Softube Reference 1998 Equalizer is a modeled passive tube EQ released in August 2026. It recreates the tone-shaping of a modern-classic hardware unit from the late 1990s, with four passive, parallel EQ bands that each add warmth and gentle saturation, plus a tube stage that gives generous headroom. Its shelving filters move from wide and smooth curves to a bold, colorful shape that gels with a mix immediately.
It is a tone plugin, not a corrective one. Reach for it to add weight, glue and analog color on a mix bus or master, rather than to cut a narrow problem frequency. It is Console 1 ready and can load into the second slot of Softube's Equalizers plugin, where a vintage Reference front end stacks against modern curves, a frequency analyzer and dynamic EQ for up to 20 bands.
Its sibling, the Reference 1956, adds an older, broader passive voice with Mid/Side control. The natural rival is the UAD Pultec Collection, the reference point for passive-EQ color. Read the full Reference Equalizers review for the scored breakdown.