Channel tunnel
Pro-Q 3 waves its arms at movie and videogame producers with support for surround formats up to Dolby Atmos 7.1.2. With the plugin loaded on a surround channel, the output meters expand accordingly, and the Stereo panel for each band allows selection of individual or multiple channels for processing, while also retaining the Left/Right/Mid/Side options for each one.
While we’re talking about stereo processing, although Pro-Q 2 could be flipped between global left/right or mid/side processing, Pro-Q 3 offers the same choice on a per-band basis. Therefore, using a single instance, you could, for example add top-end air to the sides of a frequency-rich pad and centralise an off-centre mid-range component.
Pro-Q 2’s eight filter types are joined by Flat Tilt – a full-frequency linear tilting EQ – and the Low and High Cut filters now include a super steep Brickwall Slope. Spectrum Grab and EQ Match have been enhanced, too, with frequency/ note labels attached to the most prominent peaks in the former, and matching to the output of another Pro-Q 3 instance for the latter. And finally, the EQ panel now affords access to the Shape and Band menus, and incorporates Bypass and Delete buttons; and the Band menu sees the addition of an Invert Gain function.
Pro, no cons
Pro-Q 3 represents almost as monolithic a milestone as its predecessor did at the time with its gamechanging Spectrum Grab. The new Dynamic EQ mode, collision detection feature and per-band stereo configuration make this a must-upgrade for any serious mixing and/or mastering engineer already toting v2, while surround support will endear it greatly to media producers. And for those who don’t own a previous version, Pro-Q 3 is unarguably one of the finest EQ plugins around, whether it’s for getting surgical on individual instruments within a mix, massaging a master or anything in between. Outstanding.