Quote:
Originally Posted by
CJ1973
I am looking at a stereo EQ for strictly mix bus purposes.
My chain is Apogee I/O --> RCA console (API sounding) --> Dramastic Obsidian/33609 - EQ (??)
Suggestions so far are the following:
Retro, Avalon, Mercury, A-Designs, , Millenia, or German PEV, W495ST
Would appreciate any recommendations. The purpose is for mixing and adding some sheen to final mix before Mastering. Style of music is pop generally. (Bruno Mars, Adele etc.)
Thanks!
I would consider the following:
01. Great River MAQ-2NV (with an for the Transformer send and return trick if you find you need more color at times.) Pound for pound, this is one of the best since it's 1dB stepped on all controls, and feels like a cross between a API 5500 and a Neve 1081 (while being superior to both in my opinion, since the MAQ-2NV sports a lot more control over the Q for each band than either of those choices, and the recall is effortless) The Great River sound is incredible...and even though it's expensive, it's extremely flexible in terms of choices for transformer saturation if you buy the MP-2NV to do said transformer trick. I did a review of the EQ-2NV a ways back, and it's still just as good as I've said...but lately I've needed stepped controls for faster recalls, and an improved workflow. (
*NOTE: Buy the MP2-NV preamp for the send and returns...the 500 series units don't have inserts.)
02. Pulse Technologies PEQM 1A3 and PEQM 1S3 (Mastering versions.) If you don't have tubes in your chain, this can help with preventing ear fatigue if you mix into a pair of these pultec EQ's from the start. I love the solid state ones as well...so calling Pulse to speak with Steve Jackson about custom ordering solid state versions of these mastering EQ's is doable,and worth the effort. If you have too much tube gear on your mixbus things will get "soft", but these can be a great choice. Again, stepped controls seems to be working best for me as late. The 1A3 and 1S3 differences should be factired in after demoing both so you can understand the (slight) differences and make an educated decision about which you prefer. These will sound more pristine and clear than the Great River MAQ-2Nv and the Massive Passive, but are also the simplest EQ's to operate, making it less likely you could screw anything up at least, plus they're recognized by most of the worlds recording industry due to the legend of their lineage, you might get more paying work simply from owning them.
03. Manley Massive Passive (Mastering Version.) This EQ is honestly in the middle of the two mentioned above. It has the most flexibility, and has Tubes...but also giant transformers and a far "thicker" tone than Pultecs (closer to thicker tones fron the Grest Rivery EQ's with more tran former saturation, only with tubest sofencing things.) You can also audition the UNBALANCED outputs for the mixbus as well as the standard balanced outs for every mix (for denser material I prefer the unbalanced outs, since the "mushy: bottom end people complain about gets a lot tighter using the unbalanced outputs. For more sparse acoustic work/more intimate live performances, oftentimes the "thicker" sound of the balanced outs makes things feel bigger, with an extended bottom end that seems more real as though you're there.) The Manley also (unfairly) gets a bad rep in comparison to Pultecs because it's NOT a pultec. It's "surgical", even though it has an incredible capacity to be more of a "broad stroke" tool...and although it's going to "color" everything much moreso than either the other two listed above, the mastering version has much more subtle High Pass and Low Pass filters, far better for program than the norMal version. With stepped controls in the mix, now we're talking about a very powerful piece, though I don't think it's the best choice for all styles of music.
04. Maag EQ4M (Mastering Version of the EQ4) & EQ2 (500 series.) These are interesting. Every recommendation I'm making to you prior to this have all been inductor based EQ Designs. While the Maag stuff has a color, they are far more "transparent" than the other options I'm throwing out. If you like your mixes to stay roughly where they are, this will flatter what you already can do the most without having to remix things back into an EQ with a "sound/tone" from the start. I love the metering, limited though they might be, on each of these designs, since that helps you avoid adding too much gain to any bands. Lastly...and this is important. They both have stepped input attenuation. WHICH IS FRIGGIN GREAT. Very powerful when it comes to gain staging. The Manley has input attenuation too...but there's no way to meter if your gain is staged without any of your bands starting to clip on the Manley, so you have to use your ears care fully lIke you with tye othere too. Being able to ballpark safe boosts saves a lot of time with the Maag. And this is the cheapest option by far.
Final thoughts...
There's other good eq's too...but either they're expensive beyond these choices, or potentially, too complicated for someone who has no experience with professional mastering...or they are simply better as secondary EQ's to compliment your first choice. For someone starting down this road these are my top picks for ease of use/flexibility, since they will work equally well with tracking, or processing tracks for mixing on top of 2 Bus duties.
Hope this helps.