Parametric EQ - for those who can't wait

[maclamb]

This thread was archived , but I wanted to respond. I recently found my tone via a vari-mid eq. I went to alembic and Mica said the same thing to me:
we are not interested in the mid/low-mid...!  
She said it was because this did not come out well with bands.
Oddly, my experience with my band is just the opposite. Boosting the mids in the 3-5 Range helped with punch and definition and the bass (not an alembic, maple on maple) had no problem cutting through the sound. I was finding that the lows were masked by the kick drum and the highs masked by the lead guitars - the boosted mids were perfect.
Since Alembic doesn't play there (yet, with on board para eq) I found two who do: John East and Noll Electronics.
My idea is a sweepable bass (50 - 100hz) and treble (8-9khz) and mids (3.5 - 5.5 Khz).
I'm also looking at an off board rack parametric EQ (can't afford the $1000 for a superfilter - yet!)

[crgaston]

Hi Joe,
 
I'm curious as to your freq choices...
The Alembics don't have anything over 6K, and you know how sparkly they can sound.  Also, you're leaving out the very powerfully expressive 120-880 (or so) area.  There's A LOT of power and character in that area.  A less expensive way to start experimenting with frequencies and educating your ear would be a decent graphic EQ (Behringer comes to mind; good enough to educate yourself and very affordable).  Another alternative would be to find an older SWR SM-400 amp with 4 semi-parametric bands, if you're really hung up on being able to sweep.  Either of these will get you started.
Charles

[maclamb]

thanks- I find that on my bass (not alembic) there is specific sound (not just a frequency - more complex than that) that sounds best to me - I find it by setting the sweepable mid (aka parametric eq I am told) to just off full on (5K according to the manufacturer)I . Below about 3K I lose the tone and so am not interested (for now) in that range - hence my choice.  
however, your point of buying a parametic eq (there are several affordable used ones on ebay) to begin experimenting is where I'm headed first. Most of this is guesswork and my own limited knowledge - expanding every second. For example, the manufacturer is not quite sure what the exact freq range of my favorite setting on the mid knob is, as the range is not linear. It is : a dual inverse logorhythmic potentiometer.  
So - lots of learning for me.

[crgaston]

Joe, your mid-sweep is a semi-parametric eq.  Fully parametric lets you specify the width of the Q, or the range of the notch that you are boosting or cutting.  
 
I suggest that you look at a 31 band graphic EQ (the kind with the sliders) first because the particular frequencies are all labeled, which makes it much easier to learn what they are.  Many parametrics are not labelled so well, so you could end up with the same situation you have now...you hear what sounds good, but you're not really sure what to call it.

[2400wattman]

Joe if you are interested I have a Behringer 5 band fully parametric eq for sale-cheap! Contact me via email if you want it.

[maclamb]

got it - thanks - I understand what you're saying about the EQ  the important part is to id the critical freqs first.  
However, I have the frwq. charts for the bass's eq and it's definitely in the 2 - 5khz, probably 3-4khz range as I suspected:
 
 
I get the tone between 11:45 and 12:00 (12:00 is fully clockwise)...
 
Reading about notches comes next.