Quick EQ question. (1 Viewer)

[Steve Stogel]

This may belong in another area, but I figured I could get a quick response in the DIY area. I'm using a Behringer Ultra-Curve DSP-8000. I'm clueless about this piece of equipment. It's my brother-in-law's and he's not using it, so I'm using it as an EQ for my sub. Long story short, you can adjust the frequencies up or down 16dB. I had wicked peaks from 36 on up to about 63Hz. To give myself some wiggle room, I adjust the Master "slider" (they look like sliders, but it's an LCD screen) down 3dB and my 40Hz slider down 14.5dB (because of that horrible peak). I boosted 20 and 25Hz by 3dB (to keep them flat).

So, does the 3dB decrease on my Master slider cancel out the 3dB increase at 20 and 25Hz? I don't want to lose amp headroom (since I've only got 150W going to my SVS), and I figured this gave me a little more flexibility in the amount I decreased my other frequencies. But the ones I wanted to keep flat, I just bumped them up (3dB) by the amount of my decrease in the Main/Master slider. Any help would be appreciated as I haven't gotten a difinitive answer in the Speakers and Subwoofers section. Thanks.

Steve

 

[Travis G]

Steve,

I am lacking in practical experience when it comes to EQing but I'll try answering your questions based on the books I have read. Someone correct me if I am wrong.

Turning the master down makes no difference. If you turn the master down it just means that you will have to either turn the gain on your amplifier or the LFE channel up just that much more to compensate. However by EQing the 40 Hz down you actually gain some headroom!

Travis

 

[Wayne A. Pflughaupt]

Steve,

Travis is right. By adjusting the sliders up or down you create a specific response curve. It will remain in place no matter what you do to the EQ’s gain control

Regards,

Wayne A. Pflughaupt

 

[Steve Stogel]

Thanks, guys.
Time to re-EQ. :frowning:
Steve

 

[Rick Radford]

Steve,

Before you re-EQ, are you having a problem induced by the boost? If not, why re-EQ?

I steered away from any boost (until brother WayneP put a bug in my ear that a boost is not necessarily a bad thing.. just depends on your environment).

If your amp is clipping, then re-EQ sounds like a necessity. (I don't recall your sub/amp combo). I put in a 3 dB boost on one freq and still never see my Samson 700 clip. In fact, the -20dB light rarely does more than flicker.

So unless I'm missing something, I see no reason to avoid a boost (within reason!).

 

[Steve Stogel]

Hey, Rick.
Well, I am powering my SVS with a very inexpensive sub amp (dbx) I bought years ago from J&R. It doesn't even have a clip indicator on it, although I'm reasonably sure it's clipping as I have yet to hear the sub bottom out (old driver, BTW). It's rated at 150W into 4 ohms, so I'd like to conserve as much headroom as possible. So I'll probably just put the Master "slider" back up to 0 from -3dB and decrease all of my EQ points by 3dB (except 40Hz, which is already at -14.5, so I guess I'll just drop it to -16dB). I may have to tweak a little more with it (which I really enjoyed, BTW ), or if it's close enough, I'll just let sleeping dogs lie. I had it down to +/- 2.5dB, I believe, so if it's still within +/- 4, I'll probably just leave it be. Thanks for the suggestion, though. I just don't feel I've got the headroom to waste (although these SVSs sure can do a lot with not a lot of power ).
Steve