EQ Magazine - February 2009 - (Page 52)

GEAR HEAD EQUATOR AUDIO Q10 The name Equator Audio might be new, but the man behind the brand is no stranger to the monitoring world. President Ted Keffalo has two decades of experience in pro audio, including time at Alesis and as a cofounder of Event Electronics. He founded Equator Audio with the goal of developing a no-compromise monitor that would allow any recording engineer to experience the high caliber monitoring found in worldclass studios. The Q10s, while at the smaller end of the Equator line (they also have 8, 12, 15, and 18-inch models), are massive in person, weighing in at 54 pounds each. Models in the Equator line can be networked via Ethernet cables, which enables computer-based control of the units, as well as integration with the company’s alignment and tuning software. Like the Bag Ends, the Q10 features a coaxial design. Each unit features a 10-inch main with dual bass ports for extended response. The highs come from a full-blown High Frequency Compression Driver, and the way they get a horn to sound not like a horn is by using the onboard computer to reduce the sloped areas on each side of the crossover point, where both the horn and woofer would normally be reproducing the same frequencies. To start, we tried the Equators in our Studio A as-is, foregoing any of the alignment features. In this out-ofthe-box configuration the Q10s sounded great. They produced one of the widest frequency responses of any near-field monitor I’ve heard, and would not distort no matter how hard we pushed them. (Our ears cried “uncle” before the Q10s gave up.) Most notable was the uncanny accuracy in the midrange, which at times bordered on clinical. Listening to AC/DC’s “Back In Black” revealed finger tips sliding on strings, hi-hats ringing out during rests, and the slightest details in Brian Johnson’s vocals. One listener found this much information to be “distracting,” but as a mastering engineer who spends too much time cleaning up pops, clicks, and other things that slip by some mix engineers, I contend the better we can hear what’s going on, the better our final product will be. But after a few days of working with the Q10s, the same critic, now accustomed to the resolution, had a hard time going back to his previous monitors. Mixes created on the Q10s translated well to MP3 player, car, and mastering speakers, so the detail didn’t prove to be a hindrance to productivity. We moved the Q10s into our smaller mixing suite and fired up the alignment software. Setting the supplied omni mic at the mix position, the system conducted all of the tests and calibrations in a few minutes. While we didn’t require significant EQ changes, the software did note some early reflection issues, and adjusted accordingly. To my knowledge, Equator is at the forefront when it comes to addressing reflections in addition to room response. Alternating between monitoring with and without the correction revealed subtle changes in imaging and localization. I’m a big believer in tuning one’s room rather than one’s speakers, and I’ve had poor experiences with room-adjusting speakers in the past, but the Equator software really works. Many of us do not have the time, resources, or space to change our control rooms. If you’re in this group, consider the Equators at the top of your shopping list. While some of the speakers in the roundup blur the distinction between pro and project studio use, the Equators blur the distinction between mixing and mastering speakers. I could envision a mastering suite built around a pair of Q12s and a pair of the Q18s—and a surround mixing suite featuring Q8s would be eargasmic. I’m convinced the Q series does achieve Keffalo’s goals of bringing “Studio A” to “Studio Anywhere.” Price: $2,000 Strengths: Clarity, clarity, clarity. Wide frequency response, solid imaging, can reproduce loud material with ease. Power controls on front panel. Correction software actually works. Limitations: Physically very heavy and require appropriate support. Larger-than-most-near-fields-size means they take up more real estate. This level of performance comes at a price. Contact: www.equatoraudio.com 52 EQ FEBRUARY 2009 www.eqmag.com http://www.equatoraudio.com http://www.eqmag.com

Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of EQ Magazine - February 2009

EQ Magazine - February 2009 Contents Talk Box Sounding Board Dave Cooley Low vs. Diamond Hank Williams III Travis Franz Ferdinand Guitar Trax Bass Management Key Issues Drum Heads Vocal Cords Mix Bus Cheat Sheet Apple Logic Pro 8 Cakewalk Sonar Near-Field Monitor Roundup Gadgets &�Goodies Sounds Room with a Vu

EQ Magazine - February 2009

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