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[Alécio Costa - Brazil]

Can anyone comment on the prons and cons of this high-end Eq?
What are your experiences?
I am starting to have an eye on something similar, to complement my analog chain (Hedd 192 >OCL2 >Ibis EQ).
Thanks

[Garrett H]

People love or hate this for mastering.  I think its wonderful for tracking.  For mastering, on 1 out of 40 or 50 projects it was the best.  However, the interactive bands and the fact that it's not ever really 'bypassed' when its bypassed made me move away from it.  Again, there are MANY people who love this box in a mastering context.

[Alécio Costa - Brazil]

Yes,I have heard of the bypass issue before.
Seems we have 2 groups in this forum,  love x hate teams concerning this EQ.

[compasspnt]

I like it, and use it, but I will tell you that you may find it somewhat difficult to get a handle on. It doesn't respond like most other EQ's.

If you get one, there will be a learning curve.

[Glenn Bucci]

You should go on line and read the manual for the Massive Passive....not the whole thing but the part where Hutch talks about how to use it. It's kinda like move the knobs until it improves the track. You can add more gain than usual and it can sound amazing.

I have the Mini Massive and I use it all the time for mastering. It has a more solid low end, and with the boost in the higher freq's, it adds wonderful air. You have the option of very clean, slightly musical, or some grain in the EQ. I prefer it mostly very clean.

[Peter Beckmann]

It does take some getting used to, but I love it, esp. the bottom end.

I tend to use it for broad shaping. I've noticed I hardly ever use it for cutting, I use so called more 'surgical' digital eqs for that.

There is some debate over the standard Vs mastering versions.
The standard unit has switched frequency controls, with regular pots for bandwidth and gain, whereas the mastering version uses detented pots. [ not switches ]
I bought the non mastering version and ergonomically I like the continuously sweepable gain controls.
The input gain pots however drove me nuts. I had them replaced with proper Grayhill switches.
The mastering version has different lo and hi pass filter frequencies too.

Weirdly enough I'm looking for something to complement my massive. I've been considering either a Maselec [which I know well] or the Ibis [which you have!]

Lets trade! [just kidding]


Peter

[Taproot]

I absolutely love mine. I'm with Terry, it's an entirely different beast and like others, I use almost exclusively at full-bandwidth in mastering, except for the low end. The high end is extremely pleasing. the only thing I don't like, or actually hate,  about it is the shelving eq. Useless IMHO.

[compasspnt]

Taproot wrote on Fri, 05 September 2008 09:54

I absolutely love mine. I'm with Terry, it's an entirely different beast and like others, I use almost exclusively at full-bandwidth in mastering, except for the low end. The high end is extremely pleasing. the only thing I don't like, or actually hate, about it is the shelving eq. Useless IMHO.

You agreed with me, so I will agree with you.

I almost always use the peak EQ, rarely the shelving.

[hnewman]

It imparts a very strong character on everything it touches, even with minimal EQ changes occurring.  Personally I find the colour flattering on acoustic and sparser tracks, but I find it falls apart with dense mixes, and I usually don't like what it does to low end.  I do like the shelves on occasion, and find the pseudo-Pultec adjust really musical in the right context.

I will repeat what others have written and say it's a great piece, but I wouldn't recommend it to anyone as their first or only EQ, and especially not if you don't have a transfer console that would let you easily bypass it.  

I'm now in a situation where my MP is my 3rd analog EQ, and I'm deciding if I can live without it or not.  I'll let you know if I am ready to part with it.  The fact that it's a hard decision says a lot about its usefulness.

[Bob Olhsson]

My take is, like most colorful processing, it's probably better used on the mix bus where you still have control over individual mix elements.

[Alécio Costa - Brazil]

Many thanks, guys.
I would be curious to have an opinion of Brad,DC and Andrew.

Yes, the Ibis is pretty fine. In the first days I was a little bit confused with the EQing thing.

I reorganized its EQ  table, present at the manual. Even added it here at PSW so folks may  download it.

Seems I must look at something else like the TF9 PRO, Millenia.

The Fairman stuff is pretty expensive for my budget, which at themoment is towards U$3200.

[carlsaff]

Love mine. I have a patch bay so that I can bypass it if needed (I don't very often). I find myself using it primarily as a clarifying EQ.  None of my EQs can lift a mix out of the mud like the MP. It can scoop boxy low mids and lift dull high mids rather effortlessly. If you choose the right settings, the mix barely sounds EQ-ed afterwards... it just sounds "right." Occasionally, I like it for a touch in the sub range (47hz on band 1 is a favorite, when it's required). I don't do much with it in the extreme high end. The filters get some use, but I have the non-mastering edition, so HP and LP options are limited for me (sometimes wish I had the HP/LP options in the mastering edition, but I'm more likely to build a custom HP/LP box in the near future, actually).

Truly unlike any other EQ. Use your ears and don't freak out if you've seemingly selected what looks like an extreme setting. If it sounds good, it is good.

[Alécio Costa - Brazil]

Sure!

[compasspnt]

The amount boost and cut for any given +/- setting is dependent upon the bandwidth.

So it may look like you are boosting "+12" or something, yet with a given bandwidth, it may actually be much less.

[Alécio Costa - Brazil]

So the Lucas Mastering EQ is just about to be released!

BTW..has anyone ever used TL Audio Parametric EQs for mastering? Or are theu only useful for tracking/mixing?

I like the idea of an EQ having the stereo link option.I wished the IBis EQ (Non mastering version) had this function.
Links:

http://www.frontendaudio.com/TL_Audio_Classic_EQ_2_p/9999-01 724.htm

http://www.frontendaudio.com/TL_Audio_Ivory_5013_EQ_p/9999-0 1694.htm