Universal Audio Trident® A-Range Classic Console EQ Plug-In

Easy as always download authorization, and it's on.

SUITABILITY/PERFORMANCE

Super staple on either Mac or PC platform.

OVERALL OPINION

The original Trident A-Range desk holds near-mythic status in the professional recording industry, and is arguably the best loved of the classic Trident con- sole designs. Particularly noted for its fantastic preamps and the unique band interactions of its colorful EQ section, the Malcolm Toft / Trident-designed A-Range console has made an indelible impact on the sound of record mak- ing. During the “Golden Years” of rock, the A-Range was employed to record some truly great records — David Bowie’s The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust, Lou Reed’s Transformer and Queen’s Sheer Heart Attack, to name a few — helping to solidify this console’s reputation forever. And now, this sound comes to the UAD Powered Plug-Ins platform, courtesy of the Trident A-Range Classic Console EQ plug-in.
Working in partnership with Trident Audio Developments, UA scrupulously analyzed and faithfully reproduced the EQ section from the specific Trident A-Range console used to record classic albums by both The Police and Rush. One of only 13 A-Range consoles ever built, this desk was hand-picked by El- liott Smith for his private studio, and now resides at New Monkey Studio in Van Nuys, CA.
The unique inductor-based EQ section of the board is what the Trident A-Range sound is all about. A series of three high pass filters and three low pass filters are arranged at the ends of the EQ section (see Figure 181). These are unique in that the switches can be pushed in simultaneously, offering dis- tinct cut filter combinations with unusual filter curves.
The rest of the EQ section contains four bands: low shelf, low-mid bell, high-mid bell, and high shelf (see Figure 181). Each band has four selectable fixed frequencies and ±15 dB of gain. These were the good old days before sweepable frequencies and bandwidth controls, but the results are wonder- fully warm and musical. The controls complement is rounded out with phase, output level, and bypass.
There is band interaction between the high and low shelving filters, and also between the low-mid and high-mid bell filters. The midband interactions can be significant if the center frequencies are near each other.