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MICROPHONES
OUTBOARD
SOFTWARE
MONITORS
INSTRUMENTS
This unit was fully serviced by our in-house technicians including a complete recap of the channel boards and replacement of out-of-value polycarbonate capacitors in the LF EQ circuits on both channels. All rotary switches were cleaned throughout.
Few 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 Sontec MES-432C/9 in particular is widely regarded as the gold standard.
"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." - Mike Nehra, Vintage King co-founder
The 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.
The 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.
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. Going left to right, here are each band's settings:
LO Band
MID Band
HI Band
Each 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.
The best gear advice always comes from those who use it the most. That's where you come in! Let the pro audio world hear your voice with a review of the Sontec MES-432C/9 Parametric Equalizer #VK01484 (Vintage) . Once you submit your review, please check your email and verify your address to have it posted.
