09-13-2021, 08:41 PM
Ben asked me to chime with a new thread in the General Discussion area where we can continue the conversation.
From the 32C Channel press releases and our website.
"Predating the modern parametric EQ, the 32Series equalizer had to serve many purposes and remain easy to use. The middle 2 bands use a proportional-Q design: small gain changes provide for gentle classical-style tone controls; but cut a little harder and the filters become sharper, allowing you to hunt down and then notch-out troublesome frequencies. The high and low bands are a shelving design with a huge gain range, allowing you to add dramatic punch and shimmer to any source. If you needed more surgical work, however, you could switch the high and low bands to operate as additional proportional-Q 'bell' filters. The effort put into voicing this EQ was unmatched at the time, and its signature remains on some of the biggest records ever made.
The 32C Channel Plugin provides a complex emulation of the original Harrison 32C EQ. Every resistor, capacitor, and transistor
is included in the model. When combined with the 32C Filter section, a huge range of tonal possibilities are available with just few knob turns."
Now as we have said publicly in various places...
We do not add distortion or noise to the EQ.
Instead of being focused on artifacts found in old gear, we focused on the original work that went into voicing the EQ at the time. As mentioned above the 32C EQ predated "parametric EQs" and it was very difficult to make that EQ do a lot of work with just the two knobs per band. The feel of the knobs, the depth of the proportional -Q action, the speed of the filters relative to the knobs etc. etc. etc. was a serious trial by error. Those refined circuit designs (yes resistors, capacitors, transistors etc.) are what we included in the mathematical model.
Also note, that the distortion and noise measurements of those original consoles (WHEN THEY WERE NEW) were extremely low and virtually unaffected even with the EQ in circuit. The entire point back when there were ONLY analog consoles was to make them as clean, with the lowest possible noise and distortion, lowest possible cross-talk, and as phase coherent as possible. Harrison was not alone. Every analog console manufacturer was after the same thing/s. Distortion, noise, cross-talk, phase issues etc. etc. were all the enemy. We spent many man years tweaking those console circuit designs for optimum performance.
All of that... is what we built into the mathematical model of the Mixbus32C EQ and now the 32C Channel EQ. As with the original console EQ design, this was no easy task. It caused a lot of headaches and issues here because the mathematical model was built on the knob resistor values to get the tapers and behaviors correct rather than using off-the-shelf Bi-quad math.
In our collective opinions, there is nothing wrong with our marketing and we stand behind what we make and offer just as we have done for the last 45+ years.
We think the 32C Channel is a excellent plugin and it stands on it's own as a great mixing channel strip, and a good value as well.
Thanks,
Gary
From the 32C Channel press releases and our website.
"Predating the modern parametric EQ, the 32Series equalizer had to serve many purposes and remain easy to use. The middle 2 bands use a proportional-Q design: small gain changes provide for gentle classical-style tone controls; but cut a little harder and the filters become sharper, allowing you to hunt down and then notch-out troublesome frequencies. The high and low bands are a shelving design with a huge gain range, allowing you to add dramatic punch and shimmer to any source. If you needed more surgical work, however, you could switch the high and low bands to operate as additional proportional-Q 'bell' filters. The effort put into voicing this EQ was unmatched at the time, and its signature remains on some of the biggest records ever made.
The 32C Channel Plugin provides a complex emulation of the original Harrison 32C EQ. Every resistor, capacitor, and transistor
is included in the model. When combined with the 32C Filter section, a huge range of tonal possibilities are available with just few knob turns."
Now as we have said publicly in various places...
We do not add distortion or noise to the EQ.
Instead of being focused on artifacts found in old gear, we focused on the original work that went into voicing the EQ at the time. As mentioned above the 32C EQ predated "parametric EQs" and it was very difficult to make that EQ do a lot of work with just the two knobs per band. The feel of the knobs, the depth of the proportional -Q action, the speed of the filters relative to the knobs etc. etc. etc. was a serious trial by error. Those refined circuit designs (yes resistors, capacitors, transistors etc.) are what we included in the mathematical model.
Also note, that the distortion and noise measurements of those original consoles (WHEN THEY WERE NEW) were extremely low and virtually unaffected even with the EQ in circuit. The entire point back when there were ONLY analog consoles was to make them as clean, with the lowest possible noise and distortion, lowest possible cross-talk, and as phase coherent as possible. Harrison was not alone. Every analog console manufacturer was after the same thing/s. Distortion, noise, cross-talk, phase issues etc. etc. were all the enemy. We spent many man years tweaking those console circuit designs for optimum performance.
All of that... is what we built into the mathematical model of the Mixbus32C EQ and now the 32C Channel EQ. As with the original console EQ design, this was no easy task. It caused a lot of headaches and issues here because the mathematical model was built on the knob resistor values to get the tapers and behaviors correct rather than using off-the-shelf Bi-quad math.
In our collective opinions, there is nothing wrong with our marketing and we stand behind what we make and offer just as we have done for the last 45+ years.
We think the 32C Channel is a excellent plugin and it stands on it's own as a great mixing channel strip, and a good value as well.
Thanks,
Gary