Maize

Name: Maize
Author: Acustica Audio

by Acustica Audio · EQ · 10-band parametric EQ

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Maize is an official recreation of the Markbass PP-10 equalizer, with 10 parametric bands and 19 frequencies per band.

It adds mid/side processing and switchable solid-state or tube preamps; the shop page did not show a price.

Best for: Bass, Drums, Vocals, Guitars, Keys & Synths. Genres: all genres.

Keywords: mid/side, solid-state, bass, tube, analog-sounding, metering, mixing, musical, drums, extreme, oversampling, static, vocals.

What it does

Maize recreates the Markbass PP10, a stereo solid-state parametric EQ designed around 2006 with engineer Rodolfo Bianchi; Markbass built only two prototypes before dropping it. The developer calls it "an extremely musical, but simultaneously very precise equalizer".

Band layout: five bands per channel (ten in all): two low bands (15–800 Hz), one mid band (110 Hz–7.4 kHz) and two high bands (410 Hz–25 kHz).
Stepped frequencies: 19 selectable frequencies per band, in the manner of the hardware.
Gain and Q: ±16 dB of boost or cut and Q from 0.3 to 6.0 on every band, with per-band on/off switches.
Shelving: the lowest and highest bands can switch from bell to shelf.
Channels and M/S: separate in/out switches for each channel, control link between channels, and a mid/side mode.
Preamps: switchable solid-state and tube preamps with selectable oversampling, added by Acustica on top of the hardware.
Metering: input and output meters.

Source: Acustica Audio product page

When to use it

Maize is a hardware-style stepped parametric with analog preamp colour, and a rare one at that. Compared with Pro-Q 4 it has fixed frequency steps, no spectrum display and no dynamic bands, but it adds tube or solid-state colour and a more analog feel. Unlike the Pultec Passive EQ Collection or Mäag EQ4, which offer a few broad musical curves, it gives five fully parametric bands per side with a wide Q range, so it can make narrow cuts as well as broad boosts. Its M/S mode and control link also make it usable on buses and masters, though gearnews notes it is strongest as a mixing tool.

Best for: sculpting instruments, especially bass, and mid/side tone shaping with analog colour.
Genres: any.
Look elsewhere if: you want continuous, surgical bands with a spectrum display (Pro-Q 4) or a simple air and tone EQ (Mäag EQ4).

Where to buy

Acustica Audio: see store

Tutorials and reviews

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