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Maag Audio EQ4 500 Series 6-band Equalizer

500 Series 6-band EQ
$1,195.00

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Maag Audio EQ4 500 Series 6-band Equalizer
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$1,195.00
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An Amazing EQ for Your 500 Series Rack!

Add air to your tracks, with Maag Audio's EQ4 500 series equalizer. Have you ever wanted to get condenser-style high-end coloration from your dynamic microphones? The EQ4 is just what you need. Its AIR BAND control features five fixed shelf boost curves that add breath and lightness to your sound. From snare drums to solo guitar, this highly celebrated tone-shaping tool is the secret weapon of engineers everywhere. The EQ4's six fixed-width frequency bands provide you with minimal phase shift, providing you with the purest EQ sound possible. What's more, every control is fully detented, so you can easily recall the tone curves you create with the Maag Audio EQ4 500 series equalizer.

Maag Audio EQ4 500 Series Equalizer Features at a Glance:
  • An amazing 6-band equalizer for your 500 series rack
  • Features Maag Audio's legendary AIR BAND shelving EQ
  • Highly linear phase operation preserves your sound with minimal phase shifting
  • Detented controls make recalling settings easy
  • Compliant with the standards set by the VPR Alliance
Add the pure sound of the Maag Audio EQ4 equalizer to your 500 series rack!

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Tech Specs

  • Number of Channels: 1
  • Number of Bands: 6-band
  • Boost/Cut Range: +15dB/-4.5dB
  • Q Type: Fixed
  • Freq Range High: 2.5kHz, 5kHz, 10kHz, 20kHz, 40kHz
  • Freq Range Hi-Mid: 2.5kHz
  • Freq Range Mid: 650Hz
  • Freq Range Lo-Mid: 160Hz
  • Freq Range Low: 40Hz, 10Hz
  • Bypass: Yes
  • Frequency Response: 10Hz-75kHz
  • Manufacturer Part Number: EQ4-500

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Customer Reviews

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Rated 5/5

Outstanding

I was familiar with the plugin versions and decided to add a stereo pair for my mastering rig. It's extremely natural, but has some elusive magic going on. The airband is without a doubt the main attraction, with stratospheric limits of air. It's a great value to if you have a 500 series chassis already. I switch off between my WA Pultecs and this, and feel I have broad sculpting abilities for EQ in the analogue domain. Shout out to Nick Lamendola for guiding me for years, or as I can him "My Sonic Guru"

Buy one or a pair!
Music background: Composer, Producer, Mastering Engineer
Rated 5/5

Game Changer

I've been building a 500 Series and after a LOT of research and listening examples, I settled on the MAAG eq4. It's been a serious game changer. The "air band" is another eq that sits on top of the other eq bands and can be turned on or off which is great because if you add TOO much air you're going to run in to sibilants issues later so if you're tracking it in just be aware. It's obviously the perfect fit to run it through during mixdown. You can can almost any vocal to really pop.

I have only been putting it on vocals at the moment (only had it for a few weeks) but I know I've heard on acoustic guitars as well and it's beautiful. I do like tracking with it because it frees up the cpu to not have all these plug-ins to get "that" sound. I did an amazing session where the vocalist created all the instrumentation with his voice and we were ALL blown away by how great it sounded layering 30-40 vocals with no plugins. My vocal chain is already amazing and this really sealed the deal. My chain is BLUE KIWI in to the MANLEY voxbox, out the mic pre in to the RETRO DOUBLEWIDE and then to the MAAG. Everyone loves it and I still can't believe how amazing it sounds.
Music background: Producer, Engineer
Rated 5/5

Great EQ!

It sounds good in every setting. I was blown away by the AIR band, and had to snag one. I'll be buying a second one soon :)

Shoutout to Dan Overstreet (#1706) at Sweetwater for setting me up with this beast of an EQ.
Music background: Professional Bass Player, Professional Engineer
Rated 5/5

Essential Character EQ!

Nothing can match the Maag eq for tail end vocal processing, especially backing vocals and vocal-esque synth embellishments. It adds qualities to the sound that are strikingly fat and engaging. Although it can be used for practically any other instrument (or set of), it seems to be made for the above in particular, and the price is hugely worth it just for that alone. Buy it, you won't regret it.
Music background: Opera Composer, Lead Guitarist, Sound Designer, Producer.
Rated 5/5

Excellent Tool

I just wanted to chime in because i think there is a real misunderstanding with this eq. It took me a bit to figure it out myself, as Maag Audio doesnt really explain this unit in much detail.

This eq is not something you would throw up at the beginning of a chain. It is VERY broad and therefor if you are trying to "grab" something or dig in and transform a sound this is not the tool.

What this eq is brilliant at is being at the END of a chain, and for carving instruments around each other.

It goes on top of the cake, not in the batter ;)

Two examples where i personally use the Maag EQ4 on every session ...

1. last insert on lead vocals - smooth bright top end & allows for final tuning of vocals without ruining the sound you have. Need to dip out a little 200 but dont want to mess with the sound otherwise? No prob. Its super subtle and gets the job done clean.

2. Carving Drum Stem & Bass Stem around each other - I only have a stereo pair of EQ 4's at the moment, so my workaround is using a Waves Qclone to find the settings and then print DRM & BASS stems individually ... but I have never had such a wonderfully easy time of making the bottom and bottom mids glue. Again, this wont let you ruin what you have ... just do small mirror dips & bumps (i.e. +1db @ 40hz on Drums ... -1db @ 40hz on Bass) and on up into the mids.

Lastly its probably worth noting that while all bands interact, the Air Gain is separate from the rest of the bands ... so for instance if you turn up the Air Gain, love the sound, but its too hot, you can roll all the other bands down an equal amount and the curve will remain exactly the same but just a lower volume.

Great tool. Wish I had a whole rack of them.

Enjoy.
Music background: Professional Engineer
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