Chris and Jody take a general dive into the world of Eventide’s new Split EQ. This isn’t your grandpa’s EQ. It’s not even your daddy’s EQ. This EQ is something else entirely. Is it posing? Is it for real? Is it truly possible to create a uniquely new path in the EQ world? We discuss our initial reactions to this new plugin meant to give mix engineers incredible power over the processing of sounds in a way that until now, wasn’t impossible but was incredibly hard. Split EQ defines a new era that could really help the 360/Atmos mixing issues to be faced. Don’t forget our Friday Finds and it’s also not unlikely that there will be some nonsense discussed.
In this Tuesday tip Jody walks you thru the simple concept of separation between kick and bass in a mix. Using the elementary function of EQ and listening for where each instrument should get prominence in a mix.
In this Tuesday Tip, Chris goes through the layout and functionality of a 550 style EQ, as well as showing how you can get great results, quickly, using this great piece of kit.
In this week’s episode of Inside the Recording Studio, Chris & Jody twist the knobs and roll back the decades for a deep dive into one of the most iconic EQs in pro audio: the API 550A. Whether you’ve seen it on a vintage console or recreated in your favorite plugin, the 550A is a classic that helped define the sound of records for decades—and it’s still going strong today.
You’ll get a guided tour through the history of the 550A, from its invention at Automated Processes Inc. to who bought the first units. But we’re not stopping there. Chris & Jody unpack the inner workings of the 550A, demystify its EQ bands and frequency points, explain why its proportional Q design matters, and share real-world insights on when and how they use it in the studio.
Expect a mix of tech savvy, real talk, and some light gearhead banter (plus Friday Finds, of course). If you’re serious about understanding your tools—or just love a good piece of hardware history—this episode is for you.
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Gear we used: Jody’s Mic & Voice Chain: Telefunken C12 – Groove Tubes Vipre – Apollo – UA Neve 1073 – UA LA2A – UA Studer A800 Jody’s Channel Strip: iZotope RX Spectral DeNoise – iZotope RX Mouth DeClick – UA Neve 1073 – UA LA2A – UA 1176E
Chris’ Mic & Voice Chain: Slate ML1 – Apollo – UA – Slate VMR (FG12, FG73, API Eq, SSL 4kE) – iZotope RX Voice – DeNoise Chris’ Channel Strip: Eventide Precision Time Align – iZotope RX Spectral DeNoise – iZotope RX Mouth DeClick – UA Neve 1073 – UA LA2A – UA 1176E
