Empress Effects - ParaEQ MKII Deluxe | Full Demo and Review

Buckle up as we dive into the sonic wonderland of Empress Effects with their latest creation – the ParaEQ MKII Deluxe!

Established in 2005 by the visionary Steve Bragg, a recent graduate in electrical engineering from Ottawa, Canada, Empress emerged from a humble beginning. The spark was ignited when a friend commissioned a custom tremolo unit. After seven months, Bragg delivered a pedal, only to find his friend had already made a purchase. Unbeknownst to him, this marked the inception of Empress, as a local music shop fell in love with the pedal, ordering ten more. Thus, Empress soared to new heights.

The Empress ParaEQ MKII Deluxe is a faithful evolution to the original high-quality ParaEQ, now with a 27V internal operating voltage, providing it with much more headroom reminiscent of the operating voltage of studio rack gear.

Distinguishing itself from the standard version, the MKII Deluxe boasts a gracefully adjustable Q section along the top, replacing switches and high/low pass knobs. The lower panel showcases low and high shelves, harmonising seamlessly with the pedal's artistic essence.

The ParaEQ MKII is a foot switch bypassable three-band equaliser. Revel in the nuanced control over Q width, frequency, and a generous 15 dBs of gain cut and boost. Navigate effortlessly through the low and high pass filters and shelves. The high pass filter ranges from 10 to 330Hz, with the low pass running from 22K down to 1.5K, while the ranges of the three bands are 35 - 500Hz, 250Hz to 5K, and 1k up to 20k.

A separate foot switch invites you to wield the boost control, imparting an additional 30dB of soulful energy to your notes. Caution, this pedal hungers for a 300mA operating voltage, so make sure you have a power supply with enough juice to run this thing.

In essence, the Empress ParaEQ MKII Deluxe transcends the realm of mere pedals. It stands as a virtuoso tone sculptor, a frequency wizard, and a sonic maestro. Its solid build quality offers a tactile connection as you delicately carve out or embellish frequencies. The adjustable Q and shelving make it easy to soften and boost, crafting a tonal masterpiece. The high and low cut section helps sculpt the extremities of your sonic canvas.

Available for AUD $629, the ParaEQ MKII Deluxe awaits you at your preferred Audio Retailer or the Empress Website.

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