PCEQ5 is Psycho Circuitry’s new five-band analog-inspired EQ, offering all the essentials expected from an EQ and more.
Equalizers are the backbone of any mixing project, providing the control and precision needed to make your mix shine. PCEQ5, with its analog flavor, adds an extra layer of versatility and power to your toolkit.
Psycho Circuitry’s new plugin, PCEQ5, is just at that point, which is why it caught my eye. The 5-band analog-inspired EQ comes in two versions: the PCEQ5+, which is the paid version and has slightly more features, and the PCEQ5, which has the same technology but is lighter on features.
So, let me start with the PCEQ5+. It features high and low shelves, along with three bell filters. It also comes with switchable active or passive filter shapes and adjustable Q, frequency, and gain. Furthermore, it has 3 high and low pass filters with 6, 12, and resonant 12 selections.
What I also liked is that the developer added per-band stereo separation control, per-band feedback loop distortion send, and a feedback distortion section that simulates active EQ nonlinearities, with HPF/LPF to shape into your sound.
Another good addition, in my opinion, is the output stage, which has tube or solid-state models, as well as drive and blend controls. The Auto-Gain is also good for additional adjustments when needed.
As you can see, the full version has many controls on top of a classic EQ. However, the free version does not stay back. It only lacks the per-band stereo separation, per-band feedback send, and feedback filter. Another difference is that the free version only has a single output stage and only 6 and 12 HPF/LPF options. So, the difference between the two is not that big.
I tested the plugin with bass, drum, and guitar partitions. Overall, the results were pretty satisfying. The plugin generally acts subtly on your tones but can reach radical levels when you play with the control on the output stage.
Another thing I enjoyed was the fact that the plugin does not cramp at all, even with oversampling off. This is an issue even with the high-end paid plugins, but this one does not suffer from it.
The user interface is also pretty clear and basic without getting things too complicated. As you may know, I like it when things are clear and straightforward, so the workflow was pretty simple and fast.
I like that Psycho Circuitry always adds a demo and a theory video to their plugins. Here, they explain how the EQ’s A/B works in action. If you want to learn a bit more about the magic behind it, check it out.
As Psycho Circuitry has now been notarized by Apple, the installation process is also quite easy. You just download the file from the official website of Psycho Circuitry, and the installer will take care of the rest.
For the free version, you do not need to subscribe, and you can directly download the file. For the paid version, which is priced at $8 as the introductory price until May 19, you have to enter your email and subscribe to pay and download the file. After that date, the plugin will be sold for $49.
I think this is a pretty good EQ to have in your collection and use in some projects. As it is free and the file is pretty small, I recommend you just download and try it in some of your mixes, regardless of the genre.
Psycho Circuitry PCEQ5 is available in AU and VST3 formats for Mac and Windows users.
Berk is a multi-instrumentalist musician from Istanbul, Turkey. He has been playing guitar, handpan, and percussion for over ten years, developing a sound that blends melodic sensitivity with rhythmic depth.
He began his musical journey as a teenager, learning guitar and performing in several bands. In 2016, he discovered the handpan, an instrument that immediately resonated with him on a deeper level and gradually became central to his artistic identity.
Since then, he has performed in streets, festivals, bars, and concert venues across different countries, connecting with diverse audiences through both intimate and large-scale performances.
Alongside his live work, Berk is deeply involved in studio production. He works from his home studio, where he composes, records, and produces his own music. His studio serves as a creative space for layering handpan, guitar, and percussion with modern production techniques, allowing him to shape fully realized, atmospheric compositions from start to finish.
His music explores a wide range of genres and textures, combining organic acoustic instruments with detailed studio production to create immersive and expressive soundscapes.