A Designs EM-EQ2, Stereo EQ, from A Designs

When I first used the A-Designs EM-EQ2 I was magically transported back 20-25 years to when I used to work at a New York City studio called “Power Station” [which later became “Avatar Studios”, and is still one of the jewels of New York City recording studios].

Power Station was the creation of Tony Bongiovi, a legendary producer who had done some time at Motown, with a slew of "household name" recordings to his credit.  Much of the early Power Station staff came from Media Sound [who really had the best trained staff in all of New York at the time].  Guys like Bob Clearmountain, and technical director Ed Evans made Power Station THE destination studio in the 1980's.  Anyone who was anyone, from The Rolling Stones, to Bruce Springsteen, David Bowie and of course “Power Station” recorded there.  Not only were the acoustic environments second to none, but the level of technical infrastructure was also without parallel.  It could be argued that had Power Station not installed one of the earliest SSL desks on the planet that SSL desks may very well not have caught on as they did, and staff engineer Bob Clearmountain became a legend while working at this facility.

At the time I was working there Power Station had 3 rooms [A, B, and C].  All of the rooms ran Studer A-800 mkIII tape machines.  The output of every channel of these tape machines was hardwired to a Pultec EQP-1A3.  These were some of the last Pultec EQP-1A3's ever built [the studio was created in 1977, and these Pultecs were built specifically for Power Station].  The interesting thing about these Pultecs were that they did not employ tube amplifiers.  Their input buffer amp and output gain makeup amp duties were handled by an API 2520 solid state operational amplifier.

These solid state Pultecs had a very unique sound. The low end was large, but had better detail and focus to their sonic characteristic.  They added little to no noise to the signal [unlike the tube Pultecs that came before the 2520 based units], and I dare say they were responsible for much of the unique sound that raised Power Station [and Avatar Studios to follow] to its absolutely legendary status.

Enter the A-Designs EM-EQ2.  This 2 channel unit employs the identical passive equalization circuit [originally developed by Western Electric] as the original Pultec EQP-1A3, along with a solid state input buffer amp and out EM-EQ2 put gain makeup amp.  Unlike the original Pultecs, which took up two rack spaces per channel, the EM-EQ2 gives you two channels in two rack spaces [and if rack space is at nearly as much of premium in your studio as it is in ours – you will absolutely appreciate the economy of size!!].

The EM-EQ2 delivers the same “low end punch” you will find in the legendary Power Station Pultecs, as well as nearly noise free operation, and shimmering top end.  You will find the same ability to sculpt the low end of a kick drum or bass as I remembered from so many years ago... and you will find the absolutely unparalleled high frequency “air” component you can add to a vocal.  You will find a shimmer you can add to acoustic guitars, and a highly opulent authority you've never experienced for piano recordings. 

Once you use the EM-EQ2 you will never understand how you were able to work before you had one... but I will warn you, they are habit forming.  If you're not careful you could find yourself with 24 channels of them... much like there were no fewer than 24 channels in every room at Power Station!!

A two-channel, 2U rackmount version of the immensely popular EM-PEQ 500 Series equalizer module

The convenience and affordability of 500 series modular units has taken the recording industry by storm, and riding the crest of that wave is the A-Designs Audio EM-PEQ Pultec-style equalizer—renowned for big, tight, and punchy low end. But some people just don’t like looking at a half-empty lunchbox in the rack (though A-Designs prefers to think of them as half full), and not every module is compatible in size or power rating with third-party lunchboxes (which is why A-Designs is one of a select few that make their own 500-series power supply). In response to mounting customer requests (no pun intended, but not bad when you think about it), A-Designs Audio has answered the call with the rackmountable EM-EQ2 Pultec-style equalizer.

Eminently suited for tracking, mixing, or mastering, the two-channel A-Designs Audio EM-EQ2 is housed in a rugged, all-metal 2U chassis. It shares the same custom-milled faceplate, brushed-aluminum control knobs, big jewel power indicator lamp, and heavy-duty Carling toggle switch as the HM2EQ Hammer (which, by the way, the EM-EQ2 sonically pairs with marvelously). The EM-EQ2’s controls attenuate high band at 5k, 10k, 20kHz; vary bandwidth AND boost mid to high band at 3k, 4k, 5k, 6k, 10k, 12k, 16kHz; and boost or attenuate the low band at 20Hz, 30Hz, 60Hz, or 100Hz. Boost and attenuation range from 0dB to ±10dB.

Along with modern performance enhancements, the EM-EQ2 faithfully preserves the EQ section design, control layout, and wonderfully smooth musicality of the original Pultec. It also has the same frequency settings and inductors that made the Pultec a must-have for capturing the bottom end. Additional features include a proprietary nickel-core output transformer, Wima caps, and true hard bypass. Instead of using common off-the-shelf chokes, A-Designs Audio employs a tapped inductor that’s custom-wound to the same values as the 500-series EM-PEQ. Along with the classic EQ circuitry, layout, and exceptionally musical sound of the original Pultec, the EM-EQ2 offers fully balanced, noise-free performance and modern impedance specs, bringing quick and easy integration to the modern studio.

While many people still clamor to own an original Pultec equalizer, the simple truth of audio equipment is that unlike violins and brandy, electronics don’t improve with age. And even if you can find one on the vintage market that’s working, its 5-digit price tag limits its availability to a very select few. The A-Designs Audio EM-EQ2 is the answer for those who want the stellar sound of a Pultec equalizer plus the added benefit of modern performance and reliability. Even better, with its dual-mono design, the EM-EQ2 gives you two Pultecs for a fraction of the price of one.

EM-EQ2 FEATURES:

 • Dual mono, three-band band, Pultec-style EQ
 • Faithfully preserves the EQ section design, controls, and musicality of the Pultec EQP-1
 • Eminently suited for tracking, mixing, or mastering
 • Same frequency settings and inductors as original Pultec make it a must-have for capturing bottom end
 • Fully balanced, noise-free performance and modern impedance specs
 • Quick and easy studio integration
 • Wima capacitors
 • True hard bypass
 • A-Designs proprietary, custom-wound tapped Inductor
 • A-Designs proprietary nickel core output transformer
 • Rugged 2U metal housing with custom-milled faceplate and control knobs
 • Big jewel power indicator lamp with heavy duty Carling power toggle switch

EM-EQ2 SPECIFICATIONS:

 • Boost: 0dB to +10dB
 • Attenuate: 0dB to –10dB
 • Attenuate high band: 5k, 10k, 20kHz.
 • Vary bandwidth/boost mid to high band: 3k, 4k, 5k, 6k, 10k, 12k, 16kHz Boost/attenuate low band: at 20Hz, 30Hz, 60Hz, or 100Hz