EQ'ing a heavy soundsystem

[miller]

Sorry for the cryptic thread title

I was wondering what the best EQ settings are for dubstep at a party. Probably rolling off around 40hz for a full bass sound? But where do you have to peak it a little bit for the snares etc. ?

cheers

[parameter]

There is no such thing as 'best setting'!

It depends on the room. Delete standing waves and dirt freqs.
I'd like to cut rather than boost.

Maybe the best answer, to gain succes, is to ask a pro...

[serox]

do you mean settings on a dj mixer when djing or when your making a tune?

[miller]

do you mean settings on a dj mixer when djing or when your making a tune?

I mean an equalizer between the dj mixer & amps on a party + I understand that there isn't a 'standard' setting but there should be some "basic rules" that are in favour of dubstep music regardless of what room you're playing in, no?

[serox]

do you mean settings on a dj mixer when djing or when your making a tune?

I mean an equalizer between the dj mixer & amps on a party + I understand that there isn't a 'standard' setting but there should be some "basic rules" that are in favour of dubstep music regardless of what room you're playing in, no?

Well, leave the Eqs at 12 and try not to go above that and only cut. Dubstep is all around the same volumn so u shouldnt need to go higher than that really on a pro system.

I only ever really touch the mid and low levels on a mixer when playing out.

Best tip tho, keep it out of the red! It will only sound distorted and piss of the sound egineers.

[parameter]

really, dubstep is not different from any kind of music, if we're talking about pure reproduction of sound on a large soundsystem. EQ's are just used to filter out the room frequencies that are resonating. These freqs make it too busy and loud, in a negative way...

So you play a very VERY well produced and like sounding record (of any style/genre, as long as you know this record very well), assuming you have good styli & a professional DJ mixer. Neutral EQ. Gain the incoming signal on the mixer so that peaks do NOT hit the first red led.

Put the volume not too loud and not too soft. You have to able to communicate...

Pick a mate who's a good slave or one with very good ears. One has to listen in front of the speakers, the other has to adjust the EQ. Move to the system-EQ. Make it completely neutral. Start left on the EQ (20Hz), move both L & R sliders up, band by band! If:

- You don't hear ANY difference: make it neutral again
- You hear this band getting a little ugly: cut this band a little (until the dirt has gone)
- You immediately hear this is utterly nasty: cut it more.

This way, you notice and filter out the resonating frequencies of the room - hence the name 'equalizer'. In the end, you'll see that you made only subtle changes. Every time, in different rooms, you'll notice that it differs from the last time.

EDIT: take a second (well produced, DIFFerent genre) record as a reference, and in the end, some dubstep.

In practice, I tend to cut 20Hz completely and 32 Hz a little, while this does not add anything to the music, only sub-audible noise from stamping feet or corpses hitting the ground. Records do not contain these freqs! Besides that: it's rare for vinyl going over 17 kHz, by the way, but we just don't cut it on the EQ for the times some 'dj' with a cd player will clean out the venue.

Finally, you will be playing your records neutral (well, a little biased to the record you're playing) on the soundsystem and you'll find out that well produced records are a real joy to play.

Again, you can apply this technique to any party with any kind of music - in any room...take your time with it...

[miller]

do you mean settings on a dj mixer when djing or when your making a tune?

I mean an equalizer between the dj mixer & amps on a party + I understand that there isn't a 'standard' setting but there should be some "basic rules" that are in favour of dubstep music regardless of what room you're playing in, no?

Well, leave the Eqs at 12 and try not to go above that and only cut. Dubstep is all around the same volumn so u shouldnt need to go higher than that really on a pro system.

I only ever really touch the mid and low levels on a mixer when playing out.

Best tip tho, keep it out of the red! It will only sound distorted and piss of the sound egineers.

Again, I'm not talking about the eq knobs on a mixer but a 31 band equalizer

To enhance the signal coming out of the dj-mixer a little bit, making sure the most important elements get that little boost (or not) they need.

So I was wondering if there are some "general" (and I use this term very loosely) settings that can apply to dubstep.

[miller]

really, dubstep is not different from any kind of music, if we're talking about pure reproduction of sound on a large soundsystem. EQ's are just used to filter out the room frequencies that are resonating. These freqs make it too busy and loud, in a negative way...

So you play a very VERY good produced and like sounding record (of any style/genre, as long as you know this record very well), assuming you have good styli & a professional DJ mixer. Neutral EQ. Gain the incoming signal on the mixer so that peaks do NOT hit the first red led.

Pick a mate who's a good slave or one with very good ears. One has to listen in front of the speakers, the other has to adjust the EQ. Move to the system-EQ. Make it completely neutral. Start left on the EQ (20Hz), move both L & R sliders up, band by band! If:

- You don't hear ANY difference: make it neutral again
- You hear this band getting a little ugly: cut this band a little (until the dirt has gone)
- You immediately hear this is utterly nasty: cut it more.

This way, you notice and filter out the resonating frequencies of the room. In the end, you'll see that you made only subtle changes. Every time, in different rooms, you'll notice that it differs from the last time.

In practice, I tend to cut 20Hz completely and 32 Hz a little, while this does not add anything to the music, only sub-audible noise from stamping feet or corpses hitting the ground.

Finally, you will be playing your records neutral (well, a little biased to the record you're playing) on the soundsystem and you'll find out that well produced records are a real joy to play.

tnx!

[parameter]

stick to my original post, please, as I made some -little- changes

[slothrop]

really, dubstep is not different from any kind of music, if we're talking about pure reproduction of sound on a large soundsystem. EQ's are just used to filter out the room frequencies that are resonating. These freqs make it too busy and loud, in a negative way...

So you play a very VERY well produced and like sounding record (of any style/genre, as long as you know this record very well), assuming you have good styli & a professional DJ mixer. Neutral EQ. Gain the incoming signal on the mixer so that peaks do NOT hit the first red led.

Put the volume not too loud and not too soft. You have to able to communicate...

Pick a mate who's a good slave or one with very good ears. One has to listen in front of the speakers, the other has to adjust the EQ. Move to the system-EQ. Make it completely neutral. Start left on the EQ (20Hz), move both L & R sliders up, band by band! If:

- You don't hear ANY difference: make it neutral again
- You hear this band getting a little ugly: cut this band a little (until the dirt has gone)
- You immediately hear this is utterly nasty: cut it more.

This way, you notice and filter out the resonating frequencies of the room - hence the name 'equalizer'. In the end, you'll see that you made only subtle changes. Every time, in different rooms, you'll notice that it differs from the last time.

EDIT: take a second (well produced, DIFFerent genre) record as a reference, and in the end, some dubstep.

In practice, I tend to cut 20Hz completely and 32 Hz a little, while this does not add anything to the music, only sub-audible noise from stamping feet or corpses hitting the ground. Records do not contain these freqs! Besides that: it's rare for vinyl going over 17 kHz, by the way, but we just don't cut it on the EQ for the times some 'dj' with a cd player will clean out the venue.

Finally, you will be playing your records neutral (well, a little biased to the record you're playing) on the soundsystem and you'll find out that well produced records are a real joy to play.

Again, you can apply this technique to any party with any kind of music - in any room...take your time with it...

Alternatively, what we used to do in the venue I worked in at uni:
* make a CD with tracks of bandlimited pink noise corresponding to the EQ freqs
* plug a mic into the desk, put it on a stand somewhere a little way back pointing at the speakers for the channel you want to EQ
* pick a reference point on the microphone level meter
* roll of extreme highs and lows that the system can't reproduce anyway
* play back the track corresponding to the first frequency that you haven't rolled off. Adjust the level of that band until the mic signal hits your reference level.
* repeat for other bands
* repeat for other channel

This should set up the EQ to perfectly cancel out resonance from the room - you know the pink noise was at the same level on the CD and thanks to the EQ it's now at the same level when the microphone picks it up. Playing a record you know well and have heard on a good system makes for a good sanity check, as does switching the EQ in and out.

It's a bit faffy but we had a room with fairly stupid acoustics (vaulted brick crypt with two rows of big columns) and this was the best method we had.

[serox]

Again, I'm not talking about the eq knobs on a mixer but a 31 band equalizer

sorry my fault.