Product: Stillwell Audio 1973 EQ
Price Paid: USD 40
Submitted
05/31/2008
at
10:43pm
by
Mauvehead
Reviewer Background
:
Been recording various projects for the past 15 years in my home project studio. My current rig consists of a Presonus FireStudio plus Digimax FS into an '07 MacBook Pro 2.4 Core2Duo w/4 GBs of RAM. I go back and forth between Mackie Tracktion3 and Logic Studio (depending on the nature of the work) and use an assortment of freeware and commercial plug-ins. I also use a Line6 UX2 Toneport from time to time if the mic pre's aren't an issue. I use the Stillwell 1973 both as an AU plug and as a VST. I also incorporate Plogue's Bidule to create more elaborate plug-in routing set-ups as needed, and the 1973 plug works in all instances with all of the above hosts without incident. Negligible CPU usage even when in oversampling mode.
Ease of Use
:
10
The 1973 EQ is fairly simple to use and at first it doesn't appear to have very many options. Yet the tone is quite stellar for an EQ. Especially the high pass filter and high frequency band (centered at 12kHz). I was actually shopping around for some plugs that were on the cleaner side of the spectrum to contrast the Nomad Factory Blue Tubes bundle I bought last year (great plugs there as well but very colored and somewhat dark sounding). I came across the Stillwell plugs by accident and thought I'd give them a try. So far, I am thinking that the 1973 EQ has the best sounding and sweetest sounding high frequency boost I have ever heard. Buttery yet clear. Almost liquidy and yet non-intrusive to the original source material being processed. I can literally crank the high frequency boost on this plug on vocals and acoustic guitars and drums and it only seems to sound better as you turn it up. Hard to describe actually. I'm guessing that the high frequency EQ coding on this plug is actually some sort of parametric EQ versus a shelving because you just can't make this plug sound harsh or offending in the upper frequency ranges which would surely be the case with a shelving EQ (but I could be wrong of course). But whatever the folks over at Stillwell Audio have done here, they have done it right. This plug makes me forget that I am using a plug-in versus a very nice sounding analog EQ rack. This plug will see a lot of use in my studio.
Sounds/Sound Quality
:
10
As I mentioned above, this may be the best sounding high frequency boost I have ever heard in a plug. Wow. It really shines with my darker sounding ribbon mics as well as vocals recorded with large diaphragm condensers. Again, you can crank the highs without creating any digital artifacts and it seems to flatter everything I have run through it.
Overall Rating
:
10
Quite simply this plug sounds amazing and gets the job done without taking over a mix. Also, Scott over at Stillwell Audio has been great to offer help and answer questions as needed. I am actually surprised this plug doesn't cost around $100+ simply because it really does sound that good and runs very well with a minimal footprint. So now I am sure I will be gradually buying most of Stillwell Audio's other plugs over the next few weeks as I am able. The 1973 EQ is fantastic and should be in everyone's plug-n folder. If you have tracks that you hesitate to alter with mediocre EQ's then you should definitely give the 1973 a try. You won't be disappointed.
