Cognate Pultrick Manual

Bypass

• Type: Toggle in the centre of the top bar

Turns off the EQ and passes your bass straight through, including the modelled valve and transformer stages. Use it to A/B Pultrick against the dry signal — even with all the EQ controls at zero, the circuit colour is still in the path when the plugin is active.

Low Freq

• Options: 20 Hz, 30 Hz, 60 Hz, 100 Hz

The low-band centre frequency. Pick the option that sits where you want to feel the action, then use Low Boost and Low Atten to shape it.

• 20 Hz — Sub. Mostly felt rather than heard; the territory of low-B fundamentals.
• 30 Hz — Deep low end. Adds weight and rumble.
• 60 Hz — Body. The most musical setting for the boost-cut trick — fattens without flapping.
• 100 Hz — Low mids. Where notes get their punch and definition.

Low Boost

• Range: 0 to 10
• Default: 0

Boost amount at the Low Freq centre. On its own this is a gentle low-shelf-like lift. Where it gets interesting is when Low Atten is also up: the two together create a complex, asymmetric curve that pushes the low end forward while pulling out the muddy region just above it. That's the Pultec trick — and it sounds quite different from any conventional EQ doing the same thing.

Low Atten

• Range: 0 to 10
• Default: 0

Cut amount at the Low Freq centre. The cut sits at a slightly higher frequency than the boost — the original designers' "mistake" that turned the EQ into something interactive. Use it on its own to clean up mud, or alongside Low Boost for the famous boost-and-cut trick. Push both for the iconic Pultec low-end shape.

High Freq

• Options: 3 kHz, 5 kHz, 8 kHz, 10 kHz, 16 kHz

The high-band centre frequency for the boost. This is a peaking filter — the lift sits at this frequency with the width set by Bandwidth.

• 3 kHz — Upper-mid presence. Good for cutting through a dense mix.
• 5 kHz — Pick attack and string detail.
• 8 kHz — The classic Pultec "air" frequency. Adds sheen without harshness.
• 10 kHz — Brighter, glassier high end.
• 16 kHz — Open top — feel rather than a specific frequency you can point at.

High Boost

• Range: 0 to 10
• Default: 0

Boost amount at the selected High Freq. The Pultec high band has a famously musical character — push it harder than you would on a normal EQ; it stays sweet rather than turning brittle. Pair with Bandwidth to control how broad or focused the lift is.

Bandwidth

• Range: 0 to 10
• Default: 5

The Q (width) of the high-frequency boost peak. Low values make the boost narrow and surgical — useful for picking out a specific harmonic. High values make it broad and gentle, the way most engineers actually use a Pultec for high-end air. The default sits in the middle.

Atten Freq

• Options: 5 kHz, 10 kHz, 20 kHz

Centre frequency for the high-frequency cut, separate from the boost frequency. Lets you boost at one high frequency and cut at another — useful for adding sheen at 8 kHz while taming harshness at 5 kHz, for example.

• 5 kHz — Tame upper-mid bite or pick noise.
• 10 kHz — General brightness reduction.
• 20 kHz — Roll off the very top edge — feel-only adjustment.

High Atten

• Range: 0 to 10
• Default: 0

Cut amount at the Atten Freq. Use it to roll off harshness without affecting the air added by the boost band. The Pultec high-cut is gentle and broad — closer to a tilt than a notch — so it sounds natural even at heavy settings.

Gain

• Range: -12 to 12 dB
• Default: 0 dB

Output level. EQ moves change perceived loudness — use Gain to match the bypassed and engaged volumes so engaging Pultrick is a tonal change, not a level jump. Pushing this hot also drives the modelled output stage a little harder, adding subtle saturation if you want it.