Kush Audio Becomes Electra

[Pale Pyramid]

Jersey, Big sections of NYC, Long Island, We all got rocked by this storm in a way that you would expect a Tsunami , earthquake or other natural disaster might hit your area. Homes washed out to sea, many homes burned to the ground. Millions without power and will not see power for several days (some people have been told a month). The subway in large sections downtown is filled with water. I heard some one report that divers swam through the Holland Tunnel (LOL it's a road meant for cars). Imagine, no cell service, zero internet, You can't flush your toilet without first filling the bowl with water from another source (but where do you buy water or food when most stores are closed and the few open require cash only?) . I can see these folks need to take care of their families and let shipping EQ's wait a few days.

Last time I saw NYC on it's knees was 9/11 and Jersey took a huge hit .

[exwel]

When is the release date?

Is it a punchy sounding eq like API or Elysia Museq?

[antithesist]

I'm a little scared of the dual concentric controls. My old Orban 622B is the only thing I still have that has them. I got used to them on that, I guess.

Anyway, how far do they stick out from the front panel? Are there any side (or what do they call it, hero?) or angle photos or renderings? Thanks!

[havershaw]

Yeah, can anyone shed any light on when these are actually available for purchase?

Vintage King told me they didn't have any in stock. But I spoke with a dealer who was advertising these for sale on eBay, and he said they drop ship from his distributor, who did indeed have them in stock.

[antithesist]

I think light, or rather darkness, was shed by Sandy as relayed by Bryce a few posts back, but maybe they have an update.

[havershaw]

Yeah, I guess what I'm actually doing here is questioning whether it's possible that ANY distributors already have them (as this eBay seller is claiming).

[Brad McGowan]

I just got back from a long day at the studio mixing seven songs for a surf rock band called Aloha Screwdriver. The whole project is recorded/mixed to tape. I am fortunate to still have three Electras in my rack so I used a pair on drum overheads on the third on kick. I thought I would quickly share my experience using these EQs today in a mixing scenario. For this particular production the band wanted a modern sound even though the songwriting style has a very retro element to it.

One of the things I really love about the Electra is how stupidly easy it is to dial up a very large and punchy drum sound. In all of about a minute I had a killer kick sound happening. I set the upper mid band to the lowest setting of 250 Hz (tip: easy starting point for cutting mud on close drum mics) and sucked out some of the cloudiness and honk. I then added a nice wallop of chest slamming sub bass using the low mid filter. I have no idea what the frequency was because a) Greg insists I use my ears by virtue of his faceplate design, and b) I have no knobs on this unit. Ha ha. . But if I had to guess I'd say it was somewhere in the 40-60 Hz range. I followed that up with a boost of the high shelf set to its lowest setting (instant beater thwack, or snare drum crack...easy!). It was so damn clear and the transient was kicking me in the gut just right.

Because I tracked the whole band live in the same room there was a reasonable amount of bleed in the drum overheads....especially the low end from the bass amp. So with the other two Electras I was able to clean up that bleed and tighten up the low end using the HPF. Because we tweaked the resonance of the filter just so, it stays nice and tight at the corner frequency without sounding like the sound got neutered. Nice. Another light cut at 250 Hz to suck out some donk from the snare. The icing on the cake was the brilliance I was able to bring forward in the cymbals. I boosted all the way with the high shelf and then swept around to find just the right spot where the detail and air were accentuated and not the sibilance from the hi-hat. When I found that spot I dialed it back to something that rebalanced the cymbals perfectly.

Sometimes I really find myself fighting with EQ. The curves don't feel right, or the bands don't overlap in the right way. So I end up chaining multiple EQs in series. With this Electra EQ, I'm happy to report that I was able to just get what I wanted, and I got it really quickly. And that makes mixing music so much more fun and enjoyable.

Greg--I need six!

Brad

[Bryce]

Originally Posted by havershaw

I guess what I'm actually doing here is questioning whether it's possible that ANY distributors already have them (as this eBay seller is claiming).

As far as I know, neither we nor anyone else currently have any for sale.

dB

[GilWave]

Originally Posted by havershaw

But I spoke with a dealer who was advertising these for sale on eBay, and he said they drop ship from his distributor, who did indeed have them in stock.

I am here to say officially and unequivocally as the global distributor for Kush Audio that there is no distributor with any Electra EQs in stock, as they have not been released from production yet and other than the units that UBK has with him (the ones he demoed at AES) they do not exist.

Any dealer claiming otherwise (especially on eBay) is simply mistaken.

Gil Griffith
President
Wave Distribution
West Milford, New Jersey USA

[havershaw]

Thanks. I was hoping for some kind of official confirmation of this.

[rollmottle]

Originally Posted by GilWave

I am here to say officially and unequivocally as the global distributor for Kush Audio that there is no distributor with any Electra EQs in stock, as they have not been released from production yet and other than the units that UBK has with him (the ones he demoed at AES) they do not exist.

Any dealer claiming otherwise (especially on eBay) is simply mistaken.

Gil Griffith
President
Wave Distribution
West Milford, New Jersey USA

Dude from Pro Audio LA told me otherwise in an email. They are up for sale on their site already and I sent an email to confirm they were in stock and ready to go. I did not order after seeing this. Kush Audio Electra 500 Series 4-Band Equalizer | Pro Audio LA

[GilWave]

Originally Posted by rollmottle

Dude from Pro Audio LA told me otherwise in an email. They are up for sale on their site already and I sent an email to confirm they were in stock and ready to go.

They took down their eBay listing. Now they'll just have to update their Availability statement on their website.

I can't fault them for being overly-enthusiastic. They based their timetable on when they were originally told by our equally-enthusiastic sales director, based on what he was told by the always-enthusiastic UBK when preparing the original press release.

That was before we made some last-minute changes at AES, and then got hit by Hurricane Sandy. Not too worry though, they shall be ready soon and will not disappoint.

-Gil

[Schmacko]

Originally Posted by GilWave

They took down their eBay listing. Now they'll just have to update their Availability statement on their website.

I can't fault them for being overly-enthusiastic. They based their timetable on when they were originally told by our equally-enthusiastic sales director.

That was before we made some last-minute changes at AES, and then got hit by Hurricane Sandy. Not too worry though, they shall be ready soon and will not disappoint.

-Gil

Can you say what changed?

I was also curious about the website listing the low shelf as being fixed @ 90hz, while the photo of the 500 series displays sweepable 25-400hz, and the rack mount from 30-400hz.

Just curious. Can't wait to try these out!

[antithesist]

That frequency selection is for the HPF, even though it shares shafts (ouch) with the low shelf control.

[Brad McGowan]

Originally Posted by Schmacko

Can you say what changed?

I was also curious about the website listing the low shelf as being fixed @ 90hz, while the photo of the 500 series displays sweepable 25-400hz, and the rack mount from 30-400hz.

Just curious. Can't wait to try these out!

Just to clarify, I'm not sure where the 90 Hz came from but that's not where the fixed low shelf is set. Its frequency was actually tweaked by ear by Greg and me to be something that when boosting did not muddy up the sound, and when cutting did not thin out the crucial mids. It just works really well, regardless of what the number is.

The HPF is from 25-400 on both the 500 series and rackmount unit. The rackmount unit we had at AES was a prototype and had preliminary markings on the silkscreen.

Nothing electronically has changed with the design. The change was the name, and the faceplate silkscreens.

Brad

[u b k]

Correct! What changed was the name, which meant the silkscreens and faceplates needed to be redone.

That's normally not a huge deal... until a massive hurricane hits.


Gregory Scott - ubk

[goldencd]

Just pulled the trigger on 2 of em! Can't wait to play.

[TimS]

I have nothing but respect for ubk (his posts are consistently the most insightful on this forum IMO), and I'm not saying it's necessarily overpriced, but $549 does seem a bit much to me considering the complete lack of iron. I mean we're talking about a time when Lindell is putting out sub-$300 EQs with transformers and inductors. Mass production and part selection certainly play a role in allowing him to hit that price point, but unless Kush is using some seriously expensive pots I just don't see an EQ circuit composed entirely of resistors, capacitors, and opamps being a great value at the price this thing is going to be offered at. Sure, it might sound absolutely amazing, and if it does then people (including myself) will likely buy it regardless of the markup, but this thing would sell like hotcakes at $300-400 (hell, I'd buy a whole lunchbox of them). I'd be interested in hearing the rationale behind the pricing of this product (is it the pots, the complexity of the build,...?)

And again, please don't take this the wrong way. I am not saying the product is overpriced, and would not do so without knowing exactly what's inside of it. I'm just curious why it's priced the way it is considering that it seems to be made out of what are usually relatively inexpensive components.

[goldencd]

If it sounds better than an eq that is priced higher ( which 90 % are besides lindell) then it is worth more.

I think given the market it is priced well. Iron or not.

[TimS]

Originally Posted by goldencd

If it sounds better than an eq that is priced higher ( which 90 % are besides lindell) then it is worth more.

I think given the market it is priced well. Iron or not.

I certainly see that point of view. It is indeed priced fairly reasonably compared to a lot of other 500-series EQs (of course, the vast majority of those more expensive EQs also use transformers, inductors, and/or rotary switches, which brings us back to my original point). If it sounds good I'm sure it will sell just fine at $549. I just think that it would sell even better at a lower price point, and that given the lack of what are usually the most expensive components in an EQ it probably could be sold at such a price point.

Think of it this way: Lamborghini makes what I'm told are fine cars (I wouldn't know - I'm actually more of a fan of American muscle, but I digress...) Corvettes are also fine cars. But would a Corvette be a great value if it cost almost as much as a Lamborghini? That's all I'm saying. Anyway, I don't want to hijack this thread with a discussion of the relative merits of pricing based on cost or on competition, so that's as far as I'll go into that topic.

Carry on!

[antithesist]

Man, don't you watch Top Gear?

[goldencd]

45 day wait from VK, ouch!! Oh well maybe ill forget I ordered them and it will bea nice surprise when they show up.

[gergface21]

Originally Posted by goldencd

45 day wait from VK, ouch!! Oh well maybe ill forget I ordered them and it will bea nice surprise when they show up.

I was thinking the same thing

[ludvista29]

These look great Greg! Is there anyway I could come check these out? I live in Sparta, NJ. Not very far from West Milford.

[u b k]

Update for all those who've been patiently waiting for their dealer to receive their units: after the hurricane, we had to re-do all of the metalwork for the faceplates, then have them painted and screened.

The good news is the new faceplates have been shipped to us yesterday. Because of the holidays we expect to receive them on Monday, at which point we can begin top level assembly and q.c/testing.

So we're 21 days into our 45 day projected delay, and I dare say we are ever so slightly ahead of schedule.

Thanks to everyone for your continued patience and support, we were very fortunately spared from the serious damage that so many of our friends experienced in the northeast.

Onwards and upwards!


Gregory Scott - ubk

[Schmacko]

Originally Posted by u b k

Update for all those who've been patiently waiting for their dealer to receive their units: after the hurricane, we had to re-do all of the metalwork for the faceplates, then have them painted and screened.

The good news is the new faceplates have been shipped to us yesterday. Because of the holidays we expect to receive them on Monday, at which point we can begin top level assembly and q.c/testing.

So we're 21 days into our 45 day projected delay, and I dare say we are ever so slightly ahead of schedule.

Thanks to everyone for your continued patience and support, we were very fortunately spared from the serious damage that so many of our friends experienced in the northeast.

Onwards and upwards!


Gregory Scott - ubk

Good to hear!

How far away are the rack mount versions from production?

[dubmunkey]

Originally Posted by Schmacko

Good to hear!

How far away are the rack mount versions from production?

I'm seriously needing the rack version and UK release date. :D

[Trakworx]

Brad McGowan brought a couple of these EQs over to my studio the other day to check out before we did the mastering of the aforementioned Aloha Screwdriver album (nice work on that BTW!). They sound really good to my ears, especially at their price point! Boosting bottom with the low shelf or low mid band was most impressive to me. I predict success here...

[paulrk]

Originally Posted by Trakworx

Brad McGowan brought a couple of these EQs over to my studio the other day to check out before we did the mastering of the aforementioned Aloha Screwdriver album (nice work on that BTW!). They sound really good to my ears, especially at their price point! Boosting bottom with the low shelf or low mid band was most impressive to me. I predict success here...

Did you find the non-detended/stepped pots a drawback in a mastering context? Can't wait to hear one of these beauties, Greg and co really make great stuff.

[Brad McGowan]

It was really cool to see Justin interract with the Electra in a mastering setting. The low end definitely was very punchy and solid and he was able to smooth out the large 25 Hz head bump on his ATR 102 using the high pass filter. Justin can comment further, but I watched him compare it to his Drawmer 1961 tube EQ and his Dangerous Bax. What I heard when comparing to the Drawmer was a more more defined transient response across the board and a clearer overall presentation. When boosting the low end on the Electra, the kick and the bass really hit you in the gut without changing tonality or texture. We also spent some time comparing the Bax low shelf to the Electra fixed frequency low shelf. The Electra seemed to have a steeper slope and therefore didn't alter or adversely affect the mids like the Bax did. The low end could be made bigger without the mids getting muddy or honky. It was really cool for me to hear that comparison and made me appreciate that very simple feature that much more.

Compared to the Bax on the high shelf, the Electra had an equally impressive and expensive sound. One was no better or worse than the other. I felt like the Electra was a hair more detailed and uncolored, but that could just be designer bias.

I couldn't leave the Electras with Justin so he wasn't able to use them in mastering the Aloha Screwdriver record, but I will say this. I recorded this same band a couple years ago in the same studio using a similar live approach. Justin mastered that record as well. This time around he did absolutely nothing to the high end of the record. I credit that to the Electra. I used this EQ on the drum overheads which is the only really high end on the production (3 piece instrumental surf rock band). I used the high shelf to enhance the brilliance of the cymbals. This may be the first time I've ever had a record mastered where nothing was done to the top end.

Yesterday I took both the new Aloha Screwdriver record and the old one to my friend's house where we compared the two on his ridiculously expensive hi-fi system. My friend commented how punchy and deep the low end was on the new record, especially the kick drum. Again, I must credit that partially to the Electra as well, since I used it to shape the kick during mixdown. I think this might be the first record I've done where I'm actually happy with the first couple octaves of my mixes.

Brad