SD-PE1

Name: Passive EQ Plugin
Brand: Slate Digital
Availability: InStock
Rating: 4.9 (173 reviews)

Passive Power,
Classic Character

The most unique passive equalizer ever made joins the ever-expanding lineup of processors that make up the Virtual Mix Rack ecosystem.

Unlock Your Sound with the Passive EQ Plugin

Introducing the SD-PE1, a powerful passive EQ plugin that brings the warmth and character of legendary analog equalizers to your digital audio workstation. Whether you’re mixing individual tracks, enhancing a drum bus, or mastering the final mix, this plugin offers exceptional control and musical results. Designed to emulate the original hardware, the SD-PE1 delivers an organic sound that’s perfect for any genre. Explore how this passive EQ plugin can elevate your audio signal and transform your music production process.

Experience the Magic of Passive EQ

Passive EQ is known for its smooth and musical sound, making it a favorite among top engineers and producers. The SD-PE1 plugin captures the essence of this classic technology, offering features like high boost, midrange dip, and low-end enhancement. With its user-friendly interface and intuitive controls, you can easily dial in the perfect settings for any track. Whether you’re working on a project in Pro Tools, Ableton Live, Logic Pro, or FL Studio, the SD-PE1 integrates seamlessly into your workflow. Discover the magic of passive EQ and take your mixes to the next level.

Achieve Musical EQ with Ease

The SD-PE1 is not just another EQ plugin; it’s a tool designed to deliver super musical results. With its extreme settings and precise control over high frequencies and mid-side parameters, you can sculpt your sound with unparalleled accuracy. This plugin is perfect for everything from subtle enhancements to dramatic tonal shaping. Whether you’re boosting the high end on vocals or creating a midrange dip on guitars, the SD-PE1 provides the flexibility and power you need. Experience the musicality of the SD-PE1 and see why it’s considered one of the best EQ plugins available.

Harness the Power of Massive Passive EQ

Inspired by the legendary Massive Passive hardware, the SD-PE1 plugin brings that same analog warmth and depth to your digital studio. This EQ is perfect for mastering, mixing, and even tracking, providing a versatile solution for any audio task. With customer reviews praising its organic sound and powerful features, the SD-PE1 is a must-have for any serious music producer. Load the plugin, adjust the knobs, and watch as your audio comes to life with rich, detailed sound. Harness the power of Massive Passive EQ with the SD-PE1 and elevate your music production.

Seamless Integration and Advanced Features

The SD-PE1 passive EQ plugin is designed to work seamlessly with both Mac OS and Windows operating systems. It supports a wide range of formats, including AAX Native, VST, and AU, ensuring compatibility with your favorite DAW. The plugin also requires an iLok license manager for activation, providing secure and reliable access. With advanced features like mid-side processing, high and low shelf filters, and precise gain control, the SD-PE1 offers everything you need to achieve professional-quality mixes. Explore the latest version and see how the SD-PE1 can become an essential part of your studio setup.

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SD-PE1

Passive Power,
Classic Character

The most unique passive equalizer ever made joins the ever-expanding lineup of processors that make up the Virtual Mix Rack ecosystem.

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Overview

The SD-PE1 provides a realistic reproduction of a classic passive EQ while also providing unique features only possible through digital emulation and modeling.

Toggle the ‘Tube’ Stage

A natural side effect of passive EQs is that the audio coming out of them will always be significantly quieter than the audio going in. To combat this, the original hardware featured a tube amplifier stage after the EQ. We’ve made it possible to turn this stage on and off, which means you can remove those saturation and color effects from the processed signal without a drop in output level.

More Flexible Frequencies

Extra Tone-Shaping Tools

On the original hardware model, frequency selection for processing was limited to what was presented on the front of the hardware. However, in addition to adding extra frequencies to each band, we’ve also made selection both stepped and incremental. It’s a tinkerer’s paradise!

A Piece of Production History

Now Part of The Legendary Virtual Mix Rack

The piece of hardware that directly inspired this plugin has been a studio staple since it was first introduced in the early 1960s. Its addition to Virtual Mix Rack’s ever-expanding plugin ecosystem brings even more historic analog processing power and color right to your DAW.

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Hear the SD-PE1

What Are The Pros Saying?

DANIELA RIVERA

"Staying true to tradition, the SD-PE1 introduces something new to the classic hardware without sacrificing its original sonic character. Highly impressed—I’m a fan!"

DANIELA RIVERA

Emmy-nominated, Platinum Mix Engineer
Rihanna, Coldplay, Justin Bieber

TERENCE ELAM

“The SD-PE1 adds weight to my kicks and snap to my snares that I always listen for with this style of EQ. Having the ability to dial in the exact frequency with the SD-PE1 makes it  even better.”

TERENCE ELAM

Producer, Engineer
Ne-Yo, Glorilla, Kenny Mason

KEN "GL" LANYON

“I love the added frequencies of the SD-PE1. It helps get my kicks fat and punchy, and my vocal top-end becomes brilliant, but not harsh. Slate Digital has taken another classic unit and made it better!”

KEN "GL" LANYON

Mix & Mastering Engineer, Producer
Rick Beato, NeedToBreathe, Fozzy

SHAWN GROVE

“This unit always had its ‘thing’ —simply turn it on, and you could hear it straight away. The SD-PE1 sounds just like the original. I’m diggin’ it!”

SHAWN GROVE

Producer/Engineer/Mixer
Collective Soul, Sevendust, Organized Noize

JERRY LANE

“It reminds me of the real one: the low-end boost & cut interact as expected, and the high end is especially nice. I love an EQ with a high-end attenuation control.”

JERRY LANE

Founder, Mountain Road Records

ROSS PETERSEN

“Slate Digital continues to impress with the SD-PE1. It's smooth and tight in the low end, with very open and warm mids & highs. It has the same signature vibe as the original hardware when aggressively boosting, adding a big punch to snares and great upper mid-range energy to electric guitars. The extended high end and sweepable frequencies are also a useful, modern touch. I am loving this addition to the VMR lineup!”

ROSS PETERSEN

Grammy nominated Engineer, Mixer, Producer
Bruce Springsteen, Shania Twain, John Mayer

How it works

Hover over highlighted sections
to learn more about the interface:

passive EQ plugin interface by Slate Digital

Tube Switch: When disabled, the natural saturation and color effects of the plugin’s traditional tube amp stage are removed from the signal without a drop in output level.

High Shelf: This is a shelf EQ band with a fixed slope. It can only be attenuated, using the ‘C’ control. In addition to the original hardware’s frequency selection, we’ve added two more for you to choose from: 3kHz at the bottom, 30kHz at the top.

High Shelf Attenuation: This knob is responsible for attenuating the top-end shelf band.

High Bell: This is a bell-shaped band with an adjustable ‘Q’ (control F). In contrast with the high shelf, this band can only be boosted (control E). We also added two additional frequencies to this control (1kHz and 2kHz), modeled after a later iteration of the original hardware.

High Bell Boost: This knob is responsible for boosting the top-end bell band.

High Bell ‘Q’ Control: This knob adjusts the breadth or narrowness of the high bell band.

Low Shelf Attenuation: This knob is responsible for attenuating the low-end shelf band.

Low Shelf: Like the High Shelf, this is another shelf EQ band with a fixed slope. We’ve again added two additional processing frequencies to the original hardware’s specs, at 40Hz and 70Hz.

Low Shelf Boost: This knob is responsible for attenuating the low-end shelf band.

Videos

Developing The SD-PE1

Mickaël Albisser, Audio DSP Engineer for Slate Digital, discusses how he and his team developed the SD-PE1 –The latest vintage equalizer emulation that is now part of Slate Digital’s Virtual Mix Rack.

SD-PE1 Walkthrough

Chad Carrier, VP of Products at Slate Digital walks us through the details and features of the new SD-PE1, a faithful reproduction of a classic passive EQ.

Features & Specs

AT A GLANCE:

Passive program equalizer
Digitally modeled from legendary outboard unit
Additional frequencies for deeper processing
Stepped and incremental frequency selection
Toggle traditional tube-stage saturation on/off
Perfect for drums, bass, vocals, and mix bus
Available now in Virtual Mix Rack for All Access Pass and Complete Access subscribers
Also available as an individual module in VMR with a perpetual license