Recording - December 2017 - 26

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2017 HOLIDAY BUYER'S GUIDE

Ingram Engineering
EQ50 500 Series Equalizer

Pop Audio Pop Filter
Studio Edition

$415; www.ingramengineering.net

$99.99; www.popaudio.co.uk

We took our first look at Eric Ingram
and Ingram Engineering back in June
of 2013, when Scott Dorsey was impressed by Ingram's initial offering, the
MPA685 2-channel microphone preamp
(and Scott is not easily impressed). In
March of 2015 I had the pleasure of taking the MPA575 for a spin; it was one
of the first channel strips with a preamp,
EQ and compressor in a single slot API
500 Series module.
This time we're taking a look at Ingram's
second 500 Series piece, the EQ50. As its
name suggests, it is a 500 Series equalizer,
but with a twist. With just three continuous
pots and two buttons, it's best described
as a specialty EQ. It features a high and
low pass filter, labeled as Low Cut Freq
(20 Hz-1 kHz) and High Cut Freq (5-200
kHz) both a slope of 6 dB/octave.
The other EQ parameter is a See Saw/
Pivot EQ. This style of equalizer does just
what the name implies; the selectable center or pivot frequency can be set to 400 Hz
or 1 kHz, and as you boost the high end with a clockwise twist, you
lessen the low frequencies in equal proportion. A counterclockwise
twist does the opposite, bolstering the lows and lessening the high
end. The EQ50 also offers a front panel EQ in/bypass control.
Internally it has a well laid out circuit board design that is minimal
and sonically transparent. It has balanced ins and outs, and can
handle a maximum input level of +20 dBu with Total Harmonic
Distortion 0.002% at that level and -98 dBu input referred noise.
Despite the simplicity of its controls, this device is quite powerful. The high and low cuts extend much farther than many
found in channel strips or other EQ units, and the pivot EQ
is so dramatic that it needs a word of warning-even the
smallest movements yield a huge level of change to the sound.
EQs such as this one are good alternatives/additions to conventional equalizers. The EQ50 is great choice for how quickly and
simply it can massage a bass guitar, kick drum, or snare track, seating them in a mix or pushing them forward. It's also great for adding
highpass filtering to vocals and acoustic guitar, as well as taking the
bite out of cymbals or tambourines with its lowpass filter. Putting all
of these EQ tools together in a simple package, the Ingram EQ50
is a great addition to any 500 Series rig.-PV

One of the non-negotiable studio accessories we all need
sooner rather than later is the humble pop screen. Pop filters
serve two general purposes. They protect the mic from plosive
bursts of air brought on by Ps, Ts and even spitty S sounds.
They also allow us to regulate how close a singer or instrument should be to a mic... a performance spacer, if you will.
Sadly, in many studios, pop screens are homemade affairs of
panty hose stretched over a bent hanger... cheap, but kind of
gross. Even if the panty hose were bought new, clients still wonder where they came from. Another option is to buy one, usually
the cheapest one the engineer can find... a thin plastic circle
with two layers of nylon stretched over it, attached to a wimpy
gooseneck and clamp.
Over the years, other varieties have "popped up," substituting
either metal mesh or thick porous foam, each with its own benefits. The downside of most designs lies not in the screening material but with the mount and clamp, which get loose and worn
out with age. To avoid "pop screen sag," I threw the goose neck
clamp of my last pop filter away and have been screwing the
screen to a second mic stand, which then takes up more room in
my iso booth. The new Pop Filter Studio Edition from Pop Audio
addresses all of the above in one new product.

RECORDING December 2017

http://www.ingramengineering.net http://www.popaudio.co.uk

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Recording - December 2017