3D "AIR" EQ - "Night EQ" PCB's Complete!

[Di_Sousa]

Yes maybe I should. Probably wouldn't work, tough

 

[Brian Roth]

I recall seeing the schemo for this EQ a few years ago "in the wild" at a studio in Omaha. I ASSume there is a schemo buried here in these 70 pages? Maybe someone will direct me to "post 999" or whatever. Thanks!

Bri

 

[Di_Sousa]

I recall seeing the schemo for this EQ a few years ago "in the wild" at a studio in Omaha. I ASSume there is a schemo buried here in these 70 pages? Maybe someone will direct me to "post 999" or whatever.

here it is:

 

[Brian Roth]

Hmmmmm....looking at the page numbers in the title blocks, pages 2 and 4 seem to be missing.

Bri

 

[Script]

Page 1 suffices to build a working mono unit. P3 gives a better output. P5 is a non-essential peak LED.

 

[peterc]

Hi all

So this is another of those started but not finished projects, doing the Night EQ in 500 format. I can finish if there is a bit of support.

Who would be interested?

 

[fragletrollet]

I think this sounds like a great eq for multi-channel use, as it seems relatively inexpensive (just IC's) but from my comparisons to the plugin alliance interpretations, they sound great! EQ2 is interesting too; but personally I think it's a bit more of a special processor, like on the master bus. The eq4, or original Night EQ design I guess (?), I think would make for a great as a general console eq that forces you to make decisions fast. I'd love to get some!

 

[Di_Sousa]

I think this sounds like a great eq for multi-channel use, as it seems relatively inexpensive (just IC's) but from my comparisons to the plugin alliance interpretations, they sound great!

I have the original unit, I also have a DIY version I made some years ago with Peter's PCB's.

The units sound fine, but the Plugin is better, it does exactly what the units do but it has zero noise and zero hiss, you can automate it and you can use as many as you want inside a session, being it channels, buses or Master bus.

Night EQ plugin all the way

 

[Di_Sousa]

Hi all

So this is another of those started but not finished projects, doing the Night EQ in 500 format. I can finish if there is a bit of support.

Who would be interested?

I think there would be interest here in the forum for sure,
the trend nowadays is 500 series

I was with Cliff Maag this year at NAAM, such a gentleman.
It was great and a privilege to chat with him.

 

[mihi_fuchs]

here you can find it in 500 Format:
https://groupdiy.com/threads/3d-nite-eq-in-500-format.88363/

Best regards,
Michael

 

[NorthernLight]

Question for the knowledgable people of the forum: is this still a project to build in this day and age?

I have 2 populated PCBs and most of the stuff to finish the project. However I have since cultivated some doubts if this project justifies the rack space and I/O for me.

This EQ is kind of a one trick pony (the air band) and there are plugins that emulate it very well. The plugins also have perfect stereo tracking, where making 2 Nite EQ boards behave exactly the same is elabotate and/or costly. This project also has no transformers or other mojo-inducing components, just two tiny inductors. Of course that is great from a cost-saving perspective, but then where is the magic that would elevate a hardware unit above a well written plugin?

I am contemplating to sell the kit and move on to something else. Feel free to change my mind.

 

[Di_Sousa]

Question for the knowledgable people of the forum: is this still a project to build in this day and age?

I'm going to be totally honest, and my opinion might not be popular around here as this is a DIY audio electronics forum.
I started to use the Night EQ (Nightpro EQ3D original 1u rack) in 2007, after the first time I used it I never did any mix without it, it's a tool I love and that I always feel I need.
Some years after, when PeterC released the DIY PCB, I did 2 DIY units. They were great, the same or better than the original.

Then after some years, Maag released the EQ3D in Plugin Format through Plugin Alliance,
I've been using it since then and it's amazing.
It does everything as well as the analog unit but has zero hiss (the analog unit adds a bit of hiss), you can use as many units as you want in a mixing session, and also you can automate all it's parameters.

I sold one of my DIY units, and I will probably sell the other one as it's seated unused.

So my personal reply to your question, is no, I don't consider this project it's worth to build in 2025 when the plugin replaces it completely and it's quite cheap.
Just build it in case you just want to have fun building stuff.
But bear in mind a proper build of a DIY unit is not easy, to actually do it properly you need center detent pots, and you need to calibrate the pots zero db point (for each Pot) by replacing resistor values in circuit calculated using Harpo spreadsheet.
Some people built it without center detent pots and without calibrating the zero point in each pot, which is something that I don't think makes any sense at all. Why going to all the work of a build and then just be lazy and not build it properly?

Also just wanted to add that I don't think the Nite Eq is a 1 trick Pony,
I use in many different ways

have fun

 

[NorthernLight]

Thank you mister Di Sousa, that answer is exactly the confirmation I was looking for.

This project will at least plummet to the bottom of my todo list and will probably end up on the black market.

Regarding it not being a one trick pony, let me rephrase that: I use it as a one trick pony because I tend to reach for other tools when mixing. For example the SieQ plugin by Soundtoys is my go to weapon for adding high mids (5.6K) and highs, as well as a bit of subtle saturation. When I want to do something in the mid or low region I either take a Pultec emulation or Fabfilter Pro-Q. The only time I reach for the Air EQ is when I want to add some sparkle in the top highs, which is not often.

 

[baloubass]

Hello everyone,
First of all thank you to all those who contributed to this project (@khstudio @peterc @Harpo and i don't remember the other) and nourished it's 70 pages that I finished reading.
I wonder about designing a stereo version of this eq with input and output transformers, a kind of mastering, bus oriented version.

Potentiometers:
The idea would be to do it with a rotary switch that would allow to act on the L/R at the same time.
From what I understand the biggest difficulty is to find a potentiometer and the trouble of mounting the resistors on it.
With this stepper pot things might be easier for soldering by creating a small pcb. With a 2 deck 12 poles we can easier control the L/R with stepped and precise control. Obviously by having calculated what is needed with the @Harpo spreadsheet.

With 12 steps, we could have +-2 db of boost and cut by increment of 0.5db. I dare to think that for bus or mastering it would be enough.
There is a version of this stepper pot with 4 poles but still 12 steps, we could imagine 2 poles with increments of 0.5db and 2 others with increments of 1db via a switch.
In the end Switch Up increments of 0.5 db for +-2db boost and cut, Switch Down increments of 1db for +-5db boost and cut.
I think it's not very advantageous to go through a 4 pole solution. From what I've read the +-2db seems to be suitable.

-For all those who have it in a similar configuration could you tell me if this margin is enough for you?
-For all those who are with normal potentiometers, do you often use more than 2db of correction?

I talked to this potentiometer supplier on Alibaba, she can also custom make C500K dualgang with center detent 10%. I think for 200MOQ (to see).
This could also be a solution with 1 knob per frequency band, with Harpo's method to adjust everything independently.
However, I find that this solution offers less precise control with the aim of using it on a BUS.

Transformers:
To make things more interesting, gain warmth and colors always with a view to BUS, Mastering use. I personally find the idea of the transformer welcome.

For the input transformer, I had thought of a Neutrik NTM4.

-Do you think that in this configuration this transformer will be suitable or is it better to go for something else?
-What are the "rules" for choosing an input transformer?
-Could you enlighten me on this question?

For the output transformer, I would go for something like a Carnhill VTB-2280 for example.
I think i will need a little circuit to correctly drive this transformer to.
I saw that Igor had a UTM transformer company, which seems to have a good reputation and is not very expensive to compare to the other.

-Do you have any advice for an output transformer?
-Have you ever tried UTM transformers?

1u or 500:
The next point concerns the casing, 1U or 500 format.
In a 1U case there would be plenty of room to do all this, but it adds the cost of the xlr, the power supply, and all the things inherent to the 1U format. I'm talking about drilling, alignment, wiring etc... Which increases the cost and assembly time. On the other hand, the design is a little easier because there is more room to house everyone.
On a 500 format it would cost less. I think that on a stereo format, it could fit with a little elbow grease (French expression).
The design would be more complicated but possible.
I started to look and find some information on this format with various PDFs, I think I can do it.

-In your opinion, what would be the most suitable format?
-For those who have already done 500 stereo format, do you have any advice on things to pay attention to when doing 500 stereo format?

There you go, even if this project never sees the light of day, the idea has been running through my head for a week, and I had to put it somewhere.

So my last questions are:

-Reading this post, is this a project that you find interesting?
-Is it worth it in 2025 (as we could read just above) to start on a machine like this?
-Do you have any suggestions regarding this project?

Thank you to all those who took the time to read this post and also to those who took the time to respond.
Cheers

PS:Yes Google was my friend to write all this in a comprehensible and readable way.