Airwindows has released ToneSlant, a new free mastering grade very low Q tilt EQ plug-in for Mac OS X and Windows in AU and VST plug-in formats.
ToneSlant is based on a variation on the Average concept. It's the tail end of the 'averaged samples block' that causes the cancellation node. ToneSlant implements a much bigger sample block (100 taps) but linearly fades the samples off between the first and last sample in the block.
What that does, is produce an extremely transparent 'tilt EQ' with a controllable corner point. And, it's implemented in such a way that you can set it to null out (at extreme high boosts) and then bring in only the brightest highs (shown in the video below).
The main uses are:
- Extremely low Q treble rolloff above a set point (with a fixed dB/oct).
- That, plus you bring in the dry signal by not putting the Highs to an extreme (it's like a positive/negative wet/dry/wet, but that doesn't fit on the label, especially for VST).
- Total cancellation with Taps at 1 and Highs at +1, and then you put Taps to just barely greater than 1 and you can have a very natural high-shelf controllable with the Highs control.
These come out of the algorithm: the reason it performs so well sonically is both the extremely low Q and the simplicity of the algorithm. Not everything Airwindows makes belongs in a mastering studio, but ToneSlant is peculiarly suited to that use: it's like those specialty EQs that have very few parts and impart no color to the sound. You should be careful applying ToneSlant, because it 'hides' and tries not to be apparent as EQ. Use it as such, when you need perhaps a strong 'tilt' but don't want the result to sound equalized.
