Rane FPE-13 Parametric Equalizer Rack Mount Pair, Three Bands Each Unit (1990)The Rane FPE-13 EQ pair in this listing is in very good cosmetic condition and perfect working order. Tops have minor scratches and bottom of rack pan has several significant scratches, all visible in the photos. Front panels and knobs are flawless. There is no rack rash on the rack ends. The bottom right rack ear corner has a very slight bend. The bend is minor enough to not interfere with mounting convenience and small enough to be mostly hidden by the mounting screw. As seen in the photos, there’s also a row of small scratches on the inside edge of the left mounting ear.Functionally, both EQs and the included pair of power supplies are in perfect working condition. All pots, switches and connectors have been carefully cleaned and treated with Caig chemicals just prior to the listing. The internal circuit boards have been visually inspected with a magnifier for any signs of problematic solder joints, bent leads or signs of excessive heat. Nothing was seen that might suggest a problem, now or later. All functions have been tested and passed at the time of this listing. Jack connections are solid and pots & switches are smooth and static free. Most people will notice that the nomenclature on the front panel of FPE-13 EQs is (unfortunately), awkward to read . The peculiar angle of the print was laid out so that the EQ could be mounted either vertically and horizontally. This was a trade-off for a versatile mounting scheme that never really caught on. Nevertheless, it’s a great sonic performer and easy enough to use when dialing in the settings using the “ring method” (sweeping through a slightly boosted frequency range until a mild ringing is heard), or the “resonance tuning method” (turning levels down and sweeping through a highly boosted range until a resonance jumps out when the setting matches the resonance of the sound source). Neither of these common methods require a lot of front-panel interpretation. Fully parametric EQs in this price range are fairly rare, which strikes me as odd considering their superior performance as compared to graphic EQs or semi-parametric console EQs. Potential applications are plentiful. They can be very helpful as console channel inserts for difficult sources such as kick drum, fiddle, acoustic guitar, etc., and/or taming response for the roaming vocalist as well as output buss use for mains, monitors. The solo singer/guitar player could use a pair, one for guitar and one for vocal. I’ve even seen them used in guitar amp effects loops for either specialty tone shaping or smoothing out hot spots in the frequency balance. If your source is especially vexing, you can run a pair of FPE-13s in series to patch-up a single channel 6 band EQ. WIth the bandwidth knob set fully to the left, the frequency notch is very narrow, allowing for response and resonance reductions without compromising the natural sound of the signal source.If you own or plan to own an FPE-13, I can tell you a secret for unlocking the enclosure if you ever need to open one up to spray some contact cleaner in the rotary pots. Not many people know about this and it’s not in the manual. Take a close look at the XLR female on the input. Four holes, not three. Not your every-day XLR. About 3/4” inside the top-center hole is a flat blade set screw that opens and closes an internal latch inside the connector housing. Turning about 1/8 turn to the left unlocks the connector flange from the connector body, letting the enclosure lid slide right off. Remove the five screws on the top first. Then turn the set screws on both XLRs to the left. Slide the top panel rearward, and you’re in. Without knowing this, an FPE-13 would either never open or get broken in the trying. Pretty unusual, I think. But, kinda clever and it works.I’ll wrap up by summarizing the contents of a purchase: Two Rane FPE-13s mounted on a full rack space pan, two power supplies and a print copy of the online manual.Thanks for your patience with long description and thanks for looking. Please feel free to send a message if you have questions.Unit will be packed carefully and shipped promptly by USPS. Every effort will be made to ensure a satisfactory experience for the buyer. If there’s anything you don’t like, I offer a 14 day full refund option. U.S. delivery and PayPal only, please. Also, please check shipping estimate for your locality The package is 16 lbs, so nearby shipping is nicely priced, but more distant shipping can be costly.

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