Brainworx bx_digital V3 EQ plug-in: features and spec-based rating

Brainworx’s bx_digital V3 (Plugin Alliance) is an 11-band EQ known as a pioneer of EQs that work in Mid/Side (a method that separates the center and the sides). V3 added dynamic EQ (an EQ that works only when the sound gets loud), proportional-Q filters and Auto-Solo, which lets you hear only the band you changed.

An EQ (equalizer) adjusts the amount of low and high frequencies in a sound. You use it to clear up a muddy voice or reduce sounds that hurt the ears.

In this article we compare bx_digital V3 with 15 EQ plug-ins and rate how well it serves its purpose on three criteria. The basis is official manufacturer information.

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Image: from the Plugin Alliance official website (product image)

Summary

Among the 15 EQ plug-ins, bx_digital V3 is rank A. The ranks run S, A, B and C, and A is second from the top. Averaging the scores for each criterion (out of 5, with the one criterion that matters most for the purpose counted double) gives 3.8.

Strengths

• Handling problem bands (4 points): it has features that target problem sounds, so it is easy to fix them precisely.
• Stereo processing (4 points): you can adjust the center vocal and the backing track spread to the sides separately.

Who it suits: people who want to fine-tune everything from M/S to mono lows when finishing a mix or mastering.

Main features of bx_digital V3

A pioneer of the M/S EQ, which adjusts center and sides separately

The official page describes Brainworx’s bx_digital as the first commercial Mid/Side EQ plug-in. The 11-band EQ can be used in separate left/right, stereo or Mid/Side. It is good at adjustments such as brightening only the sound spreading to the sides while leaving the vocal and bass in the center as they are.

Mono Maker brings the low end together

This function makes the sound below a chosen pitch mono (center). Lows spread to the sides tend to sound blurred, so gathering them in the center gives a tighter low end. A treatment often used when finishing a whole song (mastering) can be done on the same screen as the EQ.

A dynamic EQ that acts only when the sound sticks out

In version 3, the former de-esser became a dynamic EQ usable anywhere from 20 Hz to 22 kHz. You can reduce only when it occurs, for example the “s” sounds of a vocal, the harshness of cymbals or boominess in the low end of an acoustic guitar.

Shifters that balance lows and upper mids, and solo listening

Bass Shifter and Presence Shifter are knobs that change the tone while preventing muddiness and harshness by raising one adjacent band and lowering the other. Auto-Solo / Auto-Listen automatically plays only the change when you touch a knob, so it is easier to hear by ear what the EQ changed.

Video: “Introducing Brainworx bx_digital V3” (official Plugin Alliance YouTube channel; narration in English) Watch on YouTube

Where it is useful

• Gathering the low end in the center when finishing a whole song to make it tighter
• Brightening only the backing and choruses spread to the sides, leaving the vocal in the center
• Reducing the “s” sounds of a vocal or the harshness of cymbals only when they occur

Rating by criterion

Handling problem bands: 4 / 5

We check whether you can target and fix only the sounds that bother you, such as boominess or harshness.

With a dynamic EQ module (an individual processing unit you combine with others) you can compress or expand any band from 20 Hz to 22 kHz.

Speed: 3 / 5

We check whether it has features that get you to a good setting quickly, such as automatic settings and a function that matches a reference sound.

It has Auto-Solo and Auto-Listen, which automatically play only the band you changed. It has no automatic EQ settings.

Stereo processing: 4 / 5

We check whether you can adjust the center sound (such as the vocal) and the sound spread to the sides separately.

It has dual-mono (separate left/right), stereo and M/S modes, and Mono Maker, which makes the low end mono.

How we score (EQ plug-ins)

Criterion	Basis	5 pt	4 pt	3 pt	2 pt	1 pt
Handling problem bands	The power to target and reduce boomy or harsh sounds	Dynamic EQ, plus processing that reacts only to specific frequencies inside a band	Dynamic EQ (works only when the sound gets loud), or separate processing of the attack and the sustained sound	A static EQ with many bands, or with a choice of processing quality such as linear phase	A static EQ with few bands	—
Speed	Features that help you decide settings quickly	AI balances the sound automatically and can also reduce overlap between tracks	Automatic EQ settings or EQ match, plus other aids	One aid, such as EQ match	Analyzer (a visual display of the sound) only	No aids listed
Stereo processing	Whether the center and the sides can be processed separately	Supports M/S, separate left/right and surround	Supports M/S plus either separate left/right or surround	M/S only	—	Not mentioned on the official page

Each criterion is scored from 1 to 5 on how well the product serves one goal: balancing the sound of vocals and backing tracks in a mix. Scores follow the conditions in the table above, and the rank is based on an average in which "Handling problem bands" counts double. The basis is official manufacturer information. Sound quality and CPU load are not measured, so they are not scored; reviews from trade magazines are introduced in the articles for reference. Price is not part of the score. Features that cannot be confirmed from the manufacturer's or a retailer's description are scored as if absent. The "OBS (streaming)" column in the table shows whether the official page lists the VST2 format that the streaming software OBS Studio can use (○). OBS does not support the VST3 format. It is not part of the score.

bx_digital V3 screens and images

Image: from the Plugin Alliance official website (product image)

bx_digital V3 system requirements and getting started

Operating system	Windows 10 and 11 / Mac (macOS 13 or later, Apple silicon and Intel)
Plug-in formats	VST2, VST3, AU, AAX
Other	A simple version for tracks (bx_digital V3 mix) is also included. Also included in Plugin Alliance’s subscription
Trial	14-day trial available
OBS (streaming)	Works as it is (VST2 is listed)

Checked on the manufacturer’s official pages on September 27, 2026. How to use plug-ins in the OBS streaming software is explained in How to use VST3 plug-ins in OBS.

Compared with other EQ plug-ins

Click a heading to sort. On a phone, the table scrolls sideways.

Read next

• smart:EQ 4: features and rating (rank A)
• MAutoEqualizer: features and rating (rank A)
• Pro-Q 4: features and rating (rank S)
• MEqualizer: features and rating (rank B)