Gabriel Roth delves into shaping vintage drum sounds using a passive EQ, focusing on the "Pultec trick" with his Tube-Tech PE 1C equalizer. This famous technique with Pultec-style equalizers involves applying both boost and attenuation in either the low or high bands simultaneously, producing unique EQ curves.
He describes boosting around 10k sharply while pulling down on the top shelf to achieve a crisp drum sound without harshness, eliminating unwanted frequencies above 15k.
For the low end, Roth applies the "Pultec trick" around 60Hz, balancing the kick drum's punch with reduced muddiness. This results in a peak at 80Hz and a dip at 200Hz, tightening the low frequencies while maintaining clarity.
Roth highlights the musicality of passive EQs, especially when compared to more clinical parametric units, emphasizing their effectiveness in capturing the warm, vintage character of Daptone's legendary drum sound.