Overview

Mäag EQ4 M is a 6-band dual channel mastering EQ that counts Chris Lord-Alge (Greenday, Madonna, U2) and Tony Visconti (David Bowie, T. Rex, Esperanza Spalding) among its many fans. Now Brainworx, the masters of analog modeling, have finally transformed this renowned hardware into the Mäag EQ MS plugin.

Mäag EQ4 M “in the box”

Brainworx worked closely with the Mäag family on the Mäag EQ4 MS, to deliver the most accurate emulation of Mäag hardware ever. This unique design provides unparalleled transparency and top end presence while maintaining the true natural sound behind the signal or mix. Get even more flexibility with two optional center frequencies and bell-characteristics in lower bands.

Harness the AIR BAND® 

No Mäag EQ would be complete without an exact recreation of Mäag’s trademark AIR BAND®. This is the ‘secret sauce’ of production giants David Reitzas, Dylan Dresdow, and Dave Pensado. The AIR BAND® brings smooth air frequencies to your top end without harshness. It works great on drums and instruments, but it really shines through on vocals. You can hear its sparkle on tracks from Celine Dion, Madonna, Justin Timberlake, and countless others. 

The definitive Mäag EQ emulation 

Nothing sounds more like the Mäag hardware, and nothing gives you more control over Mäag’s legendary AIR BAND®. Use it across your mix, on individual tracks, busses and stems, with a new level of control only possible in the digital realm. Brainworx has also added adjustable bands, monomaker, soft clipper and patented Brainworx TMT.

Beyond the hardware

Brainworx has also expanded the controls of the original hardware, achieving accurate stereo and m/s processing without compromising its exceptional sound quality. Push undesirable frequencies out of the limelight and bring hidden treasures to the fore, without compromising the range in the center of your acoustic field. Mäag EQ4 MS gives you more control over the stereo field than any previous Mäag plugin or hardware. 

 

Features

  • Exacting model of Mäag EQ4 M hardware and its trademark AIR BAND®
  • Stereo and m/s processing
  • High and low pass filters in each channel 
  • Expanded bandwidth and center frequencies for all bell filters
  • Mono-Maker and Stereo Width
  • Variable Total Harmonic Distortion
  • Soft clipper
  • I/O, correlation and balance-metering
  • Parameter Link
  • Scalable UI
  • Additional center frequencies for all bell filters
  • Q-factor for all bell filters
  • Brainworx’s TMT inside: Tolerance Modeling Technology (US Patent No. 10,725,727) simulates 20 channel-to-channel variances in electronic components for the most realistic analog sound in digital recreation of analog characteristics

 

Audio Examples

Industry Reviews

  • Daniela Rivera

    Daniela Rivera

    Diamond Mixer & Audio Engineer (Rihanna, Mariah Carey, Justin Bieber)

    Wow! My new secret weapon for group, stereo and master bus processing. Extended EQ options, M/S control and added clip function with the classic sound of the Maag EQ and its infamous air band.… Read More

  • Joe Barresi

    Joe Barresi

    Audio Engineer / Producer (Slipknot, Queens of the Stone Age, Tool)

    The addition of the EQ functions takes this to the next level for me: having the ability to modify each EQ band by 4 different permutations of frequency and bandwidth makes this so flexible it can… Read More

  • Marc Carolan

    Marc Carolan

    Mixer, Sound Engineer and Producer (Muse, The Cure, Snow Patrol, Black Mountain Studios)

    As a long-time user of the EQ4, both hardware and plugin, the EQ4 MS is an excellent addition to the armory: sublime on Drums, and so expansive as a Mix Bus EQ. Maag Audio and Brainworx have… Read More

  • Aubrey Whitfield

    Aubrey Whitfield

    Producer (The Shires, Little Mix, Kelly Clarkson, J-Fla)

    I have been a huge fan of the Maag EQ4 for some time because of the high-end brilliance and sheen it adds to instruments and mixes. But this EQ4 MS version is next level! With mid/sIde… Read More

  • F. Reid Shippen

    F. Reid Shippen

    10 Grammy Awards (Death Cab for Cutie, Backstreet Boys, Disney)

    A great upgrade from the magicians at Mäag. Take all the intuitiveness of the original unit, turn it up to 11. The new frequency switches provide extra flexibility without losing the ability to… Read More

Customer Reviews

  • Beautifully Redefined!

    ★★★★★
    by SabotHawk
    Brainworx managed to take the loudest, meanest EQ in my collection and transform it into a sophisticated spatial designer/widener with an elegant touch. In particular, I've enjoyed the sound of the… Read More
  • Not just "another" EQ

    ★★★★★
    by Sir-Thurgood
    I've been using the EQ4 with its air band, and it's fantastic. I didn't think I needed another EQ plugin, but after using this on material from different genres, it was a no-brainer. It can enhance a… Read More
  • EQ4 MS

    ★★★★★
    by Renfield
    I really like how this EQ sounds, it opens up the midrange clarity and adds that nice high end sheen! Going to be my favorite go to for my Stems and Mix bus!!

Specifications

Supported Plugin Formats
AAX DSP, AAX Native, AU, AAX AudioSuite, VST2, VST3

Supported Operating Systems
macOS 15 down to macOS 12
Windows 11 down to Windows 10

Mac
Intel, or Apple Silicon

PC
x64-compatible CPU

System Requirements
Display resolution: 1440 × 900px or 1280 × 960px or higher
Memory: 2 GB RAM

Downloads

With the Installation Manager you can select, download & install all the Plugin Alliance products. Select any and all formats you need for your system! Mac & PC.

ChangeLog

EQ4 MS

Maag EQ4 MS - Changelog

Version 1.0 (Sep 19, 2024)
- Initial release