An Industry-standard EQ Since the ’60s
The API 550A is a true classic — an EQ that’s been embraced by the pro audio community for over a half-century and an industry standard by which other equalizers are judged. Today’s 550A Special Edition celebrates a storied legacy of hit shaping with a limited run of the legendary 500 Series module in a gorgeous vintage cream finish. Designed by API founder Saul Walker in the late ’60s, API’s iconic 550A is one of the all-time classic console equalizers (and 500 Series EQ modules). Offering three bands of definitive API parametric equalization with five judiciously selected frequency centers available on each band, the 550A has shaped the sound of countless recordings, and it remains one of the most sought-after EQs on the planet.
Remarkably effective sound-sculpting capabilities
Thanks to API’s traditional fully discrete design, you’ll enjoy high headroom and premium professional sound from your API 550A Special Edition. Combining API’s proprietary 2520 op-amp and Proportional Q circuitry, the 550A gives engineers access to acoustically superior EQ that’s quick and easy to deploy. Its three overlapping bands provide remarkably effective sound-sculpting capabilities over the audible frequency range. The 550A played a large part in shaping the sound of ’70s rock. You’ll find it ideal for punching up bass and kick drums, getting critical snare drums, guitars, keyboards, and vocals to sit perfectly in the mix, and adding an alluring shimmer to cymbals and acoustic instruments. In short, the 550A is an indispensable studio tool that will seriously upgrade the quality of your studio’s product.
The powerful punch of API’s 2520 op-amp
Another Saul Walker invention, the 2520 operational amplifier used in the API 550A offers the generous headroom necessary for consistent analog sound quality, even when presented with radical equalization curves. Notably, the 2520’s capacity for driving low impedance loads is critical when it is mated to API’s proprietary Proportional Q circuitry. The superior results are quite audible with optimized low-frequency reproduction, crisper midrange, and high-frequency imaging, delivering that inimitable, massive API “punch-in-the-gut” sound that jumps right out of the speakers.
API’s 500 Series: long-term flexibility, lasting value
The beauty of the 500 Series is its long-term flexibility — especially when you consider that your needs will likely change over time. With a range of mounting frame options, it’s easy to reconfigure your 500 Series rig to suit the gamut of studio environments. The API 550A will be a valuable asset in your ever-changing studio setup. And because API invented the 500 Series format, you can be assured that your 550A Special Edition is a wise investment. From the satisfying damped feel of its knobs to the excellent results it produces, the 550A is a pure joy to use. Add a pair — or more — to your rack, and you’ll understand why the API 550A is a true classic.
Built for the long haul
Since the 1970s, API’s large-format consoles have been prized for their robust, mil-spec build quality. This is borne out by the impressive number of vintage APIs still in daily service around the world. Back in the Golden Age of Analog, pro audio equipment was meticulously assembled and wired by hand using fully discrete circuit designs and military-grade components — factors to which the timelessly superior sound and performance of coveted vintage gear are often attributed. And that is precisely how API builds its consoles and outboard gear today. Your API 550A Special Edition EQ is built to reliably deliver superior performance and sound, session after session, over decades of faithful service.
API: an American pro audio legend
Launched in 1968 by Saul Walker, Automated Processes Inc. began building high-quality consoles for broadcast applications. Soon, the company’s products found favor with recording studios, and a string of industry-leading innovations (including the 500 Series module, the first VCA, computerized console automation, and more) followed. API produced the 2520 amplifier, one of the most famous op-amps in the recording industry, and its consoles and products found homes in such iconic studio facilities as the Hit Factory, Record Plant, Ocean Way, Sunset Sound, and many others. In fact, there are over 700 vintage API consoles around the globe — many of which are still in use. Clearly, the company isn’t resting on its laurels; today’s API products give you the same unbeatable combination of utility, innovation, and stellar sound. That’s why, at Sweetwater, the name API commands reverence.
API 550A Special Edition Parametric 500 Series EQ Features:
- Limited-edition Vintage Cream finish
- 3 bands of classic API equalization
- Each band offers 7 frequency centers
- Maximum 12dB of boost/cut per band
- Detented controls for easy settings recall
- High and Low EQ bands offer shelf/peak switching
- Proportional Q narrows filter Q at extremes
- API’s traditional fully discrete circuit design
- High headroom (+30dB clip level)
