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Hi guys!

I am playing in a cover band...just a hobby band...but we have our own PA

a 16 channel allen / heath board
2 art 31 band Eq
a dod bas / treble filter to the top and botton cabinets ( dont know what to call it in english?)
a QSC 650w amp to the top cabinets
a QSC 1300w amp to the bottoms
2 double 18" speakers
2 double 12" speakers with 2 1" driwers
2 guitars, mics on BD and SD, line bass, 4 vocals
playing soft pop to metall at small clubs

But I have 2 troubles:
1. to set the EQs...how do you usually do that? I am using my own method...putting all mics up and turn the wolume up til I get a low feedback in the speakers then I make it go away with the eqs...is this right or is there a better method.

2. I dont seam to get the right push in the low bass, I want to "feel" the bass. The speaker is build by a shop in town and they are good but is the amp to small..2X650 watts or what am I doing wrong...

I guess there is no easy solution but I would be happy with every input on this one..( the hard part is that its probably just me :s: )

Magnus Sweden

Comments

KurtFoster Sat, 03/08/2003 - 07:11

Magnuss writes, (edited by C.F.F.)

we have our own PA (with) a DOD bass / treble filter to the top and bottom cabinets ( don’t know what to call it in English??)

We call that a crossover in English..

I don’t seem to get the right push in the low bass, I want to "feel" the bass. The speaker is build by a shop in town and they are good but the amp is too small..2 X 650 watts or what am I doing wrong ... putting all mics up and turn the volume up till I get a low feedback in the speakers then I make it go away with the eq’s...is this right or is there a better method.

What you discribe is what is known as “ringing out the system”. This is very good that you have been able to figure this method out all by yourself. It shows you have the common sence it takes to do audio. This method is usually employed for monitors rather than mains. There are different approaches for EQing mains. What I do is EQ them to sound good with my voice. :D This drives people nuts! Me standing there going “Test! Test!, one, two, three!” “Check! Check!” into a stage mic… I like “two”…. It has a lot of lows on the ohoo part”. I know this sounds stupid but it’s what I do. I just set the main EQ’s to sound good and then bring up the volume to where it needs to be. If it begins to ring, I make adjustments as you outlined previously. Some folks use an RTA and pink noise to set the mains to flat and then eq to taste.

Part of your problem may be the use of 1/3rd octave EQs (32 band) on the mains. I prefer 2/3rd (15 band) or 1 octave EQs (10 band) for this task. IMO 1/3 octave EQ is best for monitors. They have very narrow filters. 2/3rd and 1 octave EQs have wider filters more suited to mains. See if you can find a couple of these to use. It may make your job a bit easier. Kurt
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anonymous Tue, 03/11/2003 - 04:41

Thanks Kurt!

But the trouble we have with our eqs is that we have to cut alot ( we are playing at very small clubs ) so we have alot of ringing with the volume up. Ok it seams that my methot isnt compleatly wrong...I just have to do it more often to learn to get it right I guess.

For tha bass thing we are going to buy a lager amp that will have more power to produce the lower freqs.

Magnus.

anonymous Wed, 03/12/2003 - 17:56

I can tell you one thing for certain, Magnus. Most vocal work on the stage I have seen in my life has WAYYYYYYYYYYYY to much mid to low freeks that come across as too boomy, and this problem gets further complicated by the addition of the same freeks in the accompanying music itself. YUKKY!!! It would serve you well to reference a "great sound", such as a well mastered CD on a decent system. Take an audio-mental "picture". What do you hear? You ain't going to hear any boomy shit because most of these engineers know what they are doing...including our own beloved Mr. Bill. :) Try to achieve something close to the same sound LIVE... by critically listening from many different aspects of the audience, seats filled...AND UNFILLED. IT CAN BE DONE! You gotta play with your toys extensively for success. No radical stuff, just common sense stuff. It has served me well. The compliments keep coming in, and my audience hears every word/phrase/nuance of my vocal work. Clean. Like a "recording"? This is what you want. Best of luck, dude! Let us know what happens!!!! Best regards....~~~Lee

:s: )

Magnus Sweden