British EQ
Encyclopedia
A British EQ or British style equalizer is one with simlar properties to those on consoles made in the UK by companies such as Amek and Neve and Soundcraft
in the 1950s through the 1970s. Later on as other manufacturers started to market their products those British companies began touting their equalization
as being a cut above. Today many non-British companies such as Behringer
or Mackie
advertise British EQ on their equipment. A British style EQ seeks to replicate the qualities of the expensive British Consoles.
, that an EQ with a similar setup was "British". The term "musical EQ" is often used in tandem with the British moniker which may refer to filters with a wider "Q" (see also Bandwidth (signal processing)) that would have a more subtle effect on the sound than a smaller notch filter.
With the ever falling cost of engineering and manufacturing it is now possible to find less expensive equipment that performs very well. However audio production is a highly subjective realm where many decisions are based on feel and intuition. (Audio engineers have often pressed broken equipment into service because of the special qualities it can lend to the work.) Saying an EQ "sounds British" is akin to saying a car "feels German". It is an area that is widely open to interpretation and argument abounds.
Soundcraft
Soundcraft is a British manufacturer of mixing consoles and other professional audio equipment. It was founded by sound engineer Phil Dudderidge and electronics designer Graham Blyth in 1973.-History:...
in the 1950s through the 1970s. Later on as other manufacturers started to market their products those British companies began touting their equalization
Equalization
Equalization, is the process of adjusting the balance between frequency components within an electronic signal. The most well known use of equalization is in sound recording and reproduction but there are many other applications in electronics and telecommunications. The circuit or equipment used...
as being a cut above. Today many non-British companies such as Behringer
Behringer
Behringer is an audio equipment company founded by Uli Behringer in 1989, in Willich, Germany. Behringer was listed as the 14th largest manufacturer of music products in 2007. Behringer is a multi-national group of companies, with direct marketing presence in 10 countries or territories and a...
or Mackie
Mackie
Mackie is a brand of the United States-based company LOUD Technologies. The Mackie brand is used on professional music and recording equipment, such as mixing consoles, loudspeakers, and DAW control surfaces....
advertise British EQ on their equipment. A British style EQ seeks to replicate the qualities of the expensive British Consoles.
Misconceptions
Some think that because many British consoles had "dual sweep" mid-range controls (controls for both high and low mids with variable frequencies) that any EQ having this feature was a "British EQ". Another misconception is that because some makers used center frequencies that were common musical tones, such as A440A440 (Concert A)
A440 is the musical note A above middle C. It has a frequency of 440 Hz and serves as a general tuning standard for musical pitch.Prior to the standardization on 440 Hz, many countries and organizations followed the Austrian government's 1885 recommendation of 435 Hz...
, that an EQ with a similar setup was "British". The term "musical EQ" is often used in tandem with the British moniker which may refer to filters with a wider "Q" (see also Bandwidth (signal processing)) that would have a more subtle effect on the sound than a smaller notch filter.
Quality
While there is no actual set of qualifications for an EQ to be British, and in fact any manufacturer can say that they produce one, it might be best to say that a true "British EQ" is one that emulates the sound achieved on an expensive British console. In the 1970s large consoles were custom designed, carefully thought out, and tremendously expensive. Careful attention was paid to how each component affected the sound. Such qualities make for good equipment and at the time such equipment came almost solely from the UK.With the ever falling cost of engineering and manufacturing it is now possible to find less expensive equipment that performs very well. However audio production is a highly subjective realm where many decisions are based on feel and intuition. (Audio engineers have often pressed broken equipment into service because of the special qualities it can lend to the work.) Saying an EQ "sounds British" is akin to saying a car "feels German". It is an area that is widely open to interpretation and argument abounds.