help me choose one EQ for sound-design/shaping

[pentajigga]

hello all.

i work on drumNbass, downtempo, trip-hop, and other electronic and sample based genres. i do most all of my work inside my DAW (logic 5 or ableton live 4).

i want to have one outboard chain that i will route individual tracks or sounds to when i am creating the songs. so these are not for tracking, but rather for soundshaping with an ear sometimes to fit something in the mix in general (but i will do final mixes elsewhere).

for example when ive created drum tracks i may bus them together and route the to this CHAIN and re-sample it... same with bass or any other sounds... you get the idea

i am thinking this chain can be as simple as a comprssor and a great EQ...

right now i have a distressor and i think that'll do nicely, so i need an EQ to match up with it...

right now this would be a mono chain (since i only have one distressor), but that's fine for now since i process many sample in mono. (hoever if you want to suggest another comp, please feel free, the tube-tech multiband has piqued my interest, but my money needs to flow towards an EQ right now)

i also have an original 1073 that i use in my vocal chain with a gates sta-level, and ive thought of perhaps using the 1073 EQ with the distressor as the chain... but i wanted something a bit more versitile.

it doesnt necessarily have to be parametric, i actually love fixed position EQs, the nightpro is one of my favoirtes but it has a real limited selection of bands.

thanks in advance

[thethrillfactor]

Look into the Massive Passive EQ.

Also even though i have never tried it(so take my opinion with a very small grain of salt please), that new Great River EQ looks like a contender for what you are asking.

Everything else is pretty much style specific and sound dependent.

By that i mean it sounds great on certain things but not as good on others.

[Syki]

You took my choices right out of my mouth... Mass Pass/ Great River EQ2nv/ and a Pultec EQP1A if you can find one ! (The Pultec is subjective)

Hey Thrill, you ready to sell one of your Pultecs?....

[pentajigga]

ill take a look at the great river... i have used the massive for mastering and its nice but i think a bit out of the price range i want to spend on an EQ...

another question...

when you have an EQ with limited bands, like the nightpro which has 5 or 6 i think, total... what are the possible ramifications if you are using this on several tracks individually in your mix... i forsee possible probalems if you are always cutting.bossting the same freqs on many tracks... but also it may help if you are cutting and boosting 2 tracks to oppose each other and stand out... right??

any thoughts on this or other EQ/comp suggestions for sound-shaping -- fire away

[lucey]

Massive Passive was my vote

API 550 perhaps ?

[faeflora]

Have you used your 1073 with your distressor yet? If not, why not?

[pentajigga]

i have, but, im ashamed to say, not extensively...
never really thought of a 1073 as a well-rounded sound-shaping EQ, but it'll certainly be a great pair to go with whatever else i get.