628
19
Equalizing for Speech
In broadcasting, equalizers create a sonic personality for the stations on-air talent. The 628 allows
individual equalization for each voice. You no longer need to compromise on equalizer settings.
Here are some general thoughts on speech equalization:
1.)
Try to use wider bandwidths. Narrow bandwidths (.5 octave and less) remain less
audible and are only useful for remedial work. Broader bandwidths prove less obnox-
ious, more pleasant-sounding, and easier to work with.
2.)
Try to avoid massive amounts of boost or cut. If youre only trying to impart a flavor
(like sprinkling salt and pepper on a meal), then 6-8 dB of boost or cut should be all that
you need.
3.)
A wide bandwidth cut equals a boost at the frequencies on either side of the cut.
4.)
A quick way to figure out whats going on is to set the level of one band of the equal-
izer to full boost (+15 dB), then switch to the FREQUENCY control and vary the
frequency of that band while listening to program material. This usually makes quick
work out of finding the frequency region which needs work. Now reduce the CUT/
BOOST control to something tasteful.
A common problem when trying to set an equalizer for someones voice is converting the descrip-
tive adjectives that people use in describing the character of a voice into numbers in the 628s
MASTER display window. Below are commonly used adjectives and their frequency ranges.
Frequency
Description
75 - 200 Hz
Rumble, fullness
200 - 300 Hz
Bass, bigness
400 - 600 Hz
Chesty, warmth
600 - 1000 Hz
Volume
2 - 4 kHz
Clarity
3 - 5 kHz
Nasal, yell, presence
5 - 8 kHz
Enunciation, intimacy
10 kHz up
Air, mouth noises (ask your dog)
To tailor your stations announce sound, begin with an idea of what general sound you want.
Since you only have three choices of frequencies to equalize, youll need to begin with the aspects
of your sound which are most important. Every microphone imparts its own equalization to every
word which it hears, and this in turn makes your choice of microphone very important.
If you want a bassy sound, think about using a single-D cardioid microphone. The built-in bass
boost caused by close-talking a single-D microphone (its proximity effect) can be tamed and
tailored with equalization, which reduces room-rumble at the same time. Since the proximity effect
increases as the announcer moves closer to the microphone, a skilled user can substantially
change their sound simply by moving in or out from the microphone.
For clarity, a variable-D microphone, or an omnidirectional type, remains the best choice as these
microphones do not emphasize the bass frequencies when you close-talk them. On the negative
side, any room rumble will be boosted along with the voice if you try to boost lower frequencies.
Next, add or remove low frequencies in the 100 - 300 Hz range until you get a pleasing amount of
weight or fullness. Next add midrange boost in the 2.5 kHz to 5 kHz range to add punch and
presence (experiment with the bandwidth control), and finally add or remove frequencies in the 10
kHz range for brilliance.
