Have you looked at the BBE 882i Sonic Maximizer?

Oddly enough I've just been looking into the BBE 482i only difference I can see is in headroom and th 882i has XLRs. But yeah this appears to be the solution for my rig which ultimately gets used for guitar, bass, pa and recording work. To be honest I've always preferred graphic eq to parametric which just baffles me anyway. I'm now considering a sonic maximiser and a dbx 215eq to add to my rig.

I'n not aware of any real cheap or budget parametric eq's, but for a good and decently priced parametric, look for a used TC Electronic 1140 or the model that was specific fo bass.

Furman made a very nice parametric eq and I see them all the time at places like GC and Sam Ash in the used racks. Also if you can find one Technics had a nice graphic equalizer but you could vary both the Q and the frequency so it was a mixture of both worlds and I have seen these at HI-FI shops on the used counter for not too much money. I personally would stay away from the BBE stuff as it can do some pretty mean stuff to your signal at the same time it is doing what it is suppose to do. Best of luck!

I still have one of those Technics! It has 5 bands/channel consisting of a slider (+/-) and little concentric knobs for the 'Q' and Hz. Rack mount/w. handles, and weighs a ton. I use it on the SC loop of compressors...
You might also look for a used Rane or Ashly parametric. In fact, Ashly made an instrument preamp/parametric EQ that was big with bass players, and you can still find them on e-bay once in a while.

Just an update.
Scored a pair of behringer parametric eqs super cheap on ebay. I get them soon. and will l get back to you. Not a big Behringer fan. I have been burnt when I didn't know better but given that any thing else is boutique and nearly 10x the price (that should tell me something) I'll take my chances.
The BBE I tried was an old unit and only one channel worked about half the time, so I returned it for a refund and got conned into a Behhringer Dualfex. Its ok...but it lacks the quality I look for and, here it is, I don't think sonic maximisers do all that much.
They make a small and noticeable difference that I could live without, and still sound awesome. They could damage a system in the wrong hands. They should be used sparingly to add a hint of gloss, and thats if you were being fussy.

cheeseman wrote: Just an update.
Scored a pair of Behringer parametric eqs super cheap on EBAY. I get them soon. and will l get back to you. Not a big Behringer fan. I have been burnt when I didn't know better but given that any thing else is boutique and nearly 10x the price (that should tell me something) I'll take my chances.
The BBE I tried was an old unit and only one channel worked about half the time, so I returned it for a refund and got conned into a Behringer Dualfex. Its ok...but it lacks the quality I look for and, here it is, I don't think sonic maximizers do all that much.
They make a small and noticeable difference that I could live without, and still sound awesome. They could damage a system in the wrong hands. They should be used sparingly to add a hint of gloss, and thats if you were being fussy.

Behringer is almost always a copy of someone else's work so you may indeed have a Furman or Rane or something else with the Behringer name slapped on it. I saw a demo at one of our tech reps seminars. It was put on by Mackie. They had a Mackie 24X8X2 console with the bottom taken off. The also had the same product from Behringer with the bottom taken off. They were pretty darn identical even to the way the circuit boards looked and the way the wiring was done. Some one took a Mackie and just copied the whole thing. For some reason the two consoles did not sound the same - different op amps? different caps? different something. Most equipment costs what it does because not only does the company need to recover the cost of building the equipment but also the engineering time that was put into it. Behringer stuff is cheaper because they just copy someone else's design work and simply put it in a new case. IMHO you get what you pay for.

Best of luck with your Behringer stuff.

Hey Im not praising Behringer for anything. Here in Oz we unfortunately get nothing like the range available in the US. I have great respect for the engineers who submit highly considered recommendations here. But the difference between $120 aus for a used pair of Behringer eqs and $X for a more reputable brand at a time when no manufacturer is selling parametric eqs on account of the fact that we all have more effective units in our soft ware is notable.
I was looking for some thing to dial in some control on my bass rig which doubles as a guitar rig if it works for $120aus ($96US) I would consider myself lucky, and consider purchasing something more sustantial in quality down the track if available. But the quest to even get this far has just produced a look of bewilderment from even the most furtive of sales attendants.

cheeseman wrote: Hey Im not praising Behringer for anything. Here in Oz we unfortunately get nothing like the range available in the US. I have great respect for the engineers who submit highly considered recommendations here. But the difference between $120 aus for a used pair of Behringer eqs and $X for a more reputable brand at a time when no manufacturer is selling parametric eqs on account of the fact that we all have more effective units in our soft ware is notable.
I was looking for some thing to dial in some control on my bass rig which doubles as a guitar rig if it works for $120aus ($96US) I would consider myself lucky, and consider purchasing something more sustantial in quality down the track if available. But the quest to even get this far has just produced a look of bewilderment from even the most furtive of sales attendants.

Understood. I know some mastering friends in AUSTRALIA and they say that prices for audio goods are ASTRONOMICAL. We have sold a few items on Ebay to people in OZ and the postage to get it there is considerable. Best of Luck and let us know how they work - maybe have a friend in the US of A keep a weather eye at GC and Sam Ash stores and when something comes available they can let you know.