Legendary Motown Hits EQ

Heritage Audio has done it again. Acclaimed for its modern takes on the classic English rack, the company now turns its attention across the Atlantic with the MOTORCITY EQualizer, a perfect reproduction of a 1960s design built in-house at Motown Studios in Detroit. Throughout that decade, Motown fostered a culture of relentless innovation that spawned an arsenal of homemade hit-making equipment, like the original equalizers that inspired the MOTORCITY EQualizer. Carefully recreated from vintage Motown units, the MOTORCITY EQ is a single-channel 7-band passive affair housed in a rugged 2U chassis; hand wired with custom replicas of the original discrete and mil-spec components; and fronted by a 10-gauge hand-brushed aluminum faceplate with a historically accurate control assembly complete with custom-molded Bakelite knobs.

Huge, energetic and authoritative

Heritage Audio has gone above and beyond to replicate the definitive, authoritative signature sound that makes this EQ as iconic as the hit records it helped create. Just like the originals, the MOTORCITY EQualizer is specified with frequency centers at 50Hz, 130Hz, 320Hz, 800Hz, 2kHz, 5kHz and 12.5kHz. To facilitate accurate settings and quick recall, each frequency has its own stepped rotary selector, providing 8dB of boost/cut in 1dB increments. A master gain control with the same parameters, an in/out/off button, and a jewel light indicator complete the front panel layout. Whether deployed in tracking, mixing, or as a stereo pair for mastering, the MOTORCITY EQ lives up to its lofty pedigree. Source material takes on new life when MOTORCITY EQ imbues it with massive, punchy, radio-ready sound that comes straight from the speakers.

The sound of Hitsville, USA

In the early '60s, achieving high rotation on AM radio airplay for your 7-inch 45 RPM monaural single was the gold standard of success, and record labels were falling over themselves to get their records the loudest on the airwaves. of the radio. At Motown's Hitsville recording studio in the United States, the company turned noise into science. Physics dictated that a record could only be so loud before the stylus came out of the grooves—and record stores began returning boxes of non-working 45s. As a result, Motown—led by chief technical engineer Mike McLean, who designed and built much of the studio's proprietary equipment in-house—explored every avenue to obtain the hottest releases while maintaining traceability to maximize the impact of their music on the record. . It's clear that equalization plays a big role in perceived loudness, which helps explain some of the design parameters behind Motown's celebrated 7-band EQs — and why these extremely rare units are so prized today.

The real deal

Meticulously researched and engineered to the exact original specifications of this iconic 1960s Motown design, you'd expect the MOTORCITY EQualizer to pack a punch without a hint of harshness or distortion — and that's exactly what it does. Under the hood, the passive equalization circuit is identical to the original Motown design. One of the challenges of reproducing a vintage design is that the original pieces are no longer available. Therefore, Heritage Audio customized them from scratch, incorporating 100% period-correct materials, values, and tolerances. As such, the MOTORCITY EQ is not a mere reverentially “closed” copy or a modern “improved” version of the original. It is, effectively, the real deal; and is now available to studio owners for the first time. With Heritage Audio MOTORCITY EQualizer,

Legendary performance and epic value

Considering the MOTORCITY EQualizer's masterful sonic performance, versatility, and build quality, it's impressive that Heritage Audio was able to bring it to such an affordable price point. But then, that's what they do. Founded in 2011 by engineer/producer Peter Rodriguez, Heritage Audio immediately began designing and manufacturing equipment inspired by legendary vintage British console modules, using the same transformer-coupled Class A circuitry, with functionality geared toward today's studio workflows. . The company now expands its geographic focus with the MOTORCITY EQ. Built to exacting tolerances, Heritage Audio gear delivers clean, fuss-free audio with generous headroom and the vintage-flavored sounds we all crave. We are proud to offer you this distinguished line of high-performance professional audio equipment.

Characteristics

• A perfect recreation of Motown's iconic original 7-band EQ;
• Custom replica parts with 100% correct materials, values ​​and tolerances;
• Rugged 2U chassis; 10-gauge hand-brushed aluminum faceplate with historically accurate control assembly;
• Heavy-duty stepped rotary switches (8dB boost/cut, 1dB increments) used for all 7 bands and gain control;
• Frequency centers: 50Hz, 130Hz, 320Hz, 800Hz, 2kHz, 5kHz and 12.5kHz;
• Gain control; In/Out/Off switch for easy A/B comparison;
• Rear panel: XLR I/O; power port;
• External power supply included.

Specifications

• Type: solid state;
• Number of channels: 1;
• Number of bands: 7;
• Inputs: 1 x XLR;
• Outputs: 1 x XLR.