Re: Graphic EQ Shootout in San Francisco

Posted by Marty McCann on December 03, 2003 at 00:43:03:

In Reply to: Re: Graphic EQ Shootout in San Francisco posted by Bink on December 02, 2003 at 16:17:38:

Bink,

I recently tested several brands of EQ's. You don't need no stinkn' "Shoot Out" just use the transfer function of your Smaart Live. You will be amazed at how poor some of them actually are. What ever happened to ANSI Specs? Or even ISO centers for that matter?

I can not publish the results because of who I work for, but someone needs to reveal the truth, and that is; that many bargin EQ's are simply POS's. You will be doing all of us a favor. The ANSI specs were written to insure that quality specified equalizers would work correctly when RTA's were employed, i.e. RTA's with proper filters themselves. I won't even go there (RTA's) right now, as they are freakn' obsolete anyway thanks to Sam Berkow and others.

I found some equalizers with extremely non-symmetrical filters in cut & boost mode. Many that claim Constant "Q", simply are NOT! One 1/3 rd was actually nearly 2/3 octave, and another 1/3 rd was, how about, damn close to a freakn' Octave. Others did funny things like 1 kHz & 1.25 kHz summing as expected, but the same unit was very funky when summing 800 Hz & 1 kHz. This was true within each octave.

Yes by all means test them. If we are talking 1/3 Octave they are supposed to introduce a cut that can barely be noticed. I can take a good one and introduce -12 dB of cut with every 3 rd filter (up to 10 of them) and then make up the gain with the level control, and then (again with a good One) it should be a bit hard to tell when it is by-passed or engaged with the spoken word.

It should be remewmber that Don Davis created the first 1/3 Octave EQ (CUT- Only) when he worked for Altec/Lansing. They are based on the fact that Dr. CP Boner (and others) established that we hear within critical bands that are somewhat based on the ISO 1/3 Octave filters within a 1/3 Octave EQ that does indeed meet ANSI spec.

Oh, and they are NOT supposed to sound "Warm", "Bright", or "Airy" ;>)

Gotta go. Let us all know what you find.

mfm

Follow Ups:

• Re: Graphic EQ Shootout in San Francisco Lew Veldas 14:39:14 12/03/03 (2)
  • Re: Graphic EQ Shootout in San Francisco Andy Peters 23:04:05 12/03/03 (1)
    • Re: Graphic EQ Shootout in San Francisco John Roberts 02:06:56 12/04/03 (0)
• Graphic EQ torture test Bink 01:28:53 12/03/03 (4)
  • Re: Graphic EQ torture test Marty McCann 04:25:37 12/03/03 (3)
    • Re: Graphic EQ torture test Bink 00:02:56 12/04/03 (0)
    • Re: Graphic EQ torture test Dan Mortensen 05:14:28 12/03/03 (1)
      • Re: Graphic EQ torture test Geri O 12:22:58 12/03/03 (0)

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Comments:
: Bink,

: I recently tested several brands of EQ's.  You don't need no stinkn' "Shoot Out"  just use the transfer function of your Smaart Live.  You will be amazed at how poor some of them actually are.  What ever happened to ANSI Specs?  Or even ISO centers for that matter?  

: I can not publish the results because of who I work for, but someone needs to reveal the truth, and that is; that many bargin EQ's are simply POS's.  You will be doing all of us a favor.  The ANSI specs were written to insure that quality specified equalizers would work correctly when RTA's were employed, i.e. RTA's with proper filters themselves.  I won't even go there (RTA's) right now, as they are freakn' obsolete anyway thanks to Sam Berkow and others.

: 
: I found some equalizers with extremely non-symmetrical filters in cut & boost mode.  Many that claim Constant "Q", simply are NOT!  One 1/3 rd was actually nearly 2/3 octave, and another 1/3 rd was, how about, damn close to a freakn' Octave.  Others did funny things like 1 kHz & 1.25 kHz summing as expected, but the same unit was very funky when summing 800 Hz & 1 kHz.  This was true within each octave.

: Yes by all means test them.  If we are talking 1/3 Octave they are supposed to introduce a cut that can barely be noticed.  I can take a good one and introduce -12 dB of cut with every 3 rd filter (up to 10 of them) and then make up the gain with the level control, and then (again with a good One) it should be a bit hard to tell when it is by-passed or engaged with the spoken word.  

: It should be remewmber that Don Davis created the first 1/3 Octave EQ (CUT- Only) when he worked for Altec/Lansing.  They are based on the fact that Dr. CP Boner (and others) established that we hear within critical bands that are somewhat based on the ISO 1/3 Octave filters within a 1/3 Octave EQ that does indeed meet ANSI spec.  

: Oh, and they are NOT supposed to sound "Warm", "Bright", or "Airy"  ;>)

: Gotta go.  Let us all know what you find.

: mfm



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