MTurboEQ - only $9

[Marc Cormier]

MTurboEQ

12 vintage-style equalizers in one plugin

MTurboEQ is a unique vintage-style equalizer inspired by most of the well-known classic hardware. It's not one of them, it's all of them! For quick and easy equalization with pristine results.

https://www.meldaproduction.com/MTurboEQ

[Starship Krupa]

No secret that I really like MeldaProduction's products and business policies.

Here's my review of MTurboEQ:

I've had MTurboEQ for years and I still haven't used it on any project.

Using Plugin Doctor, I was able to use MEQualizer (from the FreeFX bundle) to dial in the same curve, took me about 5 minutes from starting Plugin Doctor.

The Saturation knobs do the same thing, the "Analog" control on MTurboEQ brings up the noise floor a tiny bit, and that's about it.

The big difference between them in practical use is that MEQualizer is much more versatile.🤨

(Unless you have FabFilter Pro-Q, I suggest spending some time exploring the features of MEQualizer. When it comes to performing tonal surgery, it does things I've never seen in another manufacturer's EQ, most notably the harmonics feature)

What it looks like is that they used MEQualizer as a starting point, then made "devices" (Melda's term for simplified GUI's) that mimic the control layouts of various classic hardware units. This is more apparent if you go into MTurboEQ's settings and disable "custom GUI for devices," which does away with the skeuomorphic UI's and exposes the controls.

If it were possible to create devices and custom GUI's in MEQualizer, MTurboEQ would be entirely superfluous. It's really just MEQualizer with "devices," and as is the case with any "device" in MeldaProduction's plug-ins, they are subsets of the plug-in's features, designed to simplify the use of the program by hiding certain controls and overlaying a more familiar interface.

They don't sonically emulate the hardware they imitate, they only vaguely copy the front panel controls. They admit as much in the ad copy on the website.

So unless you're trying to leverage your way into the MMixingFX, MMasteringFX, MTotalFX, or MComplete bundles, skip it. That would be the only reason to drop the $9, unless you'd pay $9 to add custom GUI devices to MEQualizer.

[Marc Cormier]

4 hours ago, Starship Krupa said:

No secret that I really like MeldaProduction's products and business policies.

Here's my review of MTurboEQ:

 

If I'm gonna get schooled, this exactly how I want it!!!!  Thanks, Starship - this is good info.

[Starship Krupa]

To be honest, outside the upgraded FreeFX bundle the MEssentialsFX bundle, there aren't too many I'd miss. MRhythmizer is a great glitching effect and MDrumLeveler is a unique processor. I'd not want to be without those. The linear phase EQ's, freeform EQ's, if theirs didn't exist I'd use someone else's. MDynamics and MModernCompressor have that psychoacoustic detector that I like.

Still, over 50 plug-ins that I'd not wish to be without.

[Brian Walton]

I also don't use this one for similar reasons but hope that one day it gets features added and a facelift and redesign on the modules.  So it could be a $9 gamble for some.

That said, Toneboosters EQ pro seems like the better option to put money towards for actual usage.  

 

[dubdisciple]

My Pro's for buying:

Melda products almost always punch above their weight class. 

Great price 

I have achieved curves  almost identical to much costlier products

 

My Con's against buying:

The controls are not 1:1 emulation of controls of products emulated.  

Odds are good you have similar emulations already

A value isn't a value if you don't actually use it

I'm pretty sure this plugin is the core Melda algorithm re-skinned out of tongue and cheek spite. The founder's interviews and comments about emulation makes me think he's not a fan. 

There is not a setting that cannot be nulled in mautodynamic eq

[Magic Russ]

On 1/26/2025 at 9:14 PM, Starship Krupa said:

To be honest, outside the upgraded FreeFX bundle the MEssentialsFX bundle, there aren't too many I'd miss. MRhythmizer is a great glitching effect and MDrumLeveler is a unique processor. I'd not want to be without those. The linear phase EQ's, freeform EQ's, if theirs didn't exist I'd use someone else's. MDynamics and MModernCompressor have that psychoacoustic detector that I like.

Still, over 50 plug-ins that I'd not wish to be without.

MTurboDelay is the effect of theirs I use most.  There's very little in the way of delays that it doesn't do.  There aren't a lot of things that do what MRhythmizer does either.

 

 

[Brian Walton]

1 hour ago, Magic Russ said:

MTurboDelay is the effect of theirs I use most.  There's very little in the way of delays that it doesn't do.  There aren't a lot of things that do what MRhythmizer does either.

 

 

I use the turbo reverb the most.  

I have difficulty getting the turbo delay to act and sound like a guitar pedal delay or the binson echrec.  It seems like the UI isn't well thought out for those of us coming from guitar pedal land.

[Magic Russ]

I like it a lot for post-rock type delays with a bit of modulation, as well as rhythmic delays.  I also can get a cool fake chorus sound out of it.  I don't remember if it does a Binson but for a blurry delay I go with the oilcan echo from Echoes anyway.  It also gets into some of the sounds Objeq Delay does, although I think that one is easier to use.

There are a lot of cool models in it and a few that just sound metallic or overly distorted.  There's a lot to figure out in that one.  I'll confess that many times I'll choose a simpler delay like Replika or Echoes to avoid option paralysis.  

[Starship Krupa]

21 hours ago, Magic Russ said:

There aren't a lot of things that do what MRhythmizer does either

Supposedly it clones an FL Studio effect called Gross Beat. So you can do what Gross Beat does in hosts other than FL Studio.

There are starting to be some more, but yeah, for a long time it was MRhythmizer and Stutter Edit.

Cableguys TimeShaper appears to have a similar function?

Option paralysis is a hallmark of multiple MeldaProduction products, including MTurboDelay.

[Starship Krupa]

On 1/27/2025 at 2:12 PM, dubdisciple said:

There is not a setting that cannot be nulled in mautodynamic eq

I don't think you'd even need MAutodynamicEQ to get it to null. Every control except for the "analog" knob is covered by MEqualizer, which is free to use.

The "analog" knob seems to add a tiny bit of noise, so if you really wanted to nail it, I suppose you might also need MNoiseGenerator, another freebie.

A more honest, straightforward way to deliver this plugin would be to just take MEqualizer, stick a couple more features on it, for instance modulators and the noise generator, maybe make it an 8 band EQ, and the 10 devices.

MDeluxeEqualizer. It could go with my other fantasy MeldaProduction product, MDeluxeCompressor.

Here's what their ad copy says about MTurboEQ:

Quote

There is no doubt, that you could do 99.9999% of the sound of any analog equalizer using a versatile parametric equalizer, such as MAutoDynamicEq. It's just frequencies and curves after all, there's no hidden magic.

And:

Quote

All models in MTurboEQ have pretty much the same user interface and features.

So what they're selling is a set of 12 "devices" for MEqualizer, but without access to the features that make MEqualizer such a powerhouse. The work put into MTurboEQ would have been better spent adding the 12 devices to MAutoDynamicEQ.

I don't know who would want MTurboEQ. People who dig analog mojo and workflow aren't attracted to Melda products. Other companies (IK Multimedia, UAD) already have that covered, and they do a great job. Isn't T-RackS on sale right now for about $60? T-RackS looks so great, is such eye candy that sometimes I substitute with a T-RackS EQ or compressor just to have that pretty UI in my project. Also, their implementation of M/S is easier to operate than MeldaProduction's.

[dubdisciple]

@Starship Krupa that is why i think the product was kind of a friendly spite offering.  The one thing that would give this the most value is if the interfaces worked exactly like the products being emulated. 

[Starship Krupa]

17 hours ago, dubdisciple said:

@Starship Krupa that is why i think the product was kind of a friendly spite offering.  The one thing that would give this the most value is if the interfaces worked exactly like the products being emulated. 

It wouldn't hurt to give it an "Edit" button, with a good, full-featured MeldaProduction parametric EQ underneath.

So you think Vojtech was taking the pi55 with MTurboEQ? I hadn't considered that, but yeah, given what longtime readers of the MeldaProduction forum remember about his public statements regarding things like this, it's either a goof or a capitulation.

Maybe someone at the parent company was pressuring him and this is what he came up with to shut them up.😄

"MTurboComp is great, how about the same thing with an EQ? People say your stuff sounds good but they can't get past the UI."

"It's an EQ, there's nothing more to it than a collection of filters in a box. All of our EQ's already have saturation, even the free one."

"Pleeeeeeeeeease?"

"Okay, if you'll be quiet and leave us alone."

If anyone wants this sort of EQ, save your $9, go to IK Multimedia and get any flavor of T-RackS 6. Right now, the standard version is $50, the MAX version is $80, and the Intro version is free.

They all come with Classic Equalizer, which is what MTurboEQ says it's trying to be.

Edited 11 hours ago by Starship Krupa