Parametric EQ curve??

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sdeyoung

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Just wondering if someone could tell me the use of this? I'm using Cubase and it has a parametric EQ (gain, Frequency & Q curve knob). I know that if I set it all the way to the left it acts as a low pass filter and all the way to the right it's a high pass filter. I was always told to set it around 1.5. I'm not to sure what it really does and would like to know more. Can someone explain how adjusting this will affect the EQ and what kind of advantage there is using it?
 
sdeyoung said:
I was always told to set it around 1.5.
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Who told you this?

Search this forum for topics relating to this, there is boatloads of information.
 
RhythmRmixd said:
Who told you this?

Search this forum for topics relating to this, there is boatloads of information.
Click to expand...

I read it in a recording magazine before, but maybe I mis-understood
 
There is no "template" for how an eq should be set up, ever. There might be certain guidelines you could follow for eq'ing a particular type of instrument, or there might certain frequencies that are commonly attenuated or boosted to help clean up a mix, but every mixing project and situation will be different.

All I can suggest is read as much about equalization as you can and let your ears guide you when you feel confident in what you've learned.
 
Frequency=Just that, the frequency you want to boost or cut.

Q=Width!!! The amount of frequencies to either side of the frequency you selected that will be affected also. The higher the number the narrower the width and thus less frequencies affected, the smaller the number the wider the width, and more frequencies affected

Gain=Boosts or cuts the frequency.

As far as how to use it is very, material dependant. What will work for one track, might not for another. And yes 1.5 is a very common setting. watch the Graphic EQ curve as you adjust the settings too see what is really happening
 
Atterion said:
Frequency=Just that, the frequency you want to boost or cut.

Q=Width!!! The amount of frequencies to either side of the frequency you selected that will be affected also. The higher the number the narrower the width and thus less frequencies affected, the smaller the number the wider the width, and more frequencies affected

Gain=Boosts or cuts the frequency.

As far as how to use it is very, material dependant. What will work for one track, might not for another. And yes 1.5 is a very common setting. watch the Graphic EQ curve as you adjust the settings too see what is really happening
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thanks!! Sorry i'm asking so many questions of this forum lately.. I just want to learn as much as I can from the Pros!! :)
Love this site...
 
Atterion said:
Q=Width!!! The amount of frequencies to either side of the frequency you selected that will be affected also. The higher the number the narrower the width and thus less frequencies affected, the smaller the number the wider the width, and more frequencies affected.
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In the words of Willy Wonka, "Strike that, reverse it!"

Big number = wide Q
Small number = narrow Q
 
MadAudio said:
In the words of Willy Wonka, "Strike that, reverse it!"

Big number = wide Q
Small number = narrow Q
Click to expand...


every single Parametic I worked works the opposite

High #=narrow and vice versa....what eq do you use that does it that way?
 
Maybe I'm confused. I'm not near my studio right now. Or maybe it's because I usually use the "paragraphic" eq in Vegas a lot. With that eq, a small number, like 0.5, is a narrow Q, whereas a larger number, like 2.0, is a wide q. I'll have to look at my Rane PE17 when I get home!
 
Teacher - I think we're talking at cross purposes here. I'm talking about bandwith, not boost/cut.
 
MadAudio said:
Teacher - I think we're talking at cross purposes here. I'm talking about bandwith, not boost/cut.
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:confused:

so am I.

higher Q number narrower less frequencies being boosted/cut

lower Q number wider more frequencies being boosted/cut "analog sounding"
 
Woah this is confusing. Im sure its the opposite of what people would think it is. (suppose that depends what people think it is though!!)

Big number for Q = narrower bandwidth
Small number Q = wider bandwidth
 
May I suggest that maybe some are confusing "Q value" with "width in octaves"? While they both represent the same thing, the values are inversly related (as one goes up, the other goes down.)

The "paragraphic" EQs supplied with some NLE software provide a bandwidth control that displays the bandwidth value in terms of octaves. For example, 1.5 octaves. In this case, the larger the value, the wider the bandwidth.

This "octave width" value is actually the opposite of "Q value", in which case the higher the Q value, the tighter/narrower the bandwidth.
 
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Teacher is right. Nubs has spoken. The Q of a filter is an inverse measure of its bandwith.
 
SouthSIDE Glen said:
May I suggest that maybe some are confusing "Q value" with "width in octaves"? While they both represent the same thing, the values are inversly related (as one goes up, the other goes down.)

The "paragraphic" EQs supplied with some NLE software provide a bandwidth control that displays the bandwidth value in terms of octaves. For example, 1.5 octaves. In this case, the larger the value, the wider the bandwidth.

This "octave width" value is actually the opposite of "Q value", in which case the higher the Q value, the tighter/narrower the bandwidth.
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Thanks, that makes it all clear to me now. I wasn't confused, just inverse! :D
 
Not so fast, bucko!

Glad that cleared it up. Now let me confuse you all again. ;)

Specifically, "Q value" is usually defined as the center frequency divided by the bandwidth. So, if you have a center frequency, say, of 400Hz with a bandwidth of 100Hz (350Hz-450Hz), the Q value for that setting is 400/100, or 4. If you widen the bandwidth to 200 Hz (300Hz-500Hz), the Q is now 400/200, or 2. You have doubled the bandwidth and the Q value has halved.

What can sometimes vary or cause confusion is the definition of "bandwidth". At what amount of boost/cut in the bandpass curve do you measure it? Where the curve meets the zero gain line? Where there is a 50% boost/cut? This can vary depending on manufacturer, but for many of them (unless otherwise stated in the docs/specs) the "bandwidth" is defined as the spread around the center frequency (the tip of the bell curve) where the boost/cut is 3dB or greater when the gain is set to maximum.

So Q value does go up as the bandwidth narrows. The tricky thing is that the intrinsic relationship between actual "Q value" and actual bandwidth is not necessaily set in stone across all pEQs; a Q value of 1.5 at 1kHz on one make of pEQ does not necessarily mean the exact same thing as the identical Q value at the identical frequency on another make of pEQ. It depends upon the manufacturer's definition of "bandwidth" in the Q equation as well as the maximum gain settings available on that model.

Therefore I would find the idea stated early on in this thread that there was an "ideal Q setting" to be rather suspect, since actual Q setting values can vary between models. While these variances may not be huge, they can be enough to be sonically signifigant.

Pop quiz next week! :D
 
MadAudio said:
In the words of Willy Wonka, "Strike that, reverse it!"

Big number = wide Q
Small number = narrow Q
Click to expand...
not all of them refer to amount of octive effected
you'd think that makes the most sense but some company's apparently don't agree

so it depends on the company
 
I don't know why it works, I just know how to work it. If I turn the knob clockwise the peaks I create get more narrow. If I turn it counter clockwise they broaden. Sorry I couldn't supply any science I'm just a dumb bass player.
 
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