Nomad Factory Retro EQs Bundle

The Nomad Factory Retro EQs Bundle is a collection of software equalizers that rejects the precision of clinical digital processing in favor of the rich, non-linear character of vintage passive and graphic analog hardware. This bundle is designed to be the go-to toolkit for producers seeking to inject the unmistakable warmth, punch, and musicality of 1950s and 1970s studio gear into their contemporary digital mixes.

The Legendary Pulse-Tec: Low-End Magic

The cornerstone of the bundle is the Pulse-Tec EQs v2 plugin, a faithful emulation of the legendary Pultec EQP-1A program EQ and the MEQ-5 midrange equalizer. This unit is famous not for its accuracy, but for its tonal flattery, especially on the low end.

The EQP-1A section is most renowned for the "low-end trick," which allows users to simultaneously boost and attenuate the same low-frequency band. In the analog world, the interaction of these two processes creates a unique, musical curve that results in a focused, punchy bass that retains clarity and definition—ideal for kick drums and basslines. The MEQ-5 midrange unit complements this by offering two peak boost bands and one dip attenuation band, allowing for the precise, yet still broad, sculpting of instrument fundamentals to remove boxiness or harshness.

All-Tec: The Broad Stroke of Passive EQ

The All-Tec EQs v2 plugin models hardware inspired by the Altec 9063B program EQ, known for its broad, natural-sounding curves. This EQ is the perfect counterpoint to surgical digital tools, offering musical and gentle tonal shaping that works beautifully on full mixes, sub-mixes, or individual tracks where a light touch is needed.

This plugin incorporates multiple Altec-inspired modules in one interface, including the 9067 Filter (high-pass and low-pass filters) and a graphic equalizer reminiscent of the 9062/73 models. This versatility makes it excellent for subtly shaping the tone of a master bus or adding a gentle sparkle to overheads without ever sounding harsh.

Motown Tone: The Secret Weapon

Completing the bundle are the Motown EQs v2, which emulate the ultra-rare, custom-built, passive graphic equalizers used exclusively by engineers at Motown’s Hitsville U.S.A. studios. Never commercially released, these EQs were integral to shaping the iconic sound of 1970s soul, funk, and R&B.

The Motown EQs come in two distinct modules: Music Tone (ideal for full mixes and instruments, providing punch and warmth) and Film Tone (tailored for smooth dialogue and post-production work). Their proportional Q design—where smaller adjustments are broad and larger adjustments are narrower—delivers the unmistakable, fixed-band musical curves that defined a generation of sound.

All three plugin collections in the Retro EQs Bundle V2 now feature a rewritten DSP engine and an adjustable analog circuit module that models the harmonic saturation and behavior of vintage vacuum tubes and transformers, ensuring that users not only get the frequency response of the classics, but the essential character as well.