Graphic EQs

[CEB]

I am going to upgrade my amplification. I am leaning towards getting a small mixer and a pair of powered cabs. I have neither have a graphic EQ. I have used graphic EQs for keys since the mid 80s. Both do have 3 band EQ and my stage piano and clonewheel have on board EQ

 

In your opinion is the need for graphic EQ obsolete?

 

Thanks

[Ken Beaumont]

I voted yes. My reason being is on the fly changes to correct for a lousy room etc. Some people gig with bands that only use the PA for vocals. When you produce an amp you have to take in account your entire customer base. Its not an expensive option, so yes include it.

[Tusker]

Personally, I have some really effective parametric and graphic equ on my synths/keyboards, and would not want to subject every sound coming out of a keyboard to a particular eq setting.

 

I realize that some cabs have an odd spot and rooms can be a little iffy. A little eq helps tame odd-spots, particularly for "locked-in sounds" like piano. So I like it if the powered amplification has eq, but I will not typically lug around an outboard eq.

 

Jerry

[Mogut]

Every different patch would need to be eq'd differently to be effectively doing what you want?

[MikeT156]

I have a small PA, I use a mixer, dual 31 band EQ, a power amp, and a set of 2 way speaker cabinets. The EQ helps me eliminate unwanted tone problems in tricky rooms. For example: rooms that have a lot of reflection like all wood or metal (industrial look). I can eliminate that "boxy" sound from my acoustic piano sound, and set the EQ so I get a FLAT response. Once I ring out the room, I can change tone on my mixer channel settings for KB's and vocals independently. Works like a charm.

 

 

 

Mike T.

[DanL]

I have a 15 band stereo in my rack that I use when my overall tone needs a tweak. Sometimes the low end is boomy, sometimes the upper mids need a little boost. It's nice to have it there. The one I have has a master output level control as well, which comes in handy for controlling my overall level instead of messing with the mixer and screwing up my gain structure.

[ITGITC]

Well designed powered speakers usually don't need as much EQ out of the box as their passive counterparts. If they do, there is often EQ compensation found on the speaker itself. The QSC K series has this.

 

On the other hand, every room is different. Because of this, it can be handy to have an outboard EQ to initially get your sound the way you want it. Of course, if you do this in an empty room, the response will change a bit when it fills with people.

 

If I were you, I would try it without the EQ unit. Then, if you find you need it, get a quality unit. Everything coming out of the mixer will go through the EQ before the powered speakers, so you want to get a unit that won't add too much noise or distortion.

 

Pros use a white noise or pink noise generator and a calibrated microphone to set up their EQ units. Me? I just use a high quality recording of Aja to set it up. When that sounds good, I know I'm in the ballpark.

 

Tom

 

[Tusker]

Every different patch would need to be eq'd differently to be effectively doing what you want?

 

Not necessarily. For example, the master EQ on your XS8 will allow you to zero in on 2-3 troublesome frequencies if you have trouble with the room.

[DanL]

Every different patch would need to be eq'd differently to be effectively doing what you want?

 

Not necessarily. For example, the master EQ on your XS8 will allow you to zero in on 2-3 troublesome frequencies if you have trouble with the room.

 

 

True- but it's easier to reach over and grab a slider than dive into the keyboard menu- and when you have multiple boards, you'd have to tweak each one.

[mate stubb]

A graphic EQ is for dialing your speaker in to the room. As others have said, powered speakers with active EQ built in like the QSCs will rarely need it, except to maybe tame a bass boom in a particular venue.

[JeffLearman]

My powered mixer has a built-in graphic EQ, and I find I use it to compensate for the venue. However, EQ knobs on mixer inputs would handle 80% of the cases (rolling off or boosting highs or lows). Depending on what I'm running, I'd need to adjust 1 to 4 input channels, and the graphic is easier to see and get to quickly.

 

My vote would be a definite maybe. That is, it depends on stuff; it's handy, but not an absolute requirement.

 

I could vote either choice: it *should* include it, but it's not *necessary*. I voted yes because that's my preference. However, I wouldn't lug an extra box to get it. It would have to be built-in or else included in a rack if I used a rack.

[CEB]

Thanks.

 

I have been using box style powered mixers for a longtime. But the thing is pretty much worn out. Also I really like these lightweight powered cabinets and I will need a mixer for my boards.

 

What sparked my concern over the lack of a graphic EQ is that there is a Yamaha mixer with a concept I like. I like the idea I can put it on a mic stand and have ton of flexibility where I set the thing so I have easy access to the controls. But it doesn't a graphic EQ.

http://www.dv247.com/assets/news/dv247/MG102C.jpg

 

 

 

[JeffLearman]

I have yet to hear a box-style powered mixer that I didn't hate. I don't know what it is about those things. It's not just the boxed ones, though, because I had a wedge one I hated as well (the old EV/Tapco 100M: worth every bit of the $51 this auction is currently at).

 

My mixer is a Yamaha EMX-5000, which they no longer make, but was a great deal for $550 at the time.

 

With the MG102c, you'd have to add a power amp, or use powered speakers. Plus, on a mic stand I'd worry about that getting knocked over. If you have a shorty with a big tripod it should be fine.

[J. Dan]

This is really application dependent, and admitedly, my situation is probably much different than yours - I use IEMs, and run to FOH sound, which is usually "house sound" that's set up for the room already, or we hire out production.

 

That being said, I think some of the same principles can apply. I set up each individual patch on my keys ahead of time to sound appropriate for the song in a "studio" setting. Using IEM's there is no need to adjust for the room. If the PA is set up properly and you're giving it a properly EQ's patch, there should be not much need to adjust that specific channel in the FOH mix.

 

In your specific situation, I guess I'm unclear if the speakers will only be carrying keys, or everything and if that's how you're monitoring. To go along with what I said above, if adjustment needs to be done in the speakers for the room, those same changes would apply to everything, not just keys. SO I'd leave keys set to the appropriate EQ, and adjust overall PA for the room. Now if you're just using the speakers for keys and nothing else (everyone else has their own amps, what about vocals?), then yes, I guess a separate EQ would be valuable, but I'd still eq your keyboard patches internally and individually to sound as good as possible with a flat external EQ, if that makes sense.

[CEB]

Just keys, this is only for my on stage monitoring. I generally send a monitor mix signal from my Keyboard mixer to the snake. So bad thing about this Yamaha mixer is I would need a low impedance transformer or a DI box to put the monitor send into the snake.

 

Usually sound guys have DI boxes on hand though. .... but I am chicken and like to be prepared. My old box mixer has XLR outs but it is shot. I need to lift the ground on it every gig or it buzzes. It is about 17 or 18 years old now.

[J. Dan]

Just keys, this is only for my on stage monitoring. I generally send a monitor mix signal from my Keyboard mixer to the snake. So bad thing about this Yamaha mixer is I would need a low impedance transformer or a DI box to put the monitor send into the snake.

 

Usually sound guys have DI boxes on hand though. .... but I am chicken and like to be prepared. My old box mixer has XLR outs but is is shot. I need to lift the ground on it every gig or it buzzes.

 

OK, in that case, I'd still try to get the best EQ for the patches internally based on ideal "studio" situation. Send THAT to FOH and your monitor setup, EQ ONLY your monitor setup. In other words, your Graphic EQ should not affect the signal going to the sound guy.

 

And I would not use XLR out from mixer OR sound guy's DI. Get yourself a good radial passive DI. Run your mixer output into it and chain the 1/4" back out of it into your EQ/Speakers.

[CEB]

I got my new rig. These itty bitty powered speakers sound really good raw. A lot more bass than I expected. I actually had to roll off some bass. (put the lowknob at about 10 oclock)

 

Dang they are loud. I hope I don't kill someone due to db overdose. If it lasts 20 years like my old rig this should be my last.

[BP3]

If you use an overall EQ for your on stage monitoring, you do that to tune your monitors. Don't send that EQ'ed mix to FOH. The FOH mix will be tuned with different EQ and your FOH engineer would likely prefer the straight mix from your keyboard mixer.

[The Real MC]

I use zero EQ on my keyboards. It is more effective to tweak the individual patch. A master EQ should only be used for room correction, using it to make certain patches sound better will get messy very quickly.