To Equalize or Not to Equalize

Thanks Te-Te, I glad you liked my post.

I`m in pretty good shape here with all my beefing up my house for over three decades.
And a 25 kw automatic Generac genset fed by (4) 100 gal. LP fuel tanks that will be topped off tomorrow..
"Home defense" capabilities, if need be.. :thumbsup:

Plenty of frozen, frig. & back up canned food, beer, smokes, ect. with even a irrigation artesian well available for water if need be..
All three car`s fuel tanks filled.. Heck! I even have a backup to the stand by backup with a 7 kw electric start gasoline generator as well !!

No elderly to watch out for anymore, as none of them are above ground ... :(
And when my excellent elderly neighbors were alive, they were more concerned about my physical well being, being that I`m partially paralyzed(left side hemi paresis) like I had a stroke..

There`s a reason I`m called Over Kill Bill be my friends & neighbors :crazy:

I`m in for the duration, so we`ll see what happens..
Kind regards, OKB
If Poop hit's the fan, I'm coming to your house! I'm an over prepper myself. ( Back-Up to the Back-Up)
 
Minor follow up : after tuning the audio system, any personal taste tone control tweaking usually is more effective and better sounding with the removal/reduction of the un-equalized sound coloration as your not fighting it with limited range tone controls..
 
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FWIW folks, my experience in many hours of "voicing" (via 1/3 octave equalizers & pink noise) sound systems, both PA and playback starting in 1978..
That when properly done results in a very smooth and balanced sound..

The sound system must be properly set up and configured for the best non equalized(voiced) SQ as possible first, to have any real benefit .
As "voicing" the system is the icing on a well baked cake..

Also in doing manually "voicing" the frequency peaks as seen on the RTA are, starting on the low bands are systematically reduced by small amounts of adjustment on the equalizer working your way slowly from the low octaves to the higher ones..

It is never good to try to boost any equalizer to chase a frequency dip in the RTA`s display for various reasons, one is the mindset of trying to achieve a super flat frequency response from 20~20k..
It`s highly unlikely that the room and speaker system will allow it..

And trying too boost the bottom and top octaves will eat up your amp`s power, stress the speakers, raise electronic noise, & will not sound as well as it can by just going through the spectrum and taming(reducing) the peaks and let the system naturally roll off the upper and lower octaves.. It is best to bore sight the measurement mic towards the high frequency drivers from the desired sweet spot/area for each L/R side for best results.

The goal here is to smooth out the spectrum by reducing the coloration peaks, and it is also best to when chasing a peak when tuning to also try to mildly reduce the frequency on either side of the problem peak instead of concentrating on the usually problematic lower frequency single peaks that need to be tamed

And when you have properly finished tuning the equalizer with the lowest background noise, the equalizer`s gain control should be set to compensate for the gain losses from the now attenuated electrical signal level through the equalizer when engaged to be the same loudness with it switched out for proper system gain structure..

This procedure I`ve presented here is not as detailed as it could be, but mostly a general outline..

When the audio system is carefully hooked up, and placed in the room as carefully installed for best sound as practical it always sounds better after "voicing" to the majority of listeners by flipping the gain matched equalizer in and out..

Just my experience folks..

These days with DSP with 1/8 octave voicing capability equipment it is so much more easily to tune sound systems after setting them up for the best sound possible first..

Take care folks.. Time for me to get back to watching Irma !! I believe she`s going to kick my states ass !!
Kind regards, OKB
This is similar to how we EQ'd high end car audio systems back in the 80's when I was in that business.
We used an Audio Control real time spectrum analyzer to smooth out peaks and valleys in the frequency response curve.
In car audio, a flat response is usually not the goal since additional low frequency performance via subwoofers is necessary to overcome road noise.
 
Hang in there Bill, enjoy the storm if that is possible. Wishing you the best!

Very kind of you Gibsonian Sir.
I`m hoping my house and ass won`t get blown away or flooded out.
I`ve lived in FL. all my nearly 63 yrs. life and been through quite a few hurricanes, but this one looks to be one major bad ass storm !!
While I might have been confident in the past about being able to ride them out..
I`m not so cocky about this "Bitch from Hell`s Wrath" !! :eek:

I believe that I have prepared as best as possible, but the St. John`s river is ~ 1000 ft. East of my house, and this Irma has me concerned about the zillion gallons of rain she`ll dump in the area..
While I`ve had flood ins. since 2004 I`d rather not go through that situation, but it`s all out of my hands..

Just have to see what will happen and hope for the best..

Now--- where did I put my "Water Wings" ??

Mercy Sakes Alive !!

Thanks folks for your concern.

Kind regards, OKB
 
This is similar to how we EQ'd high end car audio systems back in the 80's when I was in that business.
We used an Audio Control real time spectrum analyzer to smooth out peaks and valleys in the frequency response curve.
In car audio, a flat response is usually not the goal since additional low frequency performance via subwoofers is necessary to overcome road noise.

I had to smile GSS61, when I read about your mobile applications of "voicing" audio systems.. :)
Oh, BTW. NEVER,EVER attempt to voice a mobile sound system while it`s parked in a garage/building !! :no:
As soon as you drive out all the important LF tuning/voicing GOES straight into the crapper, and you don`t have to ask me how I KNOW/LEARNED this little LF wave length tidbit !! :confused:/o_O/:whip:

I have, but have not re-installed in my recently restored 1987 Chevy Astro cargo van a 5 way tri-amp`d system with L/R 31 band Peavey rack mount Pro-sound 1 RU equalizers that are powered by a 100 watt + and - 25 DC volt output 12. v in SMPS removed from a late seventies Fosgate PR2100 4 channel mobile power amp.

And of course I built a well mounted open frame oak rack for all the gear to be mounted in..
And carefully voiced with my Ivey IE 30A RTA in 1988.
With big Orion mono configured power amps feeding Cerwin Vega home down firing subwoofers cabinets with high performance Infinity badass replacement 4 ohm 12" drivers installed.
I even installed high up in the rear corners of the back (2) RS Minimus 7 speakers each fed by the only non Orion power amp(100 watt Alphasonic) in the system for a early seventies Quad surround sound via a small EV home H-Fi accessory box (also modified to be fed from the same SMPS) matrix quad decoder/synthesizer for a very cool rear ambient sound stage that flipped out my guitar/bass player customer/friends. They said it was like being on a great sounding stage.. :thumbsup: And that made me feel good, because I knew they had better ears in that area than me.

And if I might add, that sound system had/has no hearable electrical noise, via careful attention to low impedance star grounding & single source 12 volt power feed...

Yea, went down that mobile sonic road.
A lot of people who heard that very sonically clear and balanced mobile sound system told me that I should enter it in car audio shows, but I wasn`t interested, and only did it for my own demented HQ sonic pleasure and didn`t care about anything else.

Thanks for your interest and input Sir. Damn !! I`m a long winded son of a gun !! :blah: Sorry about that..

Kind regards, OKB
 
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I had to smile GSS61, when I read about your mobile applications of "voicing" audio systems.. :)
Oh, BTW. NEVER,EVER attempt to voice a mobile sound system while it`s parked in a garage/building !! :no:
As soon as you drive out all the important LF tuning/voicing GOES straight into the crapper, and you don`t have to ask me how I KNOW/LEARNED this little LF wave length tidbit !! :confused:/o_O/:whip:

I have, but have not re-installed in my recently restored 1987 Chevy Astro cargo van a 5 way tri-amp`d system with L/R 31 band Peavey rack mount Pro-sound 1 RU equalizers that are powered by a 100 watt + and - 25 DC volt output 12. v in SMPS removed from a late seventies Fosgate PR2100 4 channel mobile power amp.

And of course I built a well mounted open frame oak rack for all the gear to be mounted in..
And carefully voiced with my Ivey IE 30A RTA in 1988.
With big Orion mono configured power amps feeding Cerwin Vega home down firing subwoofers cabinets with high performance Infinity badass replacement 4 ohm 12" drivers installed.
I even installed high up in the rear corners of the back (2) RS Minimus 7 speakers each fed by the only non Orion power amp(100 watt Alphasonic) in the system for a early seventies Quad surround sound via a small EV home H-Fi accessory box (also modified to be fed from the same SMPS) matrix quad decoder/synthesizer for a very cool rear ambient sound stage that flipped out my guitar/bass player customer/friends. They said it was like being on a great sounding stage.. :thumbsup: And that made me feel good, because I knew they had better ears in that area than me.

And if I might add, that sound system had/has no hearable electrical noise, via careful attention to low impedance star grounding & single source 12 volt power feed...

Yea, went down that mobile sonic road.
A lot of people who heard that very sonically clear and balanced mobile sound system told me that I should enter it in car audio shows, but I wasn`t interested, and only did it for my own demented HQ sonic pleasure and didn`t care about anything else.

Thanks for your interest and input Sir. Damn !! I`m a long winded son of a gun !! :blah: Sorry about that..

Kind regards, OKB
Sounds like it was a really cool setup! I've always been a fan of great car audio for the freedom it offers to enjoy your favorite music at realistic playback levels.
A well put together system can sound like a live concert or being in the recording studio. This isn't something you can always do at home because it may disturb other family members or neighbors.
 
Sounds like it was a really cool setup! I've always been a fan of great car audio for the freedom it offers to enjoy your favorite music at realistic playback levels.
A well put together system can sound like a live concert or being in the recording studio. This isn't something you can always do at home because it may disturb other family members or neighbors.
So very true, especially the "realistic" playback levels reference...
Thanks
 
I had to smile GSS61, when I read about your mobile applications of "voicing" audio systems.. :)
Oh, BTW. NEVER,EVER attempt to voice a mobile sound system while it`s parked in a garage/building !! :no:
As soon as you drive out all the important LF tuning/voicing GOES straight into the crapper, and you don`t have to ask me how I KNOW/LEARNED this little LF wave length tidbit !! :confused:/o_O/:whip:

I have, but have not re-installed in my recently restored 1987 Chevy Astro cargo van a 5 way tri-amp`d system with L/R 31 band Peavey rack mount Pro-sound 1 RU equalizers that are powered by a 100 watt + and - 25 DC volt output 12. v in SMPS removed from a late seventies Fosgate PR2100 4 channel mobile power amp.

And of course I built a well mounted open frame oak rack for all the gear to be mounted in..
And carefully voiced with my Ivey IE 30A RTA in 1988.
With big Orion mono configured power amps feeding Cerwin Vega home down firing subwoofers cabinets with high performance Infinity badass replacement 4 ohm 12" drivers installed.
I even installed high up in the rear corners of the back (2) RS Minimus 7 speakers each fed by the only non Orion power amp(100 watt Alphasonic) in the system for a early seventies Quad surround sound via a small EV home H-Fi accessory box (also modified to be fed from the same SMPS) matrix quad decoder/synthesizer for a very cool rear ambient sound stage that flipped out my guitar/bass player customer/friends. They said it was like being on a great sounding stage.. :thumbsup: And that made me feel good, because I knew they had better ears in that area than me.

And if I might add, that sound system had/has no hearable electrical noise, via careful attention to low impedance star grounding & single source 12 volt power feed...

Yea, went down that mobile sonic road.
A lot of people who heard that very sonically clear and balanced mobile sound system told me that I should enter it in car audio shows, but I wasn`t interested, and only did it for my own demented HQ sonic pleasure and didn`t care about anything else.

Thanks for your interest and input Sir. Damn !! I`m a long winded son of a gun !! :blah: Sorry about that..

Kind regards, OKB
sounds very similar with a drum set in live sound with the eq in a garage practice, compared to a outside job, , i saw more live bands bands blow their 18s outside trying to get the kick drum to hit harder, pushing up the 20-100 hz way over 0 mark + 8-10db and push the amps wfo, Outside takes some real power and drivers and eq no doubt to get clean results no shortcuts for outdoors, i always dragged the subs outside and dialed them in, xover on a large lawn just for a head start a week before , lows were the toughest to get right, dial out the mud, the rest would be done at the gig, then time delay matched up, gate the wind going in the live mics exc lot of work, especially when people are in the way asking stupid shit lol
 
Although I'm not a big fan of car audio I find it ironic that for many a car stereo is the best recorded sound they'll ever hear.
I have $10k in gear in my Mustang, 6 months of design and install, and extensive tuning by ear and with a 6 array mic and appropriate hardware/software - equipment used to voice audio systems for OEMs. Even yet, I've heard 4 or 5 mobile systems over the years that I thought bettered it. Getting great sound in a car like this system is capable of is no simple feat. [Not all car audio systems belch 45Hz bass in the 'hood at 4AM.] Listening in the car can be far more private as well.

As for the OP's question - I've personally never understood why audiophiles shun equilazation. Not a single professional installation is without it. Even a simple octave graphic equalizer can be a very powerful tool when used correctly. Equalizers can be great learning centers for acoustics, phase relationship, room interaction, etc. They can also introduce an element of fun into the hobby. Just follow this simple rule - he who equalizes least equalizes best.
 
As for the OP's question - I've personally never understood why audiophiles shun equilazation. Not a single professional installation is without it.

Because education level relates directly to marketing suspectibility. Less stuff in the signal chain means "pure". "pure" is what people love. Pure means closer to the music.

The four "full blown" audiophiles I know (sorry normal audiophiles) all don't have girlfriends or wifes so they substitute the missing closeness with singing chicks. They gotta be pure.


Something like that, all mixed up. :)
 
I have $10k in gear in my Mustang, 6 months of design and install, and extensive tuning by ear and with a 6 array mic and appropriate hardware/software - equipment used to voice audio systems for OEMs. Even yet, I've heard 4 or 5 mobile systems over the years that I thought bettered it. Getting great sound in a car like this system is capable of is no simple feat. [Not all car audio systems belch 45Hz bass in the 'hood at 4AM.] Listening in the car can be far more private as well.

As for the OP's question - I've personally never understood why audiophiles shun equilazation. Not a single professional installation is without it. Even a simple octave graphic equalizer can be a very powerful tool when used correctly. Equalizers can be great learning centers for acoustics, phase relationship, room interaction, etc. They can also introduce an element of fun into the hobby. Just follow this simple rule - he who equalizes least equalizes best.

Well put damacman--well put !! :thumbsup:
 
Scan.jpg FWIW folks. Here is a scanned pic that my now dear departed long time friend took of me doing some work/tweaking on my several 1000 watt tri-amp van system in the summer of 1992..

You can see the van`s rack behind me with the 1/3rd octave equalizers mounted below the first 10 disc Sony CD player that was installed from 1987.. And the stacks of the Orion power amps below mounted on their own sub frames, starting with the 2 Orion mono`d higher output LF ones on the very bottom then the 1 Orion 500 watt stereo for the low mids. with finally the 1 Orion 250 watt feeding the three way 6" Infinity`s(with those very IMHO tasty Emits) mounted in the original OEM dash speaker holes..
And one of the 2 Cerwin Vega sub woofer cabinets w/upgraded Infinity 12" substituted is in front of me..

Boy I sure look a lot younger than I remember being !!
You can even see the 1987 $ 1,200.00 :eek: "transportable" 5 lb. cell phone`s hand set in the background that`s mounted on the dash over my left shoulder. With it`s 860 Mhz. 5 watt RF output I`m surprised that when I pee that it doesn`t glow like I`ve been drinking broken glow stick juice !?!?

I missed a few calls when driving with that system cranked up, until I reconfigured the phones remote car horn ringer to flash two blue lights mounted on the dash !! Yeah, flashing blue lights are not, nor should be easy to ignore !! HA !!

Very interesting times those were !!
 
Because education level relates directly to marketing suspectibility. Less stuff in the signal chain means "pure". "pure" is what people love. Pure means closer to the music.
And use of the correct words? Susceptibility?

I prefer the use of passive equalization via room treatments and speaker placement. Since I'm able to get very linear results using that approach, I find active equalization unnecessary. Bass shy recordings just "fatten" up with EQ. If the first octave isn't there, no level of boost can "create" it.

In the HT system where I have less placement latitude (that WAF thing!), I use some targeted parametric attenuation at one room mode range. The typical "boost-the-crap-out-of-both-extremes" profile invokes gross coloration to me. Or worse still, I've seen guys boost all the sliders! WTF? :)
 
View attachment 1001077 FWIW folks. Here is a scanned pic that my now dear departed long time friend took of me doing some work/tweaking on my several 1000 watt tri-amp van system in the summer of 1992..

You can see the van`s rack behind me with the 1/3rd octave equalizers mounted below the first 10 disc Sony CD player that was installed from 1987.. And the stacks of the Orion power amps below mounted on their own sub frames, starting with the 2 Orion mono`d higher output LF ones on the very bottom then the 1 Orion 500 watt stereo for the low mids. with finally the 1 Orion 250 watt feeding the three way 6" Infinity`s(with those very IMHO tasty Emits) mounted in the original OEM dash speaker holes..
And one of the 2 Cerwin Vega sub woofer cabinets w/upgraded Infinity 12" substituted is in front of me..

Boy I sure look a lot younger than I remember being !!
You can even see the 1987 $ 1,200.00 :eek: "transportable" 5 lb. cell phone`s hand set in the background that`s mounted on the dash over my left shoulder. With it`s 860 Mhz. 5 watt RF output I`m surprised that when I pee that it doesn`t glow like I`ve been drinking broken glow stick juice !?!?

I missed a few calls when driving with that system cranked up, until I reconfigured the phones remote car horn ringer to flash two blue lights mounted on the dash !! Yeah, flashing blue lights are not, nor should be easy to ignore !! HA !!

Very interesting times those were !!
Classic! In 1992, I was earning a living as a car audio installer in Little Rock, AR. We had a few customers like you that chose to do it themselves - some achieved excellent results. Bravo.
 
All my EQing is done at or 'below the equator'. Nothing is boosted. The only time that I might make an adjustment is when I switch amps/preamps.....and it is always at 12khz. A couple notches up or a couple down depending on the amp.

I really want to finally get around to experimenting with diffusion this winter. Absorpton at the reflection points, bass traps and random absorption by trial and error has really helped up to this point.

However, EQing in the digital domain is by far the MUST HAVE in my system. No doubt about it.
 
Classic! In 1992, I was earning a living as a car audio installer in Little Rock, AR. We had a few customers like you that chose to do it themselves - some achieved excellent results. Bravo.

Well thank you damacman, that was a very nice compliment ..
During the mid seventies whilst living & working in Miami FL. my boss/`s would pull me off the repair bench for "CB"(yech!) and stereo installs..
Wasn`t much HQ car audio gear available at that time, so only straight forward and basic installs, but a lot of them. especially around that time everybody and their mother wanted "how `bout you good buddy" CB installs to the tune of a peak of ~20 a day in 1976..

But I learned a lot about reliable low noise mobile connection/interface of equipment to cars and a good amount of RF experience, at least in my budding repair career..
 
I have always thought I might want one, but I have to be cautious what I spend my dollars on when it comes to audio equipment. I guess I would grab one up, but it would have to be a steal. I use to adjust the bass and treble on my amp or receiver. Now I almost listen to everything flat. I don't even use the loudness much anymore. I guess I'd have to hear one to be able to judge. I wonder if my taste in sound is changing or if my equipment is getting better.
 
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