Graphic EQ....discuss.

Graphic eqs are great for live sound. While having a DSP to tune the system to a good state is great, having a graphic at the mix position for quick and intuitive adjustments is critical, especially if you're providing gear for someone else to mix on.

I can't think of the last time I used anything other than parametric eq in the studio.

I bet most people don't realize that 1/3 octave eq refers to the spacing between filters and not the width of the filter. Because filters are usually rather wide the shape made by sliders on the face of a graphic seldom resembles the actual response curve. Here's a page on the frequency response of various eqs.
 
Right but it s a good visual reference ....after that it's your ears that has to do the work.

Great guide soundguy from boulder. :)
 
I think they are both equally useful its just prefrence. i have logic and it comes with a parametric graphic eq(I think). its pretty cool , just try the two different eq's out to see which you prefer
 
Part of their usefulness may have to do with the way you process information. I tend to process information visually. That means that thinking graphically - in 2d, 3d or whatever, allows me to become more intuitive about what I am doing. When I'm doing live sound, I depend on hardware graphic EQ primarily for that reason. I already use parametric eq in the course of dancing with the mixing console, but for sounding a room or doing on the fly sonic surgery during a performance - say the band is in motion or the crowd size changes during the evening - I really lean heavily on the visual information I get from the graphic EQ.
 
If nothing else, the 1/3 octave graphic is revealing in a couple of ways.

First, it shows that my effective hearing range is approximately 40 Hz to 12.5 kHz. The response of my speakers may have a little to do with the low end deficiency, but I'd think I could hear at least a modest boost in that area with the sliders cranked to +12 dB.

Secondly, it helps clarify some of the subjective terminology used by engineers, e.g., "muddy", "boxy", "punchy", by associating these terms with observations made while adjusting specific bands.

I'd say the learning experience is well worth the price of admission.
 
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