This is a question we’ve gotten a lot recently. Last week we discussed why we don’t sell all three revisions of the 76 style compressors in one box; this week we’ll discuss why we won’t offer an “all in one” approach with these legendary EQ circuits.

Reason #1

Adding an additional band of eq will drop the -20db insertion created by the passive filter eq section loss even more. You can’t add something without taking something away, in this instance, we lose MORE gain. The makeup gain balance of the amplifier will have to be shifted to account for it. The push-pull amp in the EQP-1A is a delicate ecosystem, in my experience, and squeezing more gain out of it will negatively affect it's tone and bandwidth, ie, it's not the same thing once you do that. You are off grid and in different territory out of what the EQP-1A is.

I remember we once had some interstage transformers that dropped the unity gain down another 5-10db. Well we could tweak the gain resistors on the push pull amp to account for the additional loss created by the weaker output interstage but what happened is the bandwidth would eventually get really bad, the tone was different. Shifting the gain of the amp to account for more loss, or even adding some on the back end, is not optimal. This is not one area you want to mess around with if you actually want a great EQP-1A. It’s far more than a slippery slope, you’re just toasted oats. Game over, give up.

Reason #2

The MEQ-5A is sooooo much more than its mid-cut band.

It is a completely different beast than the EQP-1A. The amp is single-ended vs the push-pull design of the EQP-1A, and subsequently has a completely different tone and texture. The single-ended line amp alone is worth the price of admission. Those who own MEQ-A’s know they have their place and are a staple for a reason. We actually released our MEQ-A’s before the EQP-A’s as the line amp itself was quite exciting to me when I first built both. If you’ve ever considered these, don’t sleep on them. A pair is just as useful (in different ways) as a pair of the EQP-A’s.

Reason #3

Our goal with every product is to, where necessary or helpful, add flexibility while retaining everything that made that circuit famous to begin with.

Simply put, an “all in one” mentality is a cheap gimmick that will only water down an amazing, legendary circuit. You are doing the EQP-1A and MEQ-5A a disservice by trying to cram them together in one box. Last week we discussed why it’s better to buy the best peanut butter and jelly in their own jars instead of cramming them both together in one jar. The same example applies here as well. All this goes to show, if it sounds too good to be true, it is!

There’s a reason both these iconic equalizers exist, and building them in the purest format is our goal. Trust me, you want me spending time sourcing NOS tubes and rare parts, not bastardizing what already works in a different way each year to have you part with your hard earned money. Buy it once and buy it right has always been a motto of ours, and never does it ring more true than with these classic equalizers.