New York, NY (October 27, 2023)—We’d all love to own a hardware Maselec MEA-2 EQ processor, but with a price tag of just under $9,000, only commercial studios or gear collectors will likely find it affordable. However, the Maselec MEA-2 plug-in from Relab Development provides an impressive simulation for $199 ($149 at its current introductory price).
How impressive? On its website, Relab quotes Maselec founder Leif Mases, who says, “The Maselec MEA-2 Plug-in by Relab is closer to the original hardware reference than any two units are to each other.” Relab credits the plug-in’s modeling accuracy in part to the use of machine learning and robotics technology.
Like the original, the MEA-2 plug-in features two channels, each with four bands of EQ. Each band features a bandwidth knob (displayed in dB per octave) that offers a setting for Shelving and five other options, a Frequency knob and a Cut/Boost knob that offers plus or minus 8 dB.
Alto Professional Busker — A Mix Product of the Week
The frequency bands are interlaced, with the lowest ranging from 19 to 530 Hz, the lower mid from 21 to 572 Hz, the upper mid from 617 Hz to 24 kHz and the highs from 665 Hz to 27 kHz. According to Relab, each channel features a “hand-tuned asymmetrical Unique Q (Bandwidth) curve,” which they tout as superior to generic curves.
The plug-in also offers some features not on the original hardware, which give users additional flexibility. These include master Balance and Gain knobs and link buttons that let you choose between stereo and dual mono on each band. You can also set each band to Mid/Side operation. If you set a band (or bands) in Channel 1 to Mid, the corresponding band on Channel 2 will automatically switch to Side.
The plug-in includes a bank of factory presets covering various EQ applications and custom preset banks from Joe Carrol, Audio Animals, Justin Colletti, Koen Heldens and Peter Dowsett. You can also create a Favorites bank, including any factory presets or your own.
The Maselec MEA-2 Precision Stereo Equalizer plug-in runs on Mac and Windows. Find out more at the Relab website.
