Rane PE-15 (1986–1987)

The Rane PE-15 is a single-rackspace, five-band parametric equalizer that also works as a five-band sweepable notch filter. That combination was unusual enough that Rane's own 1986 launch advertising joked about what to call it, tossing off coinages like "paranotchic sweepalizer" before settling on plain "parametric equalizer and notch filter." The ads claimed it was the first and only five-filter unit of its kind in one box, and that its five completely independent bands offered significantly more control than conventional four-band designs.

Each band had a four-octave frequency sweep range and its own LED-indicated bypass switch. High- and low-frequency shelving were available as well, all in a single-space steel chassis. Rane's advertising suggested a list price of $389 and described the PE-15 as the most flexible, powerful, compact, high-performance and cost-effective parametric equalizer you could get.

Audio magazine reviewed the PE-15 in April 1987. The reviewer found its electronic performance excellent and said it was his first choice in equalizers (p.91). In the same issue, he noted an obvious difference when the PE-15 was used to flatten the already-good response of a tape recorder (p.90). Bench results showed maximum input/output levels close to 9.0 V across the band, dropping to 8.8 V at 20 Hz and 20 kHz into a 10-kilohm load, with an input impedance of 21.6 kilohms.

Beyond that review and the ad campaign, little official documentation survives for the PE-15. It was clearly a respected professional tool in its day; the surviving record just isn't thick enough to fill in much more of the story.