CHAPTER 3:
A BIT OF HISTORY
In the beginning...
Most early recording consoles had very primitive equalization capabilities,
often consisting of only two knobs. These consisted of either a simple ‘tone
control’ type shelving equalizer, or a ‘low’ and ‘hi’ control knob with a fi xed
frequency center. One of the most signifi cant advancements in early studio
recording came with the advent of dedicated equalizers. The invention of
dedicated equalizers inspired desk manufacturers to start putting more
comprehensive equalization into their desks. This addition, more than any
other, brought about what we would consider the modern recording desk.
Many of the earl
y
outboard equalizers were passive devices, operating
in a purely subtractive manner, requiring a preamplifi er (either in the form
of outboard gear, or routed back into an unoccupied channel of the console).
Not only did the equalizer lose signal level by performing equalization; but
often caused ‘loading loss’ merely by being patched in, resulting in added
noise, hum or buzz, and loss of tone or high frequencies. By the time an
equalized signal was preamplifi ed again and passed through additional
console circuitry, the signal to noise ratio was often worse off . This
made EQ diffi
cult to use without negatively aff ecting the signal quality.
7
What followed next was the innovation that brought the use of EQ into the
mainstream, known as active equalization. ‘Active equalization’ allowed an EQ
to be patched into a mixing desk for the fi rst time without the fear of ‘insertion
loss’, added noise, or loss of fi delity. Finally, EQ could be performed risk-free.
Most analog equalizers manufactured today use some form of solid state
electronics to apply their boosts or makeup gain. The earliest incarnations of
these equalizers, however, used vacuum tubes, along with large input and output
transformers, as required by most high voltage tube circuits. This type of design
imparts a ‘sweet’ character that many modern designs fail to reproduce. Though
many modern EQ’s have a generous amount of features, few off er the warmth
and richness, or the natural and forgiving qualities of the classic designs.
In the early days of recording, distance mic recording was more common
than close-mic technique. Large rooms tend to ‘even out’ a soundstage,
eliminating the need for much of the corrective EQ used in modern
production. As close mic recording became
the accepted norm for superior
track isolation, the need for equalization became much more apparent to
recording engineers. Early studios began to utilize what many termed the
‘Tamla/Motown’ technique (named after the famous record label and studio),
whereby an instrument or voice is ‘manipulated’ to some degree via
equalization in order to sit well within the context of a mix. Today, this is a
nearly inseparable part of the art and science of modern music production.
8
ENGLISH
NOW LET’S GET STARTED
WARRANTY
TECHNICAL SPECS
A BIT OF HISTORY
WAXING PHILOSOPHICAL
HOOKUP DIAGRAMS
RECALL SHEETS
