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the HA really surprised me the most, in the way it opened up most of the songs. the API like you said sounded kind of punchy/more agressive, so that one is kind of hit or miss. For me it would be #1 HA, shared 2nd place for the maag and the empress, and api on 3
For me the Empress seemed the most consistent across all settings and songs; subtle, but when bypassed it was like, "Whoa...what happened". The Maag would be next for me in terms of sounding consistently good. Track 1: Empress +3 16K Track 2: API +3 10K / Empress 12K Track 3: Maag +6 15K Track 4: Empress +3 12K / Maag +2 10K Track 5: Empress +3 16K / Maag +3 15K
The Api has that sound we all know, feels like a statement. The HA is powerful and emotional in a way, musical. The Empress is chocolate on top of vanilla, a new classic. The maag, modern and professional sounding. For me is Empress. Thank you Dave🙏🏻
loved the intensity of the API and Heritage! glorious. I tend to like very pronounced and flavored effects though. they both made songs bloom and come alive, whereas the others were much more subtle. and if i personally am looking for a high frequency eq, i'm looking to make something come alive, as i tend to mix fairly dark in general. so that's what my work would need.
The API sounded great on the first track, and I liked it quite a bit on the other ones, too. The Empress I'd best describe as subtle. Whenever you switched it off, it felt like the mix lost a little bit of something. The Maag sounded clean and precise, less subtle than the Empress, whereas the Symph sounded a bit weird. Can't put my finger on why, but it doesn't click with me.
Awesome video! It really shows how all these EQs have a different impact on the sound - something that is hard to compare or comprehend normally. Empress and Maag definitely my favorites from the bunch for the entire Mixbus application.
The HA pops out most because it somehow gave a much higher bump in gain it seemed. Maybe it's curves are much wider orso, i wonder if that's why lot's of people pick that EQ. I have no clear favourite, all of them are excellent :-D
They all sound good. For me (sorry for the lack of precise words), APi = more in your face, Maag = clean, Symph = Smooth, Empress= Smoother. Question though: Which one is easer to work with?
All of em are, Maag is the only one that doesn't have switches and the knobs are small but they're dented. I like the API design with freq and gain in one place, I also like the Empress layout so you can focus on lows, mids and highs separately
The MAAG has that top end sheen and is very smooth. The API has the signature API forwardness. Nice and punchy. imho having both of these would be great! The MAAG also has a few other tricks up it's sleeve. Definitely in the market for a great hardware eq. Thanks for an informative video on the topic. Great job!
Hi David, first of all thanks for the comparison! I just want to point out that at 4:27 the API doesn't say +2db 15kHz as stated, but at +4dB 20kHz. In the example after that Maag at 20kHz instead of 15. Then Symph +4db 20kHz instead of +3 15kHz. Unfortunately, the errors continued. Sometimes the kHz was incorrectly specified, sometimes the "Symph" EQ was specified, etc. Please take a closer look next time, after all one should work precisely as a mastering engineer, right? ;)
thank you for doing this demo. So valuable. I feel the API was most aggressive, the Heritage was the most 'illusion for sounding good' but just made things excitable without much direction, the Empress was the most dull, and the Maag was the most musical and magical (but sometimes a bit too soft settings for material). My pick is Maag EQ4M.
I haven't finished the video yet or read any comments because I don't want to influence what I'm hearing. API: Aggressive, punchy, least subtle of the bunch... for when you're not afraid to hear it. Maag: Makes everything sound "expensive" and adds nice sheen without being too in-your-face or colored. SYMPH: Colored, but more subtle than the API. Adds a lot of "weight" to the sound. Empress: The most subtle of the bunch. Similar weight to the SYMPH. Organic in the sense that you don't necessarily notice what it's doing until you bypass it. Just my two cents. Interested to see if others heard the same.
Love the API (have one) - it sounded good on everything, but it definitely leaves its stamp on everything. I didn't like the Symph EQ much at all. The Empress sounded nice and musical as well - definitely has that pultec vibe to it. The Maag also sounded great - maybe the most transparent of the bunch. If i had to choose one, it would be the API all day.
I'm thinking of buying an eq4 series 500 but more than anything for mixing and tracking (a single unit for now, for example to process a snare or a voice) do you think it makes sense or performs better in mastering?
Symph amazing , very dissapointed with the maag (although for bass i can't believe how good it is) , empress too dark for me. APi quite consistent overall but not as exciting as the Sympth. thanks a lot David for this great comparison!
on all songs the Best were: - API is just good, gives nice clean saturation - Heritage Audio just slightly over the Top Saturation. this can be used to fix weak sounding Tracks, make them a bit more Oily, fill them, give them Weight . (i use phantasy Words). IMHO
I'm shocked. In most cases I like Sympth followed by Empress. I didn't expect that as there is many mixed opinions about Sympth and its quality. While people say good things about its sound, there is many bad comments regarding its overall quality. But Sympth sounded amazing and then Empress. I could hear that Sympth was also doing something else not only emphasising top end. Can't wait to hear the low end video. David, if you could only pick one, just one for mastering duties... Which one would you choose, Sympth or Empress? Thank you
Thanks again David for a very revealing video! I've learned more here than on almost any other channel. Like you said, no winner. Just different flavours. I loooove the punchiness of the API. I'm learning why it's a classic. The Heritage has a little more colour and top end sizzle that can work when something needs to be just a little more aggressive. Now seeing why the MAAG is a classic as well. Super clinical and clean. I'll have another playthrough to see what the Empress does. Maybe my ears need a little more tuning
Kinda like the API better. Different tools for different applications, maag is also interesting, but all would do the job. I’m planning to get the API later this year before the end of the world.
Get it fast Russia and china and America in heat now lolol jokes I got the api now I want to get the bax or the Maag I do have the scot red dot ops amp which smooth out the highs a little but I find the bax to a little to pricy
I was bouncing between speakers here and i found the heritage symph was noticeable on most tracks but sounded good each time, followed closely by the empress. The API and Maag seemed to shine more on the harder hip hop track with that snare. Thanks for posting this
API #1 for me on all sources. Maag EQ was not too bad on slower stuff. Express faired well also. Heritage - vocals and upper-mid frequency stood out a bit too much, still sounded great though but not as balanced as the others. The API maintained the original flavor better than the others yet added a subtle beautiful sheen. Nice comparison!
First track impressions: API distorts the snare heavyly, resulting in a shift from snare body to a more high frequency content. Empress is quite the opposite, the transient sounds like it stays intact, less smearing than api, fattens the snare a bit, very musical distortion. I like it alot. Maag super transparent, closest to original, very nice and kind sounding. Symph in the ballpark of API, but better in this case. Maybe my hearing is crap. The mix is already done and great sounding, so: If I had to order them I'd say 1)Maag, 2)Empress, 3) Symph, 4) API
The symph sounded really clear and crisp on your hip hop style mixes. But like you said they're all great the api sounded good to me on the first track
This is well timed for me, since I was just asking you about the Symph EQ. I've listened to the API in person as well. Here, the API sounds really good to me but it might not be quite as good a generalist as the Symph EQ. I like the Maag's character and richness. I'm probably biased by having used and loved the Symph now for several months but man it sounds really good on a variety of different audio signals. Can't wait to hear the low end shootout. Cheers.
Hi professor I want to give you thanks a lot, I took your advice and I just bought EQ MASTERING SPL PQ Red color and it’s a wonderful Eq it’s a monster Impossible to distortion and really clean…It boasts incredible clarity and makes even the most heavy-handed of EQ adjustments sound good. Thanks a lot from the bottom of my heart, i’m so exciting… I tested before the Maselec and Manley Eq.. But you saved me by introducing me SPL… it’s better, you have a new friend and brother in Miami Best, Franz
Symph was pretty dramatic every time you switched it in but I liked it a lot on the first couple tracks. API was my favorite overall but they all have their uses. I can hear why the Maag air band is so well liked it's so smooth.
Musically the Maag for me makes it something special. I have the 5500 and a Manley Stereo Pultec so I was surprised by the low end and mids of the Maag. Nice stuff man. 👍
I liked the API the best as it seemed to move things more forward and I like that sound. I'm sure the others could do the same. It just might take more boost than with the API.
symph def had an interesting color, Personally wouldn’t put it on the mixbus but would certainly to a great job in a mix! Used to have the maags, sold them. Feel like there was such an Hype just because they names the HF band “Air”. The APIs certainly adds that sweet sheen, But it’s a bit to dramatic, i’d keep it on lead vocals and cymbals. if you get the 0.5db version maybe it’ll sit on the 2buss but if not you’d have to mix into it to make sure it sits nice. The empress one is subtle and musical, TBH probably the most suitable for the 2-buss in this review. Just my thoughts though !
I love the EAR 825, I used it on Bella's vocal on the Atmos mix of her upcoming single. Amazing EQ, it did beat a pair of original Pultecs like it was nothing
@@mixbustv Perhaps the Pultec is a little rounder in the low frequencies, but the Ear around 3000hz is wonderful, there will be few equalizers that have that air. Congratulations on the 825
Yea the maag is so musical with lil more sizzle (but not harsh) than the empress but empress have that nice sheen. Idk why the HA sounds weird to me but certainly could still be useful to really bring out a track I can tell. It's something about the Api that always grabs my attention, it sticks out like a sore thumb but not in a bad nor distractive way. However I like the api more than the mag since can get more parametric.
That 1974 down there is looking sad for not being included! Would have loved to hear that amongst them as I own the 1974. I prefer the Symph and Empress for striking the best overall balance between flavour and versatility, I think they both sound better than the maag. Can see how the API would be killer on drum buss.
They all sound great. I have the API. I added a pair of Scott Lieber Red Dot opamps, which smooths it out a bit. It awesome as is, but I like the mod in the mids and highs. I have the Dangerous Bax, but am interested in the HA. Its priced right as well. Maybe on the santa list!! Interested why you didn't include the SPL PQ in this test???? Its sitting right in the middle of the desk! Would have been nice to hear the low and hi end using both constant and proportional Q.
Overall I write and record 80's pop/rock style. With that bent, I generally like the punchy API and Neve sounding EQ's. The Maag was more transparent and a little smoother on the high-end (which is nice when you need it). Empress had a nice combo of saturation and transparent sound at the same time.
Sorry david im a professional mixing and mastering engineer from Jamaica who is around hardware from i was a kid and trust me that api takes my breath away the others is good but the api wins my heart
Symch is surprisingly good, Empres has a beautiful timbre, nice saturation, but I don't like its transparency of the upper band. API is a bit sharp in the vocals. Maag has a nice timbre, but it is a bit boring and lacks character and space.Great Video
Heritage, API, and Empress were my favorites. API added punch actually, even though you were just adjusting the hi-s- better for rock and rap. Heritage for indie/rock. Just running them through the API and the Heritage also affected the midrange. Empress for everything, just sounds more balanced. The Maag for precision, I think you have to push that one a bit harder to get some more tone out of it, just my initial impression. Great video as always
Symph ! Heritage Audio have made a future classic with that EQ. Unbelievable for the money. Would be unbelievable at three times the cost. It's a modern sheen and lushness that's unreal. The others were underwhelming next to the HA
Wow.. Awesome comparison Vid... And best of all , I notice, most responses aren't fanboy's protecting their investments, but really informed , and I like that. No , I Dont master, but damn, there's some great info all around . And it proves theres not one to Rule them all... Though , When it comes to AIR, so to speak, above the 12k , Im still a Maag fan. When I get some work, and some money, Ill def be joining..would of a few years ago, but 1 gig in 2 years aint helping ... lol Beers and Cheers.
The Flock Audio wins! Seriously, they’re all good Eqs. I’ve got a GML 8200 here…Don’t see much of those around anymore, although they still sell new for $$$. Take care :)
I can't tell a lot of difference between the API and the Symph but I can tell those two beat the others to my ears! maybe the Symph has a slightly edge if I had to pick one
amazing Test Dave...For Me Loved the symph eq and Api on most of the Genres except for the Dancehall and Ballad where I prefered the Maag Eq...By the Way please what Camera and Light are you using for your Videos, it looks amazing
In my humble/professional opinion, the API was the only one that sounded very good in all the samples and arguably the best as well. FWIW, I monitored/listened via my Lynx Hilo interface going into Neumann kh80’s paired with Eve Audio TS108 sub woofers and Neumann NDH 30 Headphones.
For me, Symph EQ overall takes the 1st place because of the "natural" feel of the boost, wasn't really be able to tell how low its curve goes, while with the others I could hear how the voice tone and the transients of the percussive elements were affected. The Maag seemed to me to be the one with the steepest curves, in fact it was surprising to me how clean and smooth it was with his steeper curves. But they all sound beautiful in their own way and hearing them on the same material I understand why you have so many EQs. Love this format BTW, can't wait for the part 2 with the low end comparison.
I suppose just me, as I am buying it. seen your review and one of the reasons why I am buying it lol just nice to see how it held up against good competition .... love the videos keep it up .... certainly some of the best reviews online
Gotta be honest, I would have to really focus to hear a 3dB gain boost at 15kHz. How does the Drawmer 1974 compare with the four EQs in this video? Are there any rules for EQ position in the signal chain?
It would compare and hang very well, the 74 is the second most versatile EQ I have (after the SPL) and I love versatile. And it's absolutely impressive not just for the price.
@@mixbustv thank you. My 1974 was backordered so I cancelled (for now) and bought some vintage camera lenses. Because you recommend the 1974 I will buy it a little later in the year.
