The Toft Audio Designs EC-1 is a combined microphone/line amplifier, F.E.T. compressor and four band equalizer. Because of the wide range of facilities it offers, the EC1 effectively provides a complete recording channel. It will take the signal from a microphone or instrument and process it so that it is ready to feed straight into a recording device such as a computer controlled digital audio workstation or analog storage device such as a multi-track tape recorder. It can also be inserted into the path of a mixer channel to provide additional signal processing (particularly equalization and compression).

All three sections offer a wide range of control coupled with extremely high quality analog electronics that have a real pedigree. The microphone amplifier is the same design as used in Malcolm Toft’s top range of recording consoles, while both the compressor and equalizer section borrow heavily from vintage Trident designs.

The equalizer section is a four band swept design identical to that found in the MTA Series 980 music recording console. As a recording engineer and console designer with over 25 years experience, Malcolm Toft has gained a reputation for designing consoles and equalizers that are both highly musical and intuitive to use. The EC-1 equalizer follows that tradition of excellence in every way.

One of the main features of the equalizer is its ability to enhance bass frequency signals without introducing the unwanted ‘boom’ so often found in many modern console equalizers. The frequencies and curve shapes of each range have been carefully chosen after painstaking listening tests in order to provide the precise degree of control that creative recording engineers require. Whilst a level adjustment of ±15dB in each range has been provided, use of the unit will show that only a small amount of boost or cut is needed to provide the desired effect. In severe cases where it may be necessary to remove unwanted frequencies to provide a particular effect (such as telephone voice simulation), the full boost and cut range can be used to great advantage.

The EC 1 can be used to provide a pristine signal path of exceptional quality when required allowing subtle control of the audio path, or it can be used to provide extra punch and dynamics to an otherwise lackluster signal.