Bettermaker EQ 230P Review
Combining analogue and digital technology with great looks and build quality is the EQ 230P. John Pickford sounds it out.
Price: £3,480.00
Manufacturer: Bettermaker
Website: http://www.bettermaker.eu
Every once in a while, a product comes along that seems to rewrite the rule books in terms of its implementation of audio technology. We know that many of you work almost entirely in the digital domain, while others have a passion for pure, analogue sound. However, Bettermaker has utilised the best of both worlds to create the EQ 230P, an analogue equalizer with digital controls and memory. Purists will be pleased to hear that the audio signal path is completely analogue and independent from the digital processors, which enable easy and instantaneous recall of up to 399 EQ presets.
The EQ 230P can be used in stereo or as a dual-mono device. It has five filters per channel, comprising a high-pass filter, two parametric equalizers and the two shelving filters found on the legendary Pultec EQP-1A (see last month’s Studio Icons for more on that). At a glance, the two rows of knobs look as though they control a channel each, but in fact the controls are laid-out as per a mono unit; stereo linking and individual channel selection is digitally controlled and displayed.
The high-pass filter section spans 18Hz–200Hz, with all 182 frequencies available for selection – quite remarkable given that most analogue units have only two or three filter points. The frequency selection is digitally controlled and, as with all of the knobs on this unit, rotating it quickly scrolls through the frequencies in an instant, while single-step increments are achieved by turning the knob one notch at a time.
The two parametric EQ sections are identical in the way that they can be operated, with knobs to control frequency selection and the level of boost or cut. A push-button controls the width of selected frequencies from Sharp to Broad, and LEDs are used to indicate the settings that have been chosen. Both sections offer 15dB of boost or cut, with bandwidth adjustable in nine steps from 0.2 of an octave to three octaves. EQ 1 operates between 45Hz and 1kHz (although 999Hz is the highest number shown on the digital display), while EQ 2 ranges from 600Hz to 15kHz, so some useful overlap occurs in the lower-mid frequencies.
The final EQ – the P section, as Bettermaker calls it – is based on the classic Pultec EQP-1A, probably the most revered and imitated equalizer in the world. The original Pultec was an all-valve unit, but the EQ 230P emulates the famous EQP-1A shelving curves by means of solid-state technology. Additionally, the EQ 230P offers a bit more gain than the original design, and Bettermaker claims that the modern components used have a faster response, resulting in sharper transients. The P EQ features a low-end shelf with centre frequencies of 20, 30, 60 and 100Hz, or CPS (Cycles Per Second) as the 60-year-old Pultecs called it. The Boost and Attenuation controls on this section can be used simultaneously to create some very musical-sounding EQ curves; this has become known as ‘the low-end trick’. The treble shelf operates at seven boost settings between 3kHz and 16kHz (KPS in old money), with attenuation available at 5kHz, 10kHz and 20kHz.
Total recall
The digital recall section is very easy to get to grips with. To save an EQ setting, simply select a number and push the preset knob until the word No is displayed, then turn the dial to read Yes and press the preset knob again. The EQ setting is then saved and a small dot appears to show that the save-cell is in use. Once you have saved a setting, further adjustments can be made and the display pulses gently to inform you that your original saved setting has been tweaked. One of the most useful features of the EQ 230P is the A/B button, which enables you to compare the original and tweaked settings.
The rear panel has two identical sets of XLR outputs allowing for additional comparison between the original equalized signal and one that has been further processed (with compression, for example). This unusual setup makes it easy to use parallel compression techniques, mixing a compressed signal with the original.
In use, the two parametric equalizers (EQ 1 and EQ 2) are very powerful tools. With bandwidth set to Sharp, the Bettermaker can home in on problem frequencies with pin-point precision, eliminating nasty spikes without adversely affecting the basic tone of the source material. Broader bandwidth settings have a more obvious impact on the original signal, although we found that we could apply large amounts of boost with pleasingly musical results, even when the desired effect was to create a heavily processed sound. In conjunction with the high-pass filter at its highest setting of 200Hz we were able to create a very thin, old-telephone-line vocal sound by boosting heavily in the mid frequencies around 800Hz and 3kHz. To further enhance this effect the P section was employed to cut higher frequencies by making use of the 5kHz shelf. That’s the beauty of this unit: any combination of the EQ sections may be selected simultaneously, and the results can be stored for posterity and tweaked ad infinitum.
Quality control
During the review process, the EQ 230P was used to great effect on numerous sources, ranging from solo voice given air and space courtesy of the P section’s 16kHz shelf boost, to final mixes brought to life by making use of a combination of the unit’s parametric and shelf filters. At no time did the Bettermaker disgrace itself by mangling signals in the way that those cheap-and-nasty EQ sections often found on budget mixers can. This is an extremely high-quality equalizer with a comprehensive range of facilities, which will no doubt win it many friends in both recording and mastering studios alike.
The EQ 230P is possibly the most fully featured and versatile equalizer available today. We are not currently aware of any other hardware – EQ or otherwise – that combines this level of high-end analogue sound with the flexibility of digital storage and recall. It’s a revolutionary concept – and one that we are sure will become increasingly popular. MTM
Verdict
WHY BUY
Powerful and musical-sounding
Storage of favourite EQ settings
Beautifully made
WALK ON BY
Pultec aficionados might bemoan the absence of valves
The EQ 230P is a superb-sounding equalizer combining the best of analogue and digital technology. The utilisation of both parametric and shelving EQ types coupled with digital recall makes it one of the most versatile equalizers ever made, and one that’s capable of both forensic sonic surgery and gentle, musical tone-shaping. A world-class product.
Score: 10
This review first appeared in Music Tech Magazine issue 105
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