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API 550 Black Friday pricing from Waves is 79% off, which sets this EQ plugin at $29.99 until Nov 26, 2026.
The API 550 is a pair of EQ models, the 550A and the 550B, that Waves developed in close collaboration with API. The maker describes them as loving re-creations of late-60s originals.
The design hook is how the Q behaves. Q changes with gain, so a boost narrows into a more focused shape, while cutting gives a natural, subtle-to-steep curve.
For shaping tone, the 550 lifts an instrument forward or pulls it back in the mix. It can also set the overall contour of a mix.
The maker says it works on individual tracks, buses or full masters, and calls it a definition of musical transparency.
Here is what each version offers:
The maker pitches the 550B for general problem-solving or sweetening, with wide overlapping bands that cover a lot of ground.
The switchable distortion and hiss are optional, so you can run it clean or add analog-style grit to the signal chain.
On Mac, the plugin runs on macOS Monterey 12, Ventura 13, Sonoma 14 and Sequoia 15 in VST, AU and AAX formats.
On PC, it needs Windows 10 or later in VST and AAX formats.
If your DAW loads VST, AU or AAX plugins, the API 550 bundle slots in as an insert on a track, a bus or the master.
Yes. Waves has the API 550 at 79% off, which puts it at $29.99, and the deal ends Nov 26, 2026.
You get two EQ models, the 550A and the 550B. The 550A has 3 bands with 5 selectable frequencies each and a 50 Hz to 15 kHz filter. The 550B has 4 overlapping bands with multi-octave ranges.
On Mac it comes as VST, AU and AAX and supports macOS Monterey 12 through Sequoia 15. On Windows 10 or later it comes as VST and AAX, so there is no AU version for PC.
Q varies with gain. Boosting gives a more focused, musical shape, while cutting gives a natural curve that ranges from subtle to steep. The maker credits this behavior to the late-60s API design.
Prices and end dates are checked at publishing time and can change, so confirm them at the store before you buy.