Sontec MES-432D9D

The Sontec MES-432 has a near mythical reputation among mastering engineers. Introduced in 1972, it was created by Burgess Macneal and George Massenburg, and it was the first fully parametric EQ ever available. Beyond its functional utility it is prized for its sound - it is one of those devices that makes things sound better even when its controls are set to flat. In addition, the parameter value choices coupled with the EQ band shapes and overall responsiveness of the device gives the MES-432 a uniquely musical response.

When Make Believe Studios came to us and said that they & Sontec wanted to work with us to make a digital version of the Sontec MES-432D9, we thought, well, if we are going to try to capture the soul of an existing piece of gear, at least it makes sense for it to be a pioneering and legendary mastering EQ.

When we listened to the MES-432D9 that Sontec provided to us, we realized that this device was the source of some of that magical "fairy-dust" that you hear on major releases, and we determined that if we were going to build the digital version of it, it would have to not merely be an emulation, but rather a new Sontec - one that the creator of the original parametric EQ would be happy to associate his name with.

We are happy to say that we have achieved that goal.

Key Features:

• World-class Signal Processing and Workflow.
• User-Selectable Over-sampling (up to 16x).
• Faithful recreation of the box tone and filter curves of the Mighty MES Mastering Equalizer.
• EQ features a 3 parametric bands and two shelves, with support for stereo or M/S EQ.
• Bypass per band, per channel, and overall.
• Input and output gain.
• Stepped controls.
• The Sound and Feel of one of the greatest EQs in the history of music recording.
• User-control of some elements of Box-Tone.
• Integrated SpectraFoo analyzer and metering.
• Many presets included.
• Adjustable UI size.
• MH Preset Manager - Provides cross-platform presets.

{See video at top of page}