Description
I have a DN410 in prep. Please email for details
Klark Teknik built a big reputation in the late 70s and 1980s for their equalisers & compressors. Widely used in broadcast, studios and the PA industry, Klark Teknik equalisers were robust, reliable and – crucially – sounded great. The company continues to build high-end pro audio as part of a group with DDA and Midas
The DN-410 is two-channel, five band parametric equaliser with separate high and low-pass filters. Each band is identical with a decade switch to select centre frequencies from 20 Hz to 20 KHz. This enables filters to be overlapped to provide notch filtering and creative EQ effects. Each band has a defeat switch and there’s a hardware relay bypass. The DN-410 can operate as a two-channel, 5-band equaliser or a 10-band mono unit
The DN410 is easy to use with smooth controls & switches and detented zero positions for the boost / cut controls. Each band has a three-way multiplier switch to change frequency range in decades (20-200, 200-2000 & 2000-20,000 Hz) so there’s no mystery about what each band does – they’re all the same. There are no peaking / shelf switches but using the EQ at frequency extremes, with the bandwidth at the broadest setting, gives a very smooth shelving response. The manual has graphs illustrating this
It has five bands per channel, rather than the four you get with most parametric EQs, and each band has an in / out switch with an LED indicator. The high- and low-pass filters are grouped at the far right of the front panel with the gain controls and overall eq in/ out switches. Switching a channel into bypass with the master switch kills the LEDs for each band – logical – they are now bypassed so the LED should be off. It’s a neat bit of logical thinking that typifies the approach Klark-Teknik took to the DN410
On test I found the DN410 to be a complete surprise. I rarely find EQs I like but the KT is now on that list. It sounds as you’d hope an EQ to sound. It’s precise enough to be used for surgical cuts & boosts but, and wider bandwidths, it’s capable of broad, natural-sounding EQ changes. Overall it sounds smooth & polished with lots of headroom
Choice of EQs is very personal and people like to stick to known brands and models with maximum hype. I don’t think the DN410 is destined for internet hype & forum fame – it’s a little bit too prosaic for that – but it’s a super-effective piece of kit which is unfairly neglected
A few quotes from Gearslutz:
“I’ve had a pair of them for about 10 years. I use them on anything that needs eqing but not “color”. Don’t know why they never became a go to piece of gear in the US. I also have the Manley Massive, Speck and Tube Techs but the KT is my clear and clean eq”
“Usually bombproof, reliable to the point of boring and the sort of gear you regret having sold for some *flavour of the month* unit.”
“One of the best of breed neutral eqs”
“Great unit, very clean, i wish i had one”
“Great build quality… It has a nice clean industrial feel to it.”
“Nice flexible EQ. I have 2 and use them in mono mode for 10 bands per channel”
“Had one for a while as well. very clean and precise. for me, better and easier to use than plug-ins”
This DN410 is in really excellent condition, quite remarkable for a vintage item. The front panel is unmarked and all switches, pots & knobs are original. There are the usual minor case scratches.
Pots & switches have been cleaned & lubricated as required. Set to 220 Volt AC. Photos show the item being sold. Tested & working 100%