Beginner Rack EQs

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aaronmcoleman

aaronmcoleman

The truth is out there!
I want to get some rack gear and try some mixing outside the box. Right now I have an RNC I used to never use and have been using regularly recently.

Is there an equivalent sort of EQ (something inexpensive that sounds good)? I want to try EQing outside of plugins. I have no idea about budget, I guess that will depend on how much quality will cost.

Thanks!
 
Maybe something like a chameleon lab preamp with on board eq.

Or just go for a quality out board parametric eq.

I really like the Joe Meek twinQ. It has everything!! Google it up and take a look.
 
I guess what I'm looking for is some suggestions for quality out board parametric EQ. Like I said, I don't have a budget yet because I have no idea how much they cost. So I'm just looking for ideas, what the least expensive quality EQ is. By least expensive I don't mean "cheap". If it's a minimum of $2000 for a good EQ I'll skip it. If there are some for $500 i'll grab one.
 
Klark Teknik will be your best bet, used will be right in your budget for a parametric eq.

But really look for a used Joe Meek TwinQ.
 
You can get a used Klark DN410 on Ebay for $400 to $500. It can be used as a stereo 5-band or mono 10-band. Each filter is independently adjustable over the whole audible range rather than fixed at "low", "low mid", "high mid", and "high" positions like most parametrics.
 
You can get a used Klark DN410 on Ebay for $400 to $500. It can be used as a stereo 5-band or mono 10-band. Each filter is independently adjustable over the whole audible range rather than fixed at "low", "low mid", "high mid", and "high" positions like most parametrics.

Yup, Yup, Yup. :)
 
cool. looks pretty straight forward and simple to use. i see a few on ebay, so i might pick one up this week. thanks.

i assume the joe meek twinq is more colored, and the klark is cleaner? i'd probably go for the clean one first, and colored second. could you guys give me a little description of the twinq sound vs. the klark?
 
whoops, should have read up on the twinq before asking questions. so the twinq is preamp/compressor/eq. can the compressor, and eq be used separately on mix down? i rarely use any effects on tracking, but mixing would be what i want this stuff for.

Thanks a ton!
 
Toft -- Tough to beat in the price range. The KT stuff is quite decent of course as well. You might look for some old Orban units too... The 642 (especially if you can find a black-faced model) is a helluva nice unit.
 
whoops, should have read up on the twinq before asking questions. so the twinq is preamp/compressor/eq. can the compressor, and eq be used separately on mix down? i rarely use any effects on tracking, but mixing would be what i want this stuff for.

Thanks a ton!

Yeah the twinQ is more of a channel strip but it's darn good. You could use the EQ and compression separately in a mix down situation.
 
Thanks for all the advice. I was hoping there was a more "colorful" EQ in the lower price range. So for now I think I'll put the money toward another GAP pre-73 and SM7b. In the future I really want some rack gear, but for now I think I'll beef up the mic/pre collection.

With the ReaEQ I can get some really nice transparent EQ from the box for surgical cuts, or just evening out a tone. I've also been playing with Stillwell's VibeEQ for some color. For $25 I think it will help a lot more than a $400 rack EQ (which I still want in the future). Back in the day, people didn't have a million EQs, so I think a nice transparent one and a couple of colors in plugins will be good for now.

Thanks for all the help...as always!
 
Thanks for all the advice. I was hoping there was a more "colorful" EQ in the lower price range. So for now I think I'll put the money toward another GAP pre-73 and SM7b. In the future I really want some rack gear, but for now I think I'll beef up the mic/pre collection.

With the ReaEQ I can get some really nice transparent EQ from the box for surgical cuts, or just evening out a tone. I've also been playing with Stillwell's VibeEQ for some color. For $25 I think it will help a lot more than a $400 rack EQ (which I still want in the future). Back in the day, people didn't have a million EQs, so I think a nice transparent one and a couple of colors in plugins will be good for now.

Thanks for all the help...as always!

PMed you for future purchases.
 
Back in the day, people didn't have a million EQs...
Back in the day... there was a nice EQ on every channel, in the strip, on the desk, and they all cost a ton of dough, and no one could afford to multi-track record at home..

You couldn't touch today's capabilities without spending $20,000 - $30,000. It's absolutely amazing what the home recorder has at his disposal and the quality of the product that can be produced in the hobbyist's bedroom.

Some say it's ruined the profession, others... that it's opened it wide up... I think a little of both. I like that more creative ideas are seeing the light of day... but if I hear one more dude, who pastes sample together on his laptop call himself a producer...
 
Back in the day... there was a nice EQ on every channel, in the strip, on the desk, and they all cost a ton of dough, and no one could afford to multi-track record at home..

You couldn't touch today's capabilities without spending $20,000 - $30,000. It's absolutely amazing what the home recorder has at his disposal and the quality of the product that can be produced in the hobbyist's bedroom.

Some say it's ruined the profession, others... that it's opened it wide up... I think a little of both. I like that more creative ideas are seeing the light of day... but if I hear one more dude, who pastes sample together on his laptop call himself a producer...

Yup, all these options are great. I tend to get a little overwhelmed by all the plugin options and want to try them all. So for the two projects I'm working on I've limited myself to 3 different EQs, 3 Compressors, 2 Reverbs, and a couple of misc effects. But that LIMITING is still WAY more than most people could have dreamed of 25 years ago. It is a great time to be a musician/recorder and things seem to be getting even better!

My comment was mostly geared towards those who collect gear and plugins and obsess over them more than their recordings. My point was that great recordings can be done without a ton of stuff, and usually with just the plugs that come with the DAW (reaper came with somewhere between 200 and 1,000,000 plugs).
 
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