Just bought myself some Rane EQs

[TommyVonVoigt]

After doing a bunch of reading, it seemed like a Rane MPE-14 would be a good stereo EQ for me to add to my rack rig. Naturally, I couldn't find one anywhere, but I did find an MPE-28 yesterday on eBay, and grabbed it. I've been thinking through how best to hook it up, since it's mono.

Well, this morning, I happened to be be poking around on eBay again, and lo and behold, and MPE-14 pops up, just listed, NOS. Brand new, still in the box. I absolutely bought it.

So now I have too much EQ, haha. So EQ! Such Rane!

I'll likely be selling one of these, but I have to admit, I'm not sure which one it will be. You'd think keeping the MPE-14 would be a no brainer, and that's likely the way I'll go. But the MPE-28 has some frequency bands that I am very interested in playing with (500 and 800). Anyone here have experience using both?

[rnolan]

Hey Tommy, no experience with Rane Eqs, though I hear they are good, didn't they buy the rights to the ADA programmable Eq?  Anyway, if you are using MP-1 then the mono version (MPE 28) in the Fx loop would work, and it has frequencies you are chasing. The stereo MPE 14, you could run after the MP-1 or even one channel before the MP-1 and the other in the Fx loop.  What input sensitivity do the units have ? (i.e. are they ok at both guitar (inst) level and line level).  Anyway, you'll no doubt have them both soon(ish) albeit COVID has really stuffed around shipping times and costs, and then you can experiment and sell the one you don't need.

[Harley Hexxe]

Hey Tommy,

      I only have one Rane EQ, and that's the ME-15. I've only used it in the effects loops of my stereo preamps, but eventually I took it out of the signal chain. I don't really like it in that configuration, plus I don't really need it there. If I crafted a good tone with the preamp and power amp(s), then it doesn't make sense to add something I don't need.
      Rane splitter/mixers on the other hand are worth their weight in gold. You can split your effects loop up and run each line through different effects processors and blend them back in in parallel for a completely killer tone.

Harley 8)

[TommyVonVoigt]

The MPE-14 came, and I played around with it a little last night. Embarrassingly enough, this is really the first time I've ever messed around with EQ in a loop / post preamp. It is shockingly powerful. Little adjustments go far. Also, as a side note, OMG, the condition of this thing is ridiculous. The box for the power supply has never been opened. The display screens still have protection film on them. It's like I went shopping in 1989. This has to be the cleanest MPE-14 in existence.

Anyway, I'm noticing very quickly that while the MPE-14 is quite powerful, I'm wanting to adjust frequencies it doesn't have. The MPE-28 does, however. So I am now very much looking to try that out.

I also found and ordered a Rane PE-17, so I can see if I'd prefer parametric over graphic. I'd lose MIDI control and presets, but I would gain surgical precision. So, let's see how this goes!

[TommyVonVoigt]

Okay, so I had the opportunity to use the MPE-14 at a rehearsal over the weekend. I will say that I did find it quite useful, making little micro adjustments here and there to really dial in my high gain tones. But, as I predicted, I found myself wishing for even more surgical control. Basically, wishing for more bands.

The MPE-28 arrived today, so I swapped it in and fired it up just now. I immediately went right for 800hz, boosted it 3dB, and it was instant Boston. I also gave a very slight bump at 500hz. It's Faux-Boston, of course. Tom Faulz? LOL. I digress...the point is, while I sacrifice stereo capability with the MPE-28, I get double the control over my tone. I am suspecting that this may be a strong enough selling point to make me choose the MPE-28 over the MPE-14.

But on Friday, the PE-17 gets here. That will give me godlike control of my tone. But, I will sacrifice MIDI control. The MPE-14 and MPE-28 are both fully MIDI controlled, which means I could have separate EQ curves dialed in for high gain rhythm, lead, high gain detuned rhythm, and clean, all instantly called up when I switch my presets. I have to say, the PE-17 will have to absolutely blow my mind. It can't just edge out the MPE-28. It has to bury it, in order for me to give up the luxury of unique EQ curve presets.

I guess we'll see!

Oh, and also, props to both the MPE-14 and MPE-28 for being dead silent and seemingly quite transparent.

[rnolan]

Hey Tommy, you don't necessarily have to give up stereo with the 28 if you use it in the MP-1 fx loop.  I know the loop get a bad rap as being a tone suck and/or hard to dial in, but if the 28 has individual input and out put level controls (and it should) you should be able to get it to work well in the loop.  The issue(s) with the loop I suspect are mostly about getting the gain structure right.  The loop level control is a dual ganged opposing pot to accommodate EITHER inst level OR line level fx devices.  So when you turn the input level up, the output level is turned down (and visa versa) to manitain unity gain in the loop.  So if you set the loop level in the middle (~12 o'clock) and the adjust the input and output levels on the 28 so you maintain unity gain i.e. no vol/gain change when loop in or out, it should work fine.  Obviously any boosting or cutting of various eq bands will affect the output level and you'll need to fine tune the overall output level (which is what that particular control is for) to suit. Anyway worth a try.