Bettermaker Valve Stereo Passive Equalizer with Plug-in Control

Bettermaker Valve Stereo Passive Equalizer with Plug-in Control

Inspired by the classic tube EQs that have been studio staples for over half a century, the Bettermaker Valve Stereo Passive Equalizer delivers all the brawny analog majesty and punch you would expect of such a design. The original vintage unit’s alluring calling card was its ability to boost and cut with broad, flattering curves across a range of selectable low and high frequencies. The Valve Stereo Passive Equalizer takes this venerable design concept quite a bit further, offering far more versatility with an expansive range of frequency selections that extends from 20Hz all the way up to 28kHz! What’s more, its digitally controlled analog circuitry allows for advanced functionality that was not possible back in the day. Thanks to the VSPE DAW-control plug-in and seamless integration with your DAW, you can recall and automate all the parameters from your computer, making the Valve Stereo Passive Equalizer perfect for today’s hybrid workflows. Equip your studio with the Bettermaker Valve Stereo Passive Equalizer and treat your productions to the euphonic, larger-than-life sound that has forged countless iconic recordings.

State-of-the-art reimagining of a legendary design

One look at the classic tube equalizer that informed the design of this Bettermaker unit, and you’ll see it’s not laid out like your typical equalizer. The 2-band design basically gave you a broad bandwidth boost and attenuated controls that worked independently. This lets you, for instance, deploy an oft-used studio trick to add weight to the bass region while also notching a bit above the cutoff point by boosting and attenuating simultaneously. (Try this on a kick drum, and you’ll never look back.) On the high-frequency side, you could set separate frequencies for the boost and attenuation so you could boost at, say, 12kHz and cut at 5k, adding air to a track without increasing presence. If you’ve never used one of these classics, the design may seem needlessly restrictive. But the gentle, forgiving, broad-brushstroke curves are a valuable complement to the surgical sculptability on tap in many modern EQs. Both deserve a place in any well-equipped studio rack.

A modern classic in its own right

While maintaining the sought-after qualities of the revered vintage units that inspired it, the Bettermaker Valve Stereo Passive Equalizer offers far more flexibility than those classics. On the low side, it’s spec’d with selectable boost/cut frequency centers at 20Hz, 30Hz, 60Hz, and 100Hz. On the high side, you have a generous choice of boost frequencies at 3, 4, 5, 6, 8, 10, 12, 16, 20, and 28kHz. Independently selectable are 5, 10, and 20kHz HF cut frequencies. A high-boost bandwidth control is centrally located on the unit’s stout faceplate, letting you globally shape your curves from sharp to broad. All in all, it’s a very effective design that behaves and sounds rather like its vintage inspiration, but with considerably more sound-sculpting capability. In operation, the Bettermaker Valve Stereo Passive Equalizer is effortless and intuitive to use, and it’s virtually impossible to get a bad sound out of it.

Mil-spec NOS tubes

Drawing on the company’s expertise in leveraging studio processors favored by Grammy winners, Bettermaker has crafted a fully analog passive equalizer featuring proprietary transformer-balanced, vacuum tube circuitry. The result is a harmonious marriage of desirable vintage sonics and cutting-edge modern technology. The new-old-stock double-triode tubes used were manufactured in the USSR in the 1970s and ’80s for deployment in military equipment. As such, they meet strict requirements in terms of durability and electrical specifications. Installed in modern audio gear, these mil-spec tubes exhibit minimal microphonics and perform to high standards over a long service life.

Big-iron transformers

Passive equalizers are coveted for their ability to impart a warm, round low end and silky, airy highs. The Bettermaker Valve Stereo Passive Equalizer takes that concept and brings it to fruition with the distinctive character of NOS vacuum tubes and custom-made Bettermaker TT-1 transformers that are designed to minimize the low-frequency distortion issues exhibited by even the most celebrated vintage transformers. As a result of Bettermaker’s meticulous attention to detail, the Valve Stereo Passive Equalizer makes it easy for you to achieve pristine, glassy transparency, lush tube saturation, or any combination thereof with the press of a button.

Bring on the HEAT

Processing a completed stereo mix through the Bettermaker Valve Stereo Passive Equalizer produces a massive, punchy, and authoritative sound that blasts right out of the speakers. You’ll find that individual tracks processed through the unit sit confidently in any arrangement and, hence, are easier to mix. Depending on the source material and your personal tastes, you might want to actuate the unit’s HEAT function, which enables an additional internal gain stage that drives the vacuum tubes harder, producing more scrumptious even-order harmonics and adding saturation and color to the sound while activating an output pad to maintain unity gain.

Bettermaker: vintage sound for today’s hybrid workflows

Bettermaker’s approach seems simple: cherry pick the best of vintage and modern circuit topologies and combine them in products that offer the sonic integrity of analog with the speed and workflow conveniences of working “in the box.” The reality is that not all companies have the design chops to pull it off consistently. Bettermaker does. Taking a fresh approach to classic designs, modern and high-spec components are selected for long-term reliability and to help maintain transient response and the low noise floor required for today’s recording practices. At the same time, increased functionality enhances the efficiencies of — and accommodates the flexibility required by — today’s hybrid studio workflows. Where possible, Bettermaker engineers increase gain resolution and frequency response to ensure maximum sound quality. Stringent computerized instrument bench testing and subjective listening tests both play a significant role in the development of Bettermaker gear. And the results speak for themselves.

Bettermaker Valve Stereo Passive Equalizer Features:

• Digitally controlled analog circuitry with transformer output and vacuum tube drive stage

• Vacuum tube drive stage powered by mil-spec NOS tubes

• Bettermaker TT-1 audio transformers handcrafted in-house

• FET-input Burr-Brown op-amps and hand-matched inductors

• HEAT function enables internal gain stage that drives vacuum tubes harder to add saturation and color to the sound while activating output pad to maintain unity gain

• GAIN Mode allows output level adjustment and HEAT function activation via high cut frequency button

• VSPE DAW-control plug-in allows setting recall and automation via USB connection

• Additional features available via DAW plug-in

• Maximum LF cut: 16dB (set to 100Hz)

• Maximum HF boost: 18dB (all frequencies)

• Low boost/cut frequencies: 20, 30, 60, 100Hz

• High boost frequencies: 3, 4, 5, 6, 8, 10, 12, 16, 20, 28kHz

• High cut frequencies: 5, 10, 20kHz

• Type-B USB port for computer connection

• Robust 2U metal chassis with thick faceplate

• Designed, developed, and built in Poland

Tech Specs

• Type:Tube

• Number of Channels:Stereo

• Bypass:Yes

• Number of Bands:2

• Q Type:Variable

• Boost/Cut Range:+15dB/-16dB (Low) ±18dB (High)

• Freq Range High:3kHz-28kHz (Boost), 5kHz-20kHz (Cut)

• Freq Range Low:20Hz-100Hz

• Inputs:2 x XLR

• Outputs:2 x XLR

• USB:1 x Type B

• Rack Spaces:2U

• Power Source:100-240V AC power adapter

• Height:3.5″

• Depth:5.51″

• Width:19.0″

• Weight:7.72 lbs.

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