Front Bay Audio Equalizer

[Morris123]

Hi everyone,

A long long time ago i once purchased a front bay audio equalizer with an attached pci-slot card. This device worked for me for many years and was totally epic. Until about 6 years ago it broke. I threw it out at the time with many tears in my eyes. Now however i am looking for a similar thing. So, a sound card for a PC for the front 5,25" drive bay with an LCD display showing an equalizer and some volume buttons and some sockets for headphones and such. To give you an idea of the best product ever made in the history of mankind that i possessed i have managed to dredge up one picture of it from 2008. If anyone knows this device, it's name, or it's close relatives. Please let me know. I would be forever in your debt.

Regards,

Morris

 

[Paperdoc]

Brief Google searches show me the main problem here: doing audio Equalization digitally inside the computer is so easy, there is all kinds of free software available to do it. Most sound cards AND mobo sound chips come with some.
So the market for extra devices you pay for and connect is pretty small. Don't know if you'll find any. Is using software as an on-screen graphical app not suitable for you?

 

[Morris123]

Brief Google searches show me the main problem here: doing audio Equalization digitally inside the computer is so easy, there is all kinds of free software available to do it. Most sound cards AND mobo sound chips come with some.
So the market for extra devices you pay for and connect is pretty small. Don't know if you'll find any. Is using software as an on-screen graphical app not suitable for you?

Hi, thanks for your reply.

Yes, making an equalizer digitally is super easy, however, please do realize that when i bought this device, it was also already really easy. The device you see in the picture had a card to be plugged into the back of the PC where short cables from the motherboard audio out would be plugged into the audio in of this device. So do realize that this device was made even though digital equalizers and integrated sound cards were normal. Also i have found something like this from Creative that is just missing a screen and something like this from Asus that has a screen but is used for the fan controller.

Morris

 

[Paperdoc]

Now, that's interesting. The old unit you had was not part of a special add-on audio card system. It really was a stand-alone Equalizer that massaged the inputs from any audio output into a modified set of new outputs. And it was made to fit into a computer's front panel 5¼" device slot. I had not seen such a unit before.

 

[Morris123]

Now, that's interesting. The old unit you had was not part of a special add-on audio card system. It really was a stand-alone Equalizer that massaged the inputs from any audio output into a modified set of new outputs. And it was made to fit into a computer's front panel 5¼" device slot. I had not seen such a unit before.

Hey,

Yes it was exactly like that. Anyways i won't be needing it anymore, i am going to build a new custom case without room for drives. Thnx for looking though.

Morris

 

[mtalarek]

I think it was NewQ Gold DSP, judging by all i could find and the beige color, it is a front-bay audio processor that amplifies and EQs any 3.5mm jack signal you plug it into. You could use it without a soundcard, a external source, like aux/mp3 player (even at the time). Sadly it seemed like it was already a rare-to-get item in 1999-2000 when it was produced/first released, and i saw only auctions around 2002, judging by that its long obsolete. I find that a shame BTW, i like gear like that.

 

[Morris123]

I think it was NewQ Gold DSP, judging by all i could find and the beige color, it is a front-bay audio processor that amplifies and EQs any 3.5mm jack signal you plug it into. You could use it without a soundcard, a external source, like aux/mp3 player (even at the time). Sadly it seemed like it was already a rare-to-get item in 1999-2000 when it was produced/first released, and i saw only auctions around 2002, judging by that its long obsolete. I find that a shame BTW, i like gear like that.

Oh dam, you are spot on. That's exactly it. Amazing find man. Still miss it. It is weird that there are still no alternatives to be found. I always found it a really cool and useful device. Now i can adjust the volume and pause play on my keyboard, so that's nice, especially since this corsair has the volume as a scroll wheel. However, the equalizer part i don't see coming back anytime soon.

Also coming back to the function of the device. Yes you had to use a short cable from the motherboard audio out to the devices audio in on the back of the pc. it had a switch there to switch between amplifying and non amplifying. From that back pci card you would connect the speakers.