THE MOTHER OF ALL EQS?
By Graeme Hague
21 February 2014
IK Multimedia has released a new update of its T-RackS CS (Custom Shop) software, bringing it to version 4.5, and has announced at the same time the latest mastering goodie in the shop, the Master EQ 432. The EQ 432 is considered by many as the true mother of all parametric EQs, being the first ever to be designed and built. It introduced audio engineers to the parametric concept of separated frequency bands with no interaction between them. History shows this initial design was also one of the best, regarded for a long time as the benchmark for pretty much every parametric EQ to follow. IKM assures us that modern modeling technology has allowed them reproduce the Master EQ 432 plug-in to perfection and, as always happens, let them chuck in a few digital improvements (plug-in developers just can’t stop themselves…). In particular, switchable gain ranges of 6dB, 9dB and 12dB are included, whereas in the original Master EQ 432 these were three different hardware units. For those who don’t know, T-RackS CS is a freebie shell you download, then you subsequently purchase any of the more than two dozen different mastering plug-ins IKM has available – many of them based on classic equipment. Every module has a 14 day trial period. The Master EQ 432 will cost you US$149.00 and thankfully you can now buy stuff for T-RackS with a straightforward credit card transaction without mucking around with IKM’s annoying “credit” system (which is still in place, too). Go to www.ikmultimedia.com for a full explanation how it all works.
Australian Distributor: Sound & Music www.sound-music.com
RESPONSES