{"product_id":"sontec-mes-432c-9-parametric-equalizer-vk01484-vintage","title":"Sontec MES-432C\/9 Parametric Equalizer #VK01484 (Vintage)","description":"\u003cp\u003eFew pieces of outboard gear have earned the acclaim of the Sontec MES-430 and 432 Series equalizers. Long trusted by mastering engineers, these EQs have been used at legendary facilities like Masterdisk, Sterling Sound, Abbey Road Studios, and Capitol Records. The \u003cstrong\u003eSontec MES-432C\/9\u003c\/strong\u003e in particular is widely regarded as the gold standard.\u003c\/p\u003e\r\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003e\"It's often considered the Holy Grail of mastering EQs. It's known for making audio passing through it sound better without changing its fundamental nature.\"\u003c\/em\u003e - Mike Nehra, Vintage King co-founder\u003c\/p\u003e\r\n\u003ch3 id=\"toc_0\"\u003eBEAUTIFUL AND SMOOTH TOP END\u003c\/h3\u003e\r\n\u003cp\u003eThe MES-432C\/9 features a beautiful, silky, ultra-smooth top end. You can significantly boost the air frequencies without introducing harshness or graininess. Even with aggressive boosts across its range, it maintains its natural imaging and depth. It doesn't smear the stereo field, which is why it's been in high-end mastering rooms for decades.\u003c\/p\u003e\r\n\u003ch3 id=\"toc_1\"\u003eSONTEC NAMING\u003c\/h3\u003e\r\n\u003cp\u003eThe MES-432C\/9’s naming convention is pretty straightforward: M = Mastering, E = Equalizer, S = Switches, 4 = 4U height, 3 = 3 bands per channel, 2 = dedicated shelving bands, and 9 = ±9 dB gain (selectable in 0.5 dB increments up to 3 dB, 1 dB increments from 3 to 9 dB). Models labeled 9 differ from ones labeled 6, which feature ±6 dB gain in 0.5 dB increments. As a stereo EQ, the MES-432C\/9 has three bands for the left channel and three bands for the right channel. Each band section features three knobs, including Q, Frequency, and Gain.\u003c\/p\u003e\r\n\u003ch3 id=\"toc_2\"\u003eBAND SETTINGS\u003c\/h3\u003e\r\n\u003cp\u003eAs a stereo EQ, the MES-432C\/9 has three bands for the left channel and three bands for the right channel. Each band section features three knobs, including Q, Frequency, and Gain. Going left to right, here are each band's settings:\u003c\/p\u003e\r\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eLO Band\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\r\n\u003cul\u003e\r\n\u003cli\u003eQ: 5 to 15 dB\u003c\/li\u003e\r\n\u003cli\u003eFrequency: 11 Hz to 570 Hz\u003c\/li\u003e\r\n\u003cli\u003eGain: -9 to 9 dB\u003c\/li\u003e\r\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\r\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eMID Band\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\r\n\u003cul\u003e\r\n\u003cli\u003eQ: 5 to 15 dB\u003c\/li\u003e\r\n\u003cli\u003eFrequency: 125 Hz to 6800 Hz\u003c\/li\u003e\r\n\u003cli\u003eGain: -9 to 9 dB\u003c\/li\u003e\r\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\r\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eHI Band\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\r\n\u003cul\u003e\r\n\u003cli\u003eQ: 5 to 15 dB\u003c\/li\u003e\r\n\u003cli\u003eFrequency: 3400 Hz to 25 kHz\u003c\/li\u003e\r\n\u003cli\u003eGain: -9 to 9 dB\u003c\/li\u003e\r\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\r\n\u003cp\u003eEach channel of the MES-432C\/9 has bi-frequency fixed shelves labeled HI and LO. The LO shelf has a switch that allows you to choose between 50 Hz and 100 Hz. Both EQ channels can be turned on and off independently using the switches in the center of the MES-432C\/9, but in some Sontecs, this doesn't mean a hard bypass.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Sontec","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":44451365355623,"sku":"488610","price":19995.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0658\/8848\/5479\/files\/sontec-mes-432c-9-parametric-equalizer-vk01484-vintage_488610_1.jpg?v=1787096950","url":"https:\/\/vintageking.com\/products\/sontec-mes-432c-9-parametric-equalizer-vk01484-vintage","provider":"Vintage King","version":"1.0","type":"link"}