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what are the common EQ settings


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Hi all, I'm setting up my mixwiz 16:2 again this weekend for a gig. I was wondering what are the common settings for snare,kick, toms, bass guitar and vocals regardless of the room.

i.e bass guitar (HF dial) should normally be set to what?

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This is a pretty open ended question. A lot can depend on the style that you are playing. Best advice I can give is to set it to what sounds best. You are going to have different EQ settings for different rooms.

 

 

Start flat. Then, use the eq until the instrument sounds right to your ear. You have to rely on your ear for this.

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i've seen this before, where folks think instruments or other sound sources have an eq 'setting' etc, and maybe to some small degree there is truth to that - but as you grow in your understanding of how these things work you may find that trying to itemize/categorize sources into freq bands or settings is irrelevant and a misunderstanding of how basic things operate.

 

really what you need to do/learn to do is hear a source and be able to understand if you should try and change things with an eq, how to change them, how changing them will work with the other sources, or even not change them at all. this is easier said than done, how can you know without failing a few times (or years).

 

my advice is this; try the eqs. if you want to make a change, do it. listen to the change, dont decide if the change is good or bad right away, and always have the bypass button handy. i have this thing i do, and when i taught school i taught the students to do it as well: when i record a stereo concert i always allow myself to try any eq, comp, limiter, effect etc when i am making the cd of the concert. if i want to add something i do without hesitation. i play with it, set it different, add something more, and when i believe i have something great - i bypass everything - and everytime it sounds better bypassed; without having done anything at all.

 

but at that point i know it sounds better without doing anything to it, because i already did everything to it*

 

*i find this is never the case with multitracked live or even live audio, in those cases eq is often required to fix a large problem. my point is that eq doesnt make things better, just different.

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Most all of the microphones that we use have a large response boost (from proximity effect) centered around 200Hz, and an engineered in presence peak somewhere between 2kHz and 10kHz. As such, with most sources, compensation will need to be made for these mic anomalies, lest the sound of each source be very "scooped" in the middle.

 

http://www.padrick.net/LiveSound/Proximity.jpg

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Most all of the microphones that we use have a large response boost (from proximity effect) centered around 200Hz, and an engineered in presence peak somewhere between 2kHz and 10kHz. As such, with most sources, compensation will need to be made for these mic anomalies, lest the sound of each source be very "scooped" in the middle.


 

 

unless you use those features by choosing appropriately. i rarely counteract the natural characteristics of a microphone, or else i wouldnt choose that microphone.

 

if people didnt want or didnt intend to utilize those characteristics they wouldnt be made that way.

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I use the same mixer and I usually start everything at dead center at "0" (flat) like all above has mentioned. Rooms very, indoors-outdoors, different singers or muso's? Different mic's?

My wife uses an EV RE2 cordless headset and its very bright on top so I always have to do some cutting like around 4k. I sometimes boost very little in the mid's for some warmth. This I have to do every gig, but its the same singer with a hi voice using the same mic.

One particular male vocalist that joins us has alot of lows so I try to do some cutting around 200hz-300hz'ish to clean things up alittle. Thats with a SM58. Last weekend my cordless 58 was acting up real bad and put him on a different house mic, a cordless AT (lowend unit) and it sounded pretty good with him just flat.

 

I do use the HPF on just about everything except for kick drum, keys and Bass guitar.

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what you need to do/learn to do is hear a source and be able to understand if you should try and change things with an eq, how to change them, how changing them will work with the other sources, or even not change them at all. this is easier said than done, how can you know without failing a few times (or years).

 

 

Well said!

 

EQing isn't something that's done just because you can. It's only done if you must. As Coaster points out, Listening is the key. Learning to listen criticaly can take a lifetime. IMO the best approach is to start with a well tuned and setup system, and try to get the best possible sound by firstly making the instrument sound good, secondly using the right mic in the right placment and lastly adding EQ if necessary.

 

The one and only EQ rule I have (remember rules are made to be broken), is to start with a HPF on everything but bass instruments (I.E. Kick, Bass, Lesli Lo mics, some synth's and rarely bass vocalist). This just keeps low end bleed out of the mics and makes for a much less muddy mix. If you have a variable HPF then use it on everything (although the aformentioned instruments may be set as low as 35 to 40 hz). For most everything else it's 80hz and above (high hat & cymbal mics I've gone as far as 600hz). Once again, use your ears, sweep the filter up until it starts thining out the instrument and then back it back down just below that.

 

ALWAYS try to get a good sound by tuning and placment before you resort to EQing.

 

That's my .02

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Start flat.

 

If something is really annoying through the PA and you want to turn it down, chances are you need to CUT something via EQ. Cut the mids and turn the frequency knob until you find the annoying thing.

 

If something sounds really flat, lifeless and boring, try to BOOST something via EQ. Boost the mids and turn the frequency knob until it sounds more interesting. If it doesn't? It just sucks - set it flat and leave it be.

 

Treble - if it's making your ears hurt and cutting a high mid didn't fix it... cut the treble. If it needs more, add it (though I doubt you will.)

 

Bass - If it sounds boomy, cut. If it sounds thin, add. I don't usually boost much, but I'll cut a lot if I need to.

 

I'm not a pro, I'm not the best, but my rules seem to keep the club owner, patrons and band happy when I do run sound.

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We stopped using a EQ about 1yr. ago and I like our sound much better.
:thu:

 

Channel strip EQ or a 31-Band house EQ? This makes me think that the the equipment was being used improperly or the operator had limited experience.

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We stopped using a EQ about 1yr. ago and I like our sound much better.
:thu:

 

thats not going to always be the best answer either. consider this; EQ is both a tool and a spice. it can be used to solve inherent issues as well as taking an ordinary mix and adding a lot more flavor to it.

 

on one hand, you might need to HP the 57 on the guitar amp right behind the subs (hey, i've had to do it. 57's behind subs pointed just right will ring at 100hz like a mother). in that situation, eq is a tool. you may need to dial 680 out of the vox wedge when using an sm58, or a lot of 400 if you use a B58, again a tool.

 

but you may find that the snare that is working just fine and sounds ok needs a little more balls to really compliment the style of music. or less balls, whatever, then its a spice. same with toms, ive had a number of kits come through that sounded awesome when i BOOSTED the freqs that most folks i know CUT, those freqs that define the toms, i dont know around 300-800 area depending. on its own the tom may sound odd, but in the context of the mix it can sound really fat and change the mix from "ok" to "mang them guyz sounded tits". keep in mind my tom examle may not be for the faint of heart, those freqs are often cut because drummer sometimes dont tune their kits well and then the toms can tend to ring at those freqs, causing grizzled sound veterans to reach for that cut knob with instinct.

 

so, tool and spice. talking about eq's makes me want to talk about camshafts in v8 engines, both are complex subjects that have no clear answer, and either can be a tool or a spice. nothing beats a rumbly engine that sounds like a popcorn maker at idle :D and nothing beats a properly tweaked out mix that will leave everyone thinking that all that stuff you brought is unnecessary because the band just sounds great.

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Your right eliminating the EQ may not always be the best answer for some...For us it worked out just fine. I think it depends on how hard you push your system, the louder you get, the more an EQ becomes needed to enhance or smooth out certain frequencies. We use the individual channel controls on the mixer the low, mid, mid high, and high. This works very well and rarely do I need to adjust the settings, but our drummer uses a Roland kit no doubt if it was an acoustic set it would not be so easy!:thu:

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I have had a mixwiz 2 10yrs, I think. I use SM58's on vocal's, I cut 300hz & 700hz. I also cut the High Feq and engage the low cut. If the EQ is flat, it sounds too nazel & boxy. Cut these 2 and your vocal's will cleaar up. This works for me, I play 75+ gigs a yr. I have used Mackie, QSC, Bose, JBL and this EQ on vocals has worked good for me your yrs.

 

On the instruments I start flat.

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unless you use those features by choosing appropriately. i rarely counteract the natural characteristics of a microphone, or else i wouldnt choose that microphone.


if people didnt want or didnt intend to utilize those characteristics they wouldnt be made that way.

 

 

I cannot imagine every wanting or needing a 12dB boost centered at 200Hz, but that's what the usual vocal mic gives. Most every other directional mic is similar. I don't know if I've ever been able to run a channel flat. I hear lots of mixes where the mixperson has done so. They have either made cuts on the system EQ - sucking the life out of direct instruments - or have a very muddy mix. I'd love to have mics that were flat at all distances.

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well then use omni's. i havent noticed any 12db bumps on any mics i have ever used or own or on any other typical PA system relevant to this conversation i have ever heard. i call bull{censored} on this.

 

unless of course the singer is intentionally eating the mic, but even then the proximity is most affected below 100hz, not an octave above that. normal use is not an issue IME.

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I agree with the spice/only if you need it analogy, but I've never been in a rock band/cover band scenario where the mic'd drums didn't need major eq. The bass drum itself just the get the impact/electronic sound most recorded songs have.

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