6
Bettermaker Passive Equalizer8.4±0.2 dB0.757%32 smp<floor8.2
BM MEqualizer10.0±0.0 dB0.000%0 smp<floorN/A
CORE EQ10.0±0.0 dB0.000%0 smp<floor7.6
EQ SITRAL-2958.4±1.5 dB0.031%32 smp<floor7.5
EQ-7310.0±1.8 dB5.037%34 smp<floor8.0
EQ-8110.0±0.4 dB0.017%34 smp<floor8.4
EQP-1A10.0±1.7 dB0.378%34 smp<floor7.5
EQual10.0±0.0 dB0.000%19 smp<floor8.2
FilterBank E6068.3±3.0 dB0.000%0 smp<floor8.0
Master EQ-4329.6±0.0 dB0.013%19 smp<floor8.7
Sie-Q10.0±2.1 dB10.054%36 smp−166N/A
Sponsored · not a measurement

This lane is separate from measured results

No promoted plugins here. Anything in this lane is labeled and never affects the bench numbers or the order plugins appear in.