4ms Company - Leveling EQ Amplifier (LEQA)

The Leveling EQ Amplifier, or LEQA, is a processor for the end of your signal chain. It brings together three things you'd normally reach for when finishing a mix — a compressor, an equaliser and a stereo width processor — in one module. The reference points are two studio classics: the LA-2A optical compressor and the Neve 1073 EQ, both loved for sounding good without much fuss. 4ms took that ease of use to heart. Instead of full parametric control, the LEQA works with pre-set curves and frequency choices, so it's quick to land on something that sits right.

The compressor follows the optical approach, which tends to sound smooth and musical rather than clinical. Two ratios are on hand — a gentler 3:1 for general compression and a firmer 10:1 for limiting — with a VU meter showing gain reduction as it happens. A dry/wet control blends compressed and clean signal for parallel compression. The EQ sits alongside it with low and high shelves, a mid bell and a separate high-pass, all on musically chosen frequencies. You can place the EQ before or after the compressor, or bypass it, which changes how the two sections play off each other.

Stereo handling is the third piece of this module. The width processor pulls a wide image back into something tighter and more focused, or pushes a normal stereo signal out into "super stereo". Feed it a mono source and it can spread that into stereo using psychoacoustic tricks, a take on the Haas effect. Width sits on a knob and under CV, so the stereo field can move as part of a patch.

Very nice for gluing a busy patch together, polishing a submix, or treating a full master bus — push it harder and it turns into a shaping effect of its own.

Features:

• End-of-chain audio processor combining compressor, EQ and stereo width, inspired by the LA-2A and Neve 1073
• Optical-style compressor with two ratios: 3:1 (Comp) and 10:1 (Limit)
• Gain reduction and make-up gain controls, with a real-time VU meter
• Dry/wet control for parallel compression, plus compressor bypass
• Four-filter EQ: low shelf, mid bell and high shelf with boost/cut, plus a high-pass with selectable frequency
• Musically tailored, pre-set frequency choices rather than full parametric control
• EQ routable pre- or post-compressor, or bypassed
• Global EQ gain for subtle correction or drastic shaping
• Stereo Width Processor: narrow, widen or push into "super stereo"
• Mono-to-stereo conversion via a take on the Haas effect
• Knob and CV control over stereo width
• Stereo I/O on 3.5mm jacks
• 96kHz, 24-bit codec with 32-bit internal processing