Dual curve equalizer · Six bands v1.0.5

RSL Paradox

Tight lows and open highs from one EQ move.

RSL Paradox boosts and attenuates at the same frequency, the classic passive EQ move, on six bands from LOW to AIR. One SHAPE control changes how every curve behaves.

Buy for $69 Try free for 30 days

$69 founders’ price through 30 November, then $99. Version 1.0.5.

macOS: Audio Unit, VST3, AAX and Standalone. Windows: VST3 and Standalone. Activates through RSL Hub on up to 4 computers.

On an ordinary equalizer a boost and a cut at the same frequency cancel out. Here they are two curves, so turning both up shapes the band instead.

Hear it before and after

Each clip runs dry, then through one factory preset. Both sides are matched in loudness, so what changes is the shape, not the volume. Flip the switch while it plays.

Preset Kick Knock

0:000:11

Kick Kick Knock

Before

After

Drum bus Drum Bus Weight

Before

After

808 Small Speaker Bite

Before

After

Mix bus Low End Master

Before

After

From beats produced by Mev. Rendered with the plugin’s own engine, version 1.0.5.

The low-end trick, on every band.

Engineers have leaned on the boost-and-cut trick for decades, but only on the low and high sections of the hardware. Paradox gives the pair of curves to all six bands, each with its own BOOST and ATTENUATE, and the graph draws exactly what the audio is doing.

GAIN MATCH trims the output to what the curves add, so a boost is judged on its shape, not on being louder.

The RSL Paradox graph: amber boost, blue cut and the white net curve

6Dual curve bands, LOW to AIR

4SHAPE stops, continuous between

15dB of boost and of cut, on every band

59New presets, voiced on real vocals, drums, bass, 808s and mixes

One knob, four equalizers

SHAPE decides how every band’s boost and cut sit against each other. Turn it and the whole equalizer re-voices while your amounts stay where they are. These are the same settings at each stop.

Weight against clarity
Classic

The passive trick: the boost lifts underneath while the cut opens a dip just above it, so the low end gets tighter instead of just bigger.
A point of emphasis
Focus

A narrow lift with its surroundings pulled back, so one frequency steps forward without the region around it getting louder.
Brighter above, leaner below
Tilt

The boost and the cut lean apart around the frequency, tipping the band rather than lifting it.
A lift with a notch in it
Hollow

A broad lift with a notch in the middle of it: Focus turned inside out.

Around the faceplate

From INPUT through the six bands and SHAPE, the analog stage and MIX, to OUTPUT. Scroll and each section lights up in turn.

Part 1
Input and meters

INPUT sets the level going in, from -24 to +24 dB, and with ANALOG MODE on it also sets how hard the circuit is driven. Its knob glows with the signal, over a tall LED meter with a peak readout. Click the meter to clear a clip hold.
Part 2
The graph

Amber is every boost, blue every cut, and white the sum the audio actually gets. Drag a node to set a band's frequency, boost or cut; hold Shift for fine moves, and double-click to zero a band.
Part 3
Six dual curve bands

LOW, LOW MID, MID, HIGH MID, HIGH and AIR, each with FREQUENCY, BANDWIDTH, BOOST and ATTENUATE, 0 to 15 dB apiece. White rings for frequency and width, amber for boost, blue for cut, and a band that is switched off goes dark.
Part 4
SHAPE and channels

One SHAPE knob re-voices all six bands at once: CLASSIC, FOCUS, TILT, HOLLOW or anywhere between, while your amounts stay put. Work left and right or mid and side, linked or one channel at a time.
Part 5
The analog bay

With ANALOG MODE on, an input transformer sits ahead of the curves, with valve stages and transformers after them. The valves in the bay glow with the signal, and go dark when the stage is switched off.
Part 6
Drive, mix and output

DRIVE sets how hard the analog stage is hit, and glows from ember to white-hot as you turn it up. MIX blends the equalized signal with the dry one, delay-compensated, EQ BYPASS takes the curves out and leaves the analog stage in, and GAIN MATCH judges a boost on its shape, not its level.

59 new presets, voiced on real sources

Voiced and level-matched on real vocals, drums, bass, 808s and full mixes, so a preset changes the shape, not the volume. Experimental presets are extreme on purpose. Every earlier preset is still there under its own name.

Vocals
Preset	What it does
Vocal Forward	Presence up, mud down: the vocal steps in front of the track.
Silk Air	Expensive top end on the voice without the 5 kHz harshness.
Mud Clear	Clears boxy, muddy low mids from a close-miked vocal.
Chest Warmth	Adds chest and warmth to a thin voice.
De-Harsh	A wide, gentle cut at the harsh 3.5 kHz region.
Rap Upfront	Mid push and bite for rap vocals that have to cut through 808s.
Telephone Lo-Fi	Band-limited phone-speaker vocal for intros and hooks.
Breathy Pop	Bright, breathy pop-vocal sheen.
Analog Vocal Chain	Analog mode with gentle presence and air: a warm, finished vocal chain.

Drums
Preset	What it does
Kick Knock	The low-end trick on the kick: weight at 60 Hz, cardboard scooped out around 350 Hz.
Snare Crack	Crack at 2.5 kHz with the ring at 600 Hz pulled back.
Open Top	Air shelf that opens the cymbals without adding 6 kHz bite.
Boxy Cleanup	A wide cut at the box frequency: the kit sounds bigger and less cardboard.
Drum Bus Weight	Low-end trick plus a touch of air: the bus gets heavier and brighter at once.
Room Tamer	Pulls the honk and splash out of an ambient room mic.
Hat Silk	Silk on top with the 7 kHz sizzle tucked away.
Break Dust	Lo-fi break: bottom and top shelved away, the mids pushed like an old sampler.
Punch Pocket	FOCUS lift at the kick's punch, scooped around it so it doesn't get muddy.
Clap Body	Fills out thin claps and snares around 900 Hz.
Analog Kit Glue	Analog mode hit hard with a gentle smile: transformer weight and valve glue on the kit.

Bass
Preset	What it does
Low End Trick	The classic passive trick: boost and cut at 60 Hz for a deep, tight bottom.
Growl Lift	Brings the bass's growl forward at 800 Hz and clears the mud under it.
Mud Cut	Clears the 250 Hz build-up so the bass and kick separate.
String Definition	Finger and string detail at 2 kHz: the notes read clearly in a busy mix.
Sub Focus	A focused lift in the true sub: weight you feel on big systems.
Warm Round	Rounder and warmer: a little bottom, the top edge softened.
Small Speaker Bass	Pushes the harmonics laptops and phones can play, so the line still reads there.
DI Smooth	Takes the clank and fizz off a DI bass.
Tight Low	Less sub rumble, more of the 140 Hz punch: tighter on small systems.

808s
Preset	What it does
Sub Foundation	Low-end trick at 50 Hz: a deep, controlled 808 floor.
Small Speaker Bite	The upper harmonics phones play, pushed so the 808 is heard everywhere.
Clean Sub	Strips the boxy midrange off the 808, leaving the sub clean.
Knock 808	Focused lift at the 808's knock so it punches as well as booms.
Phone Translation	Bite at 2 kHz so the 808's note is heard on phone speakers.
Round Tail	Takes the click and buzz off the top: a round, smooth 808.
Tight Sub	Less woof below 30 Hz, more body at 120: tight on club and car systems.
Analog Weight	Analog mode at full drive: transformer weight and valve harmonics on the 808.
Hollow 808	HOLLOW shape in the low mids: a wide lift with a notch carved through it.

Mastering
Preset	What it does
Master Silk	A light smile: low-end trick and silk on top.
Low End Master	The passive low-end trick on the whole mix: deeper without boom.
Mud Control	A gentle wide cut at 300 Hz: clearer without getting thin.
Presence Lift	A little 3 kHz presence for mixes that sit back.
Tilt Bright	TILT around 1.5 kHz: a lift above, a dip below. Brighter and leaner in one move.
Harsh Tamer	Softens 3.5 kHz and 7 kHz edge on bright mixes.
M-S Wide Air	Mid/Side: air added to the sides only, the side low end cleaned. Wider, steadier bottom.
M-S Low Tidy	Mid/Side: low end out of the sides, so the bottom sits centred.
Analog Master	Flat EQ through analog mode: a subtle transformer-and-valve sheen on the mix.
Loud Master Curve	The modern loud curve: weight, clarity and air ahead of the limiter.
Vocal Pocket	Carves a little room around 1.5 kHz on a beat for the vocal.
Warm Tilt	A gentle low lift against a soft top: warmer and darker. (TILT only tilts up, so this uses two bands.)

Experimental
Preset	What it does
AM Radio	Band-limited and overdriven like an old AM set.
Hollow Space	HOLLOW on three bands at once: phasey, scooped, hollowed-out.
Resonant Air	The AIR circuit with boost and cut both maxed: a resonant peak against a shelf.
Underwater	Everything above 1.5 kHz drowned: muffled, underwater, next-room.
Sides Only Air	Mid/Side: the top taken out of the centre and put in the sides. Huge, unreal width.
Notch Comb	Narrow HOLLOW notches: a comb-filtered, flanged colour without modulation.
Mid Scoop Extreme	A massive mid scoop: smiley, scooped, metal-guitar extreme.
Analog Overdrive	Input slammed into analog mode: the transformers and valves pushed into distortion.
Tilt Extreme	TILT at full tilt: the low end dug out and the upper mids thrown forward, a nasal, transistor-radio tone.

How to get it

Own it, or get every plugin

Own it

RSL Paradox

$69once

Founders’ price, then $99. Yours to keep, with its updates.

Buy

30 days free

RSL All Access

This plus 5 more

$15/ mo, billed yearly

Every RSL plugin and every new one, with every update. No card for the trial. Or $18 monthly.

Try All Access free

RSL Complete

All 6, yours to keep

$349once

Founders’ price, then $449. Every current plugin; new ones are not included.

See RSL Complete

Specifications

Type: Six band dual curve equalizer
Boost and cut: Independent per band, 0 to 15 dB each
Shapes: CLASSIC, FOCUS, TILT, HOLLOW, continuously variable between
Channels: Left / right or mid / side, linked or independent. Mono or stereo (mid / side needs stereo)
Processing: Curves and analog stage at twice the session rate
Latency: 46 samples at every sample rate, reported to the host; 0 with Zero latency
macOS: macOS 11 or newer, Apple Silicon or Intel. Audio Unit, VST3, AAX and Standalone
Windows: Windows 10 64-bit or newer. VST3 and Standalone
Presets: 59 voiced presets in Vocals, Drums, Bass, 808s, Mastering and Experimental, plus the originals; your own as .rslpx files
Interface: 1200 × 870 at 100 percent, 50 to 150 percent from the settings
Activation: Through RSL Hub on up to 4 computers, with no license key
Current build: Version 1.0.5 on macOS and Windows
Manual: The user manual, free to read

Questions before you buy

Won’t a boost and a cut at the same frequency just cancel?

Not here. On RSL Paradox they are two different curves around the same frequency, so turning both up shapes the band instead of flattening it. SHAPE decides where each one sits.

Will it run on my machine?

RSL Paradox runs on macOS 11 or later, on Apple Silicon or Intel, and on 64-bit Windows 10 or later. The current build is v1.0.5 on both.

Which formats do I get?

On macOS you get AU, VST3, AAX for Pro Tools and a Standalone app. On Windows you get VST3 and a Standalone app.

Does it work in Pro Tools?

Yes, on macOS, as an AAX plugin. There is no AAX version for Windows yet.

Does it add latency, and can I track through it?

It runs at twice the session rate and reports 46 samples, about a millisecond, which hosts with delay compensation correct automatically. For tracking or playing live, switch on Zero latency in the settings panel and nothing is reported to the host.

How many computers can I use it on?

Up to 4. RSL Paradox activates through the free RSL Hub app with your Renegade Sound Labs account, so there is no license key to keep track of.

Is there a free trial?

Yes. You can try RSL Paradox free for 30 days before you buy.

What happens to the price after the offer ends?

The founders’ price of $69 runs through 30 November, then RSL Paradox is $99. Either way it is a one-time purchase, yours to keep with its updates. You can refund it within 14 days of purchase, for any reason.

Is it included in RSL All Access?

Yes. RSL All Access includes RSL Paradox for $15 a month billed yearly, or $18 monthly, and starts with a 30-day free trial with no card needed.