behringer EQ

LDash

Member
hello sound forum

at my school theater we have a behringer EQ twin channel(not sure of the model number etc will find out next week)

well my problem is that i don't have much experience with equalizer's and last night we did a fashion show (Bass songs etc) but i just couldn't seem to get the EQ right all the time it sounds horrible and tinny. in the end i gave up and just bypassed the EQ (mixer straight to amp)

by the way I'm not a sound guy I'm a lighting director/designer/op.
i am the only techie who was in that night (all the rest didn't really know what they were doing (the untrained ones)

so if any one has any tips or anything on how to set up an EQ and what the values mean for each slider( i know i might sound a bit dumb but still) ?(i need it sorted by next week Thursday as we have yet another performance!)

thanks in advance
 
This might help, Simple Feedback Trainer. That can help you learn what different frequencies sound like but as far as how to EQ, the best way to learn is to play with it. There are some common general guidelines:
  1. If you are having to apply huge amounts of boost (the faders up) or cut (the faders down) then there may be a bigger problem with the system or you may be trying to address a problem that cannot be fixed with equalization.
  2. In most cases cut is preferable to boost. Of course if it means cutting everything rather than boosting one band then go ahead and boost.
  3. Less is more, all the faders up or all the faders down is basically a volume control. Remember that you are trying to adjust the character of the sound, not the level.
  4. Try to avoid large changes between adjacent bands, for example one at -6 and the next at +6.
  5. Keep in mind that the frequency shown for each band (each fader) is the center frequency and that the bands overlap. So in many cases where the frequency you want to affect falls between two bands, it may be better to make smaller adjustments to both bands on either side than trying to do it all with one.
  6. If you have a bi/tri-amped system or subwoofers, realize that the amplifier levels are actually your first level of equalization and you can use those to make general adjustments rather than adjusting a bunch of faders on the equalizer.
 
I would check that your "Low Cut" knob is turned all the way to the right so that the low cut isn't stepping into your low range.

Also, the left side of the Graphic EQ is the the low range of the sound spectrum, so if you were to get your sub louder, those are the sliders to use.

Like MUSEAV said, what type of speakers are you using?
Do you have dedicated subs, or are you using full range speakers?

The more info you can give us the more that we can all help!

--Cameron Stuckey
 
To start with....
Everyone I know has Bass and Treble, or High and Low controls on their car radio or home stereo, the EQ you have is the same concept, it just breaks the sound spectrum up into small chunks for greater control. The values on the slider are expressed in Hertz (Hz) or kilohertz (KHz) (higher frequencies are often abbreviated with just the decimal and the K 1200Hz would be 1.2K) and tell you the approx. frequency of the chunk of spectrum that the slider adjusts. Obviously the smaller the number like 20 40 80 etc, is the lower frequencies, the higher numbers 4k, 5k, 6k, etc. If you have 31 sliders, you have a 1/3 octave EQ, since the indicated center frequencies fall every third of an octave.
The fundamental frequencies for Bass music are in the 40 to 120. Human speech is roughly between 600 and 4K, although trained professionals can exceed that. The "sparkle" of a cymbal crash can be as high as 12-14K. The numbers in the A440 concert pitch refer to 440Hz. Frequency doubles every octave, so you can sit down at a piano and listen to various tones and do the math to see about where those tones fall on the EQ. It's a little more realistic than listening to tones on a computer I think.
Having said all that, it sounds like your EQ is a system EQ, probably wired after your mixer and before your amps. Typically one would not make adjustments for the sound of a particular evening's performance at a system wide, 1/3 octave graphic. Typically that 1/3 octave is set for the basic functions of the system in the room. It's purpose should be to account for sonic irregularities in the room and the speakers frequency response. It's usually a set-and-forget thing, which is why a lot of installs have covers over the house EQ. If you find youself making changes to the house graphic EQ a lot, it's a sure sign that there is something out of whack elsewhere.
What you are doing by boosting the bass per song is called "EQ to taste" most mixers have 3 or 4 band EQs on the input channels that say LOW, MID, HI, for making these sorts of adjustmentrs so you don't have to screw up the house graph for a single show.

Hope this helps
Matt
 
I would recommend you get back into that room and experiment. Write down the original settings that were there (if they are worth noting, that is). Then, move each slider until you hear a change.

It would be VERY beneficial if you could have someone talk into a microphone while you are doing this - that way you can hear the tonal changes in their voice when you push the sliders up and down. You could talk into it yourself, but you probably wouldn't be where the performers are going to be - and that's a problem if the mics are prone to feedback on stage but not where you are.

Also, you might encounter feedback at certain frequencies. As you push up each slider (that is, ONLY ONE AT A TIME), keep going until it starts to feedback, if it does at all. That will most likely happen between 800Hz and 4kHz. Note those frequencies and try to remember how they sound. If there is feedback during the show, you can slowly notch out up to 3 of them that are misbehaving. Any more and you'll butcher the signal.

That's the best advice I can give ya. Never stop experimenting.
 

Users who are viewing this thread

Back