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1A Equalizer effect plug-in is a virtual homage to and evolution of electronics engineer Eugene Richard Shenk’s trailblazing Pultec® tube-based EQ design dating back to the mid-Fifties
Appreciating Audified’s 1A Equalizer effect plug-in perhaps involves an appreciation of the fact that it effectively has history to thank for its very existence. Electronics engineer Eugene Richard Shenk’s trailblazing tube-based EQ design dates back to the mid-Fifties, initially available as Pulse Techniques, Inc.’s EQP-1 Program Equalizer, evolving into the Pultec® EQP-1A that featured on countless hits as a recording industry staple to this day. Fast-forward through to today and Audified’s appreciation of tube-based devices collectively comes across in its own studio work while manifesting itself in the technology involved in developing the plug-ins for which it is now known, enabling endless inspiration for creating tools for musicians worldwide. With that in mind, though, its latest 1A Equalizer effect plug-in should not be thought of as an ‘exact replica’ — if, indeed, there is such a thing — of what went before, but rather a virtual homage to and evolution of that trailblazing tube-based EQ design.
Creatively combining vintage schematics with modern technological know-how to teach an old Pultec® new sonic tricks, Audified avoided playing by the rules when crafting its 1A Equalizer effect plug-in as a perfect tube-based EQ emulation — one where innovation meets tradition. That said, boosting and attenuating lows or highs in a signature way — achieving perceived loudness and fullness by boosting a frequency and attenuating it slightly less than it was boosted — is quintessential to the sound of the original units; ultimately, this is nailed in 1A Equalizer’s perfectly balanced BOOST and ATTEN controls. Continuing in a similar vein, nailing perfect saturation for the tracks being processed is perfectly possible thanks to 1A Equalizer’s unrelenting and precise CALIBRATION capability; since saturation is the heart and soul of this effect plug-in, users are advised to use it wisely! It is always worth keeping an eye on the THD (Total Harmonic Distortion) meter to clarify how much of that sweet saturation is being applied. After all, the devil is in the details.
But beyond that old boost-and-attenuate trick, 1A Equalizer works well with drums — add a bit of low-end boost to the kick and snare for much tighter-sounding, in-your-face drums; bass — boosting the lows and cutting the harsh highs will make the bass stand out, while adding punch, weight, and definition will enhance its groove; and guitars — add or remove the guitar’s low end as needed, or add a bit of chime and clarity at the top end to make them more defined and cut through in a mix.
Make no mistake: it is now 2023 — not 1955, of course, so today’s 1A Equalizer users are free to seize control over their soundstage with the effect plug-in’s welcomed M/S (Mid/Side) processing feature. For the benefit of the uninitiated, that M/S processing separates audio into Mid and Side components, providing users with an ability to separately sculpt the centre of their mix and edges of the stereo signal, so they can forge the ultimate mix or master, as well as enhancing overall colour with linkable parameters and switchable L/R (Left/Right) and M/S modes.
What is the Pultec EQP-1A? Watch the video to hear the orginal hardware.
It is clearly apparent, then, that by creatively combining vintage schematics with modern technological know-how, Audified has succeeded in teaching an old Pultec® new sonic tricks with 1A Equalizer effectively acting as its present-day, devilishly-detailed virtual homage to and evolution of Eugene Richard Shenk’s trailblazing tube-based EQ design of yesteryear.
1A Equalizer is available to purchase for a discounted introductory price of $49.00 USD until October 8, 2023 — rising thereafter to its regular price of $69.00 USD — from its dedicated webpage, which also includes some superb-sounding audio examples, here: https://audified.com/products/1a-equalizer/
Boutique Studio Bundle (https://audified.com/products/boutique-studio-bundle/) — updated to now include 1A Equalizer (alongside RZ062 Equalizer, U73b Compressor, and U78 Saturator) — is discounted at the same time to $149.00 USD, rising thereafter to $219.00 USD.
Become better acquainted with 1A Equalizer while watching Audified’s walkthrough video here: https://youtu.be/ZcYbPSYs8X0
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