Midas XL8, Operator'S Manual, Page: 244 / 342

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Chapter 11: Graphic Equaliser (GEQ)
XL8 Control Centre
Operator Manual
Effects of equalisation
Effects of equalisation on voice reproduction
Effects of equalisation on music reproduction
1/3 Octave Centre Frequency Effect On Voice
40, 50, 63, 80, 100, 125
160, 200, 250
315, 400, 500
630, 800, 1k
Sense of power in some outstanding bass singers.
Voice fundamentals.
Important for voice quality.
Important for voice naturalness. Too much boost in the 315 to 1k
range produces a telephone-like quality.
1k25 to 4k Vocal fricatives. Accentuation and clarity of voice.
Important to speech intelligibility. Too much boost between 2kHz
and 4kHz can mask certain speech sounds, for example, ‘m’, ‘b’ and
‘v’, which can become indistinguishable. Too much boost anywhere
between 1kHz and 4kHz can produce listener fatigue. Vocals can
be highlighted by slightly boosting vocals at 3kHz whilst
simultaneously slightly cutting instruments at that frequency.
5, 6k3, 8k
10, 12k5, 16k
Accentuation and clarity of voice.
Too much boost causes sibilance (’sss’).
1/3 Octave Centre Frequency Effect On Voice
31, 40, 50, 63 Fundamentals of bass drum, tuba, bass and organ. These give
music a sense of power but excessive use can leave the sound
‘muddy’.
Mains Hum (50-60Hz).
80, 100, 125 Too much boost produces ‘boom’. (Fundamentals of tympani and
toms.)
Higher harmonics of mains hum (100-120Hz).
160, 200, 250 Drum and lower bass. Too much boost produces ‘boom’.
3rd Harmonics of Mains Hum.
315, 400, 500 Fundamentals of strings and percussion.
630, 800, 1k Fundamentals and harmonics of strings, keyboards and percussion.
Boosting 600-1kHz range can make instruments sound
horn-like.
1k25 to 4k Drums, guitar, accentuation of vocals, strings and brass.
Excessive boost around 1-2kHz can make instruments sound
‘tinny’.
Excessive boost around 1-4kHz can produce ‘listening fatigue’.
5k, 6k3, 8k Accentuation of percussion, cymbals and snare drum.
Reduction at 5kHz makes overall sound more distant and
transparent.
Reduction of tape hiss and system noise. 1k25 to 8k governs
overall clarity and definition.
10k, 12k5, 16k Cymbals and overall brightness. Too much boost causes sibilance.
Reduction of tape hiss and system noise.