Got mine recently and it has been living on my 2bus post summing amp/bus compression. It has without a doubt taken my mixes to another level. So much so that a couple of clients asked me to reprint their mixes with the Empress. Once I can upgrade my IO I'll be purchasing another one or even two of these to use on individual elements in the mix. I'm hybrid and a firm believer that plugins are incredible... but there is truly nothing that can come close to the sound of this unit. Prior to getting it I rarely ever used any type of broadband saturation on a full mix, but the way the tube boost interatcs with your EQ settings is shockingly musical. Empress is not simply a Pultec clone, she's her own uniquely versatile unit and I am her loyal subject now hahaha
Oh more money.. David, you know this question would come: if you could only have one of your eqs, which one would you get? I think this might be the great contender
Thanks for another add to the wish list… it’s good the finally hear it, only seen people covering the compressor… long time to wait… it’s good it’s not just adding features to cover the lack of quality of the unit, instead, adding features having all ready doing a great job
I have a Massive Passive but tempting to add more tube vibes as sometimes 4 bands isnt enough if you want more specific controls, or want to boost and cut. Sounds very nice in your demo
Awesome review David. I love that you can eq the mids and Russian tubes are so good. I have a quick question. Is this unit suitable for mixing/tracking as well rather than mastering? It only has up to 5db stepped gains. I am a bit uncertain. I am looking for a great eq for mixing/tracking, not specifically for Mastering around similar price range. Many mixing eqs offer up to around 15-20db gain don't they?
Hi David. I must say judging by this demo, this unit is fantastic. My only question is... How well does it perform in mastering? Would you use this unit in your mastering chain as well? Thank you.
I literally just bought one from Vintage King after watching this vid. The only problem is I have to wait til they get more in stock. :(. Going to stack this with my UBK Fatso.
Great sounding Eq, I just love it.I’m trying to decide between this and Zhall EQ 1.Tried to find a demo of the Zhall in your channel but no luck.Already checked it elsewhere but would love to know your opinion.
Zhal you mean? The 500 series? How would that be even comparable.. it's a SMD board vs a true tube unit. Let alone this is a Super Pultec and that's a parametric. I'd get SSL E before the zhal if I wanted that (which I did, I have two) but in no way shape or form I'd ever even think of trading or comparing with the Empress which is one of the greatest eq out there
I have been looking for a mixbuss comp, EQ and Distortion to get me started on my outboard journey. This is 100% the EQ I'm getting, but I'm wondering if you would rate their Comp for those duties as well? I've been really EMpressed with the demo's I've heard so far :P Gonna be used for Electronic Music & HipHop... Love your videos man, great work as always!
I didn't try their comp, it's a MU tho, the use for EDM would be very light compression (as opposed to a VCA which is usually doing most of the GR on the 2bus for that genre)
This seems like a fantastic last piece after your clean processing and right before A/D on the Master Buss. Especially the mid and tube boost section. Just one last push of sweetness before the print! Very tempted
I think these sound great! May have to pic one up for the Ol 2 Buss, but I kinda have my heart set on a legit pair of Pulse Techniques. I am addicted to Pultecs on Guitar lately though so maybe for Guitar Buss!
Incredible. You make that unit sound like a million dollars! Did you ever consider plugin it into the SSL Fusion as a M/S insert? Do you there there would be any point in having a M/S Empress? (Thanks, once again for your greatly enjoyable and educative videos).
A bit late (been looking at this unit for a long time) but if I understand correctly there's no output gain to match levels in/out and wondering if you adjusted for any gain through the unit David? It sounds fantastic but I want to know if I'm just hearing "more louder, more better"? Sorry if this was covered and I missed it (I did hear your comments about the Tube Boost adding some gain but I was meaning more with the straight eq). Love your channel too, thank you.
Almost no eq has an output control. (MAAG, Drawmer, MP, CV and I that's it). My 5500, SPL, Symph, SSL E, none of them have it. In the other studio I'm working, EAR, Pultec, and others don't have it.
Davidd lol. This morning i got up and in the bathroom this music randomly came into my head : "Hands on my neck, Hands grip my throat throat, Lift me up up, Man take control" lol. I kid you not i could hear it clear with that gritty guitar riff. And i thought wtf, how did this randomly get into my head xD Take that as feedback for well placed marketing ! I'm taking a lesson from that lol.
THIS IS BRILLIANT 👏🏻 A definite must have❣️ No matter what you did it sounded great. Really captured the room sound well. This might end up becoming staple in the signal chain after igetit. Thank you 🙏🏻
I am the proud owner of a HCL Thermos EQ and would like to add a second more colorful EQ. I've been looking carefully at both the Empress and the new carnaby HE2. Also a good used price on a Hendy Michaelangelo seems very intreaguing. What would everyone suggest as a good complimentary EQ for the Thermos? Very interested in hearing the responses! Thx in advance!
I'm not familiar with the HCL, but the empress is one of the best sounding EQs on the market, and it's definitely colored. Michelangelo is another great sounding one, really musical but definitely broad strokes, might not get as much use as the other. The Carnaby is an interesting design, similar to the 1971, I probably would see that more of a tone shaping and sound design tool rather than something more conventional as the Empress (which is basically a mastering grade, super Pultec)
David, quick question. By watching the video this unit sounds fantastic (even taking UA-cam compression into considerration). My question is... Tube driven Putec style EQs although making low end big and massive also have a tendency of making this low end bit softer and flabby. Is that the case with this unit while using it as a mastering EQ? Thanks for reply.
This unit has the focus mode which takes care of that, in case you need a more focused low end, with that said, a tube pultec will never be as focused and punchy as my API 5500 let's say but it's sweeter and you don't always need super punchy. But this is definitely the punchier you can get for the type and also it has much more headroom than others in the same category.
Million $ question.. flip a coin. They are two of the best eq ever made and they get a LOT of work here both in mixing and mastering. You want tubes and sweetness, Empress, you want punch with xformer color, go 5500. Both are extremely versatile.
@@mixbustv thanks for your answer, David. I already have the Great River eq-nv2 so maybe the Empress is a better addition to that one. Let’s see. Have a nice day!
The chances I use this on 2bus are slim. It's usually on vocals. But generally speaking my SPL comes before compression, whatever sweeting colored eq I use (NgTube EQ, MAAG or Symph) after compression. Saturation comes 1st, stereo enhancing last
Hi David, this eq looks/ sounds gold. But Im torn so need your advise. This eq or the Symph Eq? I bought the Tegeler Creme and it lives on my mixbus, love it but now i find myself wanting a HW Eq too, the price range is about right for this two eq’s but what to choose. Hmmm any thoughts? Br Rune
I think on the acoustic guitars it actually sounded better off with certain other eq settings. However for absolutely everything else it 100% sounded better on xD.
The Manultec Orca Bay is built to a different level then the Gainlab. I tried both and unfortunately the Orca sounds better. But it is double the price and the frequency selection is much much more limited compared to the Gainlab. And the Orca is solid state. Tubes usually sound warmer and bigger. If you have the money get the Orca or the Massive Passive (which is another level) The Empress uses chinese parts that lower the cost but is a great solution if you want a Pultec fot a reasonable price. It rocks! And it has some great tricks.
You can't even compare.. the orca is extremely limited, and to be honest, a bit of a waste of real estate, the layout makes little to no sense with a knob basically doing the same as the next one, is also, exactly, solid state and it doesn't have near the mojo of the Empress. As for the "Chinese" part, I won't even comment that, everyone uses Chinese parts, and it doesn't mean absolutely anything. Also not a comparison with the mp because of the very different design and sounds, very unpredictable at times, hence I don't have one. Empress wins
@@mixbustv Hey David, shure it makes no sence to compere these two units. That was not my approach either. I just saw a video about the Manultec the other day and thought the sound was very impressive. So I thought it would be cool to see what you think about this device. :-) I've had the EMPRESS on my radar for a while now, and unlike the Manultec, I might even be able to afford it one day.
@@mixbustv I have no doubt the Orca is more limited and can be seen as a waste of money due to the narrow range of possibilities frequency wise. But…it does sound better then the Gainlab in my opinion, the sound is solid, and elegant, the components are top notch and there are no chinese parts inside. The power supply of the Orca is a piece of art. This is a piece of gear that probably last 50 years. The Empress sounds amazing but is simply not the orca, especially sonically. I am listening with a Dangerous Convert 2, RND headphone amplifier and Audeze LCD XC. And the difference is not small The low end especially !
Question for you. I have a presonus studio live 16r mixer/interface and I don't know how great the converters are. I heard you say in a video that the hotter the signal the more artifacts are introduced in conversion or something to that effect. How loud should I record into converters to be safe? I usually aim for -18 rms as long as I'm not anywhere close to clipping. Thanks.
They are okay, nothing special, but good enough to record, just, as you know already, stay away from hot signals. RMS doesn't concern you, peak levels is what you should look at.
Looking to add analog EQ to my home studio. I was about to pull the trigger on the Drawmer 1974, but then I saw this. Do you suggest this EQ instead of the 1974 for a first hardware EQ? My main goal is to "warm" up vsti/digital tracks. Thanks! Also, just subscribed :)
Can you use the Empress with most if not all genres? I am thinking of making this my primary 2 bus EQ after my compressor. Also is it true bypass? Thanks for all your hard work.
@@mixbustv i know your very busy but I have one more question if you have the time. So pultec's usually have a width knob. Can the empress do this? Is the width internal when you boost or something?
Bro I'm curious I bought a 8 pre es because of you I also have a Apollo twin USB ...should my main interface be the motu and use the Apollo just for dsp ...I'm a little confused
At £1800 "affordable price range" for a bedroom producer you can get 18 tracks analog mixed and mastered by a professional. Taking from another of your reviews, Drawmer 1974 is a more affordable option for a bedroom producer.
lol wait a sec, $180 for mix and master a song? 😂😂😂😂😂 oh boy.. Good luck with that, in this business you get what you pay and that's chump change. Nobody worth a dime would ask that little for a mix let alone with mastering included lol You're not getting a deal you're wasting $180 USD, but hey, to each its own
@@mixbustv Hey buddy, I agree, that's the reason I said "bedroom producer" twice, because most of the people watching videos and salivating over hardware are not Justin Bieber, Adele or established producers that pay 2 million to mix/master an album, but rather people who need to get some tracks sound decent enough. A "decent" £100 master may just give you a break on streaming services such as Spotify, who reduce loudness/bit rate on songs anyway - so the fact that you do an air band at 40k may not really matter on Spotify at all. Maybe you can do a video about it, explaining to us the plebes, why some people pay thousands of pounds on mix/masters when in fact Spotify/youtube/Amazon/Apple craps all over their masters anyway.
@@danielstan1212 100 for mastering is reasonable. Not mix + master. Mastering can take as little as 15 min for a song. Mixing 4-20hrs. Mastering is the least expensive final polish and producing files in proper format. Spend much more on mixing.
Does the boosting and cutting on this and the pultec just boost to add colour and then take away the eq move by an opposite curve, or are the curves different so you can boost and cut to get unique shaping of the frequencies (assuming everything else is set to normal)?
The curves are not the same. Boost is wider, cut is narrower and centered slightly higher even tho' the corner frequency is controlled and set by the same knob
Hey David, I was going to pull the trigger for two real Pultec EPQ 500 series, but after seeing this one from Gainlab few week’s ago I have been holding myself. I know this is totally different than the pultec, but would be your honest recommendation to spice the master buss a bit, thanks
Is actually not that different from a pultec, amd I want to stretch it and say just plain better. I have extensive use of both under the belt and I would never change this for that
You mean on 2bus or mastering? The symph is almost always in use because of the filters, best filters I out there. The eq part, it can happen to use both yet, usually tho' is one or the other because the main eq is 90% of the times the SPL so one of them would already be a second
Thinking about switching my SSL Fusion to this EQ. The only section I'm really in love with on the Fusion is the Stereo Image (the HF Comp is also useful of course). I don't really like the EQ section and I rarely use the Vintage Drive, but I might regret giving up everything else for this unit. So I'm wondering: What would David do if he were in my shoes... ;)
Use the Empress EQ in MS mode using the SSL Fusion Insert point, THats what I do and I get amazing results, you can really open up the mix using this eq in MS mode
Hey David, I really fell in love with the Retro Instruments 2A3 a while ago. Would you consider this EQ in another league regarding sound quality compared to the Gainlab Empress? I heard it in comparison with the Tubetech and Manley units and imho it sounded best in every single application (vocals, drums, etc.). Used units sometimes go for around 3500$, so I'm curious about your thoughts on this unit!
@@mixbustv Thanks, would it be possible to send you a wav file to have your feeling about this noise i hear on the right channel and so it would be clear for me if i have to send it back for repair ?
Anyone; that has to tell their wife, or girlfriend in-order to get permission to buy this, or any hardware device does NOT need to be wasting money on music gear. GOOD music making come from the people who actually make decisions on their own! They don't need permission to make a Cut at 750hz, and then Boost the HELLLLLL out of 40hz! If you have to ask for permission, music hardware is NOT for you!!!!!!!! I'm going to put this on a shirt and sell it to the real producers that don't need to ask for permission! Just joking guys... not about the shirt though... (Trademarked)
I was looking for a Pultec with a mid section, and expecting much from this one, but sh!t ! I'm more impressed by the tube boost switch than the EQ part :-/
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The EQ sounds dope but I'm always impressed to see how quickly you go thru the settings, I wish someday to get to your level man
🙏😄
just ordered one !!! seems incredible, can t wait to put my fingers on it !!!
Man this sounds amazing!
Just wow, I think I'm in love
Man, your videos are amazing. Thank you!!
Juste received mine, just AMAZING
Got mine recently and it has been living on my 2bus post summing amp/bus compression. It has without a doubt taken my mixes to another level. So much so that a couple of clients asked me to reprint their mixes with the Empress. Once I can upgrade my IO I'll be purchasing another one or even two of these to use on individual elements in the mix. I'm hybrid and a firm believer that plugins are incredible... but there is truly nothing that can come close to the sound of this unit. Prior to getting it I rarely ever used any type of broadband saturation on a full mix, but the way the tube boost interatcs with your EQ settings is shockingly musical. Empress is not simply a Pultec clone, she's her own uniquely versatile unit and I am her loyal subject now hahaha
And what are "closest you can get" plugins to this unit? Maybe Plugin Alliance HG-2, Phil's Cascade or something else?
How does this unit perform in mastering? Would you put it on your mastering chain as well? Thank you.
Impressive, altho' I feel you make anything you touch sound good :D
I like this one, you're safe. For now.
😄❤
😂😂 hi Bella!!!
Hi Bella!!❤
lol 😆 hi Bella!
😍😍
Watching this video for at least the third time trying to decide :). Great video man!
Thanks David!
Yup, this is my next piece beyond a doubt. Thanks, David!
Yeah! This was cool!
Oh more money.. David, you know this question would come: if you could only have one of your eqs, which one would you get? I think this might be the great contender
Amazing unit
Thanks for another add to the wish list… it’s good the finally hear it, only seen people covering the compressor… long time to wait… it’s good it’s not just adding features to cover the lack of quality of the unit, instead, adding features having all ready doing a great job
Nice, it would be cool to have an eq comparison on same sources so we can hear the differences!
These passive EQ are the best for mastering. This unity confirm the rule.
I'm not sure about the best, I love this unit very much but it could never do what my SPL does or the API 5500.
Very powerful unit. The frequency "gains" and character is crazy 🔥🤘 on Masters, getting a golden character i imagine this is a powerful tool
Speechless...
Not going to blame you, but thank you. :-D This is what I've been looking for.
I have a Massive Passive but tempting to add more tube vibes as sometimes 4 bands isnt enough if you want more specific controls, or want to boost and cut. Sounds very nice in your demo
That tube boost 💨💨
Awesome review David. I love that you can eq the mids and Russian tubes are so good. I have a quick question. Is this unit suitable for mixing/tracking as well rather than mastering? It only has up to 5db stepped gains. I am a bit uncertain. I am looking for a great eq for mixing/tracking, not specifically for Mastering around similar price range. Many mixing eqs offer up to around 15-20db gain don't they?
It's more than suitable. If what you're recording needs more than 5db, you're recording the wrong thing..
Dam this thing is fire 🔥 wow how much better of a eq could you get then this? is there even better? This thing is dope 🙏 great review thank you 🔥
Hi David. I must say judging by this demo, this unit is fantastic. My only question is... How well does it perform in mastering? Would you use this unit in your mastering chain as well? Thank you.
I literally just bought one from Vintage King after watching this vid. The only problem is I have to wait til they get more in stock. :(. Going to stack this with my UBK Fatso.
Great sounding Eq, I just love it.I’m trying to decide between this and Zhall EQ 1.Tried to find a demo of the Zhall in your channel but no luck.Already checked it elsewhere but would love to know your opinion.
Zhal you mean? The 500 series? How would that be even comparable.. it's a SMD board vs a true tube unit. Let alone this is a Super Pultec and that's a parametric. I'd get SSL E before the zhal if I wanted that (which I did, I have two) but in no way shape or form I'd ever even think of trading or comparing with the Empress which is one of the greatest eq out there
@@mixbustv Thanks David for clearing that up :)
I have been looking for a mixbuss comp, EQ and Distortion to get me started on my outboard journey. This is 100% the EQ I'm getting, but I'm wondering if you would rate their Comp for those duties as well? I've been really EMpressed with the demo's I've heard so far :P Gonna be used for Electronic Music & HipHop...
Love your videos man, great work as always!
I didn't try their comp, it's a MU tho, the use for EDM would be very light compression (as opposed to a VCA which is usually doing most of the GR on the 2bus for that genre)
"EMpressed" LOL! :D
@@mixbustvwhen u say doing most of the GR, u mean in general (2bus and subgroups , especially thinking about drums) or just considering the 2bus?
Blame you for the new stuff I buy isn't a bad idea at all. It's a shame I didn't think about that before.
This seems like a fantastic last piece after your clean processing and right before A/D on the Master Buss. Especially the mid and tube boost section. Just one last push of sweetness before the print! Very tempted
This EQ killed my GAS for a Manley Massive Passive. Now I want this instead. Problem is it is always sold out.
Which country
US. I ended up getting it after a 5 mo the wait and let me say it was definitely worth the wait. This thing is awesome.
@@dreamtheaterradio7972 I ordered one today used. I ditched the tegeler eqp for this, I hope I don't regret it.
I bet you will like those tubes now 😂😂😂 it does sound🔥🔥🔥🔥
It sounds amazing through my Yamaha MG06, interface, pre-amp, headphone amp, and imported headphones.
It sounds amazing on my shitty phone speakers too.
I think these sound great! May have to pic one up for the Ol 2 Buss, but I kinda have my heart set on a legit pair of Pulse Techniques. I am addicted to Pultecs on Guitar lately though so maybe for Guitar Buss!
Incredible. You make that unit sound like a million dollars! Did you ever consider plugin it into the SSL Fusion as a M/S insert? Do you there there would be any point in having a M/S Empress?
(Thanks, once again for your greatly enjoyable and educative videos).
Thank you, I have the SLP PQ in insert on the fusion and the symph (which has MS) and I'm not a big fan of MS eq anyway
A bit late (been looking at this unit for a long time) but if I understand correctly there's no output gain to match levels in/out and wondering if you adjusted for any gain through the unit David? It sounds fantastic but I want to know if I'm just hearing "more louder, more better"? Sorry if this was covered and I missed it (I did hear your comments about the Tube Boost adding some gain but I was meaning more with the straight eq). Love your channel too, thank you.
Almost no eq has an output control. (MAAG, Drawmer, MP, CV and I that's it). My 5500, SPL, Symph, SSL E, none of them have it. In the other studio I'm working, EAR, Pultec, and others don't have it.
@@mixbustv Thank you. Perfect.
can you try Marconi1 from sknote, I think it gives similar vibe but for the fraction of the price for those not able to attain such high end gear
very cool, jamaica ;)
You know how to sell David. It's a talent, i like it 🙂
The only thing I can't sell is my own stuff lol
@@mixbustv Pretend it's someone else's then? :P
Davidd lol. This morning i got up and in the bathroom this music randomly came into my head : "Hands on my neck,
Hands grip my throat throat, Lift me up up, Man take control" lol. I kid you not i could hear it clear with that gritty guitar riff. And i thought wtf, how did this randomly get into my head xD Take that as feedback for well placed marketing !
I'm taking a lesson from that lol.
😄 that's awesome man, proof that it works rite?
@@mixbustv 100% :)
THIS IS BRILLIANT 👏🏻 A definite must have❣️
No matter what you did it sounded great. Really captured the room sound well. This might end up becoming staple in the signal chain after igetit.
Thank you 🙏🏻
Sub. This dude thought me everything 🐐
I am the proud owner of a HCL Thermos EQ and would like to add a second more colorful EQ. I've been looking carefully at both the Empress and the new carnaby HE2. Also a good used price on a Hendy Michaelangelo seems very intreaguing. What would everyone suggest as a good complimentary EQ for the Thermos? Very interested in hearing the responses! Thx in advance!
I'm not familiar with the HCL, but the empress is one of the best sounding EQs on the market, and it's definitely colored. Michelangelo is another great sounding one, really musical but definitely broad strokes, might not get as much use as the other. The Carnaby is an interesting design, similar to the 1971, I probably would see that more of a tone shaping and sound design tool rather than something more conventional as the Empress (which is basically a mastering grade, super Pultec)
David, quick question. By watching the video this unit sounds fantastic (even taking UA-cam compression into considerration). My question is... Tube driven Putec style EQs although making low end big and massive also have a tendency of making this low end bit softer and flabby. Is that the case with this unit while using it as a mastering EQ? Thanks for reply.
This unit has the focus mode which takes care of that, in case you need a more focused low end, with that said, a tube pultec will never be as focused and punchy as my API 5500 let's say but it's sweeter and you don't always need super punchy. But this is definitely the punchier you can get for the type and also it has much more headroom than others in the same category.
@@mixbustv thank you
What desk is that? I love the gear racks and space for other devices.
Modson Furniture
Hi, great test. Quick question: API 5500 or Gainlab Empress - given you can only afford one
Million $ question.. flip a coin. They are two of the best eq ever made and they get a LOT of work here both in mixing and mastering. You want tubes and sweetness, Empress, you want punch with xformer color, go 5500. Both are extremely versatile.
@@mixbustv thanks for your answer, David. I already have the Great River eq-nv2 so maybe the Empress is a better addition to that one. Let’s see. Have a nice day!
If you can use only 1 EQ for mixbus or mastering. Which one would you choose between Empress or Symph ?
Empress
What's your trt protocol?
With the full rock mix. In what position of the chain did you have it placed on the mix buss?
The chances I use this on 2bus are slim. It's usually on vocals. But generally speaking my SPL comes before compression, whatever sweeting colored eq I use (NgTube EQ, MAAG or Symph) after compression. Saturation comes 1st, stereo enhancing last
@@mixbustv your SPL ?
Yes I have a PQ which I often patch on the 2bus (it stays on the mastering rig but I have a Flock so I can put anything anywhere I want)
@@mixbustv God has gifted you with this marvellous analogue equipment. Use it wisely 🙏
How is it on full Trance/techno tracks ? Thanks
Compared to say the Hendy Amps Michelangelo
Hi David, this eq looks/ sounds gold. But Im torn so need your advise. This eq or the Symph Eq?
I bought the Tegeler Creme and it lives on my mixbus, love it but now i find myself wanting a HW Eq too, the price range is about right for this two eq’s but what to choose. Hmmm any thoughts?
Br
Rune
Empress for sure, even tho' you will miss the filters of the Symph which are amazing
@@mixbustv thanks :)
Man, why bother ever turning the tube boost off. Sounds incredible.
I think on the acoustic guitars it actually sounded better off with certain other eq settings. However for absolutely everything else it 100% sounded better on xD.
I gotta see if I can save up some chips for this eq
Nice unit! Thank you for the video. It would be great if u test the "Manultec Orca Bay" some time.
The Manultec Orca Bay is built to a different level then the Gainlab. I tried both and unfortunately the Orca sounds better. But it is double the price and the frequency selection is much much more limited compared to the Gainlab. And the Orca is solid state. Tubes usually sound warmer and bigger. If you have the money get the Orca or the Massive Passive (which is another level)
The Empress uses chinese parts that lower the cost but is a great solution if you want a Pultec fot a reasonable price. It rocks! And it has some great tricks.
You can't even compare.. the orca is extremely limited, and to be honest, a bit of a waste of real estate, the layout makes little to no sense with a knob basically doing the same as the next one, is also, exactly, solid state and it doesn't have near the mojo of the Empress. As for the "Chinese" part, I won't even comment that, everyone uses Chinese parts, and it doesn't mean absolutely anything. Also not a comparison with the mp because of the very different design and sounds, very unpredictable at times, hence I don't have one. Empress wins
@@mixbustv Hey David,
shure it makes no sence to compere these two units. That was not my approach either.
I just saw a video about the Manultec the other day and thought the sound was very impressive. So I thought it would be cool to see what you think about this device. :-)
I've had the EMPRESS on my radar for a while now, and unlike the Manultec, I might even be able to afford it one day.
@@mixbustv I have no doubt the Orca is more limited and can be seen as a waste of money due to the narrow range of possibilities frequency wise. But…it does sound better then the Gainlab in my opinion, the sound is solid, and elegant, the components are top notch and there are no chinese parts inside. The power supply of the Orca is a piece of art. This is a piece of gear that probably last 50 years. The Empress sounds amazing but is simply not the orca, especially sonically. I am listening with a Dangerous Convert 2, RND headphone amplifier and Audeze LCD XC. And the difference is not small The low end especially !
Question for you. I have a presonus studio live 16r mixer/interface and I don't know how great the converters are. I heard you say in a video that the hotter the signal the more artifacts are introduced in conversion or something to that effect. How loud should I record into converters to be safe? I usually aim for -18 rms as long as I'm not anywhere close to clipping. Thanks.
They are okay, nothing special, but good enough to record, just, as you know already, stay away from hot signals. RMS doesn't concern you, peak levels is what you should look at.
@@mixbustv Thank you very much I will keep it out of the orange👍
Do you do any limiting on your mix bus with your 609 or do you do limiting in the box? For mastering.
I don't use the 609 on 2bus nor in mastering. The limiter of the 609 is pretty weird too, you won't use it on anything other than maybe OH
Looking to add analog EQ to my home studio. I was about to pull the trigger on the Drawmer 1974, but then I saw this. Do you suggest this EQ instead of the 1974 for a first hardware EQ? My main goal is to "warm" up vsti/digital tracks. Thanks! Also, just subscribed :)
This eq is something very special, it will definitely give you warmth, and it's surprisingly versatile too
@@mixbustv thanks. So, better than the 1974?
@@mixbustv Just bought the Empress.
@@BpackAudio Whaou !!! very happy with it ? How do you use it on your chain ?
@@MELOPSMUSIC very happy! It does the pultec thing well, and the tube boost adds nice saturation to a drum bus!
Can you use the Empress with most if not all genres? I am thinking of making this my primary 2 bus EQ after my compressor. Also is it true bypass? Thanks for all your hard work.
Yes and yes
@@mixbustv i know your very busy but I have one more question if you have the time. So pultec's usually have a width knob. Can the empress do this? Is the width internal when you boost or something?
@@jasonjames7109 I have yet to see a pultec style eq with a width knob.
@@9-mastering meant bandwidth
@@jasonjames7109 ahh ok, that makes sense ;-)
Bro I'm curious I bought a 8 pre es because of you I also have a Apollo twin USB ...should my main interface be the motu and use the Apollo just for dsp ...I'm a little confused
Yes you should
At £1800 "affordable price range" for a bedroom producer you can get 18 tracks analog mixed and mastered by a professional. Taking from another of your reviews, Drawmer 1974 is a more affordable option for a bedroom producer.
lol wait a sec, $180 for mix and master a song? 😂😂😂😂😂 oh boy.. Good luck with that, in this business you get what you pay and that's chump change. Nobody worth a dime would ask that little for a mix let alone with mastering included lol You're not getting a deal you're wasting $180 USD, but hey, to each its own
@@mixbustv Hey buddy, I agree, that's the reason I said "bedroom producer" twice, because most of the people watching videos and salivating over hardware are not Justin Bieber, Adele or established producers that pay 2 million to mix/master an album, but rather people who need to get some tracks sound decent enough. A "decent" £100 master may just give you a break on streaming services such as Spotify, who reduce loudness/bit rate on songs anyway - so the fact that you do an air band at 40k may not really matter on Spotify at all. Maybe you can do a video about it, explaining to us the plebes, why some people pay thousands of pounds on mix/masters when in fact Spotify/youtube/Amazon/Apple craps all over their masters anyway.
@@danielstan1212 100 for mastering is reasonable. Not mix + master. Mastering can take as little as 15 min for a song. Mixing 4-20hrs. Mastering is the least expensive final polish and producing files in proper format. Spend much more on mixing.
Does the boosting and cutting on this and the pultec just boost to add colour and then take away the eq move by an opposite curve, or are the curves different so you can boost and cut to get unique shaping of the frequencies (assuming everything else is set to normal)?
The curves are not the same. Boost is wider, cut is narrower and centered slightly higher even tho' the corner frequency is controlled and set by the same knob
@@mixbustv Ahh cool ta.
Hey David, I was going to pull the trigger for two real Pultec EPQ 500 series, but after seeing this one from Gainlab few week’s ago I have been holding myself. I know this is totally different than the pultec, but would be your honest recommendation to spice the master buss a bit, thanks
Is actually not that different from a pultec, amd I want to stretch it and say just plain better. I have extensive use of both under the belt and I would never change this for that
@@mixbustv thanks for the response, yes you are definitely right🤙🏼
Do you think you’d ever use this in unison with the symph eq?
Or would this be a one or the other type thing?
You mean on 2bus or mastering? The symph is almost always in use because of the filters, best filters I out there. The eq part, it can happen to use both yet, usually tho' is one or the other because the main eq is 90% of the times the SPL so one of them would already be a second
How would you compare it to Prometheus David?
Prom is a lot cleaner, is a solid state, this one is tubes. This one also has more bands and options
@@mixbustv also with the THD its a lot cleaner? Do you have a preference for one or the other?
Thinking about switching my SSL Fusion to this EQ. The only section I'm really in love with on the Fusion is the Stereo Image (the HF Comp is also useful of course). I don't really like the EQ section and I rarely use the Vintage Drive, but I might regret giving up everything else for this unit. So I'm wondering: What would David do if he were in my shoes... ;)
Have both lol 😆
Use the Empress EQ in MS mode using the SSL Fusion Insert point, THats what I do and I get amazing results, you can really open up the mix using this eq in MS mode
@@roundrobinrecordingsyou can insert midside signal from logic pro with the io plugin.
Wow
Hey David, I really fell in love with the Retro Instruments 2A3 a while ago. Would you consider this EQ in another league regarding sound quality compared to the Gainlab Empress? I heard it in comparison with the Tubetech and Manley units and imho it sounded best in every single application (vocals, drums, etc.). Used units sometimes go for around 3500$, so I'm curious about your thoughts on this unit!
I much prefer the Empress. Much more versatile and the quality is second to none, NOS tubes included
Is it a bit noisy (little sshhhh) when you engage the eq ? Mine recently bought new has.
Nope
@@mixbustv Thanks, would it be possible to send you a wav file to have your feeling about this noise i hear on the right channel and so it would be clear for me if i have to send it back for repair ?
🤯🤯🤯
Daddy daddy why we never get any Christmas presents 🧐 well ummm 🤔 listen don’t worry mix buss tv said it’s worth every penny 😉 ouch…..
Anyone; that has to tell their wife, or girlfriend in-order to get permission to buy this, or any hardware device does NOT need to be wasting money on music gear. GOOD music making come from the people who actually make decisions on their own! They don't need permission to make a Cut at 750hz, and then Boost the HELLLLLL out of 40hz! If you have to ask for permission, music hardware is NOT for you!!!!!!!! I'm going to put this on a shirt and sell it to the real producers that don't need to ask for permission! Just joking guys... not about the shirt though... (Trademarked)
😮😮😮
It really does do a good job… simple add… universally applicable… how does the Symph differ in terms of use? That’s still with you
This is a passive EQ, tube. The difference is in the design, know the two designs and you know the differences
I always blame spending money on you. The Successor, the Symph, The WesAudio Ng bus comp. All of these I blamed on you. ha
I was looking for a Pultec with a mid section, and expecting much from this one, but sh!t ! I'm more impressed by the tube boost switch than the EQ part :-/
Shit… my trigger finger is getting real itchy…
This EQ is noisy, great sounding but noisy. Having to return mine.
Yours was faulty, mine has zero noise
@@mixbustv Thanks I have been going round and round with the manufacture and the distributor..... Hopefully I get a refund
@@krisamadhidid you get your refund? I‘m about to pull the trigger on a used one, but not so sure about it anymore
@@abzee733 I did. I went with Hendy Michelangelo.
@@abzee733 also if the transformers are inside the case on any high end gear I wouldn’t get it.
It is your fault !
It's not fckinjg with Curve BEnder and EQ1. ROTFLMAO
We all know this „Equipment Vs Wife / GF“ is a joke but pls do not embrace misogyny :) Have a great day and happy mixing!
You want us not to spend? stop making videos. lol
I'd like to have a second opinion on this eq from the pink frog there that is tweeking the Empirical Labs gears knobs 😎
He's actually a pink dinosaurs, you can't really see it from that angle so he's not mad at you. He likes it
@@mixbustv ops... bring my apologies to Mr. Dino 🙌😁