A high-class build quality, true-stereo operation, and sweet sounding EQ curves are now available in the 500 format, all thanks to the elysia xfilter 500. This four-band EQ is perfect for adding passive-style top-end sheen, low-end heft, or midrange sculpting to any stereo source. Consider it for pianos, strings, drums, and more.
Separating itself from many competitors, the xfilter 500 provides precision stereo-matching amongst its dual channels, doing so with one set of controls per stereo band. It's also available at a price point many users would consider to be a bargain for the quality it offers. The 500-series unit sports high and low shelves as well as high and low midrange controls. The shelves can be switched to resonant high- and low-pass filters at the press of a button.
Using an analog EQ on a stereo buss can be quite tricky, as only very few units offer the possibility to link their two mono channels for true stereo processing. As a result, the user must often fiddle around with knobs and test tones in order to cope with the tedious task of matching the settings for both channels. The problem gets only worse when the controllers do not have any steps for reference.
There are many compressors in the market that can be linked for stereo operation, but component tolerances makes this difficult for EQ. Obviously, you want both channels to behave in exactly the same manner, but the componentry's natural tolerances counteract this ideal characteristic. The xfilter 500 solves this problem by using computer-selected dual- and quad-layer pots as well as special low-tolerance caps.