Question about EQ "octave" feature

M

marmes

New member
Hi,
I am looking to add a dual EQ unit to my home recording studio, and in researching different units (online) there is one feature that I do not understand. Some units say they are 1/3 octave, 2/3 octave, etc. What does this "octave" feature mean? The units with this feature are more expensive than the ones without it (e.g. the ART 341 vs. ART 343), but I want to understand what this is before I make a decision. Been playing/studying music for a long time, so please be as technical as you want in your explanation.

Any help would be greatly appreciated.... thanks!!!!
 
Most 36 band graphic EQs are 1/3 octave.This means each individual slider's effect covers a range of one third octave.As opposed to the three band EQ on a mixer's channel strips that cover several octaves each.So with the graphic EQ,you get more precision.
Next is the Parametric EQ,which lets you zero in on specific frequencies with surgical precision (very narrow band) where for example you might want to cut the sibilence of a vox while leaving the rest of the signal intact.
Bottom line on the graphic and octave fractions is more sliders equals more discrete adjustment possibilities.

Tom
 
All the above is true:

A little note though. A parametric Eq can also cover a very wide range of frequencies too in a single band. What make a parametric so attractive is that is CAN narrow in tighter on a frequency as well as go very wide by only adjusting the bandwidth control. Compared to the graphic eq, where you would have to adjust many sliders to effect a wide bandwidth. If you don't need to adjust more than a few bands, the parametric is just easier to use. If you need to adjust many band though, and create very strange looking eq curves, the graphic wins, even though it is not capable of quite as tight control on any given band.

Another thing. More control does NOT mean less quality!!! With EQ's, you truely get what you pay for. Cheap graphic eq's are not worth a dime. In the graphic EQ department, Ashley and Rane are about as cheap as you can get and still have a decent sounding eq. All the ones cheaper than those two (and really, only their better models) are going to effect the sound in unpredictable ways, and usually not for the better of the sound.

The Search function on this BBS works pretty well. If you enter in the right keyword to search, you usually find some pretty good stuff....:) Like this one. I entered "bandwidth" and the first thread was:

http://www.homerecording.com/bbs/showthread.php?s=&threadid=33431&highlight=bandwidth

Check it out. I provided a link to a hand drawn thing that shows what "Q" or "bandwidth" is in my post in this thread.

Ed
 
Thanks guys for your responses... they've made me dig deeper (both through the links you provided and elsewhere) and I realize I need to learn even more than I thought I needed to!
 
marmes said:
Thanks guys for your responses... they've made me dig deeper (both through the links you provided and elsewhere) and I realize I need to learn even more than I thought I needed to!
Click to expand...

Everyone signing up on this BBS should have to agree to say that same thing 50 times a day for the first 6 months to stay a member....;)

Glad the link helped.

Ed
 
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