GlissEQ is an analog-style equalizer in PC VST plug-in format. The most interesting thing GlissEQ offers is its dynamic equalization performance. Using almost any existing equalizer, you always get what you have set: e.g., if you specify a +6 dB boost at 100 Hz you get exactly a +6 dB boost at 100 Hz, also visible on the spectrum analyser. GlissEQ offers a slightly different approach. When you specify +6 dB at 100 Hz, you don't necessarily get +6 dB of gain. Actual filter gain is adjusted dynamically according to the program material you are filtering.

This `dynamic nature' of GlissEQ gives you a much more friendly, assisting filtering experience. Boosting up the highs will not necessarily create the fatiguing effect of overload. Instead, you will get a pleasant transient-emphasizing effect bringing life and dimension to your track: thus, GlissEQ sounds simply musical.

This transient emphasis works for every frequency you tune the filter to: e.g., it can be useful at the lower and the mid frequencies to give more punch to the track. Moreover, the strength of transient emphasis and the overall filter gain adjustment can be controlled with a special 'Dyn' control. In reality, this 'Dyn' control adds a whole new dimension to the equalizer as you know it!

Beside this wonderful `dynamic nature' GlissEQ offers a built-in FFT spectrum analyzer. Moreover, the spectrum of the track can be exported to any other instance of GlissEQ thus making interchannel spectrum overlays possible. This can help you to free frequency ranges in one track to allow the instrument in another track occupying these frequencies breathe.

Voxengo GlissEQ features:

You can use the "Preset..." menu button to perform basic FXP/FXB preset/bank management tasks. The "Set as default" menu option of the "Presets..." menu allows you to assign the currently loaded program to the default preset program. This default program will be loaded whenever you enable a new instance of the plug-in or reset the current program. You can use the "Reset default" option to restore the default factory preset.

By pressing the "A|B" button, you can exchange the current and shadow (or, alternatively, "A" and "B") programs. The "Copy" button copies the current program to a shadow one.

Since only a single shadow program is used for the whole program bank, you can use "A|B" button to copy programs. To do so, you first need to switch to a program you want to copy and press the "Copy" button. Next, switch to a program where you want to put the first program and press the "A|B" button.

The "Reset" button can be used to reset the current program. All parameters will return to their default states.

"Normal/High Quality" button is used to switch between the normal and the high-quality processing modes. High-quality processing mode internally uses a two times higher sample rate, performing 2x oversampling. High quality mode uses about two times more CPU resources. The "Auto" quality mode disables oversampling in the normal real-time plug-in operation and turns oversampling on during the offline audio bouncing. Please note that the "Auto" mode may not work properly in all hosts (if the host does not report back when it enters the offline processing mode).

The "Alt Quality" mode is an alternative 'high quality' mode which offers you a considerably different sound, overall. In some cases bass boosts and cuts may sound definitely better in this "Alt Quality" mode. This 'Alt' quality mode performs oversampling like the 'high quality' mode, but without required filtering step - this is not a strictly 'correct' way of oversampling, but in the case of equalizer it works without undesired artifacts while offers an alternative overall phase response at the same time.

"EQ Mode" button selects the current equalization mode. The EQ Mode directly affects the dynamic behavior of GlissEQ. EQ Mode 2 produces smoother filter gain changes and can be described as a `warm' mode. EQ Mode 1 is better for adding `sparkle' to the sound. Mode 3 is gives a more `open' and `big' sound.

The "Import" switch allows you to import EQ bands definition file generated by Elevayta SpaceBoy plug-in.

The "Bypass" switch button allows you to bypass the output of the equalizer, including the output gain adjustment stage. The actual processing is not stopped in the bypass mode and so the CPU usage remains the same. Please note that the state of the bypass state is not preserved between audio sessions nor is saved within the preset.

The "Invert" button inverts the gains of the filters.

The "Arrow Down" button can be used to attenuate the gains of the filters. The "Arrow Up" button amplifies the gains of the filters, doing the opposite of what the "Arrow Down" does.

This is a set of controls which affect spectrum analyzer parameters and display.

The "Blk" (block) selector specifies the block size of the built-in FFT (Fast Fourier Transform) spectrum analyzer. The more the block size the more the resolution in the lower frequency range, but less time coherence in the higher frequency end.

The "Spd" (speed) selector specifies the speed (averaging coefficient) of the spectrum analyzer. The less the speed the more latent spectrum analyzer is.

The "Export" selector specifies which shared spectrum slot the output of the spectrum analyzer goes to, additionally. If you do not plan to overlay the spectrum of the current instance of GlissEQ in other instances of GlissEQ it is suggested to leave the "Export" setting at "---" (off).

The "Overlay" block of selectors allows you to overlay (import) spectrums exported in other instances of GlissEQ. For example, this way you can overlay the spectrum of the bass drum track which can be useful if the current instance of GlissEQ was inserted on the bass track. Having bass drum track's spectrum overlayed on the bass track's spectrum allows you to equalize the bass track more precisely. The same concept applies to any types of instruments you are equalizing: seeing the spectrum of another instrument will help you to free some particular frequency ranges giving that instrument more spectral space in the mix.

The "Slope" selector allows you to adjust the spectrum analyzer display slope towards higher frequencies. This can be useful because higher frequencies are usually weaker than lower frequencies, and thus tuning them can be a difficult task. By choosing an appropriate slope setting, you can compensate for this behavior and make the spectrum plot more convenient and meaningful.

A selector on the right from the Slope selector allows you to switch between the full and bar graph display modes. Bar graph resolution options are given in octaves.

The "Weight" selector allows you to apply a weighting function over the spectrum. Such weighting can be helpful when tuning the very low and very high frequencies. "SF" mode applies weighting function introduced in Soniformer 2. "A + C" applies the A-weighting curve mixed with the C-weighting curve. "C" applies a pure C-weighting curve.

You can engage the Narrow band sweeping function by clicking the left mouse button on the control surface while holding the CTRL key. This function allows you to listen in a sweepable manner to a selectable narrow band in order to detect various sonic artifacts.

To change a knob control's value, drag it with the left mouse button and move it up or down. For finer adjustment, press the right mouse button while dragging. Double-clicking on the knob with the left mouse button will return the knob to its default position.

This picture shows control points which can be dragged with the left mouse button to adjust the filter's gain and frequency (you may additionally hold the SHIFT key to enable more precise movements). Double-clicking on a control point returns it to the 0 dB gain position. You can hold the CTRL key while dragging a point to enable its gain adjust only. Holding the ALT key while dragging a point adjusts its frequency only. Control point's position fully corresponds to the state of the filter in accordance with the color displayed on the bottom of the user interface.

If several points were selected and you double-click any of the selected points, all selected points will be reset to 0 dB.

While dragging a control point, you can adjust the filter's bandwidth by additionally holding the right mouse button. Alternatively, you can use the mouse wheel to adjust the bandwidth.

By pressing the right mouse button, you can adjust the filter type.

Pointing to a control point with the mouse cursor will cause it to be encircled with the green circle, and the corresponding filter's frequency response curve will become green.

The orange curve on the picture above shows the summary frequency response of all currently enabled filters.

You can also edit groups of control points by selecting them in a convenient manner. Just start dragging the control surface. In response to your dragging, a box will appear showing the selection area. All control points that enter this area become selected. Later you can move a group of selected points (encircled with a dashed line) like you are working with a single point. To add points to the current selection, you have to press the SHIFT key before starting to drag the control surface. To deselect the currently selected points, simply click the control surface anywhere.

This is a filter control panel. The top-left knob controls the filter's frequency. The top-right knob controls the filter's bandwidth. The bottom-left knob controls the filter's gain. The special 'Dyn' knob specifies the strength of the dynamic adjustments GlissEQ makes. If the Dyn value is 1, GlissEQ makes almost no adjustments, making a pretty ordinary filter sound. Dyn value 9 is actually an extreme setting which can give a very definitive transient emphasizing while at the same time can produce a somewhat unstable sound. Dyn value 0 completely disables the dynamic behavior.

The button on the bottom allows you to select the filter's type. Please note that low-pass and high-pass filter types are not dynamic, and they represent 4th order Butterworth filters (they are good, BTW). They were added for the sake of additional convenience during equalizing.

You can also click this filter type button with the right mouse button to switch the filter between the on and off states.

The "S" switch enables "solo" mode for the according filter. The "M" switch mutes the filter. Please note that soloing in GlissEQ does not work in the same way as in the multi-band processing plug-ins. I.e. you would not hear a band-pass filtering effect. Also note that a pressed mute switch will be unpressed whenever you start dragging according filter's point on the control surface. Muted bands are not displayed (displayed as 'Off' bands) on the frequency response plot.

The vertical meter on the right is the dynamic gain change meter for the given filter, which displays the filter's relative gain change. E.g., a fully filled meter denotes no gain change, meaning the filter is running at its full gain; a half-filled meter indicates the filter is running at half its specified gain. If the meter is almost empty (black), the filter is running at nearly 0 dB gain. In the example above, the filter is running at about -12 dB.

The Out knob controls the output signal gain. A label below the Out knob readout shows the difference (in decibels) between the input and output signals. Positive values mean that the output signal is louder than the input signal. You may click the label to reset it. A special button near the Out knob label turns red when three sequential clip incidents were detected on any output channel. Click this button to reset it to its normal state.

Pressing this button will display the plug-in's info screen. This screen shows copyright and registration information, and contains a "Help" button which opens the bundled HTML help file you are reading now.