CONTOUR
surgical dynamic EQA surgical, dynamic EQ with a 24-band cascade and a high-resolution analyzer. Carve problem frequencies with clinical precision — and let bands react dynamically only when they need to.
- 24 surgical bands + Butterworth cuts
- Dynamic mode — bands move only when needed
- High-resolution real-time analyzer
- Visual & Minimal workflows
- Do a real corrective pass — a boxy room, a harsh vocal, a ringing snare — and tell us whether the workflow got out of your way. Contour is the unit our whole UI grammar was validated against, so it should feel finished; we'd love to hear that it does.
- Dynamic mode vs static on a vocal that's only harsh on the loud words. This is the feature we think sells the plugin — does it convince you?
- Node feel: fine control up near 10 kHz, Q with a modifier. Compared to the EQ you already reach for, what would make you switch?
- Analyzer with 24 bands live on a loaded session — tell us where the CPU sits on your machine.
Learn CONTOUR
QUICK-START · 6 MINFind and surgically remove a problem frequency, then make the cut dynamic so it only acts when needed.
- 01
Turn on the ANALYZER
Enable the ANALYZER and play the section with the problem. Resonances show as stable spikes that don't move with the music; broadband harshness shows as a lifted region.
- 02
Create and place a band
Drag a node on the SPECTRUM to set frequency and gain — drag vertically to adjust Q. Pick TYPE bell for surgical work, or a Butterworth cut with the SLOPE control for filtering.
- 03
Hunt with SOLO
Hit the band's SOLO, narrow the Q, and sweep until the offending ring or box jumps out. Then un-solo and cut only as deep as needed — usually −3 to −6 dB, not −12.
- 04
Make it DYNAMIC
Raise the band's DYNAMIC amount so the cut only engages when energy appears there — the harsh words get tamed, the soft ones stay untouched. External SC can drive a band from a sidechain for unmasking against another track.
- 05
Check your work
Toggle DELTA to hear only what the EQ is changing, and use A/B with MORPH to compare two whole curves. UNDO steps back a bad move.
- The SCULPT tab (AMOUNT / DEPTH / SHAPE) tames broadband resonances in one move — try it before stacking six notches.
- Per-band CHANNEL routing (Stereo / M / S / L / R) lets you de-harsh just the sides or clean mud from just the mid.
- SUGGEST and AUTO-UNMASK offer intelligent starting moves — audit them by ear before keeping them.
- Double-click any knob to reset; ZOOM OUT resets the spectrum view when you're lost in a zoom.
Every control, its range, and what it actually does — the complete CONTOUR manual.
Download manual (PDF)All manualsActivation
iLok (PACE) — machine, iLok Cloud or iLok USBLicense lands on your iLok
Accepted testers get every Wave-1 plugin deposited to their iLok account — machine activation, iLok Cloud or iLok USB, your call.
Open the plugin
Insert CONTOUR in your DAW (AU · VST3 · AAX). First launch asks for activation via iLok License Manager.
You're in until August 30, 2026
Beta licenses run through the round. Your license codes and downloads live in the tester portal.
Not in the round yet? Applications are open — we accept in waves.
Apply for the closed beta