Origin Effects M-EQ Driver

The M-EQ DRIVER is a Mid Booster & Drive pedal, based on a vintage Pultec® studio EQ. Still sought after today, these legendary passive EQs from the 1950s can be heard on thousands of hit records thanks to their highly musical, versatile EQ curves and the ability to overdrive their push-pull output stage. Rather than making an exact replica, we have chosen to reimagine this classic piece of studio gear as a guitar-oriented, compact pedal.

Craft the perfect mid boost, add some studio-inspired saturation or push the pedal’s valve-like output stage into fierce “cocked wah” distortion. With the addition of our Adaptive Circuitry, the M-EQ DRIVER is always responsive and precise, with a character all of its own.

THE DETAILS:

The original Pultec® studio EQs are renowned for having some of the most natural and musical EQ curves in existence, so we recreated the behaviour of this timeless, passive EQ and optimised it for electric guitar. To make sure you’re emphasising just the right part of your signal, the M-EQ DRIVER lets you choose between 0.8, 1.0 and 1.3 KCS mid boost frequencies (yes, we even kept the old “Kilocycles Per Second” label – Kilohertz in the present day).

Not only does this versatile mid boost guarantee compatibility with all kinds of guitars but, when pushed harder, can elicit a range of saturation from a classic “mid-hump” overdrive to ferocious, resonant distortion tones. Equipped with a transformer, this carefully developed circuit adds harmonic richness, while faithfully recreating the sonic footprint of an original vintage Pultec®.

Using the MID knob in conjunction with the DRIVE control lets you balance mid boost with overdrive, giving your clean or overdriven tones as much or as little mid-emphasis as you need.

To add something new to this classic design, we have equipped the M-EQ DRIVER with our Adaptive Circuitry, applied to the CUT control. Based on the High Frequency Attenuation band of a Pultec®, the CUT control progressively removes treble as it is increased. With the ADAPT switch engaged, this high-end roll-off is reduced as the pedal cleans up, allowing for a smooth transition from warm overdrive to bright clean tones by adjusting your guitar’s volume knob or playing dynamics.


Power Supply Note:

Please note: the M-EQ Driver is powered by a mains adaptor only (not included). We’ve dispensed with the usual 9V battery option, both to save space and to allow us to adopt a high-current approach, yielding lower noise levels and superior tone. Origin Effects pedals are designed to deliver impeccable performance using a range of power supplies.

We recommend you only use a regulated power supply specifically designed for guitar pedal applications as power supplies which do not have sufficient internal filtering can result in unwanted noise.