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| Midas EQ and Compressor modules |
When the Midas 512 EQ first hit the market it was priced at $800. If you look around at its contemporaries that price is not far off from other EQ modules in 500 packaging. The Harrison parametric by Great River is $775 so the Midas, a full parametric with every adjustable parameter possible for $800 seemed fair. All that was more than a couple of years ago. In 2023 the parametric EQ modules are selling for $199 each.
I purchased two of the Midas 512 V2 EQ for under $400 including shipping.
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This is a full parametric meaning every parameter is fully adjustable, no fixed bandwidth controls, everything is variable. The High and Low frequency bands can be set to Shelving or Peak/Dip type curves. A lighted IN/OUT button lets you compare with and without the processing. Two meter sections are provided, one is for Gain Reduction and one is for Output Level.
HOW DOES THE EQ SOUND?
It is easy to get in trouble with a full parametric, you can fool your ears and later you realize you've totally mucked up your sound with an odd peak. This Midas EQ is very low in residual noise, I was unaware of noise when using the EQ. The concentric knobs are tightly packed but they're still easily adjustable and seem to be very powerful in their EQ shaping performance.
The input and output are fully electronically balanced and feature at least 21 dBu of headroom above zero dBu. The module installed into a brand new API VPR 500 rack very easily.
I can't find anything I don't like, this EQ is powerful, easy to adjust, it sounds great and it is very low in price. If you have been longing for a full parametric to experiment with this one is a good low cost / high performance model to check out.
THE 522 V2 COMPRESSOR
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The Midas 522 V2 Compressor is a single width 500 style module. The input and output are fully electronically balanced. A lighted IN/OUT button lets you compare the processed and unprocessed signals. A separate Gain Reduction meter and output level indicator give immediate feedback about what the processor is doing.
HOW DOES THE COMPRESSOR SOUND?
This compressor is powerful, it can crush a signal to death. Separate controls are provided for all the usual compressor adjustments and they work quite well. This little module functions like a piece of laboratory test equipment and has precise controls for your adjustments. It is easy to use too much when compared to other compressors.
I'm in the midst of mixing a new album and I compared using the Midas 522 to a Klark Teknik KT76 for processing the lead vocal. The KT76 makes the vocal sound bigger in the mix by bringing up the low level parts and pulling down the loud parts. The Midas 522 made the vocal sound smaller, no combination of the EQ and Compressor module (I have them connected in series behind the rack) could come anywhere near the KT76 performance. I was a little bit surprised by how nice the 1176 style comp sounded and how thin and small the 522 V2 sounded by comparison on the exact same track.
EPILOG
These 500 modules from Midas are powerful mixing tools. I'll keep experimenting with them and find the spot they deliver the most benefit.
Both of these modules offer fully professional performance for a very low purchase price, currently they're each selling for $199 and they go out of stock regularly.
The quality of the modules construction is excellent and their electrical performance is also great. I can't find anything not to like.
Good Music To You!
©2023 Mark King, All Rights Reserved, it's not ok to quote or copy without written permission.
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| The API rack and Midas 500 processors were made for each other |
