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R/E/P => R/E/P Archives => j. hall => Topic started by: j.hall on June 03, 2005, 08:17:56 AM

Title: Amek 9098 EQ's
Post by: j.hall on June 03, 2005, 08:17:56 AM
i've used these a little bit prior to now, but i have two loaner units (single channel mic pre/EQ in a 1ru box) in my racks right now.

i see these things go on ebay for right around 1k all the time.

man, these EQ's are really cool.  the feature set is crazy.  you can get surgical with them, or very musical and almost too colored.

i don't want to send these back.....

does anyone know if this is the same exact EQ that's loaded into the console?
Title: Re: Amek 9098 EQ's
Post by: ajmogis on June 03, 2005, 09:31:06 AM
I think the Pure Path eq/preamp is supposed to be more like the console.  The 9098 stuff...it's ok.  It doesn't do a lot for me.  We've got a couple of the exact same units you have.  The preamp is a little sterile for my taste, but it is one of the quietest preamps we've got, so it we keep it around for occasions where we need something like that.

The eq does have a nice feature set, but it seems to add a weird veil to everything I run through it.  I'm also really bummed out about the fact that the high mid band only sweeps up to like 4k.  I very often find myself pining for something that goes to 6 or 8k.

Maybe it's my imagination, but the Millenia and Daking units we have sound noticeably better to my ears.  Come to think of it, I get more mileage from our console's eq, which has a similar feature set to the 9098.

The word on the street is that the Pure Path units are the ones to have.  I've been wanting to try them, but just haven't had the budget.
Title: Re: Amek 9098 EQ's
Post by: j.hall on June 03, 2005, 11:33:34 AM
the last room i used to book for mixing had 8 1073's, 8 API 550b's, 2 focusrite blue range EQ's, and 2 9098 EQ's.  in that company of gear, i never noticed the 9098's as being "veiled" or "under a blanket".  but i did reach for the API's first, every time.  having the neve's there sort of shed some light on the 9098's as they came from the same designer.  i've always thought neve's designs were a bit dark for my taste.

i just like the "glow" and "sheen" buttons.  it's subtle, but strapping those EQ's on a guitar buss was perfect for a little "sheen"

Title: Re: Amek 9098 EQ's
Post by: Adam Miller on June 03, 2005, 06:45:52 PM
mmm...yes, very nice eq's, especially the 'sheen' bit. But not exactly user-friendly! One particularly embarrassing moment for my tutor during a brief 'mastering' demonstration- he started making some subtle adjustments and telling us how it was improving the sound. He hadn't actually punched the right eq bands in...
Title: Re: Amek 9098 EQ's
Post by: j.hall on June 05, 2005, 04:15:15 PM
yeah, i just did that about 2 hours ago....although i didn't trick myself

i had the whole EQ "in" and boosted some top shelf a tiny bit.....didn't hear it, boosted it more, didn't hear it.....when some more....thought, "this is right"

it helps to have the high band "in" as well....boy was that bright once engaged.
Title: Re: Amek 9098 EQ's
Post by: ajmogis on June 07, 2005, 09:18:15 AM
Yep, I've done that a time or two myself.

It's funny.  I've looked past our 9098s for a long time.  I had always tried to make them work on guitars, but always liked some of our other options better, so I just kinda forgot about them.  I think my impression of them being "veiled" comes from the fact that they are very clean.  On guitars I think I often prefer something with more "hair" on it - something more edgy to cut through.

Anyway, your post got me to try them again, j.  They sounded quite nice on overheads, adding a little sparkle and removing some harshness.

Has anyone had any trouble with the high band being unstable and going into oscillations?  It's happened to me on and off ever since we got them.  Twisting the high boost around clears it up, so maybe I've got a bum pot or something.
Title: Re: Amek 9098 EQ's
Post by: j.hall on June 07, 2005, 10:13:29 AM
WHOA, i've used four different units now and never heard that problem.  you should have a tech take a look at that.

the "glow" and "sheen" buttons are my current best friends in regards to these EQ's.

veiled and clean are different to me.  veiled implies there is a packing blanket over the sound after it goes through the unit.  clean means they are quality units that have little coloration but are nont totally transparent

based on your explanation, i'd agree, they are very clean, almost surgical, but using the sheen and glow buttons really adds a lot of color in appropriate places.

i have them strapped on my guitar buss right now and i've been really liking them.

i haven't boosted or cut more then 1 or 2 dB yet.....they are just there for some subtle overall changes