RA Tickets ↗
[05.02] — VST3 Plug-in

Sidestep
EQ

v1.1.0 · Open Beta

An EQ with per-band sidechain ducking built in. Up to 24 bands, smart duck per band, built-in compressor with vintage character. Built for modern electronic music production.

All Plugins ↗
FormatVST3
PlatformmacOS M1+ (ARM64)
Version1.1.0 Beta
BandsUp to 24
SidechainPer-band sidechain duck
ExtrasBuilt-in compressor · vintage character
PriceFree — Open Beta
ByFunk De Nacht · Amsterdam
Sidestep EQ — dark theme

Sidestep EQ v1.1.0 · macOS

[F] — Features
[01]
⊻

Per-band Duck

Sidechain ducking applied individually per EQ band — surgical and fast. Duck exactly the frequencies that need space when the kick hits, leave the rest untouched.

[02]
≋

24 Bands

Up to 24 fully parametric EQ bands with peak, shelf, and cut filter types. Hyper-precise frequency sculpting for both mix correction and creative shaping.

[03]
◈

Built-in Comp

Integrated compressor with optional vintage character mode. One plugin handles EQ, ducking, and dynamics — fewer inserts, cleaner signal chain.

[04]
∿

Linear Phase

Switch to linear-phase mode for zero phase distortion. True latency is reported to your DAW automatically — no manual delay compensation needed.

[05]
⇆

Auto Gain

Perceived loudness stays constant as you sculpt the curve — no more A/B volume tricks. Compare EQ decisions honestly, not loudness.

[06]
◎

Vintage Mode

Adds controlled analogue warmth and harmonic colour. Fully level-matched so toggling it is a pure character comparison — nothing else changes.

[H] — How to Use
Sidestep EQ layout Header on top, spectrum graph, bottom bar with EQ BAND, DUCK, COMPRESSOR and OUTPUT sections, and a chip row at the bottom. SIDESTEP EQ undo redo A | B Copy Preset Save Reset Audio From: — Settings Bands Sketch Grab Match Cross Inst Pre Post Ref 50100250 1k4k12k EQ BAND DUCK COMPRESSOR OUTPUT Shape Stereo Smart Duck Freq Gain Q Sync | Audio | MIDI Depth Freq. Band Thr Snap Recover Squeeze Advanced Pan Out Mono Delta Auto Gain Bypass L/R | M/S Auto level Latency Analyzer MIDI Learn Piano Phase Inv Vintage 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8
  1. 1 Header: A/B compare and preset controls.
  2. 2 Undo/redo and copy between A and B slots.
  3. 3 Preset: save, load and reset your settings.
  4. 4 Audio From: set the sidechain/reference input.
  5. 5 Graph: drag nodes to set frequency and gain per band.
  6. 6 EQ BAND panel: selected band's shape, smart duck, freq/gain/Q.
  7. 7 DUCK panel: trigger source, depth and frequency range.
  8. 8 Chip row: Mid/Side, Auto level, Vintage and more.
[01]
Add a band

Double-click anywhere on the graph. A node appears — drag it left/right to set frequency, up/down to set gain. The EQ BAND card below shows its values live.

[02]
Duck with a kick

Enable DUCK and pick the trigger — Sync follows host tempo; Audio listens to your sidechain. Set Audio From in the header to the kick track, then shape the duck depth and curve.

[03]
Smart Duck a band

Select a band, switch Smart Duck on, set Audio From to a vocal or reference. That band dips only when the ref is loud — everything else holds.

[04]
Compressor

Enable COMPRESSOR, dial Thr, Snap and Recover. Add Squeeze for density. The Advanced tab holds the full detail controls.

[05]
Vintage character

Press Vintage in the chip row for Focus, Heat, Drift and Pultec-style shelves. Auto Gain keeps the comparison level-matched so you hear colour, not volume.

[06]
Presets & A/B

Save and recall settings from the preset box in the header. A/B lets you compare two states instantly — Copy duplicates the current state into the other slot.

Install
Beta

v1.1.0 · macOS ARM64 · VST3

[01]

Download and unzip Sidestep-EQ-1.1.0-beta-macOS-arm64.zip

[02]

Move Sidestep EQ.vst3 to ~/Library/Audio/Plug-Ins/VST3/

[03]

Open your DAW and rescan plug-ins. Sidestep EQ appears under Funk De Nacht.

[04]

If macOS blocks the plug-in: System Settings → Privacy & Security → Allow.

Checksum (SHA-256): download .sha256 ↗
Issues or feedback? Contact us — open beta means your input shapes the release.

[T] — Sound Quality Tests
92
Signal-path checks passed
96
Plug-in host checks passed
0
Failures
Smooth parameter moves — knob changes never click or buzz−94.44 dBPASS
Same sound at any buffer size — 32 to 4096 samples−200 dBPASS
Linear phase — true latency reported, phase intact0.00 samplesPASS
Auto Gain — loudness stays steady across curve changes0.32 LUPASS
Bypass and null accuracy — bypassed output equals input−145.81 dBPASS
Vintage & analog modes — controlled warmth, level-matched0 violationsPASS
Stability — extreme settings and NaN input produce no bad output0 samplesPASS
Clean bass while ducking — fast duck curve adds minimal artifacts−30.82 dBWARN*

* Fast duck-curve edges are intentional — the warn threshold is met, no failures. Full test specification ↗

Compatibility & Notes

DAW Compatibility

Ableton Live 11+, Logic Pro 10.7+, Reaper 6+. Other VST3 hosts should work.

CPU & Latency

Zero-latency EQ mode. Compressor adds <1ms look-ahead. Typical load: <2% per instance on Apple M2.

Known Limitations

Beta: no presets yet. Sidechain source must be on a separate track in your DAW. Intel Macs not supported in v1.1.

Roadmap

Preset browser, AU format, Windows VST3, Intel support planned. Tell us what you need.