AudioScape's new Pultec-inspired rack is a no-compromise stereo take on the classic passive equaliser.
By Matt Houghton
Published March 2026
Arguably the most famous of all analogue equalisers, the Pultec EQP-IA is a passive, valve-amplified design that was also among the first EQs to see regular use in the music industry. The earliest version was introduced as the EQP-I in 1953, and variants of it remained in production until 1981. Familiar as it now is to many of us (thanks in no small part to the number of DAW plug-in emulations of it), it has to be said that this two-band EQ is a pretty quirky design. Thankfully, the quirks proved very useful, most notably the so-called 'Pultec trick' whereby dialling in LF shelf attenuation and an equal shelving boost at the same frequency doesn't simply cancel out, but rather creates a slight dip just above the boost, which makes it quick and easy to dial in meaty low-end boosts without things becoming too 'flabby' or 'muddy'. It's far from a one-trick pony, though, and also contributing to its popularity are a pleasing harmonic distortion that's introduced even with no cuts or boosts applied, and the fact that even the tightest of bells in the upper band are pretty wide.
It's actually pretty hard to dial in a bad result accidentally, then, and the EQP-IA has proved enduringly popular among recording, mixing and mastering engineers. When original units occasionally come up on the second-hand market, they fetch eye-watering sums, so it's hardly surprising that several companies make products based on this vintage design. Some attempt, as far as possible, to be no-expense-spared clones, while others are more loosely based on it, aiming either to embellish it with greater functionality or to make the technology available for a lower price.
A little history behind this “new” product, for those who are curious…
Is the D108 a direct UA 2108 clone?
In short, no. The D108 is certainly inspired by the UA 2108 preamp, but it follows our own design conventions in a few ways.
Most importantly, the JFET input stage - while designed like a vintage circuit, with vintage parts - is our own design. It fulfills the same purpose, built according to a similar philosophy, but is very much an AudioScape original.
As we mentioned at the beginning of February, we’ll have some changes to our pricing starting March 1.
Thankfully, we’ve been able to keep these pretty manageable, and limited to a few product categories - at least for now - with a small update to shipping fees as well. (A necessary evil… more on that later).
We will most likely be reassessing prices again come this summer. But for now, here are the major updates to our pricing starting March 1:
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(We’ve previously covered a general overview and history of Pultec® EQs here as well.)
The Pultec® MEQ-5 was introduced in 1955, not long after the better known EQP-1A in 1953. It was designed by Pulse Techniques® co-founders and operators Eugene Shenk and Ollie Summerlin, originally intended to complement the EQP-1A circuit as a more precise tool for addressing the “power region” of music: the mid-range frequencies between 200hz-7khz where our ears are most sensitive.
Used in concert, the EQP-1A and MEQ-5 offered a highly musical solution for program material equalization across the entire frequency spectrum, with a great deal of control over the critical mid-range. And this combination is exactly how the two designs were meant to be used!
Variable‑mu Compressor
Published November 2025
AudioScape’s take on the classic RCA valve compressor is much more than just a clone...
Measuring a staggering five rack units tall, this behemoth, single‑channel valve compressor undeniably has one of the poorest height‑to‑channel‑count ratios! And with nine valves and five transformers employed in the design, the AudioScapeASA‑6A will probably not win any medals when it comes to efficiency either. So you’d hope that what might appear to be an absurdly over‑the‑top design can cast some sort of magic on your audio. Does it manage to do that? Let’s find out...
The word “iconic” gets thrown around pretty loosely in the world of vintage pro audio, where nearly every analog dynamics processor made before 1979 is attended to like a holy relic.
Tomorrow marks one year since we announced the MK-609, our painstakingly recreated replica of the original Neve metal knob 33609.
The 33609 has long been near the top of the list of most requested units, so we knew if we were going to take it on, we were going to do it right. In the end, it took nearly four years of meticulous R&D to bring this British classic to life. Much of that time was spent tracking down rare, obsolete, and in some cases nearly unobtainium NOS parts to build the most authentic 33609 circuit possible in the 21st century.
In fact, in addition to being one of the most complicated builds to design, build, and calibrate in QC, the MK-609 may have the most rare NOS parts of any of our units. It took literally years of scouring the US and UK surplus market to find all of these. However, this step was absolutely essential to building a truly authentic 33609. Here are a few examples:
It’s been a crazy month, and we’ve received a lot of emails from folks asking for a little more time as paychecks and income from sessions come in. (We’ve been inundated- if you haven’t been replied to yet, please know you will be!)
In the meantime, we’ve found a temporary solution we hope will work for everybody. Our projected price increases, as stated in our last newsletter, will be cut in half for the month of August. Come September, we’ll raise them to the full amount in our projected price list. We’re hoping this gives a little extra time to everyone who needs it. We truly are trying our best to meet all of you where we can, and keep bringing you kickass gear.
As a reminder: we now have small shipping costs added for our US customers starting this month. They range from $7.50 to $25 based on product size and weight. Those may eventually have to go up as well, but we are starting as small as we can.
Below is the updated base pricing for August only…
