Freakishly powerful. 

• A potent sound shaping tool with eight processing sections to achieve the sounds you want faster
• A flawless recreation of the Lil FrEQ hardware unit, featuring de-essing
• Developed in conjunction with Dave Derr and Empirical Labs Inc.

The warm and punchy analog sound of the Empirical Labs Lil FrEQ makes it something of an oddity in the world of equalizers. But it’s no sideshow. With its heart-shaped box of tricks, mighty analog tone, and de-essing chops, we’re hard-pressed to think of a more powerful analog EQ. It’s what makes Lil FrEQ the ace in the hole for so many high-profile recording engineers and mixing professionals. When your equalizer features eight different processing sections, you can ditch the multi-plug-in setup and get on with it. Our native software version—expertly modeled under the watchful eye of Dave Derr himself—gives you all that tone-shaping and correction power, plus supernatural sound quality, and flavor galore. In a word, it's un-freakin-believable.

Designed by Experts, Built on Legacy

Softube has a long history of modeling professional gear. After nearly two decades working in collaboration with premium pro audio brands like Tube-Tech, Solid State Logic, Chandler Limited®, Weiss Engineering, and Trident, we have a solid track record recreating indisputable classics in software form that sound precisely like their hardware counterparts.

Empirical Labs Lil FrEQ is built on this legacy, and we took the same meticulous approach we always do – everything needs to be exact, with skillful recording, precise testing, and fine-tuning to sound exactly like the hardware that inspired it or even better. Nothing less.

Funhouse: Eight Processing Sections

With a super-useful parameter set spread out over an unheard-of eight sections of processing, Lil FrEQ offers you the ability to instantly A/B the effect of each section as you adjust and fine-tune them. Because, in addition to a master bypass, each of Lil FrEQ’s eight sections features its own dedicated bypass switch. Lil FrEQ lets you do with one EQ what you’d normally need to combine several other tools to do. Lil FrEQ helps you mix faster and gets you the sound you want quicker.

Freak Show: The DS Section

Step right up, folks! Witness this never-before-seen de-ess function. The Lil FrEQ DS section combines tunable filters and a level independent high-frequency detection circuit that restrains excessive high frequencies, such as sibilants or other sharp transients, especially in the absence of lower-frequency content. It also acts as a unique soft-knee, high-frequency limiter and can even emulate analog tape. With talents like these, you can see why Lil FrEQ is the vocal EQ of choice for countless engineers and has been used in numerous hit records, major live performances, and to shape vocals, snare, and bass. It’s not every day a freaky little EQ spawns a de-esser, but Lil FrEQ’s DS section is just that good.

Freaks Flock Together: The EQ

For all its unusual traits Lil FrEQ is dependably classic in some respects. Take, for instance, its four sections of fully parametric EQ (LF, Lo Mid, Hi Mid, and HF), each section with individual gain, bandwidth (Q), and frequency controls. The conventional becomes extraordinary when it's executed to this level. Every component is masterfully modeled to give you a better workflow. The result is soaring sound quality that stands out from the crowd.

Freak Scene: The User Interface

The big white knobs set the scene. Immediately, you know you're working with high-quality craftsmanship and legendary analog sound, all in a super intuitive interface—to include those blue markings. They let you accurately simulate the settings of one of the most classic British EQs. We authentically modeled not just the look of the Empirical Labs Lil FrEQ but also the care and intention that goes into making it easy to use and a whole lot of fun.

This product supports
Extended Features

We love VU meters, Bakelite knobs, and analog quirks. But we want modern precision and workflow. The answer? Softube Extended Features. Easy-access panels with the innovations you need close at hand. 

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Itching to know all there is to know about our Empirical Labs + Softube suite of products? Or just want to get up and running as quick as you can? Either way, we got you covered. Book a private video session with our product demonstration team today. Learn more

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In short

• An expertly modeled recreation of the ELI Lil FrEQ hardware
• Available for the first time as a native plugin
• Developed in collaboration with Dave Derr and Empirical Labs Inc.
• Eight process sections with bypass switches to A/B the effect of each section
• 4-band fully parametric EQ with sweep-able frequency and bandwidth (Q)
• De-ess (Level independent dynamic EQ)/ HF Limit (High Frequency Limiter)
• Extremely powerful and punchy
• Featuring the legendary ELI sound