Sonir.

Build an EQ or effect and compare it at matched loudness

On Templates, press Start from this on a starting point, then add nodes and change their values in Graph, and save it under a name. On A/B, put the graphs you want to compare into Slot A and Slot B and switch with the A, B and Space (bypass) keys. Match loudness is on by default, so what you hear is the difference in sound, not the difference in level.

Checked with Sonir Bench 0.1.62 on 2026-10-12

Before you start

  • Bench playing through your DAC. If it is not yet, follow the setup guide first.
  • The engine running. Switching on A/B only works while it runs.

Steps

  1. 01Pick a starting point on Templates

    Open Templates, choose the Starting points for graphs tab and press Start from this on the one closest to what you want. Its node chain opens as a new graph with the title filled in as the name. Nothing is saved yet. If a draft is already open, Bench asks before replacing it.

  2. 02Add nodes and change their values in Graph

    In Graph, choose a node under Node to add and press Add a node; it goes to the end of the chain. Select a node to edit its fields on the right; the allowed range is shown under each one. Move nodes with Up and Down and delete them with Remove. Consecutive biquad filters are shown together as one EQ block.

    REFERENCEGraph nodes

  3. 03Check it without playing

    The Check card runs on its own a moment after you stop typing, for both the 44.1 kHz and the 48 kHz families, and shows Passes or Fails for each. A failure names the stage and the error code. A graph marked non-linear adds distortion on purpose, and applying it raises a protective limiter at the output for the rest of the session.

    REFERENCEValidationError codes

  4. 04Give it a name and save

    Type a name at the top and press Save. Saving checks only the shape and the coefficients; the full check runs again when the graph is loaded, so save one that passes, or it will be refused when you try to play it. Saved graphs appear on the Engine screen and in the A/B choices.

  5. 05Hear it against the bypass on the Engine screen

    On the Engine screen, choose the graph under Add a saved graph… in the Graph Design card. Graphs in the chain are applied from top to bottom, and the change takes effect while the engine is running. Use the Apply and Passthrough toggle to move between the graph and the untouched sound.

    REFERENCESignal path

  6. 06Put two designs into A and B

    Open A/B. Slot A is the same chain as the Engine screen. In the Slot B card, add the other graph under Loaded preset; it is prepared in the background and marked Ready (the round trip is instant). An empty slot is a valid bypass, so you can also compare a graph against nothing.

  7. 07Switch with A, B and Space

    Press A, B or Space (bypass), or the buttons under Listening to. Switching crossfades, so there is no gap. Match loudness (recommended) is on, and each slot shows how much level correction it receives in dB; the correction has a limit, and a slot that reaches it is marked at the limit. The comparison is not blind: you always see which slot is playing.

    REFERENCEA/B and loudness

If it does not work

  • The A/B buttons are greyed out.

    The engine is stopped. Start it from the Engine screen.

  • I overwrote a graph but the sound did not change.

    A slot keeps playing what it loaded. Load the graph into the slot again.

  • Bench warns that only one side is non-linear.

    The limiter is up for that side only, so the comparison includes what the limiter does as well as the difference between the designs.

  • Starting the engine plays a passthrough.

    A graph from last time is no longer in the library. Choose a graph again on the Engine screen.

  • The check fails.

    Look up the error code it shows. The error code page says what each one means and what to change.