I think the idea, as far as there being a need, is sound, but the execution is not done in the most useful way.
The idea is, do all your
system EQ with a powerful DSP system, and lock it in. You may have a handful of presets for certain situations.
Then have a separate
program tone control that allows crude but quick and easy compensation for less-than-ideal program content sound quality, including badly mastered recordings.
The program tone control needs to be:-
- instantly accessible, not buried in menus
- only a few seconds to adjust, not complex
- smooth 'dial by ear' adjustment
- instantly resettable to zero or bypass
- based on 'shelf-and knee' approach, not bandpass lumps and bumps
Toole speaks about the high utility of such a control, and referenced the old quad preamps as having the right idea.
IMO this sort of device could allocate its 4 dials to: bass shelf amplitude, bass knee frequency, treble knee frequency, treble shelf amplitude. That would do the trick.
The target audience would be all of us.
cheers