I’ve just finished recording two tracks with this over the last couple of weeks . One of the BEST EQ’s I’ve EVER heard on a final mix !!! Also had a Manley Vari Mu that I used also before the EQ . Absolutely Incredible !!!
I feel like the Bettermaker is more toward digital feeling than the Gainlab Empress. Personally I preferred this one. It's atually what I decided to purchase :) If you are searching a Pultec style with modern features, there is nothing better than this actually.
The self noise of the unit, how big of a problem is when mastering, did you notice it, or it's low enough so you can boost like a pro? :)) The noise floor is about -60db, on paper.
@@MadSteex So when you switch it ON, you don't see a big spike on the meters or hear the noise like you switched some cheap device, haha. Than that's fantastic. I will order one, will see. I hope for the best. If the self noise is -60 db "operational level" than boosting it for more than 2 db (mid's, high's) would be a nightmare for mastering pop, rock, edm music ... Just too much. Maybe is "the nice noise." I just don't know what where they thinking when they made it. The noise is a deal breaker on that level like No.1.
Just for the sake of clarification: The mids bell cut does NOT change width when being set for deeper frequencies....that's only due to the logarithmic graphic scale on your Q-clone....(just like in almost every freq diagram)....
@@MadSteex Thanks for the review. Did you buy it? If you did buy it are you still using it and how essential is it to your signal chain and what do you use it on? If you didn't buy it or don't still use it, why not?
@@ThisGuyDude yes! After the test in my studio I’ve decided to purchase it. Is the best pultec style unit you can buy around a fraction of a cost of the original Pultec unit and I like that is not a copy but an improvement with other cool features. I always and repeat always use it on mastering chains
@@MadSteex Thank you very much for the info and insights. I've been looking at this device for quite a while, but there are relatively few reviews on it. Your demo was very helpful and seeing how delicious the sound can be coming from the Empress. I have to admit that my final reservation has to do with something that doesn't involve it's beautiful sound. I really, really (really) don't like the workflow implementation that they put on the faceplate controls. It boggles my mind as to why they made the high and low bands reverse symmetrical across the faceplate but did not do the same thing for the mid band. If I'm adjusting channel 2 then I need to turn the knob to the left to get the frequency to go higher, but if I'm adjusting the same thing on the channel one then I turned the knob to the right to get the frequency to go higher? But then only for the low and hi bands but not for the mid-band? It's terribly counterintuitive and I'm worried that it will give me a lot of pause as I try to adjust it. If you can, could you speak to how this very counterintuitive layout of the knobs and the reverse order of the frequencies across the faceplate for the channel one and channel 2 have impacted your use of the device? Did you grow accustomed to it pretty quickly?
@@ThisGuyDudeYes you’re right at the beginning sometimes I made mistake due to the issue you described. But the more you use it, the faster you will be. Right now is not a problem for me
I’ve just finished recording two tracks with this over the last couple of weeks . One of the BEST EQ’s I’ve EVER heard on a final mix !!! Also had a Manley Vari Mu that I used also before the EQ . Absolutely Incredible !!!
Very nice review! Empress is a killer unit!
Best review on this piece of equipment!
Thank you 🙏
I’m looking into this unit. How does it compare to the better maker valve stereo eq?
I feel like the Bettermaker is more toward digital feeling than the Gainlab Empress. Personally I preferred this one. It's atually what I decided to purchase :) If you are searching a Pultec style with modern features, there is nothing better than this actually.
Nice review
Thank you 🙏
recently got one of these. changed my mixes forever lol
Same for my mastering
How so? What did it do?
what is that plug in that is showing a visual of the Empress? and are you sending a signal for it to read?
In this video I've used Q-Clone by Waves, but is a bi limited, for future videos I'm using a different more detailed plugin.
The self noise of the unit, how big of a problem is when mastering, did you notice it, or it's low enough so you can boost like a pro? :)) The noise floor is about -60db, on paper.
I don't get any problem.
@@MadSteex So when you switch it ON, you don't see a big spike on the meters or hear the noise like you switched some cheap device, haha. Than that's fantastic. I will order one, will see. I hope for the best. If the self noise is -60 db "operational level" than boosting it for more than 2 db (mid's, high's) would be a nightmare for mastering pop, rock, edm music ... Just too much. Maybe is "the nice noise." I just don't know what where they thinking when they made it. The noise is a deal breaker on that level like No.1.
Just for the sake of clarification: The mids bell cut does NOT change width when being set for deeper frequencies....that's only due to the logarithmic graphic scale on your Q-clone....(just like in almost every freq diagram)....
I owned this and sold it. Solid unit, just not my thing.
I loved it
@@MadSteex Thanks for the review. Did you buy it? If you did buy it are you still using it and how essential is it to your signal chain and what do you use it on? If you didn't buy it or don't still use it, why not?
@@ThisGuyDude yes! After the test in my studio I’ve decided to purchase it. Is the best pultec style unit you can buy around a fraction of a cost of the original Pultec unit and I like that is not a copy but an improvement with other cool features. I always and repeat always use it on mastering chains
@@MadSteex Thank you very much for the info and insights. I've been looking at this device for quite a while, but there are relatively few reviews on it. Your demo was very helpful and seeing how delicious the sound can be coming from the Empress. I have to admit that my final reservation has to do with something that doesn't involve it's beautiful sound. I really, really (really) don't like the workflow implementation that they put on the faceplate controls. It boggles my mind as to why they made the high and low bands reverse symmetrical across the faceplate but did not do the same thing for the mid band. If I'm adjusting channel 2 then I need to turn the knob to the left to get the frequency to go higher, but if I'm adjusting the same thing on the channel one then I turned the knob to the right to get the frequency to go higher? But then only for the low and hi bands but not for the mid-band? It's terribly counterintuitive and I'm worried that it will give me a lot of pause as I try to adjust it. If you can, could you speak to how this very counterintuitive layout of the knobs and the reverse order of the frequencies across the faceplate for the channel one and channel 2 have impacted your use of the device? Did you grow accustomed to it pretty quickly?
@@ThisGuyDudeYes you’re right at the beginning sometimes I made mistake due to the issue you described. But the more you use it, the faster you will be. Right now is not a problem for me
this is how italians talk english 😅
Yep! You have to listen the french people 😁
yeah , french playing le playstatieunne
😅 @@MadSteex
Just remember. He can speak 2 LANGUAGES. How many languages can the OP speak ?🗣️