Waves Audio is now shipping the new Scheps 73 plug-in, a colorful 3-band EQ modeled on the classic 1073 console EQ and mic preamp module and developed in association with noted mix engineer Andrew Scheps (Adele, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Black Sabbath, Lana Del Rey, Metallica, Jay-Z).
Using innovative technologies to model the Marinair transformer, Waves has captured allof the sonic characteristics of the 1073, including its harmonic distortion whose overtones were tweaked by Scheps, resulting in beautiful and authentic saturations.
“The 1073 is pretty much the gold standard for mic pres and EQs,” Scheps states. “This plug-in captures all of the character of the original, while adding a great extra midrange band from the 1078.”
The Scheps 73 offers fully interrelated bands, including a fixed 12 kHz high-frequency band, switchable low and midrange bands with cut and boost controls, and an 18 dB/octave high-pass filter. Adhering to the original specs, it also adds the Waves MS matrix for applying different equalization to mid and side stereo content.
In addition, a little-known 10 kHz midrange band discovered in the original 1073 schematics but operable only on the rare 1078 channel strip has been modeled for the first time and incorporated into the plug-in.
Scheps adds, “Being able to EQ in MS mode opens up a whole new range of possibilities for my workflow. I think about EQing in ways I never have before with traditional hardware.”
The Waves Scheps 73 is currently available with a U.S. MSRP of Native $149 and SoundGrid $225. Special introductory price for Native only: $99.