PTC-2A

Good music is always created with the help of good equalization. As a producer, one of the first things you learn is to add an EQ to each of your tracks in order to adjust frequencies until you get the sounds you want. Today’s EQ plugins are precise audio-visual tools that allow you to cut or boost the exact frequencies that you need to make your music. However, EQing has been around for a while.

Back in 1951, the Pultec EQP-1 was released, becoming the first passive program equalizer and creating new standards for mixing. Today we’re going to take a look at a software emulation called PTC-2A.

Like the original EQP-1, the PTC-2A is labeled a program EQ, which means that it’s used better as an equalizer for your whole mix rather than for a single channel. You could consider this piece of information obvious since the plugin doesn’t come with any knob for mid frequencies. Instead, PTC-2A’s interface is a faithful recreation of the EQP-1 and only allows you to adjust frequencies from the high and low-end spectrums.

This is achieved through the Boost and Attenuate knobs that can even be used simultaneously for some creative fine-tuning. You can choose the approximate frequencies that you want to work with by turning the switches below the knobs labeled CPS (cycles per second) and KCS (kilocycles per second). Remember that that 1 cycle per second = 1 Hz.

It is said that no modern EQ can sound just like the original EQP-1, so if you want to achieve that particular sound, the PTC-2A could be a good start. The interface is intuitive, but get ready to rely on your ears only, because this unit doesn’t offer any visual feedback. While I wouldn’t recommend it to any beginner, this fairly priced EQ could make be a useful tool for producers looking to add tube analog warmth to their sound.