FabFilter Pro-Q 4

FabFilter Pro-Q 4: The Standard-Setting Parametric Equalizer

FabFilter Pro-Q 4 is the equalizer most mix and mastering engineers reach for first. It builds on Pro-Q 3’s Emmy Award-winning workflow with Spectral Dynamics, EQ Sketch, Instance List and Character modes — all wrapped in the interface that made Pro-Q 3 the industry benchmark.

Dave Pensado, one of many Grammy-winning engineers who use it daily, called the Pro-Q workflow “one of the best GUIs of any EQ out there.” Pro-Q 4 doesn’t reinvent the wheel — it refines every part that already worked and adds tools nobody else has.

What’s Inside

• 24 fully configurable bands: bell, low shelf, high shelf, low cut, high cut, notch, band pass, tilt shelf and flat tilt
• Filter slopes 6 to 96 dB/octave: from gentle broadband curves to brickwall surgical cuts
• Spectral Dynamics: precise frequency-specific dynamic processing per band with attack and release controls — a genuine upgrade from Pro-Q 3’s dynamic EQ
• EQ Sketch: draw an EQ curve freehand on the interface as a starting point, then fine-tune
• Instance List: control every Pro-Q 4 in your session from one panel — global re-analysis, bypass, and comparison
• Character modes: vintage saturation and analog drift add warmth without leaving the box
• Per-band mid/side: each of the 24 bands can process left, right, mid, side or stereo independently
• Three phase modes: zero latency, Natural Phase, and Linear Phase — cleaner than Pro-Q 3 with less distortion
• Spectrum Grab: click a resonance on the analyzer and Pro-Q 4 places the notch for you
• Piano Roll display: overlay musical notes on the spectrum for tone-aware EQ work

Who Is It For?

Mix engineers use Pro-Q 4 as their default EQ on every channel and bus. Mastering engineers use it for the final tonal balance and dynamic corrections that transparent shelves alone can’t fix. Producers doing sound design use Spectrum Grab and Piano Roll to sculpt harmonics without guessing. If you make music on a computer, Pro-Q 4 earns a place in your default template.

System Requirements

• macOS 10.13 or higher, 64-bit, native Apple Silicon and Intel
• Windows 11, 10, 8 (32-bit and 64-bit)
• Formats: VST, VST3, AU, AAX, CLAP, AudioSuite
• GPU-accelerated graphics — hundreds of instances per session run smoothly

How Producers Use FabFilter Pro-Q 4

Vocal mixers use dynamic bands to duck the 2-4 kHz range only when the singer pushes, keeping presence without harshness. Trap producers cut 200-300 Hz mud on 808 loops and use Spectrum Grab to zap resonances on drum samples in seconds. Mastering engineers layer Natural Phase for the low end and Linear Phase for surgical high-mid work in the same instance. Film composers use per-band mid/side to widen strings while keeping the low end centered. See our mixing plugins collection for the full FabFilter chain.

Why Buy From VST Vault?

• Instant download: your installer email arrives within a minute of payment
• Mac and Windows: both installers, one purchase
• Priced in pounds: no exchange rate guesswork
• Real support: replies within six hours on both email and WhatsApp
• 3-day refund: if the plugin doesn’t work and we can’t fix it

Frequently Asked Questions

Is Pro-Q 4 worth upgrading from Pro-Q 3?

If you use dynamic EQ often, yes — Spectral Dynamics with attack/release controls is a real workflow gain over Pro-Q 3’s auto-only dynamic bands. If you never touch dynamic EQ and you’re happy with Pro-Q 3, the upgrade is optional. Pro-Q 3 still works and FabFilter still supports it.

What DAWs does Pro-Q 4 work in?

Any DAW that hosts VST, VST3, AU, AAX or CLAP. That includes FL Studio, Ableton Live, Logic Pro, Cubase, Studio One, Pro Tools and Reaper. Native Apple Silicon build on Mac, so no Rosetta needed on M-series machines.

How many bands does Pro-Q 4 have?

Up to 24 bands per instance. Each band can be static or dynamic, and each band’s slope adjusts from 6 dB per octave up to a brickwall 96 dB per octave. That covers everything from broad tonal shaping to surgical resonance removal.

Pair Pro-Q 4 with the FabFilter Total Bundle for a complete signal chain.