CRANBORNE AUDIO Carnaby 500 Harmonic EQ

Shape frequencies by creating harmonics instead of relying on conventional boost and cut alone. The Cranborne Audio Carnaby 500 Harmonic EQ is a three-band 500 Series parametric equalizer built around a unique analog saturation-based approach to tone shaping. Its interactive Low, Mid and High bands each generate harmonic content tailored to their frequency range, allowing sources, stems and complete mixes to gain weight, presence, air and character as they're equalized. Sweepable overlapping bands cover 20Hz–420Hz for lows, 200Hz–6.2kHz for mids and 5kHz–25kHz for highs, while independent ±20dB input and output controls determine how hard the circuitry is driven. From subtle tonal enhancement to dense analog saturation, Carnaby 500 combines the familiar workflow of an EQ with harmonic behavior that changes dynamically with the incoming signal.

Three Harmonic Bands Shape Tone in Different Ways

Each band uses a different saturation response designed around the frequencies it controls. The Low shelf employs harder clipping to generate harmonics from bass and sub-bass material, adding perceived weight and warmth without behaving like a traditional low-frequency boost. A fixed-Q Mid peaking band adds harmonic emphasis anywhere from 200Hz–6.2kHz, making it useful for shaping body, presence and definition across vocals and instruments. The High shelf uses smoother saturation from 5kHz–25kHz, extending harmonic content beyond the audio band to add air and openness to vocals, acoustic instruments and complete mixes.

Drive Level Changes the EQ's Harmonic Character

Unlike a conventional equalizer with a largely fixed response, the amount of boost, cut and harmonic saturation changes according to the signal level driving the circuits. Raising the input level can push the processor toward denser saturation and more pronounced tonal shaping, while backing it down produces a cleaner, more restrained EQ response. The output control then provides up to ±20dB of adjustment for level matching after processing. Dedicated Low, Mid and High LEDs indicate saturation activity, giving engineers immediate visual feedback as they move between subtle enhancement and more aggressive harmonic effects.

OptoSync Brings Harmonic EQ to Stereo and Multichannel Workflows

Cranborne Audio's OptoSync technology allows two adjacent modules to operate as a synchronized stereo pair, transferring control changes from the master unit to the second processor through optical communication without internal linking cables. A 1/8" TRS connection extends synchronization to non-adjacent modules, while multiple units can be linked for consistent processing across summing mixers and multichannel setups. Automatic calibration helps maintain matching between analog saturation paths, and stepped front-panel controls support precise adjustment and recall. With true bypass and a high-headroom analog design supporting input and output levels up to +26dBu, the Carnaby 500 brings a distinctly different approach to EQ for tracking, mixing, stereo buses and other analog processing applications.