Clean EQ but also a gentle musical character?

[Tube World]

I am looking for a clean eq but one that can be a little musical as well. I love the clean GML but that lacks the gentle musical sound. Ibis to my recollection is very clean, but not as hard as GML....lacks musical character if wanted? I don't know? I love the Mini Massive but it is only 2 band on a stereo mix. The Mini has the clean sound I love and with the transformer on it adds a little musical character that is great. Low end is solid and not rounded like the Massive Passive. Avalon 2055...this may be a good option, what do you guys think?

[Waltz Mastering]

Originally Posted by Tube World

I am looking for a clean eq but one that can be a little musical as well. I love the clean GML but that lacks the gentle musical sound. Ibis to my recollection is very clean, but not as hard as GML....lacks musical character if wanted? I don't know? I love the Mini Massive but it is only 2 band on a stereo mix. The Mini has the clean sound I love and with the transformer on it adds a little musical character that is great. Low end is solid and not rounded like the Massive Passive. Avalon 2055...this may be a good option, what do you guys think?

Can you describe what you mean by "musical"?

[Tube World]

Clean but a gentle sparkle - a little ah that sounds nice, without changing the tone of the track.

[lu432]

The Avalon 2055 is awesome, you might also look into a Bax Eq.

[MASSIVE Master]

You might try twisting the "Color" knobs on an Ibis also...

[Tube World]

Originally Posted by MASSIVE Master

You might try twisting the "Color" knobs on an Ibis also...

Am I correct in that the color knob offers a subtle difference? Have not heard one of these units in a while. From my memory it adds a touch thicker sound, but the difference was not much.

[Tube World]

Originally Posted by lu432

The Avalon 2055 is awesome, .

[MASSIVE Master]

Originally Posted by Tube World

Am I correct in that the color knob offers a subtle difference? Have not heard one of these units in a while. From my memory it adds a touch thicker sound, but the difference was not much.

Subtle to crazy depending on the settings -- You can apply it to a single band or the whole signal from "barely" to "whoa - that's too damn much."

[thermos]

Originally Posted by Tube World

I am looking for a clean eq but one that can be a little musical as well. I love the clean GML but that lacks the gentle musical sound. Ibis to my recollection is very clean, but not as hard as GML....lacks musical character if wanted? I don't know? I love the Mini Massive but it is only 2 band on a stereo mix. The Mini has the clean sound I love and with the transformer on it adds a little musical character that is great. Low end is solid and not rounded like the Massive Passive. Avalon 2055...this may be a good option, what do you guys think?

Sontec.

[Adam Dempsey]

Sontec, or Millennia NSEQ-2 (in solid state mode, or Fred Forssell mod).

[Ben F]

Originally Posted by thermos

Sontec.

Sontec +1

[Joe_caithness]

Came to post Sontec, everyone else has already!

[livingstone]

the Knif Soma is maybe what you look for ...
extremely flexible eq with the built in ms option, and it sounds amazing !

[24-96 Mastering]

Originally Posted by thermos

Sontec.

Originally Posted by Adam Dempsey

Sontec, or Millennia NSEQ-2 (in solid state mode, or Fred Forssell mod).

Originally Posted by Ben F

Sontec +1

Originally Posted by Joe_caithness

Came to post Sontec, everyone else has already!

Sontec

[freequency]

Great River MAQ 2-NV

[finetuner]

Knif Soma EQ

I was triggered by the term musical, since this is the first piece of mastering equipment i heard (and happily own) that struck me as being musical. It might have to do with the parallel design amongst others.

I compared it to my Weiss digital eq and the latter seemed to blur in comparison with similar settings. That's where i experienced how clean tube technology actually can be. So it's hard to describe character. Maybe the absense of it is what's so attracting by doing what you expect it to do where others slightly lack this quality??

(@ Livingstone: hi Fred !)

[Jerry Tubb]

Originally Posted by Adam Dempsey

Sontec, or Millennia NSEQ-2 (in solid state mode, or Fred Forssell mod).

Quoted for truth and brotherhood.

JT

[PBM]

Originally Posted by finetuner

Knif Soma EQ

I was triggered by the term musical, since this is the first piece of mastering equipment i heard (and happily own) that struck me as being musical. It might have to do with the parallel design amongst others.

I compared it to my Weiss digital eq and the latter seemed to blur in comparison with similar settings. That's where i experienced how clean tube technology actually can be. So it's hard to describe character. Maybe the absense of it is what's so attracting by doing what you expect it to do where others slightly lack this quality??

(@ Livingstone: hi Fred !)

+1 on the character and sheer quality of the Soma.

Also +1 to `hello Fred'.

Cheers,
Eric

[Jim Williams]

Seems most commercial EQ's have their own sound. You patch them in and everything changes, before you even twist an EQ knob.

So you end up trying to twist out that change, and if you're lucky, you may have one band left over to fix what you originally plugged it in for in the first place.

To avoid that recurring problem I had to build my own from scratch. No sound color, no change until that EQ knob is turned.

[Ben F]

Originally Posted by Jim Williams

Seems most commercial EQ's have their own sound. You patch them in and everything changes, before you even twist an EQ knob.

So you end up trying to twist out that change, and if you're lucky, you may have one band left over to fix what you originally plugged it in for in the first place.

To avoid that recurring problem I had to build my own from scratch. No sound color, no change until that EQ knob is turned.

Not True. The Sontec is quite transparent until you start boosting, same with the NSEQ-2. A completely transparent boost can sound too clean and boring, as the OP found with the GML and I would agree.

[Mastering7]

Originally Posted by Tube World

I am looking for a clean eq but one that can be a little musical as well. I love the clean GML but that lacks the gentle musical sound.

SPL PASSEQ is a good choice, very musical.
in short: Sound Performance Lab

[acorneau]

Lots of good suggestions so far.

No personal experience (yet) but the Buzz REQ gets very high praise from many folks.

[dietrich10]

Sontec+Buzz+Bax.

I've found the Neumann module eqs to be very clean and musical to my ears just lacking controls.

another option could be the Inward DEQ

[nomatic]

The sonic goal of the OP describes the Buzz perfectly. I find the EQ sounds
like music and not like electronics. In practical application The REQ 2.2
seems to move the perception of a musical element forward or backward
in the soundstage with little effect on the other elements. Clean with
a little added weight and elegance without sounding like circuit.

I love this Box!

[inlinenl]

who needs clean EQ's ???? clean is so boring ....

[Jim Williams]

Anyone that doesn't need to add dirt to their productions. That includes a lot of us.

I prefer colors and excitement to come from the performers. I've heard enough dirty distorted modern rock to last 10 lifetimes here.

This is the difference from 1982 and today. In 1982 we AE's didn't have the arrogance to say "I can make you better than you really are" or "I have a box that you have to use or"?

We did our job, and it wasn't to stick our thumbprint on someone elses' music.

Now days AE's, ME's all think they are the 5th Beatle or something.

Well, your not.

[Fabmaster]

Avalon 2055 can do what you describe.
Some people prefer it over it's much higher priced big brother.
($4,400.00 vs. $15,000.00)
Be aware that it's not stepped.
Hardware only?

Fab

[ionian]

Elysia Museq. I love it and it sounds clean and easy to dial in. Also has a warm button to slow the slew rate down and give it some dirty character if you want that.

Regards,
Frank

[Ben F]

Originally Posted by Fabmaster

Avalon 2055 can do what you describe.
Some people prefer it over it's much higher priced big brother.
($4,400.00 vs. $15,000.00)
Be aware that it's not stepped.
Hardware only?

Fab

Actually the 2055 does look interesting now that you mention it.

I only just realized after all of these years that the high and low bands were passive.

[Tube World]

Originally Posted by Ben F

Actually the 2055 does look interesting now that you mention it.

I only just realized after all of these years that the high and low bands were passive.

Is the Avalon 2055 a soft sounding EQ? You know that pillow sound people always talk about when it comes to Avalon. I know The Lodge Mastering House in NYC loves Avalon gear though.