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Post by jtc111 on Mar 24, 2019 9:50:53 GMT -6
As of late I've really taken a liking to the UAD Curve Bender eq. I'd love to own the hardware unit but $6k is a bit "yikes" for me. I've been looking for alternatives and nothing I've seen so far has peaked my interest. The Elysia xfilter looked promising but I think I want stepped pots. I've ruled out the API 550b because the 2db steps are too big. Maybe I've missed a contender along the way. Any suggestions that are in the same vein as the Curve Bender?
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Post by Guitar on Mar 24, 2019 9:55:11 GMT -6
I also LOVE the UAD curve bender. I gotta put the hardware on my bucket list, who knows when I would ever have that money.
I have very limited experience with hardware EQ. It's a bit different but a lot of people seem to use the Maag stereo thing. I think that one's a little over $2K
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Post by kcatthedog on Mar 24, 2019 10:05:15 GMT -6
The mag gives you the air but I think little of the cb mojo?
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Post by jtc111 on Mar 24, 2019 10:18:56 GMT -6
I also LOVE the UAD curve bender. I gotta put the hardware on my bucket list, who knows when I would ever have that money. I have very limited experience with hardware EQ. It's a bit different but a lot of people seem to use the Maag stereo thing. I think that one's a little over $2K I have the Maag plugin and I don't like that it has fixed frequencies. I feel like being locked into frequencies works against me at times. When it's the right eq, it's great, but more often than not it doesn't work as well as other choices. Back in November or December, Chris Yetter (Audio-Scape) asked for suggestions for new gear. I suggested a Curve Bender clone and a bunch of other people liked that idea. Chris seemed intrigued by the idea but I don't know if he'll actually take it on. |
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Post by Deleted on Mar 24, 2019 10:36:48 GMT -6
The Api 5500 has a choice of 0.5, 1 or 2 db steps.
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Post by jtc111 on Mar 24, 2019 10:53:25 GMT -6
The Api 5500 has a choice of 0.5, 1 or 2 db steps. I didn't realize that. I'll have to give it a look. |
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Post by drbill on Mar 24, 2019 10:54:26 GMT -6
if you need stepped boost / cuts, that pretty much takes you into the land of mastering EQ's, and those get pricey quick! Really quick. I recently searched for a high end EQ and ended up with the Miad LCPQ-4040's. Very euphonic and I really love them. But they don't have stepped pots. Not sure if they would meet your other requirements or not. My runner up was the Great River EQ's. I think their mastering version has stepped pots. Not sure though.... But be prepared to spend. For some reason, high end EQ's come at a premium price.
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Post by indiehouse on Mar 24, 2019 11:05:33 GMT -6
if you need stepped boost / cuts, that pretty much takes you into the land of mastering EQ's, and those get pricey quick! Really quick. I recently searched for a high end EQ and ended up with the Miad LCPQ-4040's. Very euphonic and I really love them. But they don't have stepped pots. Not sure if they would meet your other requirements or not. My runner up was the Great River EQ's. I think their mastering version has stepped pots. Not sure though.... But be prepared to spend. For some reason, high end EQ's come at a premium price. Were you able to shoot out the GR with the Miad? I’ve got the GR EQ-2NV, but I am intrigued by the Miads. |
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Post by jtc111 on Mar 24, 2019 11:17:19 GMT -6
if you need stepped boost / cuts, that pretty much takes you into the land of mastering EQ's, and those get pricey quick! Really quick. I recently searched for a high end EQ and ended up with the Miad LCPQ-4040's. Very euphonic and I really love them. But they don't have stepped pots. Not sure if they would meet your other requirements or not. My runner up was the Great River EQ's. I think their mastering version has stepped pots. Not sure though.... But be prepared to spend. For some reason, high end EQ's come at a premium price. If I go with an option without stepped pots, I'd likely get the xfilter. I'm going to touch base with Chris Yetter and ask if he thinks he might take on the Curve Bender clone idea. There's certainly a hole in that market that could be filled. If he could make that unit in the $2500-$3k range, I'd get one. Just out of curiosity, why do stepped pots make the price jump so high? |
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Post by drbill on Mar 24, 2019 11:31:16 GMT -6
The Grayhill switches that many (most) mastering gear uses are exponentially more expensive than "pots", but it's all about perception I think. Mastering version? WAAAY more $$$. Don't ask me why, but it seems consistent.
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Post by spock on Mar 24, 2019 11:47:07 GMT -6
As of late I've really taken a liking to the UAD Curve Bender eq. I'd love to own the hardware unit but $6k is a bit "yikes" for me. I've been looking for alternatives and nothing I've seen so far has peaked my interest. The Elysia xfilter looked promising but I think I want stepped pots. I've ruled out the API 550b because the 2db steps are too big. Maybe I've missed a contender along the way. Any suggestions that are in the same vein as the Curve Bender? We make a 500 Series Curve Bender called the TG12345 MKIV; it doesn’t have the 51 frequency points of the big boy, however it’s just like the Dark side of the moon console input channel setup, albeit 10k is the shelf rather than peaking. A pair of these on your mix bus and you’ve got a Curve Bender programme EQ. $1095 map. |
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Post by swafford on Mar 24, 2019 12:02:13 GMT -6
I don't know what the Curve Bender does, but I picked up a used Hendyamps Michelangelo and love that dang thing on the mix bus.
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Post by jtc111 on Mar 24, 2019 12:20:00 GMT -6
We make a 500 Series Curve Bender called the TG12345 MKIV; it doesn’t have the 51 frequent points of the big boy, however it’s just like Dark side of the moon console input channel setup, albeit 10k is the shelf rather than peaking. A pair of these on your mix bus and you’ve got a Curve Bender programme EQ. $1095 map. I've no doubt it sounds great but one band and a low cut is less control than I want. |
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Post by jtc111 on Mar 24, 2019 12:24:26 GMT -6
I don't know what the Curve Bender does, but I picked up a used Hendyamps Michelangelo and love that dang thing on the mix bus. Chris makes top notch gear. I own his DaVinci channel strip and it's a favorite of mine but the Michelangelo has fixed frequencies so it's not really what I'm looking for right now. |
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Post by jcoutu1 on Mar 24, 2019 16:44:29 GMT -6
As of late I've really taken a liking to the UAD Curve Bender eq. I'd love to own the hardware unit but $6k is a bit "yikes" for me. I've been looking for alternatives and nothing I've seen so far has peaked my interest. The Elysia xfilter looked promising but I think I want stepped pots. I've ruled out the API 550b because the 2db steps are too big. Maybe I've missed a contender along the way. Any suggestions that are in the same vein as the Curve Bender? Xfilter IS stepped. Not gooey though. |
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Post by jtc111 on Mar 24, 2019 17:07:17 GMT -6
As of late I've really taken a liking to the UAD Curve Bender eq. I'd love to own the hardware unit but $6k is a bit "yikes" for me. I've been looking for alternatives and nothing I've seen so far has peaked my interest. The Elysia xfilter looked promising but I think I want stepped pots. I've ruled out the API 550b because the 2db steps are too big. Maybe I've missed a contender along the way. Any suggestions that are in the same vein as the Curve Bender? Xfilter IS stepped. Not gooey though. In the videos for both the rack and 500 versions, the knobs appear to be moving smoothly rather than stepped. |
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Post by Deleted on Mar 25, 2019 2:43:09 GMT -6
Also, don't confuse stepped with switched. One is cheap and not so accurate, the other expensive and can be very accurate.
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Post by jtc111 on Mar 25, 2019 8:49:07 GMT -6
Also, don't confuse stepped with switched. One is cheap and not so accurate, the other expensive and can be very accurate. Can you explain the difference please. I've never heard of "switched." |
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Post by Deleted on Mar 25, 2019 9:15:56 GMT -6
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Post by jcoutu1 on Mar 25, 2019 9:24:45 GMT -6
Xfilter IS stepped. Not gooey though. In the videos for both the rack and 500 versions, the knobs appear to be moving smoothly rather than stepped. |
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Post by jtc111 on Mar 25, 2019 9:25:39 GMT -6
I still don't understand the difference or how I'd tell one from the other. Is there a tactile difference when using them? Is there an auditory difference? |
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Post by jtc111 on Mar 25, 2019 9:30:15 GMT -6
I guess there are so many steps that turning the knobs appear smooth in the videos. I think I may roll the dice on one of their 500 modules if I can get it for the right price. |
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Post by jcoutu1 on Mar 25, 2019 9:34:28 GMT -6
A potentiometer (like the xfilter) works as a variable resistor. The 41 points are detented on the pot, but they're just stops along the variable plane. Switches literally switch between different sets of resistors for better precision. The precision and tactile feel are much greater with rotary switches, but the price is significantly higher.
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Post by Deleted on Mar 25, 2019 9:36:07 GMT -6
I still don't understand the difference or how I'd tell one from the other. Is there a tactile difference when using them? Is there an auditory difference? The former can be made to pretty tight tolerances with high quality resistors for each switched position, for example the 21 position Elma rotary switches on my Chandler TG2 Output controls are matched so well I can use the pair of them in mastering and never have to worry about checking they are exactly the same level (cos they are), for stereo. Potentiometers with detented positions are just regular pots with detented positions, and are usually not accurate enough for a pair of them to match exactly (just like regular pots). The tolerances are just not there. You tend to find these on more prosumer level stuff, or where exact matching is not really a requirement, synthesisers etc. As for feel, they feel extremely different. They kinda do the same thing, but are an order of magnitude different in feel. You get a meaty, solid, wide apart CLICK with an Elma switch, that needs some force to move positions. Stepped pots are like their fey cousins.  |
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Post by matt@IAA on Mar 25, 2019 10:00:29 GMT -6
To add to the above, even a high quality potentiometer is usually plus or minus 5 or 10 percent on the value. A detented pot just has a sort of groove in it at fixed intervals to have it "set" at certain angles. The detents themselves add more variability, because physical detent location can vary from pot to pot but also where it sits on the pot resistance leg can vary.
You can make a switch dead nuts accurate. I mean, 0.1% or better resistors if you wanted to. But 1% is easy and cheap.
If you're doing serious mastering work or work where recall is a must, switches are the way to go. Keep in mind a switch is maybe $10-$30 while a pot is anywhere from a few cents to $10.
Also, some circuits simply require switches to work properly. You can't infinitely vary a cap value, so many EQ circuits require switches to change caps out. And certain filters aren't amenable to varying pots but need specific resistor values - so you switch that style as well.
Edit to add. Anything with a pot can be converted to switched. But not necessarily vice versa. Something to keep in mind.
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