EQ SITRAL-295

Transistor Tone Sweetener

EQ SITRAL-295 is a highly musical equalizer effect based on an elusive transistor broadcast console, known for its warm, characterful sound. Bring out the energy in your EQ with an injection of vintage sweetness and analog attitude in equal measure.

Instant Hi-Fi Sound

Some see the humble EQ as a go-to mix fixer; a repair tool to fill any gaps in your sound.

We see it as a vital ingredient to any sonic recipe, and one that deserves an identity of its own. It’s not just about how you use your EQ - a boost here, a cut there - it’s about the EQ you choose.

EQ SITRAL-295 is an equalizer designed to make sound-shaping interesting, faithfully modelled after the classic Siemens Sitral modules and reimagined for modern production. From delicate tweaks to bold frequency carving, it’s designed to enliven your stems, bus tracks, and final mixes alike with precision, confidence, and charm.

When it comes to EQ, give your production the class it deserves; stunning broadcast-quality presence, immersive stereo depth, and the delicate harmonic crunch that only analog gear can invoke.

Immediate Presence

A couple of quick tweaks will make any sound bigger, brighter, and bolder in the mix, thanks to EQ SITRAL-295’s distinctly soulful response - or whack it on your stereo master bus for a pristine final touch - you’ll be amazed at the difference.

Authentic Analog Character

Grainy, warm, responsive, dynamic; all of the sonic qualities that make classic studio gear so appealing and respected, in your DAW and just a click away. Our detailed component-level emulation captures every drop of analog flavour for your production.

Immediate Controls

Rather than spend ages carefully dialling in frequencies, take bold leaps with stepped parameters, authentically based on the Siemens Sitral consoles’ notched controls - or you can make them continuous if you’d prefer.

Stereo Customization

Enjoy bespoke stereo enhancement with dual channels that can be assigned to left and right or used for mid-side EQ processing - ensuring every frequency is on point across the stereo field. EQ SITRAL-295 can also run in mono for that focused, retro effect.

Vintage EQ Made Easy

Combining multiple broadcast modules of ‘70s German origin into a single plugin, EQ SITRAL-295 lets you enjoy instant access to a timeless studio sound, simmering with transistor warmth, and capable of hi-fi equalization to whatever degree of detail you need - clean, precise, simple, and beautiful. It doesn’t end there though; a number of enhanced new features ensure that this EQ surpasses the capabilities of its broadcast console predecessor.

High Pass - Based on the Siemens Sitral W293 Remove the rumble, build your pre-drop tension, or give the higher frequencies a bit of space with a gentle high pass curve, with cutoff ranging from 20-320Hz. Wherever you set it, it retains clarity and character.

Low Pass - Based on the Siemens Sitral W294 A smooth, pumping low pass from 22kHz down to 1400Hz - in removing the high end, it subtly accentuates EQ SITRAL-295’s transistor distortion, for an irresistibly bubbly sound that remains full of musicality and depth.

Mid-Side Processing - Clicking the additional ‘M/S’ button transforms EQ SITRAL-295’s L/R stereo configuration into a mid-side processing tool, letting you tweak the middle and sides of your mix separately. Brighten your widespread synth pads, add presence to your central main vocal without affecting your double-tracked guitars, and anything in between - literally!

EQ Module - Based on the Siemens Sitral W295b At the core of EQ SITRAL-295 is a beautifully simple EQ module with 4 main controls: low shelf gain, high shelf gain, and the distinct ‘Präsenz’ bell filter frequency and gain. Adjust your shelf cutoff frequencies, flick the controls, and enjoy effortlessly rich EQ enhancement. Add crispness to guitars, air to vocals, and weight to your drum bus in just a few clicks.

Range Knob - Make sweeping adjustments to your soundscape or soften the effect of EQ SITRAL-295’s enhancements for a more measured approach. The range knob attenuates the effect’s overall response proportionally: the default setting, 1, is everything at full power. It then works its way downwards through 0.75, 0.50, and 0.25.

Charakter - We spent countless hours perfectly recreating the sonic response of the original hardware, ensuring absolute authenticity - but that wasn’t enough. We added an ‘Alternative’ mode, offering a more contemporary overall sound with a touch more crunch and compression.

Spectrum Analyzer - While there’s a certain charm to EQing without an analyzer, having the option doesn’t do any harm. EQ SITRAL-295’s spectrum analyzer can be displayed by clicking the corresponding button at the top of the interface, showing your EQ curves in real-time, and colour-coded according to your chosen settings.

Preset Library - EQ SITRAL-295 is an equalizer with attitude, there’s no doubt - but sometimes, you do need a quick fix. A vocal boost, a guitar softener, some extra presence on your drum overheads. Fear not: a handy selection of presets, crafted by expert engineers and sound designers, provides you with every sonic shortcut in the book, and a few extras along the way.

Continuous Controls - Part of EQ SITRAL-295’s charm is its stepped control panel, letting you adjust your sound in bold chunks. But for the discerning producer or engineer who likes to mix between the lines, we added the option of continuous controls for tweaking the finer details. The choice is yours.

Past and Präsenz

In ‘70s Germany, Siemens introduced a selection of fully-discrete Class-a equalizer modules, designed alongside other modules as part of the larger Siemens Sitral broadcast consoles.

At a time when radio was accessible, exciting, and in some ways the dominant form of mainstream media, broadcasters were always looking for ways to refine the quality of their sound.

These transistor-based units offered a warm, sweet output, typically characteristic of the sound of the era - but they also featured surprisingly top-notch specifications, and it wasn’t long before word reached the recording studios.

As it happens, technology was moving quickly at the time, and radio stations and broadcast companies started looking to upgrade their gear. For music producers and engineers, it was the perfect opportunity. The Siemens Sitral consoles were snapped up and became the new recording go-to; Europe’s answer to the renowned Pultec® and Neve® consoles of the time.

In the decades since, these timeless modules became part of recording history. After leaving a lasting mark on the audio world, they were gradually retired, dismantled, and lost to the elusive world of vintage gear - so the chance to resurrect them in software form was irresistible.

EQ SITRAL-295 is designed to combine several of these modules into a single broad equalizer plugin, without detracting from the original unit’s simplicity. The behaviour of every component is accurately reproduced using proprietary modelling technology, ensuring the most detailed & faithful sound - and an audio experience that’s unlike anything else.

A Plugin You Can Count On

EQ SITRAL-295 is designed to make mixing, mastering, and creative sound design accessible and enjoyable for everyone - no technical knowledge required.

• In-App Tutorials - Every plugin in FX Collection comes with built-in tutorials, guiding you step-by-step through the crucial parameters, adjustments, and mixing hacks to get the most out of your sound. The tutorial panel also explains the controls you’re using in real-time - so you’ll never miss a tweak.
• ASC - Arturia Software Center lets you download, organize, and update all of your Arturia software titles in one place, as well as manage all of your licenses across multiple devices. Keep it simple.
• DAW Ready - However you use these plugins; for the amazing tone of their reverb, for the gritty preamps, or for their incredible sound design abilities, you'll be safe in the knowledge that they are fully compatible with your setup. These plugins work with all major DAWs, and on both Windows and macOS.
• Preset Browser - FX Collection’s streamlined preset browser lets you filter, organize, and save your favourite presets for instant recall. Search by instrument type, genre, production technique, and much more - so you can quickly find the tweak you need and save valuable creative time!
• Resizable GUI - Whether you want the full visual immersion of our classic effects emulations, or to save precious screen real estate, the interfaces for all of your Arturia plugins can be resized to a scale that suits you.
• Real-Time Control - Every parameter in every FX Collection plugin can be mapped to your favourite MIDI controller for an instant, hands-on control of your mix. Sweep a filter, crank a preamp, or warp your modulation on the fly.

Features

• Faithful recreation of coveted ‘70s German EQ modules
• Variable High and Low pass filters
• 3-position High and Low Shelf filters
• Semi-parametric Presence (Bell) filter
• M/S mode option
• Auto-gain compensation
• Range factor control
• Alternate transformer signature
• Optional stepped controls
• Spectrum analyser display
• Resizable window
• Integrated tutorials
• Broad selection of presets for mixing and mastering

System Requirements

• Works in Standalone, VST, AAX, Audio Unit, NKS (64-bit DAWs only).

Mac

• Mac OS 10.13+
• 4 GB RAM
• 4 cores CPU, 3.4 GHz (4.0 GHz Turbo-boost) or Apple Silicon CPU
• 1GB free hard disk space
• OpenGL 2.0 compatible GPU

Windows

• Win 10+ (64bit)
• 4 GB RAM
• 4 cores CPU, 3.4 GHz (4.0 GHz Turbo-boost)
• 1GB free hard disk space
• OpenGL 2.0 compatible GPU
• ARM processors not supported on Windows

Protection

All Arturia software is protected by the Arturia Software Center.