EMPIRICAL LABS ELQ LIL FREQ

The earliest equalizers were originally developed in order to “correct” the frequency response of early telephone applications. Using passive networks to “compensate for” the uneven frequency response of telephone systems, the Bell Labs engineers figured out that by applying filters having the opposite response curve of that system something closer to an even frequency response could be achieved(hence the term “equalization”). A few decades later, in early 1971, Daniel Flickenger created the first “parametric” equalizer (USPTO #3752928) which wasn’t actually called a “parametric equalizer” until George Massenburg introduced the term in a May 1972 paper presented at the 42nd convention of the Audio Engineering Society.

Parametric Equalization gave the working engineer the ability to determine not only the amplitude (volume), and center frequency of the portion of the frequency spectrum to be “equalized”; but also granted the user the ability to define the bandwidth associated with the amplitude and center frequency of that equalizer. Though commonplace in today’s audio environment, the creation of this powerful toolset was to say the very least an audio engineering “game changer”.