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[bblackwood]

I have some ideas bouncing around right now, so tell me - how would you describe your ultimate EQ? Describe it however you wish, tone characteristics, topology, number / type of bands, etc. Doesn't have to be your only EQ, just the ultimate if you could have it...

[SafeandSoundMastering]

8 band (built into 2 x 3 u 19inch racks one above the other)
+ HP/LP filters top and bottom 12/18/24/32/48 dB per octave.

Top and bottom 2 band switchable between shelf and parametric.
Band bypass. Full bypass.
Gain I/O trims.
Passive circuit and Active T-Filter circuit (yes they sound good) switchable per band.
Stereo ganged, switched goes without saying on here.
Switchable transformers in / Switchable transformers out.
M/S/Stereo switchable per band.
Neutrik gold plated connectors.
Totally shielded over specced torroidal PSU
Costs £1,000.00, lol

The silkiest top end know to man, rare I need an eq to dirty stuff up at the top end.
Firm controlled deep discrete low end. Just want control here not colour.
Mids that are not overly 3d enhancing i find this annoying sometimes, change tone but not width.

That'll do.

[jdg]

lots of overlapping frequency choices ala MEA2

6 bands, HPF and LPF

and most importantly, NO BLUE LEDs

[aleatoric]

Keeping it simple I'm going to say a Sontec MES-482 (use to be called MES-462) with the addition of individual band bypass switches and stepped HPF/LPF.  If I wanted to get nutty I'd say a dual mono version of the MES-482 with a built in M/S Matrix as well.

[KAyo]

I wish I could contribute with technical knowhow.. but, my feelings are as follows ..

Apart from conventional EQ type machines, I am really digging the tonality machines too.

Like the BX_Digital EQ concept with its tone control.
Or the Elysia – museq hypothesis.
Maybe even, the Abbey road stylization for tonality, such as the TG12410's Tone Control and Filter modules.

A hybrid of sorts aimed solely aimed at the Mastering fraternity, that would be an interesting concept and most importantly a competitive pricing and affordability. I mean, one could go and built the best fandangle EQ, but, how affordable is it going to be?  As one is now most definitely competing with superior quality plugs too and a perceived mind set in the public that plugs are the same. By that I mean, how many in the overall audio fraternity have now decided that attaining the UAD versions of the Manley incarnations are good enough to satisfy their Manley cravings or credentials. You get …


Ciao’
KAyo

[Ben F]

Keeping it simple I'm going to say a Sontec MES-482 (use to be called MES-462) with the addition of individual band bypass switches and stepped HPF/LPF. 

And properly built!

Sound wise you would have to say the Sontec had stood the test of time. Ergonomically as well.

My 'ultimate' workhorse would be stereo ganged unit that was based on the winning Sontec sound, with overlapping frequencies like the MES-462, but with the addition of HP/LP filters that sounded like the BAX- fast and transparent. I would also have the shelves and filters separated into L/R, with one frequency knob and 2 gain knobs like the BAX. These could be switchable between L/R or M/S, but the rest of the EQ was in ganged stereo. That would cover most situations.

Not too fussed about a transformer option, there are too many variants (clean or coloured, and what type of colour?).

[Ed Littman]

A while back before I got my Buzz I spoke to Burgess about custom applying the duo option ( Double set of electronics,ITI & Sontec)to the 432D9 with separate activation controls for each channel. The outcome would allow the ITI or Sontec modules to be chosen per channel independently if running the unit in a ms matrix. I don't know if this is the ultimate rig but Burgess was interested in builing one like this.

Ed

[Greg Reierson]

HP
LP
HS
LS
6 peaking bands
all bands out of circuit unless enabled
32 steps to allow for a wide and overlapping frequency range per band
Q = .5 to 3
dual concentric switches that can be used in stereo or dual mono
MS matrix
clean, clean, clean

I'm adding up the parts count in my head. Not gonna be cheap!


GR

[SafeandSoundMastering]

You could always buy the plug in version, lol.

[Gold]

I've been thinking it would be nicer to have a few smaller specialized EQ's rather than one ultimate EQ. I like having a very broad soft focus EQ like the QE's I use. No need for a Q control or many frequency selection points. It does what it does. I'd like to have a four band shelving EQ. No Q control needed for that either. Then six or eight parametric bands maybe broke up into two boxes at two points in the chain.

[John Roberts {JR}]

Been there done that.. It's getting harder to do another same but different EQ.

Perhaps it's time to rethink the paradigm of EQ... Instead of turning a knob to get boost/cut, how about turning knobs to set a target or mask for a desired spectral result. Then the EQ would compare the input and equalize to get the target output.

Of course this would be more program dependent, that simply corrective for fixed path response errors that might respond better to simple EQ. 

Not a universal solution but perhaps has merit for some applications, in combination with conventional technology.

 or not...

JR

 

[SafeandSoundMastering]

There is no way I could operate without having both coloured and clean EQ's personally. Obviously the key being when and where they get used which makes all the difference.

Though simplification is good. You sure can have too much of a good thing.

I now know what I use the most and that is a good place to be for workflow.

Instead of turning a knob to get boost/cut, how about turning knobs to set a target or mask for a desired spectral result.

I think some passive / retro eq types have that covered.

[djwaudio]

I think the Avalon has the right idea with the combination of active and passive filters on one unit. 

I could see taking this to another level.

[Patrik_T]

...

[Dave-G]

Maselec controls and frequencies, NSEQ-F sonics ... bonus if it also dispenses pie.