Bettermaker Stereo Passive EQ

Bettermaker Stereo Passive Equalizer

A Pultec replica with plug-in control: GEORGE SHILLING controls himself

Bettermaker set out their stall a few years ago now with digitally controlled analogue hardware. They continue to refine that niche with ever-improved designs. In a Matrix-like scenario, there is now even a Plugin Alliance version of their EQ232D, so you get digitally controlled digital pretending to be digitally controlled analogue. Although the EQ232D combines Pultec-style EQ with a couple of parametric bands, this latest model is a simpler, improved Pultec EQP-1A replica, with a more authentic layout, allowing control from the front panel or a plug-in, aiming for all the sonic goodness of an original Pultec.

It Clicks

The Stereo Passive Equalizer is a lightweight 2U box. It is fairly shallow, and weight is kept low, helped by a wall-wart power supply. This will run off any voltage from 100-240V and the unit only uses 15W. A B-type USB socket is the route to computer control, and a generously long, thin and flexible B to A cable is provided. Audio connections are on two pairs of XLRs. The front has a matt powdercoat finish. A long push on the On/Stby button fires up all the LEDs. Nudge buttons set the EQ frequencies. An Engage button causes a reassuring relay click to put the EQ In or out of circuit. The five encoders follow the original Pultec layout. The aluminium coloured knobs are a bit ‘plasticky’ but a nice size for twiddling. They have a lightly ‘clicked’ feel to them, with 17 red LEDs around each, giving a rough indication of their position.

There are in-between settings when using the knobs: several clicks round (the exact number varies) equate to one LED jump. The LED blinks off briefly on each single click though — for useful feedback that you have actually changed something!

Although the front panel controls work well for grabbing and tweaking, finer fiddling is available through the plug-in. And most importantly of course, instant recall and automation.

An extra knob

The plug-in looks similar to the front panel — with a few nice extras. The window is continuously resizable; you simply grab the bottom right corner and stretch it to make it tiny, huge, or anywhere in between. As soon as you hover over any knob, a value display pops up. Each is scaled from 0.0 to 10.0 so this affords 100 settings with no uncertainty regarding the knob position. Oddly, the LED ‘jumps’ happen at slightly different spots when comparing the plug-in to the hardware, but it doesn’t really matter — they give you a good enough indication. A panel opens to reveal 32 instantly recallable snapshot memory buttons, and of course you can utilise DAW automation on all controls — including those.

An extra knob on the right of the plug-in controls Output Gain with a range of +/-8.0dB. This can be adjusted on the unit: pressing Gain turns the Hi Cut knob into a Gain knob. It is also a Reset button: pressing Gain for a couple of seconds also usefully flattens all EQ settings. Control is bidirectional, and adjusting anything either the plug-in or the front panel is instantly reflected in the other, although instantiating the plug-in will reset the EQ on the unit.

Not just a dumb controller

Of course, the plug-in can be placed anywhere in the currently open session in order to control the hardware unit, which would most likely be inserted with Hardware Inserts in Pro Tools. This means you’ll occupy two plug-in slots of course. However, there is one advantage to the plug-in which does affect its placement: an included Digital HPF. So it’s not just a dumb controller. This can be continuously varied from 20.0 to 250.0Hz, with its own little Engage button, with a 24dB/octave slope. It’s a handy little bonus, and sounds good.

The EQ itself is peerless. Bettemaker claim this more accurately replicates the original Pultec curves compared to their 232D model; it has a quieter noise floor, and better coherence in L/R channel tracking. It certainly does all the stuff you expect a Pultec to do in terms of EQ sculpting. It’s quieter than an original unit, and sounds extremely sweet in the high end. And certainly very powerful in the low end. But with no valves, it doesn’t possess qualities like the power sagging you might encounter with an original.

Tight sound

It tightened up a slightly flabby low end on a mix bus with ease, using a tiny bit of low boost alongside a larger low cut at 60Hz. The High Boost band is enhanced with frequency selections from 3kHz all the way up to the usual 12kHz and 16kHz, with the bonus of 20kHz and 28kHz available. This adds a kind of ‘air band’ effect to open out the very high frequencies beautifully.

Many still love the Pultec character, and the Bettermaker Stereo Passive Equalizer is a very sweet sounding version of that. And why wouldn’t you want plug-in control and recall? It’s a very neat thing; it looks great, and sounds marvellous.

VERDICT

PROS Sweet sounding Pultec-style EQ, elegant operation, plug-in is neat and includes bonus HPF

CONS Instantiating the plug-in sends the default EQ to the unit wiping out any alreadytweaked physical control setting