Master Effects issues version 2 of Puppet Master EQ

August 1, 2024 · 1 sources

Master Effects announced in August 2024 a version 2 of the Puppet Master EQ, a three-band semi-parametric pedal based on the Aphex EQF-2 settings used on Metallica's Master of Puppets¹. The maker lists three changes from v1¹.

The Puppet Master EQ keeps the same control set: low frequency boost, mid frequency cut and high shelf boost level, with selectable low, mid and high frequencies¹. The maker gives the ranges as 25-500Hz with up to 12dB boost on the low band, 250-5000Hz with up to 12dB cut on the mid band, and 1-20kHz with up to 12dB boost on the high shelf¹.

Version 2 adds frequency markers on the FREQ controls and puts the buffer from the original EQF-2 into the signal chain before the EQ stages, which the maker says gives more consistent behavior with different equipment such as tube and solid state amp FX loops, pedalboards and modelers¹. The pedal remains true bypass, and the buffer is only in the chain when the pedal is engaged¹. The third change corrects a design issue in the original EQ that the maker says would sometimes make the high shelf band oscillate and produce strange noises with some amps; the maker states this does not affect the tone of the EQ stage¹.

The pedal runs on a standard 9V power supply (2.1mm, center negative) supplying at least 100mA, and an internal charge pump provides ±15V to the circuit¹. Each unit is assembled by hand in Calgary, Alberta, Canada, and carries a one-year warranty on parts and labor¹. The price is $199US plus shipping, with shipping given as $20US within Canada and the US and approximately $60US to the UK, Western Europe, Australia and Japan¹. The maker says orders typically ship within 2-4 weeks¹.