dravenzouk Posted January 12, 2007 Share Posted January 12, 2007 I'm looking to get a new EQ for my monitor output. What are folks preferences - graphics or parametrics? What are your reasons for using one as opposed to the other? Any favorite units? I'm mostly concerned with feedback control, but of course I'm also trying to keep the performers happy with the sound. My application is mostly rock bands in small to medium venues. Monitors are often used for vocals only, but I also run anything from just adding the kick drum and/or acoustic guitar, to running the entire mix. About 60% of the time there is only one monitor mix, the rest of the time it's usually two mixes (although sometimes I use 3 or even 4 seperate mixes). thanks, d. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Boogie Man Posted January 12, 2007 Share Posted January 12, 2007 Personaly, I've got a behringer fbq 6200. The main reason is that it lights up as the offending freqs rise. So for monitors it's easy to see whats a miss. Plus the sound is petty transparent ( if you know what I mean ).I've got a parametric eq which is nice for sound shaping, but I wouldn't like to have to chase rouge freqs with it.baz Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rob_Beech Posted January 12, 2007 Share Posted January 12, 2007 the fbq range arn't a bad budget eq at all. I've got a few of the 2u ones (2x31 can't remember th number) and they do a good job. As for the feedback detection, whilst it is handy when you are in a rush or mid show, dont get too lazy. If you rely on that when you come to use a BSS graphic etc on a larger system you'll be stuck. Use it to learn the frequencies, use your ears. play a game with yourself (during soundchecks) pin point the frequency with your ears and then look at the eq to see if you were right. Some of us are sad enough to be able to pick out a frequency straight away. Rob Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scouse Dave Posted January 12, 2007 Share Posted January 12, 2007 Some of us are sad enough to be able to pick out a frequency straight away.Sad / Skilled Potato / Potato [Edit - I guess that one works better verbally...] Dave M Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Adam Brinkworth Posted January 12, 2007 Share Posted January 12, 2007 Why not look at a Behringer Ultracurve. It includes a graphic and parametric eq, as well as a few other extras.Ive found them to be very useful, as I have a number of the units in my FOH, monitor and and DJ rigs. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
colebrooke Posted January 12, 2007 Share Posted January 12, 2007 Why not look at a Behringer Ultracurve. It includes a graphic and parametric eq, as well as a few other extras.Ive found them to be very useful, as I have a number of the units in my FOH, monitor and and DJ rigs. Don't you find the worst thing about Behringer is not the equipment it's self, but the looks / comments you get from other engineers?!! I'm considering a couple of Ultracurves to go alongside my KT DN27's ... just don't know if I can take the stick I will get from some of my associates! I would tend to favour graphic EQs for monitors, just for ease of use, and parametric for inserts for the times you need better EQ on a given channel. I have to say I do try and get by without an EQ rack on smaller gigs, though! Justin Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Adam Brinkworth Posted January 12, 2007 Share Posted January 12, 2007 I first bought the Ultracurves when I was on a tight budget, and I was very pleased with them. Even now that I have aquived a sustancially larger budget I have decided to stick with them. You will just have to put up with the stick! ** laughs out loud ** Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Boogie Man Posted January 13, 2007 Share Posted January 13, 2007 I was doing a show not long back and afterwards a couple of guys came over for a chin wag. One was very positive about the show and was interested in the gear. He said he was getting into live sound and had bought some berhinger gear. His mate said "you'll need better stuff than that to do a big show like this". So I took him to the van and showed him my stuff. ( see links ) http://i16.photobucket.com/albums/b13/bazw...gear2dec062.jpg http://i16.photobucket.com/albums/b13/bazw...gear2dec063.jpg He went a bit quiet, but the guy that had just bought some behringer gear was well chuffed. :P Unfortunately he then spent the next hour quizzing me on the merits of the gear, in the pub car park, in winter. I should have just told him it was good. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ben Lawrance Posted January 13, 2007 Share Posted January 13, 2007 Berry ultracurves are good for installs, but try and use them in a live situation. Answer = not very easily. An old school graphic is quick and easy to move the sliders up/down in a hurry. The ultracurve needs to be in the right section, then you need to select the frequency then notch it out/in 0.5db at a time. It takes too long. I know what I would rather use in monitor world. Just my personal opinion. Others may disagree. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rob_Beech Posted January 13, 2007 Share Posted January 13, 2007 Ben, I don't fully agree. They are fiddly in a live situation, you need to adjust something quickly, it may not be the right choice. But they do get much easier when you get used to them. I went for a while without analogue eq's in my racks and I managed fine with them. I did however get a few requests for analogue ones by people who did bits of work for me which is why I bought a couple of the FBQ's. I now have a rack with 2 FBQ's and 4 DEQ2496 so I or whoever is mixing can choose which they want when we patch them in. I then have DEQ2496's in my other racks which I use for compact systems. so 6 DEQ2496 in total. (ie all in one racks with desk included...but not the amps). I'll admit I have found myself using the analogue ones at times, this is normally because the rack is patched up that way from the previous show and I'm too lazy to alter it. however if I needed the other features of the Digital one. Compression, limiting, parametric eq, rta, and the save and recall features then I'll have to get off my backside and repatch. I like to leave the choice open for everything, so I dont say ONLY digital on FOH as its got the limiting and whatever setup on it. all thats done by the Crossover, leaving the choice open for engineers to use what they want. 99 times out of 100 I've got the hard bypass on the FOH eq anyway. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dan slv-tech Posted January 13, 2007 Share Posted January 13, 2007 Good morning, Well im a analog bod im afriad, Have used digital kit (still have if any ones interested :) , Im currently using 4 DBX 231s giving me 8 channels of EQ for monitors, cant fault them to be honest, very solid unlike the previous ones I was using (dont want to upset the siver brigade) I got them very cheap brand new and theyre on the tinternet real cheap too around £150 each inc vat which I cannot fault. Like I say very solid, smooth faders, only downside is bypass only bypasses the slider action and not the HPF/gain but what do you want for that cost? before I had a play with an alesis 8 channel thingy which was digital and wha can I say, S**t!but then for just over £200 what can you expect, bloody noisey, intermittant memory recall, and frankly very fiddly in a live applicaion, great for rack space saving but a -10 for reliability/useablity/sound quality. I have a BSS966 in my FOH rack, beautiful piece of kit, does what I ask it too......say no more.... Dont go digital because its the trend, A certain well known london studios recently ripped out all their digital suite, and put back the analog one- what does that tell you? :huh: I maybe be cynical, but if I cant see what its doing I dont feel comfy, I hate scrolling through menus, sub menus just to access a simple action. Press the button in= it happens nice and easy. The only thing as I see it digital has over analog is that you can store curve pre sets, though if these were so good, reliable,solid, why dont the likes of brit row, orbital, lmc etc have racks and racks of digital EQs? simple- people like easy to use, no "read the manual and discover the 300 hidden menus" before you use it. Im sure if you try both digital and analog EQs you will find whats best for you, but dont be swayed either way, go for the key elements 1) Reliabilty (is it going to lock you out, screen fail, memory loss.... 2) useablity (can you pull 1Khz on a monitor just as it starts ringing or have you got to scroll.... 3) Sonic quality (does the unit inccur strange high freq noises when you scroll to certain screens, stranges clicks when buttons pressed? 4) Price? if this is a major concern, are you getting value for money? or are you paying for a toy that has lots of bells and whistles that you dont use? if so whats the point? The above goes to both analog and digital kit :D hope this is of some help dan Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
StevieR Posted January 13, 2007 Share Posted January 13, 2007 Going back to the OP - graphic or parametric? Parametric EQ's are technically better. The design of the electronics means that a boost or cut at a particular frequency has less effect on the other frequency bands and 'hashes' the sound up less. However, you generally only have five or six filters on most commercial units which may not be enough in monitor situations. I tend to reserve the use of Parametrics for FOH duty or for inserting on a channel for more precise control than a mixer's on-board EQ. Graphics on the other hand offer a greater number of points at which you can cut/boost simultaneously albeit at the expense of the side-effects on other frequencies. They are also great for quick, on-the-fly adjustments. This is why I would always choose these for monitor duty. Best 31-band EQ on the market at the moment is probably the XTA GQ600 followed closely by the KT DN370 and BSS FCS960. Steve Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chris Hinds Posted January 13, 2007 Share Posted January 13, 2007 Personally I'd go for a parametric because I like the control aspect. Finding an analogue parametric these days is nigh on impossible though. The level of control you get is so much better than with a graphic, as it is fairly rare for things to ring at right on an ISO frequency. Having said that most people are much more comfortable using a graphic, even if it takes 3 cuts to do the job of 1 on a parametric. If you are familiar with using a parametric you already know the answer to the question. Otherwise the answer is a graphic. Regards Chris Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
StevieR Posted January 13, 2007 Share Posted January 13, 2007 Finding an analogue parametric these days is nigh on impossible though. Er... BSS DPR901 Klark Technik DN410 Rane PEQ55 And for those without a Platinum AMEX... Behringer PEQ2200 Sorry, Chris. As a separate note, for those who have found digital EQ to be tempermantal and not suitable for pro-use how about... TC EQ Station and the TC Motofader 64 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dfinn Posted January 13, 2007 Share Posted January 13, 2007 Hi, Pardon my topic jacking, but I am in a similar situation myself, trying to decide what eq to use on monitors. On the next show, I will be running 3 mixes; FOH mix, band monitor mix and stage monitor mix for actors. FOH will have vox and band (obviously)Band monitor mix will have vox and band again (2ch of mixes here)On stage monitor mix (L + R) will have only band mix as I dont want to run vocals off lav mics back to stage foldback - FEEDBACK Anyway, at the moment I only have a dual band EQ (Behringer incidentally), which does the job fine which I will run for the FOH mix. For the other two mixes, would it be best me getting a couple of dual 31 band EQ's so I have some eq on the foldback? As I will be running 10 radio mics, and due to the bad room acoustics, I was considering hiring in a parametric eq to run off the radio mic group insert, to give me that narrow band cut that I require. I've looked at the ultracurve before and it looks good, however, do you have to go through that setup process where you place a mic in different points in the room and it sets things up for you, or get you just plug in, set it to flat response, then start playing with it? Just wondering as the manual describes this process. Thanks, Daniel Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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