Yes I'm familiar with that consumer piece. It really won't benefit you in "EQing" any microphones. The unit you are describing is only an octave spectrum analyzer not a 1/3 octave spectrum analyzer which would show you more nuance differences. Otherwise it's just a fun display to watch that barely gives you any kind of idea of what the overall spectrum response curve looks like.

It's not really a very good product and the equalizer section is really quite simple and basic and does not have any kind of actual sonic quality to it. That does not make it unusable, as long as you don't expect a George Massenburg/Rupert Neve like sound from a $30 equalizer and a $30 spectrum analyzer. That unit must be at least 15 years old? Of course I do believe that a crappy equalizer is better than no equalizer but it's not something that I would rely upon for any kind of quality/professional purposes.

Now if only you could find an API or Neve console at the Salvation Army?? So, wait another 10 years and you might find one??
Ms. Remy Ann David

You can also use an old clunker of an EQ unit like that as a creative controller in the detection loop of pretty much any modern compressor.
Whatever you boost, the compressor hits harder, and with an octave/band
adjustability, you can have a ball! The most obvious example is as a de-esser: put the EQ in the detection loop, and boost the band(s) closest to, say, 6KHz. The compressor will spank that region harder, which can keep excessive HF sibilances from overloading your program material.
And all the phase-shift, noise, and other grunge from the EQ never makes its way into the actual signal chain. BTW, there's a reason that BSR went out of business...it's called the "CD"!

obviosly my expectations from a trift store eq pro sound, but i agree: crappy eq > no eq

good idea about the loop deesssser application moonbaby.

thanks for the help.

-matt