RECORDING November 2022 - 36

-Review by Bill Stunt
KIT Plugins
Blackbird Mo-Q
A classic Motown-built EQ
for your virtual rack
KIT Plugins has once again turned to Blackbird Studio's
exquisitely curated gear collection for its latest release,
the Blackbird Mo-Q equalizer (EQ) in AU and VST3 with
AAX pending. The Mo-Q is modeled on the extremely rare
Motown-designed custom EQ that polished dozens of hit
recordings from the label in the 60s, 70s and beyond. More
specifically, this plugin is modeled on a specific specimen
now owned by Blackbird Studio owner John McBride.
Origins
The original Motown equalizer was a refinement of graphic
EQ designs from Cinema Engineering, Langevin and Altec
primarily used in the film industry. The Motown tech geniuses
tweaked those designs to the exacting standards of the studio
and crafted this rare Detroit classic-less than 40 were ever
built. They even fashioned a rare mastering version specifically
for half-speed mastering, which the label employed for maximum
fidelity and loudness on their vinyl pressings. (Check out
that story at: recordingmag.com/audio-archaeology)
Enter KIT
The KIT Plugins engineering team meticulously studied the
Blackbird Motown EQ and set out to build an emulation that
was as sonically accurate as possible. Utilizing its proprietary
Full Range Modeling technology (FRM), KIT claims the Mo-Q to
be its most accurate modeled plugin yet, " replicating subsonic
and hypersonic frequencies from 10 Hz-96 kHz ... bringing
your mixes the legendary tone of Motor City. "
Ring Them Bells
Despite the presence of " chicken beak " dials rather than faders,
the Mo-Q (like the original) is a graphic EQ. The 7 bell
filters are fixed at 50 Hz, 130 Hz, 320 Hz, 800 Hz, 2 kHz,
5 kHz and 12.5 kHz with a range of ± 8dB. There is also a
large bypass toggle and an additional stepped ± 8dB output
gain control.
Other plugin-specific controls include a Link button that engages
up to 8x oversampling across every instance of the plugin in
your mix. A large selection of 100+ presets offers genre-specific
starting points for instruments and buses. A " ? " symbol on the
menu bar links to a PDF download of the concise manual.
36 RECORDING November 2022
In Use
I recently received a batch of tunes to mix with drum performances
recorded by session drummer T Bruce Wittet in his
home studio.
Adding a generous amount of 50 Hz instantly fattened the
kick. Pulling back a bit of 320 Hz cleaned up muddiness,
and boosting liberal amounts of 2 kHz, 5 kHz and 12.5 kHz
brought out the beater and top end so much that you could
almost 'feel' the air move.
The snare benefited from a boost of 2dB or 3dB on almost
all of the bands while pulling out 320 Hz for clarity. Putting an
instance of the Mo-Q on the drum bus and pulling out a bit of
320 Hz and 5 kHz worked well to minimize any accumulated
boxiness and harshness, as Bruce's room is small and bright.
I ended up with very organic, rich-sounding drum tracks that
dropped naturally into the mix, save for a bit of compression.
Mo-Q is similarly great for fattening up the lows on a bass
guitar, while boosting 800 Hz adds presence. On the guitar
bus, I dialed in an extra bit of body at 130 Hz and a lovely
non-grating top end by pulling back a hint of 5 kHz. Dialing in
a smiley curve of boosted lows and highs on the mix bus was
also quite transformative. Though not a shelf filter, the 12.5
kHz band is beautiful for opening a mix.
Comparisons
I have no way of knowing how this plugin compares to an
original Motown EQ. Still, I did have access to a MOTORCITY
EQ--a hardware recreation of the Motown EQ from Heritage
Audio (reviewed April 2022). Using settings as close as possible,
I found that the Mo-Q has slightly finer cut and boost
steps than the hardware recreation, but overall the results were
similar to blur the lines in a blind listening test.
Conclusion
While the song says, " Ain't Nothing Like the Real Thing, " the
KIT Plugins Blackbird Mo-Q is the most affordable option for
getting the Motown EQ vibe in your studio. Try it. It just might
have you, " Dancing in the Street. "
Price: $99 More From: kitplugins.com
At the Center
Having fixed frequencies and slopes might seem a bit limiting,
but it's not. Each filter's center frequencies are well chosen
with generous slopes that overlap and interact in a way
that makes working with this EQ very powerful and satisfying.
Smooth is the adjective that comes to mind.
https://recordingmag.com/resources/recording-info/on-mastering/audio-archaeology/ http://kitplugins.com
RECORDING November 2022

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