Trident 500 Series A-Range EQ 2 Space Module is a two-slot 500 Series equaliser module based on the EQ circuit from the legendary Trident A-Range console — one of the most sought-after analog desks ever built, used on records by David Bowie, Led Zeppelin, and Queen. The 2 Space format reflects the complexity of the circuit and the number of EQ bands recreated from the original, requiring two slots in the 500 Series chassis to accommodate the full circuit topology.
The A-Range EQ circuit — what sets it apart from other vintage EQs
The A-Range console EQ was designed in an era when equalisation was a creative tool rather than a corrective one. The defining characteristic of the circuit is its inductor-based band filters — coils rather than capacitors — which give boosts and cuts a specific, rounded character without the hard phase artefacts typical of cheaper RC filter designs. The A-Range high-frequency band is famous for an airiness that adds presence without sibilance, and the midrange has a wide, musical Q that is ideal for tonal shaping rather than surgical precision. This is an EQ that sounds good at aggressive settings — a quality that cannot be achieved by copying electrical specifications alone without recreating the component character that defines the original circuit's behaviour under signal.
500 Series format and integration into modern signal chains
The two-slot 500 Series format allows the A-Range tonal character to be introduced into any signal path — in the recording chain as a microphone path insert, or during mixdown as an analog insert on a DAW return. For engineers working on consoles without A-Range character, or in fully digital environments with analog outboard, the module delivers a physical inductor-based circuit that no A-Range modelling plugin reproduces with full dynamic and harmonic fidelity regardless of how accurate the algorithm. Power from the 500 Series buss eliminates the need for an external power supply and simplifies integration into existing rack infrastructure.
KEY FEATURES
- Two-slot 500 Series EQ module based on the Trident A-Range console circuit
- Inductor-based band filters — rounded, musical character on boosts and cuts
- Characteristic high-frequency air without sibilance
- Wide, musical midrange Q — tonal shaping rather than surgical correction
- Sounds musical at aggressive settings — creative and corrective applications
- Powered from 500 Series buss — no external power supply required
- 2 Space format — occupies two slots in the 500 Series chassis
TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS
- Type: analog EQ module
- Format: 500 Series, 2 Space (occupies 2 slots)
- Based on: Trident A-Range console EQ circuit
- Filter architecture: inductor-based (coil filters)
- Application: recording chain, analog insert during mixdown
- Power: 500 Series buss
