Anyone good at using a parametric EQ???

[richedie]

I recently replaced my pedals with a TC Electronic Nova System and so far love it. However I am used to using a graphic EQ my whole life. This unit has a parametric EQ I am usingfor lead. Can anyone give me some tips on setting a three band parametric EQ for leads? Looking to be able to get thicker lead tones using the EQ. Maybe some tips? Starter frequency and Q width settings?

THANKS!

 

[rupe]

Boost at 800hz

 

[Sixtonoize]

Just think or your Q as how fat your fingers were at grabbing bands around the one you wanted on a graphic.

Small Q, just the one band.
Large Q, fat fingers hit all around it too.

Actually, it's the opposite.
A high Q value indicates that the filter is very fine or only affects the frequency range selected.
A low Q indicates a very wide filter or one that affects all of the surrounding ranges.

A Q of zero would affect every single frequency, a Q of infinity would affect no frequencies at all.

 

[richedie]

Now I am confused... but thanks!

From the manual:

Freq
Range: 41 Hz to 20 kHz
This parameter sets the center frequency of the
frequency range that you want to attenuate or boost.
Gain
Range: -12 dB to +12 dB
Use this parameter to attenuate or boost the frequency
range selected with the Frequency parameter.
Width
Range: 0.3 to 1.6 octaves
This parameter sets the width of the frequency range
around the frequency specified by the frequency
parameter.

 

[JakeAC5253]

It makes a lot more sense if you visualize it rather than think about it, see if you can find a Youtube video on the topic.

The 'Freq' sets the center frequency that you want attenuated.
The 'Gain' sets how much you want to attenuate that particular frequency (up or down).
The 'Width' sets how wide the bump/valley is.

.3 oct will be like the tip of a guitar pick and 1.6 octaves will be like the rind of a grapefruit that is cut in half. For a solo boost you probably want to look at low mid boosts (center freq's from 250k-750k) with a wide range of frequencies affected so that it sounds smooth and not unnatural.

 

[rsm]

http://www.recordingwebsite.com/articles/eqprimer.php

http://www.homemadehitshow.com/EQTips.htm

Mapping guitar notes to their frequencies (I had a better example but can't find the link
http://www.vaughns-1-pagers.com/music/musical-note-frequencies.htm

This may help you find the frequencies (centers) and Q you want to boost or cut?

Clean guitar setting; find a guitar frequency center from the above, boost or cut to the max (for testing purposes), then adjust the width while playing the length of the neck to hear what happens to the tone. Repeat with different frequency common guitar frequency centers. Time consuming but it it helps (for me) to hear how the EQ translates to the guitar notes, octaves and neck location. YMMV

 

[Sixtonoize]

Now I am confused... but thanks!

Parametric EQs have a pretty significant learning curve, but once you know what you're doing, they're pretty easy to use and can be ridiculously powerful.

Freq
Range: 41 Hz to 20 kHz
This parameter sets the center frequency of the
frequency range that you want to attenuate or boost.

So put it in Graphic EQ terms, Freq is which slider you're moving.
Roughly 80hz = bass
500hz = low mids
1200hz = high mids
above 3000hz = treble

Gain
Range: -12 dB to +12 dB
Use this parameter to attenuate or boost the frequency
range selected with the Frequency parameter.

Gain is how much you're turning the slider up or down. +12bd = cranked up all the way. -12DB = all the way down.

Width
Range: 0.3 to 1.6 octaves
This parameter sets the width of the frequency range
around the frequency specified by the frequency
parameter.

Width is how many sliders you're turning up or down at once, and the sliders are all centered around the selected Freq.
0.3 = 1 slider
1.6 = 5 sliders

(massive oversimplification warning)
For example, if you had a Graphic EQ, setting FREQ to 1000, GAIN to +12 and WIDTH to 1.6 would be the same as taking a Graphic EQ and turning the 800, 900, 1000, 1100, and 1200 hz sliders all the way up.

Obviously, these are just generalizations, but hopefully it will give you an idea of the general concepts.

 

[richedie]

Thanks for the info, this helps.

Right now I am using 79, 772 and 12.2 for my three frequencies and a width of 1.1 for all three.

I still thought I understood that a higher Width meant just as it says....wider or more frequencies.

 

[JakeAC5253]

I still thought I understood that a higher Width meant just as it says....wider or more frequencies.

Octave width and Q are inversely proportional.

 

[richedie]

The manual doesn't mention Q....it states Width:

Freq
Range: 41 Hz to 20 kHz
This parameter sets the center frequency of the
frequency range that you want to attenuate or boost.
Gain
Range: -12 dB to +12 dB
Use this parameter to attenuate or boost the frequency
range selected with the Frequency parameter.
Width
Range: 0.3 to 1.6 octaves
This parameter sets the width of the frequency range
around the frequency specified by the frequency
parameter.

 

[Sixtonoize]

Q is the opposite of Width.
They're effectively the same thing, just reversed.

 

[Rufus Leaking]

Thanks for the info, this helps.

Right now I am using 79, 772 and 12.2 for my three frequencies and a width of 1.1 for all three.

I still thought I understood that a higher Width meant just as it says....wider or more frequencies.

I think you've got it right. That's the way I understand it too.

I think of width like a bell shaped curved, centered around the frequency being targeted. Depending on the width setting, the bell is either extremely tall and narrow, or very wide and broad, encompassing frequencies on either side of the target frequency, but boosting (or cutting) them in diminished amounts as you get towards the outside ot the bell.

 

[moltenmetalburn]

I wouldn't us that 12k for any boosting. 80 is cool for thump. Boost at 800 and 2 k for a solo is cool. Cut at 400 for metal. Shelve be low 300 pre distortion. Cut above 2 k pre.

S much fun can be had with a good eq and an afternoon.

 

[srinivassa]

There's no real trick to it. It just lets you make up your own mind about how to make the eq. You get to pick your central frequencies, the range affected, and the boost/cut. From what you said, it does not let you pick the Q.

Frequency and range should be the parameters to build your eq the way you like it. You might should have them broad or even overlap a little. That would depend on Q, which we aren't clear on yet. Then you would use the boost/cut like your knobs on a regular eq. Use it to turn your low, middle, and high up or down.