MEQ-5

Name: MEQ-5
Price: 79.99 USD
Author: Apogee

by Apogee · EQ · Pultec MEQ-5 midrange EQ emulation

Not rated yet

MEQ-5 is Apogee's recreation of the Pultec MEQ-5 midrange equalizer, made with and endorsed by Pulse Techniques.

It targets the midrange that the EQP-1A leaves alone, and costs $79.99 (regular $149).

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

Keywords: hardware emulation, bus processing, low latency, synths, vocals, drum bus, drums, electric guitar, subscription, tube, warm, 50s, enhancement, licensed emulation, mixing, snare, static, tracking, vintage, zero-latency.

What it does

MEQ-5 is Apogee's model of the Pultec MEQ-5, the tube-era midrange equalizer, made with Pulse Techniques. Apogee says it recreates the original hardware to sculpt "critical midrange frequencies with precision and warmth."

Midrange sections: the hardware's peak and dip bands for boosting and cutting the low and upper mids, with stepped frequency choices.
Tube-style character: designed to add warmth as well as change the tone, in the manner of the original passive tube unit.
Licensed: officially licensed and endorsed by Pulse Techniques.
Partner to EQP-1A: covers the midrange where Apogee's EQP-1A covers the lows and highs, so the two are often stacked.
DualPath Monitoring: with that Apogee hardware, near-zero-latency monitoring through the plugin while recording.

It is sold through Plugin Alliance, which offers a 14-day trial and includes it in its CORE and PRO subscriptions; it was on sale at the time of writing.

Source: Apogee product page

When to use it

MEQ-5 is a dedicated midrange Pultec, best used as the second half of a Pultec chain rather than as a general EQ. Compared with UA's Pultec Passive EQ Collection, which includes its own MEQ-5 model alongside other Pultecs, it is a single unit that can be bought on its own through Plugin Alliance. Against Waves' PuigTec EQs it is a pricier option, but it carries the Pulse Techniques licence. Unlike Pro-Q 4 or TDR Nova, it has no free frequency sweep or narrow surgical bands, so it is for broad, musical mid moves. It makes most sense if you already own Apogee's EQP-1A or a Plugin Alliance subscription.

Best for: broad midrange boosts and cuts on vocals, guitars, snare, synths and the drum bus.
Genres: any style.
Look elsewhere if: you need precise, narrow midrange cuts (Pro-Q 4) or want the full Pultec set in one bundle (Pultec Passive EQ Collection).
Tip: pair it with EQP-1A on the drum bus; Whipped Cream Sounds calls this a "tried and tested trick" for a fatter drum sound.

What producers say

The one review found rates it highly for sound, with price and sparse presets as the main complaints.

Whipped Cream Sounds (Sai Hariharan, 2024) rated the Apogee Pultec pair 4.7 out of 5, praising the realistic emulation, the low-mid scoop, the shimmer it adds to midrange synths and the light CPU load.
Criticisms: the same review found the price high next to Waves' PuigTec, the hardware-style controls confusing, and only 3 MEQ-5 presets "quite underwhelming."

Whipped Cream Sounds review

Where to buy

Plugin Alliance: $79.99

Tutorials and reviews

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