CHAPTER 5 |
21
NfREMOTE CLIENT SOFTWARE
Using the Parametric EQ to Smooth Things Out
Methods of equalizing speakers in their rooms vary, but generally speaking, using the fewest number of bands
of EQ to achieve the desired result is preferred. Cutting (reducing) frequencies is usually preferred to boosting
(increasing) them, although sometimes boosting a certain range is not easily avoided. Remember that there are a
total of 12 available bands of EQ available to you – 6 in the
EQ1
menu and 6 more in the
EQ2
menu.
We assume that if you’ve gotten this far, you have a general idea of how the controls of a parametric equalizer work,
but as a quick review:
♦
The
Gain
control determines how much the specified frequency range is amplified or attenuated,
expressed in decibels.
♦
The
Bandwidth
control determines how wide or narrow a range of frequencies will be affected, measured
in octaves.
♦
The
Center Frequency
control determines what frequency will lie in the middle of the adjustment curve,
expressed in Hz.
You will be able to identify where your speakers start to roll off in terms of frequency response (especially on the
low end) pretty quickly. You can’t overcome pure physics with an equalizer, and small speakers will never repro-
duce bass with the same authority as larger ones, so there’s no point in trying to give a 15dB boost at 30Hz to small
monitors in the hopes that you’ll get the equivalent of a free subwoofer. (What’s frequently more effective with
bass-shy speakers is taming the often over-boosted mid-bass that manufacturers dial in in the hopes that you think
you have more low end than you do).
As you study the RTA, we recommend identifying and correcting any glaring peaks or valleys over a relatively
narrow ranges of frequencies first to take care of any “hot spots.” Then, work your way out to making broader
changes to the overall curve.
Chasing Your Tail
Speaker calibration can be a frustrating process, especially if this is your first go-around with it. Sometimes it’s like
squeezing a balloon: When you squish one end, the other end puffs out. So it goes with calibration. Make a boost to
one frequency, and the surrounding frequencies go up, too.
Experimenting with the center frequency and bandwidth controls will help, as will a good dose of patience and
allotting enough time to do it up right. Your efforts will be rewarded when you play music through your calibrated
setup for the first time and wonder if someone swapped out your tired old monitors with something new and much
more expensive!
Saving Your Calibration Settings
You can save your calibration settings in the form of a preset by going to the
Save Preset
menu and typing in a
friendly name for your file, preferably one that uniquely identifies the speakers and location (“JBL 4312 Air”).
