Looking for uber flexible rackmount DAW-like eq

I’ve never seen a rack EQ with all that. You’ll probably have the best luck with a so-called digital speaker processor. Lots of pro audio companies make them; you’ll have to pore over the manuals to see what all their functions are. The closest thing you’re probably going to find in a stand-alone equalizer is the vintage Yamaha YDP2006 digital parametric. It has 24 dB/octave high and low pass, can operate as 6-band stereo or 12-band mono, and has shelving controls, but no Q adjustment for them.

Regards,
Wayne A. Pflughaupt

Ecclesia: Unique Arrangements of Hymns, P&W Standards, and Original Tunes
Administrator, Pedulla Club #45
Administrator, Tobias Club #133
Fretless Club #943
Big Cabs Club #23
My Rig: Stage and FOH Friendly
My Basses

 

Not sure what you mean by “recanted,” but if you’re asking for recommendations for speaker processors, I haven’t personally used any of them. I just know that they’re typically really flexible, the only thing I’ve seen with the super-steep filter slopes you’re looking for.

However, I have used the Yamaha YDP2006, and it’s a stellar equalizer. Digital, but largely interfaces like an analog parametric.

Regards,
Wayne A. Pflughaupt

Ecclesia: Unique Arrangements of Hymns, P&W Standards, and Original Tunes
Administrator, Pedulla Club #45
Administrator, Tobias Club #133
Fretless Club #943
Big Cabs Club #23
My Rig: Stage and FOH Friendly
My Basses

 

LOL, gotta love the phones!

Here’s a nifty review I did of the Yamaha. Mainly relating to home theater use, but you should still be able to get a lot of it.

Review: Yamaha YDP2006 Digital Parametric Equalizer - Home Theater Forum and Systems - HomeTheaterShack.com

Regards,
Wayne A. Pflughaupt

Ecclesia: Unique Arrangements of Hymns, P&W Standards, and Original Tunes
Administrator, Pedulla Club #45
Administrator, Tobias Club #133
Fretless Club #943
Big Cabs Club #23
My Rig: Stage and FOH Friendly
My Basses

 

How many channels of EQ do you need? If the X-Air mixers are as flexible as the X32 line, you could just buy an XR12, patch each input to an output and use the parametric on the EQ tab of the channel strip?

X32 rack would definitely do the job, give you ... ah.... 14 channels of EQ? I don't know the X-Air line, just suggesting it because of the price point.

 

Look up the dbx DriveRack series - one of those will do pretty much everything you're asking for, plus plenty extra.

Xilica also do some great units if dbx are a no-go for any reason.

These units are designed to process audio for big PA systems, so fidelity is key - unless you set it up wrong you won't have any issues with signal quality.

The biggest challenge with using one of these units in your rig will be making sure that there's nothing in the signal chain that you aren't expecting - most DSPs are used to matrix a pair of signals (say the Left and Right from a mixing desk) to an array of speakers and subs in the room - you can set limiters, crossovers, time delays, and all sorts of other things that are useful tools when setting up a PA, but will royally screw with your bass tone if they're left on by accident. Definitely worth reading the manual!

 

Ross makes a nice rack parametric eq with hp and lp filters

 

You should be able to use the crossover function of the dbx for the LP/HP filters? You would essentially use the 'mid band' for your output, and you would just not connect the low and high band outputs to anything. You can choose the slope and filter type... Would that fit the bill?

 

Here are some others you might look into.

Speaker Process Controllers - Full Compass

Stand-alone digital EQs were more of a “flash in the pan” that never had a chance to reach “ubiquitous” status. They were quickly supplanted by digital consoles and the digital speaker processors. They were intended for live sound applications, and as such there wasn’t a good reason for them to have the kind of features you’re looking for.

Regards,
Wayne A. Pflughaupt

Ecclesia: Unique Arrangements of Hymns, P&W Standards, and Original Tunes
Administrator, Pedulla Club #45
Administrator, Tobias Club #133
Fretless Club #943
Big Cabs Club #23
My Rig: Stage and FOH Friendly
My Basses

 

Yeah as someone else mentioned. The high and low pass filters are in the crossover section. It has all of the typical filters in all of the typical slopes that are needed. I have a drive rack 260 sitting here not being used and can confirm that it is a very powerful tool. The thing about system processors however is that they are typically designed to be setup(preferably using the GUI on a laptop) and then mostly left alone. If you are looking for something to have available at a moments notice then you might want to look elsewhere.

The reason that you are not finding standalone units that do what you are thinking is because stand alone processing is quickly disappearing. Between the processing built into digital mixers and plug in suites like Waves Multirack, there are not very many rack units at front of house these days.

Can you tell us the exact application that you are working toward so that maybe we can suggest something.

 

Soundcraft ui-24r. Busts your budget at $800. You have to look for that price... eq has HPF, LPF, Low shelving, hi shelving, Low and hi mid fully parametric. And of course it has like 24 of them... I use one as my personal live mixer. There are folks using it as an audio interface for studio. Has very nice warm Studer preamps. Lexicon effects. Love mine!

 

If you're going down that route, the ui-12 is also available in that range, less io but same processing!

 

Ui 24 has updated preamps, lower noise floor. Hopefully SC will update the 12 and 16. I could have lived with the i/o of the 16 but side by side listening the 24 clear choice for me.