FRONT PANEL CONTROLS:
(Continued)
GAIN CONTROLS: Parametric EQ
Continued
expect to have a great sound. Make small moves and then allow your ears
time to adjust to the difference. With controls this powerful,
EQ
Hangover is a part of the buzz. Don’t be surprised if after tweaking for
an hour with the
PARAMETRIC EQ
, you go back to your starting point and think the amp is broken...it’s not...your ears are suffering
from an overdose of
EQ
.
May we suggest the old saying “less is more” applies here beautifully. More often than not, a better sound is achieved by notching
(cutting) frequencies that you want less of with the respective
GAIN
control, rather than boosting desirable frequencies. In this way
your ears can evaluate the differences better and get a bead on the next adjustment because you are not escalating the volume level
as you go. More importantly, you are less likely to create a sound with excess noise.
FREQUENCY CONTROLS:
These 5 rotary controls divide up the frequency spectrum into five sweepable Q bands that allow
you to center-in on any frequency within each of the five ranges with accuracy and then cut or boost each with the accompanying GAIN
control. As you may have noticed, the bands overlap so that you can use adjacent
bands to manipulate frequencies that are very close to each other, frequency- wise.
For ease of understanding, you can think of the bands like this; Lows, Low-Mid, Mid,
Highs and Super Highs (harmonics). This type of division can sometimes help when
you are trying to identify and dial up sounds quickly.
The Bands are labeled in order from low to high frequecy as
40Hz, 120, 400, 1.4K
and
6K.
These numbers represent the Bands’ center Q point frequency and the
FRE-
QUENCY
control sweeps the range from the two numbers at opposing ends of the
control range. For example the 40Hz Band can be set to focus on frequencies between
30 and 100Hz with 40Hz being the control Center Q found at 12:00 (straight up).
Certain frequencies are heard by the ear differently and it is a fair assumption to say
that the majority of us are much more sensitive to midrange and lower-treble frequencies, while we are more “tolerant” of sub-low, low
and super high frequencies. You have probably heard the soundman at many a gig say “take some 1K out of that snare or guitar mic”.
This high-mid frequency is often called the
pain zone
because we are extremely sensitive to these frequencies. Conversely you may
have experienced someone (especially veteran house sound guys) cranking the super high frequencies 3K - 12K causing pain in others
who are more sensitive to these regions. Because we all hear differently and this frequency specific sensitivity exists in all of us to a
degree, it is normal for some
FREQUENCY
Control settings within the bands to seem much more powerful and others weaker for the
same relevant GAIN setting. This is normal and no, your
M-PULSE
is not misbehaving. Usually the lowest (40Hz) and highest (6K) are
the most susceptible to this - with the most extreme low and extreme high settings on the two controls showcasing this phenomenon.
These settings may require a slightly higher GAIN setting than you are use to seeing to achieve the desired shaping result.
NOTE:
The two high BANDS of the
PARAMETRIC EQ
may be extremely powerful and sensitive to GAIN settings, especially between
1.4K and 12K. For this reason use care with the GAIN controls in these ranges as high settings will produce unwanted background
noise in the form of hiss or white noise. This is made worse if the TREBLE control is set in its higher range. If you need a sound with
a large amount of these Treble frequencies in your mix, approach it from a different angle. Begin by notching lower frequencies in the
other bands, as opposed to boosting the higher bands with the lower bands set more flat. This scheme will greatly improve the noise
floor and still allow you to achieve the desired boost in higher frequencies.
NOTE:
May we again humbly suggest using the
PARAMETRIC EQ
to fine-tune your sound with subtle adjustments. Much like a car
with an engine capable of ridiculous speeds, the
M-PULSE
incorporates this shaping device capable of ruining a great tone in the
hands of the unwary driver. Use this powerful tool with taste and music in mind and avoid settings that are so extreme that they blow
holes in what could otherwise be a great sound.
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40 Hz 120 400 1.4K 6K
S E M I - P A R A M E T R I C E Q U A L I Z E R
E N G I N E E R I N G