Soundcraftsmen RP-2215-R
A ten-band-per-channel graphic equalizer that a working studio in Quebec kept in its outboard rack next to a Mu-Tron Phasor and a Boss GE-10.
Overview
The RP-2215-R is a stereo graphic equalizer with ten octave controls per channel and a rated range of ±15 dB. That is enough cut and boost to chase down a room node or tame a honky midrange without running out of slider. Soundcraftsmen built it into a 19-inch rack-mount chassis. The period spec sheet lists it at 19 in. (480 mm) wide, 5-1/4 in. (133 mm) high, and 11 in. (280 mm) deep, weighing 21 lbs. (9.6 kg). That weight is the tell: this is a line-level box with a real power supply in it.
The headline numbers are respectable even by later standards. Audio (July 1979, p.81) listed harmonic and IM distortion both at 0.01 percent at a 2-volt output level, with a signal-to-noise ratio of 100 dB referenced to that same 2 V. In plain terms, the RP-2215-R is quiet and clean enough that inserting it into a tape loop or a tape-recorder feed shouldn't audibly roughen the signal. That is the use case the review describes.
Soundcraftsmen's own UK advertising, placed through distributor REW Professional Audio, made bolder claims. It pitched the RP2215-R as "one of the finest graphic equalizers available today providing superb performance at low cost," and quoted 114 dB signal-to-noise with 0.01% distortion and ±15 dB cut or lift, alongside an LED intensity display for accurate line-up. Treat the 114 dB figure as marketing copy rather than a measured result. The independent Audio review's 100 dB re: 2 V is the number to trust. The LED metering is a real feature, though, and lining up gain structure by eye beats guessing.
The same 1978 Audio advertisement priced the RP2201-R at $2000 including cabinet and the RP2215-R at $37000 including cabinet, with the copy promising "spectacular performance, many more features" for the extra money. By the time the Audio review ran in July 1979, the listed price was $370.00. In the UK, REW's ads quoted £185.00 plus VAT. This was not the budget entry. That was the RP2201-R's job.
A Canadian Musician studio directory lists a Montreal demo-and-jingle room running a Soundcraftsmen EQ RP2215-R in its outboard rack alongside a Mu-Tron Phasor I, a Morley volume pedal, a Tom Scholz Power Soak, and a Boss Graphic EQ GE-10. That is working gear in a working room. Audio (July 1979, p.81) also noted the practical appeal of inserting EQ into the feed to a tape recorder, which means shaping what went to tape rather than trying to fix it afterward.
A unit found today has probably spent decades bolted into a rack, so expect rack rash on the ears and the usual age-related concerns for line-level gear of this vintage. Sliders and switches are the wear points, and the LED display should be checked for dead segments. The 21-lb. weight and 19-inch format make shipping non-trivial, and dirty faders will be obvious immediately with a ±15 dB range. No production years, current market prices, or documented common failures could be confirmed from available sources, so treat any seller claims about originality and service history with skepticism.
It's a niche piece now — a graphic equalizer is a hard sell to a generation that does its room correction in software — but for anyone running a vintage rack, patching tape, or just wanting a ten-band-per-channel tool with honest specs and rack-mount build, the RP-2215-R is the serious end of what Soundcraftsmen was making.
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