Rane MQ 302
A stereo third-octave equalizer built on one bet: one set of faders could do the work of two.
Overview
The MQ 302 is a stereo 1/3-octave equalizer that runs both the left and right channels off a single set of faders. Rane's own advertising called that "a ground breaking idea which fills a void in true stereo applications." Instead of matching two banks of sliders by eye, you grab one handle and both channels move together. Anyone who has chased a phantom center that drifted because the left and right curves didn't quite agree will see the point. Rane's period advertising described the MQ 302 as a "legendary" stereo equalizer, and as the company noted in EQ-Magazine (September 1998, p.85), it was the compact answer for those concerned with size.
The design lived under Rane's Mojo Series banner, the company's American-made, budget-conscious line. Rane's period advertising for the Mojo Series said the company had spent over fifteen years building what it called the world's finest signal processing, and that the Mojo line was the answer for buyers who kept asking for something more affordable. The gear was described as inexpensive but built to outperform the "bargain" brands (EQ-Magazine, September 1996, p.74).
The MQ 302 was the stereo EQ in that family. Rane's copy leaned on the word "legendary" when it talked about the 302.
The specs are more interesting than the marketing. Rane published the MQ 302 as a stereo 31-band graphic with balanced inputs and outputs, which matters in this class, where balanced I/O was often the first corner cut. The response is quoted at 20 Hz to 20 kHz, signal-to-noise at 96 dB, and total harmonic distortion at .009%. Those are honest working numbers. The .009% THD is perfectly clean for a graphic EQ of this era, but it is not the vanishingly low figure a premium console equalizer might claim.
In a published comparison chart, Rane set the Mojo MQ302 against the Peavey 231, the Rane ME60, and the DOD SR231QX. The MQ302 was the only one in that group listed as a stereo 31-band design. The Peavey and the DOD were dual 31-band units, and the ME60 was a dual 31-band. Where the others gave you two independent 31-band channels, Rane gave you one set of faders controlling both. The chart also lists the MQ302 as having balanced in/out (the Peavey was input-only) but no low-cut filter and no FET switching, both of which the DOD offered. So the MQ 302 was not the feature-heavy choice. It was the coherent-stereo choice.
The price stings a little. That same comparison chart shows the DOD SR231QX and Peavey 231 both priced under $375, while the MQ302 is marked as not under $375, as is the Rane ME60. Rane was selling the Mojo line as the affordable option and pricing the 302 above the bargain competition. The MQ 302 asked a premium over the DOD and Peavey for the single-fader stereo concept and the balanced I/O. Whether that was worth it depended on whether you valued the workflow. Rane's copy made the case that the most accurate way to set stereo equalization is with a single set of faders.
The 302 also came in two physical formats. The 1U version with 20mm faders is the MQ 302S. Rane later introduced a long-throw version, the MQ 302L, built around 45mm faders in a 2U chassis. Rane's advertising for the L was candid about why it existed: "for those of you who are concerned with size," the long-throw version was there for people who wanted more fader travel and finer resolution. Both versions, Rane stressed, carried the same quality and reliability. The short-or-long choice was about ergonomics and rack space, not about circuit differences the company was willing to advertise.
To sum up the spec sheet: the MQ 302 is a stereo 31-band graphic EQ with balanced I/O, a single shared fader bank, 20 Hz-20 kHz response, 96 dB signal-to-noise, and .009% THD, sold in a 1U short-fader version (302S) and a 2U long-fader version (302L). It came from Rane's Mojo Series and was made in America. It was positioned as the affordable line even though its own price sat above the cheapest competition. It has no low-cut filter and no FET switching. Rane's own advertising called the 302 "legendary."
eBay Listings
As an eBay Partner, we earn from qualifying purchases. This helps support our independent vintage technology research.