The two famous Pultec EQ units are the EQP-1A Program Equaliser and MEQ-5 Mid band Equaliser.
The Pultec EQ, namely the EQP-1A and MEQ-5 are two innovations from a burgeoning period of pro audio parallel to the classic era of the 1950s. However, in the modern era, there is an abundance of hardware and plugin reproductions of the fabled blue outboard units offered by various companies. This is great news for the budget-conscious as original examples can fetch about $10k on the used market! So what is it exactly about the classic Pultec EQs that have made them such a mainstay for decades now?
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EQP-1A Program Equaliser
As the model names may indicate, the EQP-1A gives the user control over the low and high frequencies of any program material whilst the MEQ-5 gives control over the midrange. The intention was for users to combine both hardware units to give full-range control over the entire frequency spectrum. However, it isn’t uncommon to see only an EQP-1A in the rack of many professional audio engineers.
The EQP-1A was initially introduced in 1951, it saw a variety of iterations over the course of its lifespan. Despite this, the EQP1 remained Pultecs flagship product until the company folded in the early 1980s.
Pultec “initially Pulse Technologies” was founded by Ollie Summerland and Genel Shank who remained as the sole product developers, marketers and production workers for the entirety of the company’s existence!
Every Pultec product was hand-wired on-site in Pultec’s New Jersey storefront. The fact that Summerland and Shank were so hands-on with their company meant that Pultec EQ products exhibited an unparalleled level of quality.
This commitment to the craft is probably why so many original Pultec EQ units are still in use today!
Despite being rather secretive about their designs, it is known that Summerland and Shank initially licensed the passive EQ designs from Western Electric. Pultec tweaked this design, opting to implement a tube makeup gain circuit that would compensate for the 16dB insertion loss associated with passive EQs.
This design tweak made the EQP-1A appear to be lossless, just one of the characteristics that made it appeal to working engineers worldwide right off the bat.
The EQP-1A is able to control three frequency bands simultaneously. All parameters are adjusted by three groupings of interactive controls on the unit’s faceplate.
The control layout may be confusing to some first-time users but is easily understood once viewed in triangular groupings.
Starting on the left side of EQP-1A is a shelving eq. The controls in this section consist of Boost, Attenuation and Frequency Select, all controlling the low-end frequencies.
The next section is a parametric boost eq, the controls include Boost, Bandwidth, and Frequency Select. This section of the EQP-1A works to shape the high frequencies of the program material.
Lastly, the right of the unit’s faceplate features another section that controls highs. This time working as an attenuation-only shelving EQ. Here you will only find two controls, Attenuation Selection “Frequency Selection” and Attenuation which will dial in the desired amount of cut to this band.
However, some users will simply run audio through a Pultec without implementing any EQ tweaks.
This is due to the fact that the unit’s tube makeup gain circuit will still impart a certain level of “colour” to the source signal, a sonic characteristic that many users find to be highly desirable.
Perhaps most famous of all is the classic “Pultec Trick”, which entails the user boosting and attenuating low frequencies simultaneously.
Whilst the original Pultec manual advises against doing this as in theory both parameters would essentially cancel each other out, in the real world the effect is to the contrary.
This is due to the fact that the boost circuit has slightly more gain, while the attenuation circuit implements a slightly more relaxed cut. Additionally, both controls affect slightly different target frequencies.
This results in what some users liken to a midrange scoop, which can be great for adding punch and definition to kick drums or bass.
It is worth mentioning that you do not need a Pultec hardware unit or similar to experiment with the classic Pultec trick.
Essentially any plugin emulation should exhibit some of the same characteristics when the technique is utilised, with a variety of Pultec plugins available online “some at no cost”.
MEQ-5 Mid band Equaliser
The MEQ-5 is a somewhat simpler unit at first glance. Its control section is divided into only three groups, two offering midrange boosts at 2 different frequencies and one offering attention.
Each section is fixed Q with total boost or attenuation maxing out at 10db.
The first section of the MEQ-5 “Peak” enables the user to boost low mids at either 200Hz, 300Hz, 500Hz, 700Hz or 1kHz.
The middle section of the MEQ-5 “Dip” enables the user to attenuate at 11 set frequency points between 200Hz and 7kHz.
Lastly, the last section of the MEQ-5 “Peak” enables the user to boost high mids at the set frequencies of 1.5kHz, 2kHz, 3kHz, 4kHz, and 5kHz.
Despite its simpler layout, many users find the MEQ-5 to be a valuable companion to the famous EQP-1A. Finding it essential as a means of midrange control within the studio environment.
Lastly, it is worth mentioning that Pultec offered both units in solid-state versions.
Often these were distinguishable by their silver faceplates and provide their own unique sound, making them yet another cornerstone within the essence of Pultec lore.
Pulse Techniques are still goin’! Keep reading at their website here.
