[microsound] Parametric EQ

["Mark R." <gnmark@xxxxxxxxx>]

hi all,

passing along...i have always heard about the advantages of parametric eq,
but i really never knew why. the following is a transcript fom EQ Magazine
online edition from master sound guru Bob Heil. page link
http://www.eqmag.com/story.asp?storycode=14087

"You have to have proper equalization. I always liked parametric EQs because
we could go in and change the parameters of each filter besides just bass
and treble—we can tell that bass and treble which frequency of bass and
treble we wanted it to be, what we needed it to be. That's why I'm just in
love with parametric EQ in regards to monitors in general. It's real simple,
but it's such a helpful tool. What I would do is I would always set the
microphones up where they needed to be, and bring it up very gently until
feedback. Right at the threshold I would let it go ahead AND RING. You know
it will get stable; it will actually sit there in a tone — and when it does
— you grab a hold of the notch filter of the parametric and, like tuning a
radio real slow, as you tune through the frequency . . . BINGO . . . it will
find THE frequency and the feedback will go away, and that's exactly where
the notch should be. Then you feather it out, and then you are done. Why is
this not done so much today? Why are we not hearing people doing that? Did
they forget? Hell, THIS IS SCIENCE. You can't forget science. Some people
today just don't understand. 'Let's use a graphic EQ.' That's the worst
thing that ever hit us, the damned graphic EQ. Well, they draw pictures on
it, and I'm serious! I have so many guys that call me for advice and say
'well, I got a smiley face on it.' What? I'm furious at this point. 'I got a
sad face; I think it sounds better with the sad face.' What the hell are you
talking about? 'Well my graphic EQ lets me draw a sad face or a happy face.'
It's so sad, because no one has taught them; no one has showed them what the
real tool is. The tool is a parametric; where we can make any filter do
anything we want. It can be a boost, it can be a notch, it can be three
octaves wide, it can be a half-octave wide. How cool it is when you learn
how to do that? And it's really so simple. I feel sorry for the guys who
don't know; the guys who don't understand. You'll ask these guys 'do you
know what the cut rate is?' 'Oh yeah, yeah I know . . .' they'll tell you,
because they're embarrassed to tell you what they don't know about EQ."


best,

mark