Fruity Parametric EQ 2 Guide: Bands, Modes and Mixing Moves

What is Fruity Parametric EQ 2?

Fruity Parametric EQ 2 is a 7-band parametric equalizer with a standard IIR mode and a linear phase FFT mode, plus a global gain slider. Each band's type, center frequency and width are fully adjustable^[1]. It is included in every FL Studio edition^[2].

Image-Line positions it as the choice whenever precise EQ control is needed, suggesting the original Fruity Parametric EQ when screen space is tight and EQUO when you want a graphic EQ^[1]. Need more than seven bands? Stack a second instance on the same Mixer track for 14. For how it fits with the rest of the stock toolkit, see FL Studio stock plugins worth using.

What do the band types and slopes do?

Each band can be off or one of seven shapes, and filter bands have a selectable slope. Peaking is the default band type^[1]. Low pass, band pass, high pass and notch bands ignore the gain fader, so their slider is disabled.

Slope: Steep versus Gentle

Drag up or down on the dots under each band shape, or right-click the token and choose Order, to set the slope from 12 to 48 dB per octave. Steep and Gentle share the same slope but differ at the cutoff: Steep sits around -3 dB at the cutoff, while Gentle is -6 dB (Gentle 4) to -12 dB (Gentle 8) there, so it starts filtering earlier^[1].

In practice, use 12 or 24 dB per octave for musical high-passing and save 48 dB per octave for hard cleanup, such as a sub that must stop below 30 Hz.

How do you control the bands quickly?

Almost everything happens on the band tokens: drag for frequency and gain, scroll for bandwidth, right-click for type, order and key. These mouse controls come straight from the manual^[1].

• Drag a token Moves frequency left and right and gain up and down.
• Mouse wheel over a token Changes bandwidth. Shift+click and drag sideways, or a middle-click drag, does the same.
• <kbd>Ctrl</kbd>+click Fine adjustment, useful for small moves of 0.5-1 dB.
• <kbd>Alt</kbd>+click Resets a band.
• Right-click a token Opens Type, Order (slope) and Key menus.
• <kbd>Shift</kbd>+click with Band solo on Solos the band while you hold it. Move vertically to change bandwidth. Right-click the headphone icon to pick Adaptive or Bandpass solo.
• Click outside the bands Adjusts the main level. Use it to level-match after cuts or boosts.

Band solo is the fastest way to find a problem frequency. Hold Shift, click a narrow peaking band, sweep until the ring or mud jumps out, then release and cut it. Use the Compare arrows to save the current settings to a spare bank and flip between two EQ versions^[1].

How do you read the spectrum display?

The background shows a frequency histogram from 20 Hz to 20 kHz and, optionally, a heatmap, and you can monitor the input (before EQ) or the output (after EQ). You can also view MID, SIDE, left or right signals^[1]. Checking SIDE on a synth bus shows how much low end is sitting in the stereo sides.

The Pivot slope setting matters most. It visually tilts the spectrum around 1 kHz and defaults to 4.5 dB per octave, at which a mix where all frequencies sound similarly loud looks roughly flat^[1]. It changes the picture only, not the sound.

How do you EQ an 808 with the Key note display?

Right-click a band token, open Key and pick your 808's root note; the band snaps to that note's fundamental frequency^[1]. That removes the guesswork of hunting the fundamental on the spectrum.

Many trap 808s are tuned so their fundamental lands somewhere around 30-65 Hz. The table uses scientific pitch notation with A4 at 440 Hz^[3]. If your 808 is not tuned yet, start with how to tune 808s in FL Studio.

1. Center on the note
   Set band 1 to Peaking, then use Key to lock it to the 808's root. A small 1-2 dB boost with a wide bandwidth adds weight without a volume jump.
2. Clean below
   Add a High Pass band at 24 dB per octave around 25-30 Hz so subsonic energy stops eating headroom.
3. Find the harmonic
   Put a peaking band on the second harmonic (twice the fundamental). A gentle boost here helps the 808 read on phones.
4. Make room for the kick
   If the kick's punch lives around 60-100 Hz, try a narrow 2-3 dB cut in the 808 at the kick's peak, then check both together.
5. Tame the top
   On distorted 808s, a Low Pass around 2-5 kHz removes fizz that clashes with hats.

For the kick and 808 relationship in more depth, read how to mix 808 and kick without mud.

What are good EQ moves for vocals and hi-hats?

Vocals usually need a high-pass, a mud cut and careful top-end work, while hats mostly need their lows removed and their harshness softened. Sibilant sounds such as s, sh and ch sit in a narrow noise band around 5-10 kHz^[4], so boost that region with care. Treat every value below as a starting point and trust your ears.

If sibilance only appears on some words, a static cut dulls the whole vocal. A de-esser or dynamic EQ is the better tool there; how to fix sibilance on vocals covers both.

When should you use LIN, HQ and the phase view?

Leave the EQ in its standard mode for most tracks and switch to LIN (linear phase) only when phase shifts cause problems, such as losing low end when an EQ'd kick is mixed with its dry layer. Linear phase avoids phase rotation at the cost of added latency, which the Mixer's automatic plugin delay compensation normally aligns^[1].

• HQ+ Uses decramped filters with consistent bandwidth for a more analog-style response without oversampling. Since FL Studio 24 the other HQ modes are kept for compatibility with older projects^[1].
• LIN precision Right-click LIN to raise precision. Higher settings allow steeper slopes but add latency, so avoid them while recording.
• Phase rotation view Shows the phase shift of the standard filters. Useful when layering two basses; if it confuses you, the manual itself suggests turning it off.
• Disabled bands Bands set to off, and peaking or shelf bands with no gain, use no CPU.

When you automate a band's frequency for a filter sweep, fast moves can crackle in HQ mode. The Minimum phase mod speed option smooths that, while Linear phase mod speed trades CPU for faster sweeps^[1]. For drawing those sweeps, see how to use automation clips in FL Studio.