Heritage Audio aims for the sound of Motown with its Motorcity EQualizer

The ‘Motown sound’ is one of the most distinctive in pop music history, and one that contemporary producers are still trying to recreate.

If said sound is the one that you’re after, then Heritage Audio reckons you should check out the Motorcity EQualizer. This is is said to be a ‘dead-on’ recreation of the analogue, passive EQ that was used in Detroit on all those classic recordings, and promises punch and warmth to burn.

With its 10-gauge, hand-brushed aluminium faceplate and bakelite knobs, the Motorcity EQ certainly looks the part, and the internal circuitry is supposedly identical to the EQ that inspired it.

It’s based on Motown units owned by producer and engineer Michael Brauer, and contains custom tone capacitors and inductors that feature the same materials, values and tolerances as the originals.

The unit lets you tweak the EQ at seven frequency points, while further controls include an in/out/off toggle switch and a gain control. The rear panel contains just a power supply jack and XLR in/out jacks.

The Motorcirty EQualizer is available now priced at $2,000/€2,000. Find out more on the Heritage Audio website.v

Ben Rogerson

I’m the Deputy Editor of MusicRadar, having worked on the site since its launch in 2007. I previously spent eight years working on our sister magazine, Computer Music. I’ve been playing the piano, gigging in bands and failing to finish tracks at home for more than 30 years, 24 of which I’ve also spent writing about music and the ever-changing technology used to make it. 

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