Gainlab Empress

Our take

"A modern, complete take on the Pultec, with some interesting extra features and a welcome mid section." - Victor Malvolti

2-channel tube equaliser

The Empress is a modern version of the Pultec passive equalisers, famous for their smooth, coloured sound and unique curves. The Hungarian company offers a complete stereo equaliser in 2U. In addition to the classic boost and cut curves in the lows and highs, there is a band in the mids. These three Pultec-style bands make the Empress an ideal equaliser for tracking, mixing and mastering alike.

The Pultec spirit, more complete

The Empress is a passive equaliser followed by a tube gain stage, in the spirit of the Pultec EQP-1. Each channel has three bands. As on the original, the low and high bands can cut and boost at the same time, to sculpt curves that are impossible to get otherwise. Gainlab has added a mid filter between them, which isolates a part of the spectrum more precisely.

The Shift function

On the low and high bands, the Shift function offsets the centre frequencies of the cut and boost stages when they are used together. This changes the shape of the resulting curve, without a bandwidth control.

Built for recall

The controls use stepped attenuators: every position can be found again exactly from one session to the next, a real plus in mastering. The gain stage uses military-grade 6N1P EV tubes (E88CC equivalent), and the transformers use a nanocrystalline alloy.

Reviews

"…The Empress is another great-sounding piece of hardware from Gainlab Audio. It has been nicely designed and put together beautifully, using high-quality components." Read the full Sound On Sound review.

Specifications

• Configuration: 2 channels x 3 bands
• Pultec-style passive equaliser with mid band and Shift function
• Stepped attenuators
• Tube gain stage: 6N1P EV (E88CC equivalent)
• Nanocrystalline alloy transformers
• Inputs: 2 x balanced XLR
• Outputs: 2 x balanced XLR
• Maximum input level: +23 dBu
• Input impedance: > 10 kΩ
• Maximum output level: > +23 dBu
• Output impedance: < 65 Ω
• Frequency response: 20 Hz - 20 kHz (± 0.5 dB)
• THD+N (0 dBu): < 0.08%
• Noise floor: < -60 dBu
• Signal-to-noise ratio: 88 dB
• Format: 2U rackmount, 483 x 280 x 89 mm
• Weight: 5.6 kg
• Mains: 230 V AC (EU), 110 V AC (US)

Pairs well with, for example, the Gainlab Bishop tube preamp.