How to use a Graphic Eq??

[fatgoogle]

Im been pondering on this a while but havent really done much research After a gig i had two weeks ago playing on a trace elliot.

I turned up and it was set in a smiley face and i sort of just left it like that. Didnt know what to do with it. My current amp is a Hartke lh500, simple to set up and play with. But ill be playing at this venue with the same amp again. So whats the best way to go about using one. Im not all that eq "advanced" thats why i like the lh. Ive also been thinking about getting a 31 band (yes i know i cant even use 12) for my rig to help with my dubstep/drumbass idea's when playing with people.

Any help guys??

Thanks
Sam H

Edited May 31, 2011 by fatgoogle

[alexclaber]

If you have some time alone with it, pluck an open A constantly and move the sliders up and down in groups of three (so treat it like a 4 band EQ) and listen to how it changes the sound. Once you have a feel for that then start seeing what the individual sliders do. Don't overthink it though - if it sounds good, it is good!

[JTUK]

I would start flat and centred..most people say they want mids when they can't really handle them style/sound-wise.
That is why the smiley position is used..and maybe even constitue a pre-set..depending on the TE model.

Starting with an open string is a good idea... and just tweak a slider to hear what is happening.
Don't use the extreme max or cut as you have nowhere else to go with it.. IMO...and depending how close the next Freq point is ( fader/slider) that will impact on the other freq as well..

So slowly and with logic..so you don't get all confused. These thinsg can be a powerful tone shaping tool and you can tie yourself up in knots.
Tweak slowly and a little at a time..

Of course, the best idea... is not to have to do any of all this..and just plug in with the EQ switched off of flat to that amp...ie, centred.

Don't get carried away with 'flat'..some amps and cabs are tuned to anything but..just consider it as a return /starter point on your kit.

[thodrik]

[quote name='JTUK' post='1251282' date='May 31 2011, 11:48 AM']I would start flat and centred..most people say they want mids when they can't really handle them style/sound-wise.
That is why the smiley position is used..and maybe even constitue a pre-set..depending on the TE model.

Starting with an open string is a good idea... and just tweak a slider to hear what is happening.
Don't use the extreme max or cut as you have nowhere else to go with it.. IMO...and depending how close the next Freq point is ( fader/slider) that will impact on the other freq as well..

So slowly and with logic..so you don't get all confused. These thinsg can be a powerful tone shaping tool and you can tie yourself up in knots.
Tweak slowly and a little at a time..

Of course, the best idea... is not to have to do any of all this..and just plug in with the EQ switched off of flat to that amp...ie, centred.

Don't get carried away with 'flat'..some amps and cabs are tuned to anything but..just consider it as a return /starter point on your kit.[/quote]

Pretty much this. It depends on the bass, the amp, the cabs and personal taste. From experience I have found that running a Trace Elliot amp 'flat' (no eq and no preshape) is very different from running say, an Ampeg SVT, Gallien Krueger or the Hartke etc flat. I found the 'flat' TE sound to be very mid-heavy when using a passive bass, but it can sound great with a bit of tweaking. I think that the Trace Elliot mosfet amps are designed with the idea that everybody pretty much uses the preshape and the graphic eq and feels comfortable tweaking things to get the sound they like.

With Trace Elliot amps the preshape will also have a pretty big effect on the sound if you have it on. So cutting around 500Hz with the preshape on could produce a much more scooped sound than if the preshape is off. As a rule of thumb I would just avoid boosting much below 60Hz and above 5Khz or having one fader maxed out, but the next one to the left or right cut out entirely.

If I mind right the TE manuals used to have a basic guide on the EQ system. You could just download a manual from their site to have a read through.

[Al Heeley]

I find some venues have a low resonant frequency that really booms when you play. I start with eq flat then find the booming freq and cut it a bit, then have a little boost in the lows and a bit more top for bite. Sometimes I drop the mids a touch as the Stingray and Hartke cabs tend to be already very strong in the mid frequencies, while this really allows the bass to sit up int he mix, it can sound a bit 'boxy' if overdone. the active (3band) eqs on the Stingray are hugely effective though so are easy to tweak on the fly during a gig.

[Tengu]

I generally leave the EQ on my Trace off for the majority of gigs. I don't even use the preshapes.

Sometimes you get to a venue and it sounds very boomy so you can cut a little low end and boost the mids slightly so that you can hear yourself above the rest of the band.

Just keep it simple and only cut or boost small amounts until you get something usable.

I was once running the sound at an open mic night and someone came up and advised me to set the graphic on the PA in a smiley face. When he noticed that I had ignored his advice he came over and asked if I was going to change it. I told him that I preferred to use my ears.

Never give in to the temptation to make pretty patterns on the EQ.

[fatgoogle]

Thanks, i think i might just leave it off and bring my yamaha and use the active eq to get different sounds. But ill have a look for that manual and give it a read.

[gary mac]

With my old Trace, I more often than not had it set the opposite of a smiley face, in most of the venues I played that seemed to work best.

[steve-soar]

[quote name='alexclaber' post='1251225' date='May 31 2011, 11:09 AM']If you have some time alone with it, pluck an open A constantly and move the sliders up and down in groups of three (so treat it like a 4 band EQ) and listen to how it changes the sound. Once you have a feel for that then start seeing what the individual sliders do. Don't overthink it though - if it sounds good, it is good![/quote]
Take this advice.

[Lozz196]

[quote name='steve-soar' post='1253010' date='Jun 1 2011, 06:55 PM']Take this advice.[/quote]
Definately.

The problem I find with with graphics, especially the 12 band ones, is that there are so many different permutations of sound you can get, and its very tempting to keep adjusting and adjusting, to get it "exactly" right. When as Alex says, if it sounds good, it is good.

If the graphic is the only tone adjustment on the amp, think beforehand how you set bass, mids, and treble on a conventional amp. Then , if you usually boost the bass, as Alex said, move 3 bands for the bass up, drop the next 3 if you usually cut low-mids etc. Its the easiest way round, especially on an unfamiliar amp.