Topic: Graphic Equilizer

[VerismoBari]

What would you recommend for a graphic equilizer?  I have Klipsch speakers and a NAD amp and I listen to mostly opera.  I am totally ignorant when it comes to equalizers so any suggestions would be a big help ie. what to look for when buying one etc. 

[VerismoBari]

I've been without any tone controls for many, many years, and don't miss them in the slightest.

sorry, not an answer to your question.

I understand why, but for old opera recordings it is definately necessary.  For more recent stuff I would not bother either.

[Lil Kim Jong-Il]

I'd recommend none but I'm a minimalist when it comes to the path from media to speaker. 

Why do you feel that you need one?

What kind of budget?  IMO, if you are trying to use the equalizer to compensate for room issues then your best bet is one of the DSP based units that will generate it's own tones into an attached mic and self calibrate to a flat response or to some preconfigured profile. Those can get pricey but the one I heard (can't recall which one) made an incredible difference when switched in and out of circuit.

[VerismoBari]

I'd recommend none but I'm a minimalist when it comes to the path from media to speaker. 

Why do you feel that you need one?

What kind of budget?  IMO, if you are trying to use the equalizer to compensate for room issues then your best bet is one of the DSP based units that will generate it's own tones into an attached mic and self calibrate to a flat response or to some preconfigured profile. Those can get pricey but the one I heard (can't recall which one) made an incredible difference when switched in and out of circuit.

I use it for opera recordings as most of the recordings are lacking when it comes to displaying the overtones that are present in a great opera singers voice.  So the equalizer helps to amp up the overtones that should be amped up, but were dulled down due to recording issues etc.  I did not want to spend a great deal of money on it and I am not so worried about getting one for the purpose of making the sound right for my room.  I just wondered if anyone knew some general things to look for in a quality equalizer that is not too pricey.  Say around $100.

[cshepherd]

Any EQ worth using will likely cost more than $100.  Most people who are into their playback systems have shed their tone controls and graphic eq's some time back.  The signal path through a $100 EQ would probably not do your NAD amp any justice. Vocals are one of the more difficult aspects of playback to dial in, especially female vocals.  What type of playback device are you using?  CD player, DVD player or PC soundcard?  Have you started to upgrade your interconnects and speaker cables yet?

Chris

[VerismoBari]

"What type of playback device are you using?  CD player, DVD player or PC soundcard?  Have you started to upgrade your interconnects and speaker cables yet?

Chris"


I have a CD player with SACD capabilities and a DVD player. 

[jpschust]

"What type of playback device are you using?  CD player, DVD player or PC soundcard?  Have you started to upgrade your interconnects and speaker cables yet?

Chris"


I have a CD player with SACD capabilities and a DVD player. 

you should be seeking out old opera on vinyl- solve most of your problem

[CHURCH-AUDIO]

I have to agree with everyone else here that introducing an EQ, is not nessisary and only adds to the loss of fidelity on a nice stereo system. And if I was going to use an EQ it sure as hell would not be a graphic but a parametric. They have very little phasing problems. In the live sound gigs I use them all the time but I am not using them to fix the system I am using them to adapt the system to the room and only very sparingly. I think good speakers + good amp + good room = NO EQ even with a bad source. That being said if the sources are that bad dump them into a computer use a good editing program with a good eq plug in and fix the source! Just my two cents.
PS..... There is no such thing as a quality eq for $100 lol try $2,000 and you start getting a good graphic eq parametric eq's like the Klark Technik DN-410 stereo parametric used start around $500 not the best but a very good eq also check out the Meyer sound CP-10 and VX-1 ( THIS IS MY FAV EQ) it works great but again for the vx-1 better have atleast $2000 to spend
 
Chris Church

What would you recommend for a graphic equilizer?  I have Klipsch speakers and a NAD amp and I listen to mostly opera.  I am totally ignorant when it comes to equalizers so any suggestions would be a big help ie. what to look for when buying one etc. 

[VerismoBari]

Thanks for all of your comments.  I actually got an equalizer today and it has made a great difference in the recordings.
I would probably agree with everyone when it comes to old recordings of any other style of music BUT opera.  It is completely different with opera singing.  The problem lies in how the recordings were captured.  They often times sang into wooden or brass tubes and were wheeled around closer and further back from the recording device while singing.  Many of the overtones (formants) were never captured and many of the overtones that were captured are many times weaker than they would be/have been in person.  So the equalizer has helped to boost what was weakened.  Thanks again for your help.

[BobW]

Thanks for all of your comments.  I actually got an equalizer today and it has made a great difference in the recordings.
I would probably agree with everyone when it comes to old recordings of any other style of music BUT opera.  It is completely different with opera singing.  The problem lies in how the recordings were captured.  They often times sang into wooden or brass tubes and were wheeled around closer and further back from the recording device while singing.  Many of the overtones (formants) were never captured and many of the overtones that were captured are many times weaker than they would be/have been in person.  So the equalizer has helped to boost what was weakened.  Thanks again for your help.

Formants aren't exactly the same as overtones, per se.
Overtone is the technical waveform description, whereas formant is the tonal quallity derived by shape, dimension, direction, etc. that affects the type, amplitude, richness, and other subjective qualities of the sound created by those overtones.

I agree that a $100 EQ couldn't hurt a cylinder or other mechanical recording in significant ways.
Parametrics are usually better, with a three band mono often available for under $100.

If you really get into the vintage recording thing, I would consider dubbing onto computer and using software such as Soundforge, Wavelab, Audition, Audacity, etc. to modify and "tweak" the recordings to your liking.

Imagine a $100 soundcard and some software allowing you to remove most of that hiss, the wow, the pops, and to adjust EQ, reverberation, and a myriad of other things.

[Daryan]

Behringer DEQ2496, nuff said.

[Church-Audio]

That unit is not bad I did a church install with a pair of them they are some what noisey though but for the price $450 each for four channels of eq they are not bad.

Chris Church

Behringer DEQ2496, nuff said.