Apollo
Native
Pultec Passive EQ Collection
Get the “must-have” tube EQs that have shaped over 70 years of popular music.
- Get with the world's best emulations of vintage “studio-staple” Pultec EQs
- Sculpt fat and punchy bass, synths, and drums with the EQP‑1A
- Experience rich midrange textures on your guitars, vocals, and keys with the MEQ‑5
- Create retro filter effects or reduce unwanted frequencies with surgical precision using the HLF‑3C
Add Must-Have Tube EQs to your Collection
What They Say
Jeff Balding
Taylor Swift, The Eagles, Florida Georgia Line
Matt Knobel
Lenny Kravitz, Mary J. Blige
Jeff Juliano
John Mayer, Shinedown, Train
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes, the Pultec Passive EQ Collection is worth it if you want the warm, musical low and high-end sheen, detailed midrange, and filtering of classic tube EQs. It gives you authentic emulations of three studio-staple Pultec units, the EQP-1A, MEQ-5, and HLF-3C, that have shaped popular music for over 70 years. With a 4.9-star rating across more than 900 reviews, it earns a permanent spot in most mixing and mastering chains.
The Pultec Passive EQ Collection stands apart from other Pultec-style EQ plug-ins because it is built on our authentic circuit modeling of the original hardware. We model the tubes, transformers, and passive components that give these EQs their character, rather than approximating the curves. The result captures the subtle interactions and circuit behavior that generic emulations miss.
The Pultec Passive EQ Collection uses our most intensive component-level modeling to recreate the original tube hardware. Every stage, from the input transformer to the tube gain makeup and the passive EQ network, is modeled so the plug-ins respond the way the vintage units do. Engineers who own the original hardware describe the plug-ins as carrying the same subtleties as the originals.
The Pultec Passive EQ Collection includes three EQs that each handle a different job. The EQP-1A shapes low end and high frequencies, giving bass, kick, and synths a fat, focused thump along with smooth top-end air. The MEQ-5 works the midrange power region with two boost bands and one dip band for vocals, guitars, and keys. The HLF-3C is a high and low pass filter for cleaning up mixes or creating retro, lo-fi effects.
With the Pultec Passive EQ Collection, reach for the EQP-1A on low-end sources like bass, kick, and synth, where its broadstroke boost and attenuation shine. Use the MEQ-5 to add presence and depth to midrange sources such as vocals, guitars, and keys. Turn to the HLF-3C when you need to roll off rumble and hiss or dial in a lo-fi filtered sound.
Yes, the Pultec Passive EQ Collection is designed to be indistinguishable from the original analog hardware. We capture the behavior of the tube circuits and transformers, so the plug-ins react musically as you push them, the way the vintage units do. Many engineers who own the hardware reach for the plug-ins in its place.
The Pultec Passive EQ Collection sounds musical because its EQs are passive tube designs, not clinical digital filters. Boosting a band adds gentle, broad lifts with natural phase behavior, and the tube gain stage adds subtle harmonic warmth as signal passes through. That combination is why these EQs flatter almost any source instead of sounding surgical.
No, the Pultec Passive EQ Collection runs natively on your Mac or Windows computer with no Universal Audio hardware required. You can also run it with acceleration on Apollo audio interfaces or UAD Accelerators if you own them. Every purchase includes licenses for both the native and Apollo/UAD-2 versions.
Yes, the Pultec Passive EQ Collection runs natively on both macOS, including Apple Silicon Macs, and Windows. The native versions load like any standard plug-in on a modern computer. Check UA's system requirements page for the current supported operating system versions.
Yes, the Pultec Passive EQ Collection works with all major DAWs. The native plug-ins install as VST3, AU, and AAX, so they appear alongside your other effects in any current recording software. No special host is required.
The Pultec Passive EQ Collection works on almost any source, from individual tracks to the full mix. Producers reach for the EQP-1A to fatten bass, kick, and synths, the MEQ-5 to bring vocals and guitars forward, and the HLF-3C to clean up or add character. Its broad, musical curves make it a natural choice for both corrective and creative moves.
Yes, the Pultec Passive EQ Collection is a common choice on the mix bus and in mastering. The EQP-1A adds weight and silky high-frequency shine to a full mix with just a couple of knobs, which is why engineers use it for final tone shaping. Its gentle, broadstroke curves add polish without the harshness of surgical EQ.
Yes, authentic analog EQ emulations like the Pultec Passive EQ Collection remain a mixing staple in 2026. The musical, forgiving curves of passive tube EQs solve problems that clinical digital EQs cannot, which is why they stay in constant use across genres. Accurate models give you that sound at any track count without sourcing and maintaining rare vintage hardware.
The Pultec Passive EQ Collection sounds identical whether you run it natively or on Apollo or UAD-2 hardware. Running native uses your computer's processor, while running on Apollo or UAD Accelerators offloads the processing to dedicated DSP, which can free up your computer on large sessions. Your purchase covers both versions, so you can choose based on your setup.
Yes, the Pultec Passive EQ Collection is included with a UAD Spark subscription, which bundles UAD native plug-ins for a monthly or yearly fee. You can also buy the collection outright as a perpetual license. A free Spark trial lets you test the plug-ins before you commit.
The Pultec EQP-1A, part of the Pultec Passive EQ Collection, is a passive tube program EQ built for shaping low end and high frequencies. It lets you boost and attenuate the lows at the same time for a tight, punchy bottom, and add smooth, airy top end without harshness. Producers use it on bass, kick, synths, and full mixes to add weight and polish with just a few controls.
The Pultec low-end trick, done with the EQP-1A in the Pultec Passive EQ Collection, means boosting and attenuating the same low frequency band at once. Because the boost and cut curves overlap differently, you get a lift right at the bottom with a slight dip just above it, which tightens bass and kick while adding thump. It is one of the most-used moves in mixing, and the collection reproduces it the way the hardware does.