Antelope Audio MG4+ — The Free EQ That Brings “Air” to Your Mixes

If you’ve been hunting for a simple, musical equalizer that can add immediate polish to vocals, acoustic instruments, and mixes without sounding brittle, Antelope Audio’s MG4+ just landed in your lap — for free. It’s a native software take on a beloved 500-series six-band EQ (the hardware many engineers associate with that famously silky top end), and Antelope is giving it away for a limited time as they roll out individual perpetual licenses for their plugin library. In short, it’s approachable, fast, and sonically flattering in ways that are easy to hear in a mix. 

Below I’ll unpack what the MG4+ is, why it matters, how it sounds, where it fits in your workflow, and a few practical tips to get the best results — whether you’re tracking, mixing, or mastering.

What is MG4+?

MG4+ is Antelope Audio’s native software emulation of a legendary six-band 500-series EQ module best known for its “Air” or “Sky” band — a high-frequency shelf that adds sheen and perceived loudness without the harshness you’d get by cranking simple high-shelf boosts. Antelope’s version is named MG4+ and ships as a VST3/AU/AAX plugin for macOS and Windows; it’s built from the same analog-modeling heritage that powered their Synergy Core DSP plugins but now runs natively on your computer. 

Antelope released the MG4+ as a free giveaway to celebrate the availability of individual, perpetual licenses for its growing catalogue of native plugins — a move that makes their historically hardware-tied emulations available to anyone with a DAW. The promotion is time-limited, so it’s a great moment to try one of their flagship emulations without any upfront cost. 

Why audio engineers love the original (and why MG4+ cares)

The hardware EQ that inspired MG4+ earned its reputation for adding “expensive”-sounding air to the top end while keeping sibilance and harshness at bay. That trick is more about the shape and phase behavior of the band than raw boost — it’s a musical, sympathetic shine rather than a bright, hard bump. Antelope’s modeling attempts to capture that character while adding flexible controls so you can adapt it to modern mixing tasks. If you want presence and clarity without the tinny artifacts that a lot of transparent digital EQs produce, this is exactly the use case the MG4+ targets. 

Key features at a glance

• Six bands: five fixed-frequency bands for precise tonal sculpting plus the special Sky (Air) band for top-end sheen. The fixed bands are musically placed for common corrective and creative work. 

• Sky Band (Air): the plugin’s star — designed to enhance perceived brightness and openness without making a signal sound brittle. Great for vocals, acoustic guitars, piano, and mix buses. 

• Native plugin formats: AU, VST3, and AAX for cross-platform compatibility. No Antelope hardware required. 

• iLok authorization: The free activation process uses Antelope’s user portal and iLok licensing (iLok Cloud or USB), and installation runs through the Antelope Launcher. Expect a short account/linking step before use. 

• Presets & use cases: Includes artist/engineer–inspired starting points for vocals, instruments, and buses, which help you learn the plugin fast. 

How MG4+ sounds — practical listening impressions

If you’re reading this to decide whether MG4+ is worth adding to your toolkit, here are the sonic characteristics that engineers repeatedly mention:

• Silky highs without sibilance. The Sky Band gives the impression of air and presence more than raw top-end boost. That means a vocal can cut through without sounding shouty. This is especially useful when you want modern radio-ready shine without de-essing surgical edits. 

• Musical midrange control. The fixed bands are placed to catch typical problems or sweet-spot areas (low-end weight, muddiness, body, and presence). Rather than ultra-surgical, narrow cuts, the MG4+ leans toward musical, musically usable shapes that “sit” in mixes. 

• Mix bus/mastering utility. Because of its smooth behavior, the EQ is often used in gentle amounts on buses or masters to impart a sheen and cohesion without introducing phase oddities that can ruin a stereo image. Antelope explicitly positions it as useful on vocals and stereo buses. 

Users on forums have compared the native version favorably to the DSP version and to other Maag-style EQs, noting the MG4+ tends to be musical and usable even with relatively aggressive settings. As always, your mileage will vary by source material and monitoring environment, but the consensus is clear: it’s an easy “go-to” for top-end enhancement tasks. 

Workflow tips — how to integrate MG4+ into your sessions

1. Less is more on the Sky Band. Try small amounts (1–3 dB) at first. The Sky Band is addictive: a little goes a long way. On vocals, use it to add presence after compression rather than before, since compression can change perceived brightness. 

2. High-pass before sculpting. If you’re using MG4+ on a single channel, dial a high-pass on the source track (or a gentle low-end cut inside MG4+ if available) to prevent unnecessary low energy from triggering perceived loudness changes when you boost highs.

3. Use it in tandem with surgical EQ. MG4+ is excellent for musical enhancement. For surgical removal of resonances or ringing, pair it with a precise, narrow parametric EQ first, then let MG4+ add the breath and air.

4. Try it on buses. Put a subtle Sky Band boost on a vocal bus or vocal group to glue doubles and impart uniform air. Small boosts on a drum bus can also lift the kit without adding harshness. 

5. Check in mono. Because “air” can interact with the phase and the stereo image, occasionally check your adjustments in mono to ensure you haven’t introduced issues that collapse poorly.

Installation & claim process (quick how-to)

Antelope is distributing MG4+ as a free giveaway for a limited time. To claim and install:

1. Visit Antelope Audio’s free plugin claim page and enter your email to receive the download/claim link. 

2. Create/link your Antelope account and ensure your iLok account is connected (the license is sent to iLok Cloud by default). If you don’t already have iLok, a free cloud account will suffice. 

3. Download the Antelope Launcher, install the plugin formats you need (AU/VST3/AAX), and authorize using iLok Cloud or USB. Then load the plugin in your DAW. 

Note: Several independent outlets report high demand during the free period, so expect possible short delays on Antelope’s download servers. If you plan to grab it, do so while the promotion runs. Articles listed the free period running through November 30, 2025; confirm current availability on Antelope’s site. 

Where MG4+ fits compared to other EQs

MG4+ isn’t positioned as a surgical parametric EQ or a linear-phase mastering tool (though people do use it on buses). It’s a character EQ — like Pultec-style or Maag-style tools — that enhances tonal balance with minimal fuss. If you already own highly transparent parametrics for corrective work, MG4+ fills the gap for tonal color and top-end glamour. Think of it as one of the “tweak-and-love” plugins: less about solving problems, more about making things feel finished. 

Who should try MG4+ right now?

• Vocal producers and mixers who want to add presence quickly.

• Home studio owners without Antelope hardware who are curious about the company’s analog-modeling sound.

• Mix engineers are looking for an easy bus enhancer.

• Mastering engineers who want a tasteful top-end option for gentle polish (use sparingly and monitor carefully). 

Final thoughts: Is it worth your time?

Yes. For a free, native EQ that’s modeled from a respected hardware lineage and designed specifically to give you that smooth, opening top end, MG4+ is absolutely worth grabbing — especially while Antelope is handing it out as part of their plugin rollout. It’s intuitive, musical, and bridges the gap between vintage EQ coloration and modern DAW convenience. Even if you don’t fall in love with it immediately, it’s a great tool to keep in the utility belt for quick tone shaping and mix finishing. 

If you want to try it now: claim it through Antelope’s free plugin page, link your iLok account, and install via the Antelope Launcher. Then try the Sky Band on a lead vocal and hear what a little air can do.