The two-channel Carnaby HE2 is the new flagship version of the Carnaby Harmonic EQ® designed by Cranborne Audio. What do I mean when I say, “Harmonic EQ?” It operates like a multi-band saturator that presents as a 3-band EQ strip. It’s obviously helpful to think of it as an EQ, but it functions quite differently inside. It manages to be simultaneously more subtle than a traditional EQ while also delivering much more dramatic results with a knack for making any source input sound “finished” with minimal effort. In my review of the Carnaby 500 [Tape Op #157], I wrote that, “When you boost a band, you're only boosting saturation. When you attenuate a band, you are attenuating, but also simultaneously adding saturation to fill the space.” Note that all three bands are expertly tuned and sound excellent!
What sets the Carnaby HE2 apart from the 500 Series unit is that more controls are available, and they can be accessed in multiple ways. The Carnaby HE2 is a full-sized two rack-space unit with two channels that can instantly switch modes between dual mono, linked stereo, or mid/side. When you hear the effect of the EQ on a stereo mix, you’ll immediately understand why having instant access to each of these stereo modes is a perfect match for this processor. Another great feature are the high- and low-pass filters. Together, the stereo options and filters make for an ideal use-case in mix bus and mastering applications.
Even more exciting, in addition to a master bypass toggle, the Carnaby HE2 provides individual bypass toggles for each band (and filter). Last week, I was recording drummer Thomas Pridgen. For this particular session, he’d tuned his snare drum up pretty high, which felt ideal for the song. However, it sounded even better when I set the low frequency shelf filter to 210 Hz and boosted it all the way to +10 dB of saturation. I had also added a small amount of the high frequency shelf at 10 kHz, but while listening to how that affected the hi-hat bleed, I was grateful for the ability to bypass just the HI band instead of bypassing the whole effect. It allowed me to hear what the HI band was doing without the distracting loss of body if I bypassed the LO band as well.
Another especially exciting feature is the ability to control and recall settings from my computer. This option is truly amazing and works exactly as one would expect. The HE2 Control app and companion plug-in support most major formats. I’m using Pro Tools, and the AAX plug-in worked flawlessly for me. Quickly auditioning presets made getting sounds a breeze! I can adjust settings from my computer and see the LEDs move instantly on the hardware – and turning a knob on the hardware is instantly reflected in the plug-in’s GUI. Since I run a hybrid analog/digital studio, I’m enthusiastic about hardware that offers software integration. Set up was as simple as running a USB cable from the back of the unit to a hub on my computer.
There’s also an Ethernet connection on the back of the unit. Cranborne tells me they’re planning to support Ethernet in the future, which will be even easier than USB for many studio installs, so I’m eager to test that out. For now, the USB remote has been a well-received feature at my studio. Overall, the Carnaby HE2 is exactly what I’d hoped for: It offers the same great harmonic EQ process as the 500 Series unit but adds a handful of impressive sonic features with an improved studio workflow.
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