In EQing, What Exactly Is The Q value?
- Thread starter Robertt8
- Start date
Blue Bear Sound
New member
The Q parameter defines the width of frequency span your cut or boost will affect.
With a parametric centered at 1KHz and a low Q value, a cut/boost will affect only a narrow slice of frequencies around the center frequency. With a wide Q value you'll affect a wider area of frequnecies around the center frequency.
How do you know? You use your ears, but often if you're cutting, start with a narrower (or lower) Q value.... if boosting, start with a wider one...
Also - try cutting frequencies you don't want before boosting ones that you do want.......
With a parametric centered at 1KHz and a low Q value, a cut/boost will affect only a narrow slice of frequencies around the center frequency. With a wide Q value you'll affect a wider area of frequnecies around the center frequency.
How do you know? You use your ears, but often if you're cutting, start with a narrower (or lower) Q value.... if boosting, start with a wider one...
Also - try cutting frequencies you don't want before boosting ones that you do want.......
Robertt8
New member
hey thanks...
I'm looking specifically on my Roland VS-880EX, and on the mid frequencies on my 3 band eqs, I can set the Q from 0.5-16...now according to the shittly little graphic representation of the band, it appears that 16 is the narrower band where as 0.5 is the wider end. I just was wondering exactly what those values equal. is there are chart or something? I thought I saw something on this before...
Thanks!
Tait
I'm looking specifically on my Roland VS-880EX, and on the mid frequencies on my 3 band eqs, I can set the Q from 0.5-16...now according to the shittly little graphic representation of the band, it appears that 16 is the narrower band where as 0.5 is the wider end. I just was wondering exactly what those values equal. is there are chart or something? I thought I saw something on this before...
Thanks!
Tait
Blue Bear Sound
New member
DOH!!!!
Sorry - it's Sunday and I'm all backwards....
Large Q value = narrow frqeuency band........ Small Q value = wider frequency band......
Sorry - it's Sunday and I'm all backwards....
Large Q value = narrow frqeuency band........ Small Q value = wider frequency band......
Blue Bear Sound
New member
Your ears are your charts! 
GhettoWayz
New member
of course there is charts that will break the Q down into octaves.
don't be lazy and search the forum for Eqaulizer Q charts.
don't be lazy and search the forum for Eqaulizer Q charts.
I like this link, it'll prime the pump for your searches:
http://www.recordingeq.com/EQ/req0900/primer.htm
Also ISO has determined center frequencies for octave, 1/3 octave, 1/6 octave EQs as a standard - that would make some interesting searching & reading also. Then there's the actual definition of Q and the formula describing the bandwidth to center frequency ratio.
Just throwing out some keywords here for some searches - lots of good stuff out there ! That kind stuff'll hekp you understand what you're doing when you spin the knobs on your parametric EQ for starters...
http://www.recordingeq.com/EQ/req0900/primer.htm
Also ISO has determined center frequencies for octave, 1/3 octave, 1/6 octave EQs as a standard - that would make some interesting searching & reading also. Then there's the actual definition of Q and the formula describing the bandwidth to center frequency ratio.
Just throwing out some keywords here for some searches - lots of good stuff out there ! That kind stuff'll hekp you understand what you're doing when you spin the knobs on your parametric EQ for starters...