Parametric Equilizers

[poneal]

I have a digital receiver and would like to know whether I should get an analog or digital equilizer. I have no idea on what brand to get so any good brands or links is welcome. What is the major difference between analog and digital? Also, can the equalizer only be used on 1 piece of equipement (DVD) or can you connect multiple sources to it? If you can connect multiple sources to it, does it allow you save the settings for each source? I must admit that I don't know much about equalizers only that you can increase/decrease different frequencies to help balance the sound. Thanks in advance. Paul.

[spacedeckman]

First off, to use an equalizer, you need a tape monitor loop. Many newer receivers don't have one.

Secondly, most equalizers available in the consumer market are not really designed for equalization, but for elaborate sound shaping and aren't worth the box they are shipped in. Maybe "quasi-elaborate" is a better term. If you are serious for home use, you need to find a 1/3 octave piece (new price typically $1k up, but can be found used) and an RTA. Again, unless you have that tape loop, you can't make it to #2.

Parametric? Not without an RTA, knowledge, experience, or failing that, a self operating computer monitored system. The new Yamaha RXV1400 has got one on board for $800...with the receiver. Don't worry, if you try to change it manually, I guess you are reverted to graphic. Keeps you out of trouble

[DrJeff]

First off, to use an equalizer, you need a tape monitor loop. Many newer receivers don't have one.

Secondly, most equalizers available in the consumer market are not really designed for equalization, but for elaborate sound shaping and aren't worth the box they are shipped in. Maybe "quasi-elaborate" is a better term. If you are serious for home use, you need to find a 1/3 octave piece (new price typically $1k up, but can be found used) and an RTA. Again, unless you have that tape loop, you can't make it to #2.

Parametric? Not without an RTA, knowledge, experience, or failing that, a self operating computer monitored system. The new Yamaha RXV1400 has got one on board for $800...with the receiver. Don't worry, if you try to change it manually, I guess you are reverted to graphic. Keeps you out of trouble

I agree with all of the above, you would need to use an outboard EQ and RTA to do it, and you could pretty easily screw it up without the proper knowledge and equipment. You could also use pre-outs if you have them. HOWEVER, you also will need an outboard amplifier if you go this route. Behringer makes a fairly inexpensive (although a little noisy) parametric EQ called the Ultracurve, sells for about $200, you would need at least 3, plus 5 or 6 channels of amplification, I would guess you'll spend over 2K for this, and if you did it right, you would be looking at more like $6K or more.

The Yamaha does all this for you, and is less than $1K.

[poneal]

Sounds pretty compex. My receiver has tape in and tape out rca jacks. Does this provide the loop you were talking about? Also, I do not know what RTA stands for. Finally, I have an old (20 years old) graphic equalizer that came with an old kenwood system (my first stereo system). Never used the equalizer much so it probably still works. Not sure if its a quality equalizer or not (prob not since the whole system cost $1200 back then including speakers). Would it be feasible to connect this equalizer to the receiver? Thanks, Paul.

[DrJeff]

Sounds pretty compex. My receiver has tape in and tape out rca jacks. Does this provide the loop you were talking about? Also, I do not know what RTA stands for. Finally, I have an old (20 years old) graphic equalizer that came with an old kenwood system (my first stereo system). Never used the equalizer much so it probably still works. Not sure if its a quality equalizer or not (prob not since the whole system cost $1200 back then including speakers). Would it be feasible to connect this equalizer to the receiver? Thanks, Paul.

The tape in/out jacks are the tape loop, you would engage the tape monitor to activate the EQ in the loop. RTA is a real time analyzer, essentially a graphical display of the magnitude and frequency of the sounds you are generating. You can use it with a test tone (pink noise for example) to smooth out the frequency response of your room and system.

The EQ also should be a 31-band per channel or a true parametric, not the 5- or 10-band ones that sell with most rack systems. These cheap ones (like the one you have, unfortunately) are too inaccurate and too wide a frequency range per filter to do you any good. On the other hand, if you want lots of bass or highs and don't care about grossly altering the frequency response then you can use it.

Also, it will only affect your front L and R speakers, so if you use it in a home theater setting (anything other than 2-channel stereo) then you still will not be able to EQ the effects speakers.

My advice to you would be to leave it out of your system.

[poneal]

Yeah, I just read some articles about equalizers and they pretty much said the same thing you guys did. My minds made up, leave it out and dont waste my money. Thanks.

[sam9]

Probably the best choice around (for a reasonable cost) is the Behringer 8024. This includes an RTA with a microphone logic to set itself. Both graphic and parametric modes are available and can be used with either analog or digital input. There is a learning curve to using this, and in analog mode I wish the THD+N were lower. However, overal I system sounds beter with it than without. It is especially useful in smoothingn out the 30Hz- 250Hz band - which is usually the most troublesome.

[Woochifer]

On this board at least, it seems that the most common usage of a parametric EQ is for subwoofer equalization. I connect a Behringer Feedback Destroyer to my Adire Rava subwoofer, and I regard the BFD as an absolute necessity with a subwoofer. With my room acoustics, a subwoofer would not have been listenable without the parametric equalizer.

The BFD is a digital EQ and it sells for $120, which is a bargain for the difference it makes in the overall system performance. However, people who've tried it say that the BFD is not well suited for midrange or high frequencies because it audibly colors the sound and adds noise to the signal.

It is possible to use a parametric EQ without a RTA for subwoofer equalization because test discs are available with fairly narrow intervals between frequencies on the test tones. It's definitely time consuming, but all the tools you need to vastly improve your bass quality -- a SPL meter, test disc, and parametric equalizer, together will cost you less than $170.

If you intend to hook the EQ to a digital AV receiver, chances are that you can't because most receivers nowadays do not include a tape monitor or premain couplers. Your only alternative in that case would be to connect the EQ between the source and the receiver, but even then it would not work in the digital domain and you can only equalize one component at a time. Behringer does make a parametric equalizer that works with PCM digital signals, but I'm not sure if it will work with DD or DTS signals.