Pricing and availability
We compare 600+ stores and found this item at 4 stores. Prices updated .
Store
Reviews
Price
Price History
Based on price data from 4 merchants for "McDSP AE400 Active Equalizer". Prices shown reflect NEW condition. Tracking began Apr 2, 2026.
* Product prices and availability are updated by Equipboard every 24hrs and are subject to change. Equipboard may receive compensation for purchases made at participating retailers linked on this site. This compensation does not affect what products or prices are displayed, or the order of prices listed. For more information, please refer to our affiliate disclosure.
Description
If you're on a quest to sculpt your sound with precision, the McDSP AE400 Active Equalizer is the tool that will redefine your audio landscape. Designed for musicians and producers who demand versatility, this four-band active EQ offers a wealth of creative freedom with fully overlapping bands that can be independently adjusted. Whether you're tightening the low end, adding sparkle to the highs, or anything in between, the AE400 is built to handle it all with finesse.
What truly sets this EQ apart is its unique Active EQ Ratio-Response control, allowing you to tailor each band with an internal or external trigger. This means you can dynamically react to your audio source, making it ideal for both live and studio environments. The sidechain functionality further extends its capabilities, giving you the flexibility to craft your mix with precision.
The AE400 also features internal double precision processing for pristine audio quality, ensuring that your sound remains uncompromised. Available in both mono and stereo versions, it seamlessly integrates into any setup, allowing you to focus on what matters most—your music.
Key Features:
- Active four-band EQ with fully overlapping bands
- Independently adjustable bands
- Active EQ Ratio-Response control with internal or external trigger
- Sidechain functionality
- Internal double precision processing
- Available in mono and stereo versions
Product specs
| Available since | October 2016 |
| Los artikel / bundelartikel | Los artikel |
| Delay | No |
| Dynamics | Yes |
| Effect Filter | No |
| Encoder/Decoder | No |
| Equalizer | Yes |
| Guitar amps/-effects | No |
| Channel Strip | No |
| Metering / Analysis / Correction | No |
| Modulation Effects | No |
| Multieffect / Plugin-Host | No |
| Overdrive/Distortion | No |
| Preamp / Saturation | No |
| Psychoacoustic tool / Enhancer / Exciter | No |
| Restauration | No |
| Reverb | No |
| Special FX | No |
| Summer / Mixing Consoles | No |
| Tape Simulation | No |
| Pitch Shifter / Harmonizer / Timestretching | No |
| Transient Processing | No |
| Vocoder / Vocal effect | No |
| Mastering Tools | No |
| Hardware Controller | No |
| Download | 1 |
FAQs
-
What makes the McDSP AE400 Active Equalizer different from other EQ plugins?
-
The McDSP AE400 Active Equalizer is unique due to its active EQ design, allowing dynamic adjustments based on signal input, providing more flexibility and precision in shaping sound compared to traditional static EQs.
-
Is the McDSP AE400 Active Equalizer compatible with all major DAWs?
-
Yes, the McDSP AE400 Active Equalizer is compatible with most major DAWs, including Pro Tools, Logic Pro, and Ableton Live, making it versatile for various production environments.
-
Can the McDSP AE400 Active Equalizer be used for mastering?
-
While primarily designed for mixing, the McDSP AE400 Active Equalizer can also be used in mastering to dynamically control frequency content, though it is not specifically marketed as a mastering tool.
-
Does the McDSP AE400 Active Equalizer support dynamic processing?
-
Yes, the McDSP AE400 Active Equalizer includes dynamic processing capabilities, allowing it to adjust frequency bands in response to the input signal, enhancing its utility for complex audio material.
-
Is the McDSP AE400 Active Equalizer suitable for vocal processing?
-
The McDSP AE400 Active Equalizer is well-suited for vocal processing, offering precise control over frequency bands and dynamic adjustments to enhance vocal clarity and presence in a mix.
Videos
McDSPTV
McDSP Track Talk with Mick Guzauski
Reviews
Based on 0 Reviews and 0 Ratings
Artist usage
Add artist
Used on "Apeshit", as stated by producer Stuart White in this September 2018 Sound on Sound interview.
The first four aux tracks feature SoundToys effects, namely Little Microshift, two EchoBoy delays, and a delay from the Little PrimalTap. Next are a Hall Reverb aux and a Church Reverb aux, both using Waves’ RVerb, an EMT plate from Audio Ease’s Altiverb, four aux tracks with the Waves H-Delay and various other plug-ins on them as well, and four more reverb auxes with the Avid Revibe II, two Avid D-Verbs and another RVerb.
White: “I use the Little Microshift in pretty much every mix, with the left-right micro pitch-shift effect that’s similar to the classic effect in the Eventide H3000 shift where you pitch one side down six cents and one side up six cents to create width. It’s a good way to get your vocals wider without them being out of phase. It thickens up vocals, and is kind of like a doubler. I do quite a lot of filtering on some of the EchoBoy delays, for example with the Waves REQ, and I am adding colour with the SoundToys Devil-Loc, which is great if you want to colour the delay so it is separate from the main vocal, and compress it with the UAD LA3A and mix that in to taste.”
(...) Beyoncé’s lead vocal tracks consist of three aux tracks, four ‘dirty’ and eight ‘clean’ audio tracks. The audio tracks only have the EQ3 on the inserts and a few of them have a send to the Church Reverb. All White’s processing is done on the three aux tracks. “All lead vocals are sent to the ‘B Aux’ track and the ‘B Parra Aux’ tracks. On the former I have the McDSP DS [sic] 555 de-esser. I use the Waves de-esser the most, but in this particular track, because I wanted to compress her voice really hard, I felt that the 555 would work the best. I am rolling off until 6144Hz into what it is detecting; it’s like a side-chain filter. The FabFilter Pro-DS is doing a little more gentle look-ahead de-essing.
“After that there’s some pretty heavy EQ from the EQ3, with a high-pass at 142Hz, a 9dB cut at 244Hz and a 2dB cut at 3kHz. My cut at 244Hz is because she is singing in this husky, low voice, so there’s not a lot of energy in that. I get the energy from the RComp compression, and the EQs, including from the SSL E-Channel, are there to make her sit in the track, rather than making it sound filtered. I love the RComp, mainly because it doesn’t sound like compression to me. The SSL E-Channel adds a bit more compression, and the [Crane Song] Phoenix II Tape Emulation is really cool because while it doesn’t actually sound like tape, it smoothes out transients in a signal just like much analogue equipment does. It enables me to get a fatter vocal sound that again makes the vocal sit in the mix. The final EQ3 has a notch at 3.2kHz to take out some harshness. I also have sends to the Verb aux track, which are the D-Verb and [Waves] H-Reverb, and the Delay 1-4 aux, with the EchoBoy.
The other aux track, ‘B Parra Aux’, is a parallel compression track, with the RCompressor and the CLA 76, which I mixed in low. Both these aux tracks then go to the ‘LD ALL Aux’, on which I’m doing some more surgery with the McDSP AE400 [dynamic EQ], which allows you to set a threshold, just like on a compressor. It’s like turning a volume knob down on a frequency the moment it gets out of control. Finally, there’s the Waves C4, for some control, to keep the vocal even. This track has a lot of energy, so this is an example of using compression for energy, mood and attitude. I also worked a long time to get the compression on Bey’s breaths to pump on the beat. I wanted her breaths to be another percussive element in the track, and getting the attack and release on the compressor right was key to getting that feel and pumping effect.”
Five of the 22 Beyoncé ad lib, backing and harmony vocals below her lead vocals also go to the above-mentioned aux tracks, while the rest have their own signal chains. These audio tracks are sent to several aux tracks, often with tons of plug-ins, and all aux vocal tracks in the end get sent to the ‘Voc All’ group aux right at the top of the session, which has an RCompressor, with ratio at 10:1. There are more group aux tracks, like ‘TrackAux’, ‘FX Voc Aux’, ‘FX’ and ‘Music Aux’, which all get sent to the ‘All Aux’. This in turn gets sent to the ‘no limiter’ mix print track, and finally there’s a Stereo Master track.
Used on "APESHIT", as stated by producer Stuart White in this September 2018 Sound on Sound interview. An image of the settings can be found here.
The first four aux tracks feature SoundToys effects, namely Little Microshift, two EchoBoy delays, and a delay from the Little PrimalTap. Next are a Hall Reverb aux and a Church Reverb aux, both using Waves’ RVerb, an EMT plate from Audio Ease’s Altiverb, four aux tracks with the Waves H-Delay and various other plug-ins on them as well, and four more reverb auxes with the Avid Revibe II, two Avid D-Verbs and another RVerb.
White: “I use the Little Microshift in pretty much every mix, with the left-right micro pitch-shift effect that’s similar to the classic effect in the Eventide H3000 shift where you pitch one side down six cents and one side up six cents to create width. It’s a good way to get your vocals wider without them being out of phase. It thickens up vocals, and is kind of like a doubler. I do quite a lot of filtering on some of the EchoBoy delays, for example with the Waves REQ, and I am adding colour with the SoundToys Devil-Loc, which is great if you want to colour the delay so it is separate from the main vocal, and compress it with the UAD LA3A and mix that in to taste.”
(...) Jay-Z’s part consists of just two tracks, one lead, and one ad-lib, with an additional ‘reverse’ track, and a ‘jay clean’ track. White: “The main lead vocal track has the SSL E0-channel, Waves C4 multiband compressor for some control, FabFilter Pro-Q2 EQ, with a few notches, and McDSP AE400. Where Jay raps ‘Tell the Grammy’s fuck that 0 for 8 shit / have you ever seen a crowd goin’ apeshit?’, you can hear some stuff in the background, which is another example of me adding flair and energy. That actually comes from the third ‘Voice Sample’ track further up the session, on which I have some automated plug-ins, the ReVibe, Waves S1 Imager, and filter sweep from the EQ3. It’s subtle, but it gives you a little ear candy.”
Album Usage
The McDSP AE400 Active Equalizer has been featured on the following albums:
Genre Usage
Based on how artists on Equipboard use this gear, it is most commonly found in the following genres.
Used With
Based on how musicians on Equipboard use McDSP AE400 Active Equalizer, it is most commonly used with the following gear.
More McDSP EQ Plugins
Accessories & Related Items
Community setups
Similar
Gear Guides
Most Popular EQ Plugins
Most Popular Brands
-
Added to Equipboard on by
eyeseeofficialGear IQ 161522
-