This table shows which plugin formats are available on each platform :
| OS | x86 (32-bit) | x64 (64-bit) | arm64 (Apple Silicon) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Windows 7+ | VST3 | VST3, AAX* | / |
| MacOS 10.9+ | / | VST3, AU, AAX* | VST3, AU |
| Debian 10+ and derived |
VST3 | VST3 | / |
*Pro Tools 10.3.5+
You need a compatible host software to use this plugin. Please refer to the documentation of your host software to know if it's compatible. If your software only supports VST2, then it's not compatible (Audacity, OBS...). Unfortunately, VST2 is being deprecated and new developers aren't allowed to distribute them.
Close your host software before starting the installation.
Run the installer and follow the instructions.
Note that this installer isn't properly signed yet. That's why Windows will show you an "unknown publisher" warning before running it. Just make sure you downloaded this plugin from bertomaudio.com (and Gumroad) and you'll be fine.
If you have an internet connection, the installer will automatically download and install missing Microsoft dependencies (or update them). If you don't or if your computer prevents it, you will need to install the corresponding (x86 and/or x64) Microsoft Visual C++ Redistributable 2015-2022 manually before installing the plugin.
If the plugin doesn’t show up in your host software, make sure that it is actually scanning the correct folder. Please refer to the documentation and settings of your host software.
Just run the uninstaller from the list of installed programs. Don't uninstall the Microsoft Visual C++ Redistributable unless you know what you're doing. It is needed by a lot of software.
For your information, this is where the actual plugin files are installed :
| VST3 32-bit | C:\Program Files (x86)\Common Files\VST3 |
| VST3 64-bit | C:\Program Files\Common Files\VST3 |
| AAX | C:\Program Files\Common Files\Avid\Audio\Plug-Ins |
Run the pkg installer and follow the instructions.
Remove the plugin file(s) from your plugins folder(s) :
| VST3 | Macintosh HD/Library/Audio/Plug-Ins/VST3 |
| AU | Macintosh HD/Library/Audio/Plug-Ins/Components |
| AAX | Macintosh HD/Library/Application Support/Avid/Audio/Plug-Ins |
Note that these are in the system Library folder, not the user one!
Run the installer script from the terminal : sh install.sh
Do NOT directly copy the plugin files unless you know what you're doing. The table below shows where the plugin can be installed, but note that your host software may need it's plugin path to be manually set.
| User specific | $HOME/.vst3 |
| System wide | /usr/local/lib/vst3 |
Before 1.3.5, almost all variants of this plugin had different filenames (64-bit, 32-bit, and specific CPU features) but it caused some issues in a couple of DAWs that rely on filenames to differentiate plugins (not being able to share projects between different variants). Version 1.3.5 uses the same filename for all variants of the plugin.
Only if you're on Windows and if your DAW is one of those that rely on plugins filenames, you may not be able to load older projects!
An obvious workaround would be to rename the new plugin file to match the previous one, but keep in mind that you would then need to rename this file everytime you update the plugin.
EQ Curve Analyzer needs at least two instances of itself to work. One before the effect(s) you want to analyze will send a test signal, and the other at the end of your chain will analyze the modified signal. Just make sure these two instances are in the same "Group".
Note that it is not possible to use a plugin while you're analyzing it! The analysis is completely isolated between the two instances of EQ Curve Analyzer : the first one has no audio input, and the second one no output. You won't hear anything during the analysis.
All you need to do is to "sandwhich" it between two instances on the same track and with "Auto" mode enabled. "Auto" mode will automatically set the instances as a generator or an analyzer depending on their order in the chain, and will synchronize them for phase response analysis.
The only difference here is that you'll have to manually set the latency in order to synchronize the generator signal and the analyzer, and to see a meaningful phase response. When there is latency in the chain, you'll first see a sawtooth-like phase response : this is the frequency domain representation of a delay. The most consistent way to set this up is to gradually increase the "Latency" parameter until the phase curve is as simple as possible.
Why not an automatic latency detection? Unfortunately, a perfect solution seems impossible because of the limitations of the plugin formats themself. Even a single sample of latency translates to a 180° phase shift at Nyquist so an approximation isn't enough to get a good phase response representation without any user input.
This is the resolution of the analysis (the "FFT size" = 2order). There is a trade-off between frequency resolution and temporal resolution :
All EQ Curve Analyzer instances can share parameters. If they are set to the same group number, many parameters are linked between them, so they can stay calibrated to each other. Groups are useful if you want to use multiple instances pairs at the same time.
The "Underlay" parameter enables to display the current analysis data of another group of instances. It's value is the number of the other group you want to see. For example, if you analyse a plugin using group 1, and another one using group 2, you can see the two of them in the group 2 analyzer instance by setting it's "Underlay" parameter to 1.
You'll need two tracks with one EQ Curve Analyzer instance on each :
"Auto" mode won't work here and the plugin won't be able to see which instance should be the generator/analyzer. You'll need to disable the "Auto" mode and to set the instances as a generator or an analyzer manually. "Auto" mode works by keeping track of the order of execution of the instances. Unfortunately, there is no garantee about it between different tracks, it depends entirely on the DAW.
Finally, set the latency just like you would for a plugin. Note that since "Auto" is off, you're not only reporting the latency of your interface but also compensating to synchronize the two instances of EQ Curve Analyzer. Don't overthink it : just increase the "Latency" parameter until the phase curve is as simple as possible.