Classic Tone
Take an in depth look at ASP8024-Heritage Edition’s classic 4 band parametric EQ and the renowned mix bus VCA compressor.
The EQ Explained
David Dearden had one design philosophy – “move the microphone first and you need less EQ”, thus the ASP8024 equaliser has been designed with this approach in mind. If you are used to savage console EQs – the ASP8024-HE will encourage you to work harder at source and be rewarded with less phase shift and more open sounding end results.
ASP8024-HE features the classic David Dearden 4-band console equaliser and it really is something unique among console EQs. Offering two dual-band equalisers that can be split individually to the short (SF) or long (LF) fader paths – the ASP8024-HE provides all input channels with tone control adjustment. Ring out a snare mic to tape with the dual mid bands whilst using the dual shelving stage on the short fader tape return to EQ another source on playback – that is true flexibility! Most other 4-band console EQs can only be moved entirely to the short or long fader “inline” signal paths, but the ASP8024-HE is unique in that you can split the EQ in half or alternatively use as a standard 4-band EQ on a single path for more traditional operation.
The Shelves
LF & HF
The “passive” sounding low shelving EQ features 50Hz & 100Hz switchable frequencies, whilst the gentle and smooth high frequency shelving EQ features 10kHz & 18kHz (AIR) both with ±15dB gain range.
The shape of these filters is classic with a small dip at the corner which means they do not get harsh or too muddy. The circuitry is very pure, with only one opamp per band, thus they sound very much like early “passive” EQ types whilst actually being active in topology. It would be best to describe these EQs as tone controls with a response that works on well recorded sources or even sub mix stems (due to their clean, simple signal path). These are not aggressive LF/HF controls.
LF Shelf
Smooth and passive
HF Shelf
Smooth with no harshness
The Parametrics
LMF & HMF
The dual mid-bands are fully parametric and offer unusually large ranges so that they can provide double duty as both normal LMF / HMF controls or extra LF/HF bands if required. The real trick lies in the fact that these are also a minimal signal path design and offer a tight, punchy sound that can carve resonances and add edge without sounding overly processed.
LMF
Tight & surgical or broad & musical
The LMF band offers a sweepable range of 50Hz to 1500Hz and can be used to EQ bass or kick drum fundamentals or easily scoop resonances in snare drums or boxiness from a vocal performance with adjustable bandwidth control and ±15dB gain range. The bandwidth or “Q” adjustment for both mid bands can create a subtle bell or a narrow, sharp surgical move in either band with a range of 0.6 to 3.7.
HMF
Tight & surgical or broad & musical
The HMF band offers an enormous sweepable range of 450Hz to 20kHz and can easily create a bell type air boost or become a surgical midband for corrective use when required. For example it can get low enough to act as box removal band on kick drum, leaving you the LF/LMF bands to work in tandem on the source below 450Hz to do some real bass enhancement and you still have the HF shelf to add air or presence! Alternatively you can reach towards 8-16kHz and add great sparkle and shine.
Shaping Your Sound
A powerful sculpting
tool at your fingertips
The mid-bands are the perfect compliment to the smooth shelving EQs, and in total there are only 3 dual opamps in the entire 4-band EQ, meaning that is sounds very natural and musical without the grit or grain found in many state-variable EQ’s that use 10 amplifiers or more.
Combining the LF & LMF in an overlapping fashion can effortlessly add point to the bottom end of a kick drum with the LMF band, whilst using the LF shelf to taper subs below 50Hz, or alternatively you can combine the two to create the famous “boost & atten” trick of 50’s passive EQs by boosting the 50Hz LF SUB band and cutting with the LMF around 250Hz. Grab hold of the unique ASP8024-HE EQ and hear what it can do for you.
The LF Cut & LMF Boost Trick
Add punch to your Kick Drum
The LF Boost & LMF Cut Trick
The passive EQ trick
VCA Bus Compressor
The real analogue glue
Sprinkle that magic mix bus glue all over your mixes with the classic ASP8024-HE VCA bus compressor. Designed in the spirit of some of the most classic bus compressors of all time, this circuit features great stereo imaging, density and a mid-forward bite with smoother make up gain compared to the original.
The 2:1, 4:1 & 10:1 ratios also adjust the threshold for different programme levels, such that the 2:1 is designed for lower threshold smoothing, whilst 10:1 is designed for higher threshold peak limiting on hot programme material. Don’t be surprised if higher ratios result in slightly less compression until you adjust the threshold – this is by design!
Bass Expand
Don’t lose your low end
For ASP8024-HE, we’ve fitted the bus compressor with a new BASS EXPAND sidechain high pass filter, set to 350Hz with 6dB/octave roll-off. This awesome feature gives the bus compressor a completely different personality – instead of reducing compression just on kick drums and extreme low end, the higher frequency choice allows the entire low and lower mids of the mix to breath, sounding more natural and relaxed.
Gain Reduction Meter
Watch the needle bounce
Keep an eye on our beautiful illuminated gain reduction meter – making it easier to dial in subtle compression and achieve that perfect “needle bounce” mix glue – it looks awesome and is finely calibrated for accuracy below 8dB – perfect for your 2-Bus.
Classic Tone
Take an in depth look at ASP8024-Heritage Edition’s classic 4 band parametric EQ and the renowned mix bus VCA compressor.
The EQ Explained
David Dearden had one design philosophy – “move the microphone first and you need less EQ”, thus the ASP8024 equaliser has been designed with this approach in mind. If you are used to savage console EQs – the ASP8024-HE will encourage you to work harder at source and be rewarded with less phase shift and more open sounding end results.
ASP8024-HE features the classic David Dearden 4-band console equaliser and it really is something unique among console EQs. Offering two dual-band equalisers that can be split individually to the short (SF) or long (LF) fader paths – the ASP8024-HE provides all input channels with tone control adjustment. Ring out a snare mic to tape with the dual mid bands whilst using the dual shelving stage on the short fader tape return to EQ another source on playback – that is true flexibility! Most other 4-band console EQs can only be moved entirely to the short or long fader “inline” signal paths, but the ASP8024-HE is unique in that you can split the EQ in half or alternatively use as a standard 4-band EQ on a single path for more traditional operation.
The Shelves
LF & HF
The “passive” sounding low shelving EQ features 50Hz & 100Hz switchable frequencies, whilst the gentle and smooth high frequency shelving EQ features 10kHz & 18kHz (AIR) both with ±15dB gain range.
The shape of these filters is classic with a small dip at the corner which means they do not get harsh or too muddy. The circuitry is very pure, with only one opamp per band, thus they sound very much like early “passive” EQ types whilst actually being active in topology. It would be best to describe these EQs as tone controls with a response that works on well recorded sources or even sub mix stems (due to their clean, simple signal path). These are not aggressive LF/HF controls.
LF Shelf
Smooth and passive
HF Shelf
Smooth with no harshness
The Parametrics
LMF & HMF
The dual mid-bands are fully parametric and offer unusually large ranges so that they can provide double duty as both normal LMF / HMF controls or extra LF/HF bands if required. The real trick lies in the fact that these are also a minimal signal path design and offer a tight, punchy sound that can carve resonances and add edge without sounding overly processed.
LMF
Tight & surgical or broad & musical
The LMF band offers a sweepable range of 50Hz to 1500Hz and can be used to EQ bass or kick drum fundamentals or easily scoop resonances in snare drums or boxiness from a vocal performance with adjustable bandwidth control and ±15dB gain range. The bandwidth or “Q” adjustment for both mid bands can create a subtle bell or a narrow, sharp surgical move in either band with a range of 0.6 to 3.7.
HMF
Tight & surgical or broad & musical
The HMF band offers an enormous sweepable range of 450Hz to 20kHz and can easily create a bell type air boost or become a surgical midband for corrective use when required. For example it can get low enough to act as box removal band on kick drum, leaving you the LF/LMF bands to work in tandem on the source below 450Hz to do some real bass enhancement and you still have the HF shelf to add air or presence! Alternatively you can reach towards 8-16kHz and add great sparkle and shine.
Shaping Your Sound
A powerful sculpting tool at your fingertips
The mid-bands are the perfect compliment to the smooth shelving EQs, and in total there are only 3 dual opamps in the entire 4-band EQ, meaning that is sounds very natural and musical without the grit or grain found in many state-variable EQ’s that use 10 amplifiers or more.
Combining the LF & LMF in an overlapping fashion can effortlessly add point to the bottom end of a kick drum with the LMF band, whilst using the LF shelf to taper subs below 50Hz, or alternatively you can combine the two to create the famous “boost & atten” trick of 50’s passive EQs by boosting the 50Hz LF SUB band and cutting with the LMF around 250Hz. Grab hold of the unique ASP8024-HE EQ and hear what it can do for you.
The LF Cut & LMF Boost Trick
Add punch to your Kick Drum
The LF Boost & LMF Cut Trick
The passive EQ trick
VCA Bus Compressor
The real analogue glue
Sprinkle that magic mix bus glue all over your mixes with the classic ASP8024-HE VCA bus compressor. Designed in the spirit of some of the most classic bus compressors of all time, this circuit features great stereo imaging, density and a mid-forward bite with smoother make up gain compared to the original.
The 2:1, 4:1 & 10:1 ratios also adjust the threshold for different programme levels, such that the 2:1 is designed for lower threshold smoothing, whilst 10:1 is designed for higher threshold peak limiting on hot programme material. Don’t be surprised if higher ratios result in slightly less compression until you adjust the threshold – this is by design!
Bass Expand
Don’t lose your low end
For ASP8024-HE, we’ve fitted the bus compressor with a new BASS EXPAND sidechain high pass filter, set to 350Hz with 6dB/octave roll-off. This awesome feature gives the bus compressor a completely different personality – instead of reducing compression just on kick drums and extreme low end, the higher frequency choice allows the entire low and lower mids of the mix to breath, sounding more natural and relaxed.
Gain Reduction Meter
Watch the needle bounce
Keep an eye on our beautiful illuminated gain reduction meter – making it easier to dial in subtle compression and achieve that perfect “needle bounce” mix glue – it looks awesome and is finely calibrated for accuracy below 8dB – perfect for your 2-Bus.
