Phoenix Audio GYRATOR 500 Series EQ

An EQ As Versatile As It Is Unique

Phoenix Audio’s Gyrator EQ is one of today’s most unique and musical EQs, allowing an incredible variety of sounds useful for everything from clean high-headroom mix buss tone shaping to deep frequency carving to smooth Class-A circuit saturation. Available either as a mono 500-series module (running at 24v) or coupled to two of our remarkable Class-A Ascent Mic Preamp/DIs in a stereo 1RU unit, the Gyrator EQ is as powerful as it is fun to use.

4-Bands of Gyration

The Gyrator EQ was first developed during what most consider the golden age of solid-state analog audio design: the 1970s. Originally designed to emulate the characteristics of an active inductor EQ (think Neve, API), the Gyrator EQ uses a clever combination of an amplifier, resistors, and capacitors to accomplish incredibly smooth and musical frequency modifications. The modern-day Phoenix DRS Gyrator EQ gives you High, High-Mid, Low-Mid, and Low frequency bands, each notched to proven frequencies from a shimmering 15kHz on down to a thumping 40Hz. There’s also a high pass filter at 80Hz, which can eliminate rumble or be used “against” low-end boosts for an extra range of unique EQ curves (think: Pultec). Even at extreme boosts and cuts, the Gyrator EQ’s uniquely musical filters maintain the core quality of your original signal, allowing you to make bold, gut-level EQ moves that won’t sound harsh, slurred, or out of phase. Used more subtly, these four filters are capable of highly coherent tone shaping suitable for full mixes and mastering.

Driving the Output Circuit for More Tone Shaping

Phoenix Audio’s renown DSOP-2 output amplifier, with its custom-wound transformer, is able to deliver everything from ultra-clean signals with abundant headroom to fat, fully saturated tones. By driving the output attenuator, one can drive the DSOP-2 output stage for a wide variety of lush, Class-A saturation. Many engineers even use the Gyrator EQ completely flat in order to simply add the musicality of our proprietary amplifier circuits.

Versatile And Effortless, Day After Day

The Gyrator EQ is a powerfully versatile, high-quality studio tool. Unlike many Class-A EQs that just do “their thing” due to inherent distortion characteristics, the Gyrator EQ keeps the input signal clean, making it possible for the engineer to keep tones transparent or saturate them to taste. Doing so is effortless and intuitive due to the Gyrator EQ’s straight-forward design and unerring musicality. Those who own this EQ tell us that it quickly becomes their “go-to EQ”—used effortlessly every day across a vast variety of instruments, voices, and full mixes.

Sheen Control

Sheen control adds a beautiful breath and presence to vocals and instruments that need to come to life. With 16dB of control, this provides great flexibility and power to boost or cut unwanted high frequencies.

Features

• 2 formats:
  • Gyrator/500 Gyrator EQ 500: mono 500 series without Preamp/DI (operates at 24v)
  • Ascent Two EQ Gyrator EQ with Preamp/DI: Stereo 1RU with Ascent Series Preamp/DI
  • Ascent One EQ Gyrator EQ with Preamp/DI: Mono 1/2RU with Ascent Series Preamp/DI
• 4 Bands of Gyrator EQ + High-Pass Filter
• High – 25K (sheen), 15K, 10K (shelving EQ)
• Hi Mid – 6K, 3K, 1K6 (Bell curve EQ)
• Low Mid – 800Hz, 400Hz, 200Hz (Bell curve EQ)
• Low – 130Hz, 80Hz, 40Hz (shelving EQ)
• High Pass Filter at 80Hz, 12dB/octave
• 16dB Cut/Boost Per Band
• All EQ bands are stepped/detented to 21 positions for easy recall & stereo operations for mastering or the mix bus
• Gyrator-EQ/500 has an overall stepped output level with +15dB of additional gain even while the EQ is in bypass, allowing the output fader to drive the output stage & transformer for sound coloration and saturation
• Phoenix Audio’s Class-A DSOP-2 Output Amplifier with custom-wound transformer
• 24v built-in PSU for better sound quality without the limitations of standard 16v Lunchbox voltage

• Class A (DSOP2) Output specs: Frequency response: 20Hz to 20kHz ±0.5dB
• Custom-wound output transformer
• Maximum Output = +26dBu @ 1kHz, Noise = -90dB @ 20Hz to 20kHz
• Input connections: XLR input on rear of API compatible rack
• Phoenix Audio’s unique Class A, transformer-less, true electronically balanced input stage
• Gain Meter: LED Metering. (Green = -2dBu, +4dBu & 10dBu, Yellow = +13dBu, Red = +16dBu)
• High Pass Filter: Push-button Switch set at 80Hz @ -6dB roll off per octave
• EQ Bypass: Push-button Switch
• Typical Headroom: +26dB on output stage
• Gyratory-based EQ Frequency Centres:
  • High – Sheen (25K), 15K, 10K
  • Hi Mid – 6K, 3K, 1K6
  • Low Mid – 800Hz, 400Hz, 200Hz
  • Low – 130Hz, 80Hz, 40Hz
• EQ Cut/Boost Levels: 16dB Cut/Boost Per Band with stepped pots for recall