use of equalizer
Discussion
iTunes and some stereos let you adjust the sound with the equalizer or similar. I've been using this feature but what I'm wondering is if by adjusting it I'm taking it too far? I mean, didn't whoever made the music already use their own equipment to make the proper sound? Maybe I'm just over thinking this, but I've been wondering about it for a while.
Do you use the equalizer feature when you listen to music?
Do you use the equalizer feature when you listen to music?
When the music was recorded and then mixed, the engineers would have been listening to it on good quality studio speakers. They would have balanced the overall sound to the best they could on that equipment, but bearing in mind that not all people listen to music on the same system.
When you think that you can listen to the track on anything from a small speaker in a laptop to some few hundred plus watt dance floor setup, you can see how difficult it is to get the overall balance right in the studio that will suit everyone.
This is where the equaliser comes in. The idea is that you
adjust the sound to compensate for the equipment you have
adjust it to your liking
Another factor, especially in a car, is that the engine and road noise tends to desensitise your ears to the higher and lower end of the frequency range. To compensate for this you can boost these frequencies with the equaliser.
An interesting experiment to do is to adjust the bass and treble levels to suit when the car is at speed. Then, when you stop, turn the engine off and play the music at the same levels as before. Notice how much you have had to boost the bass, in particular. You usually need to turn it down if you listen with the engine off.
When you think that you can listen to the track on anything from a small speaker in a laptop to some few hundred plus watt dance floor setup, you can see how difficult it is to get the overall balance right in the studio that will suit everyone.
This is where the equaliser comes in. The idea is that you
adjust the sound to compensate for the equipment you have
adjust it to your liking
Another factor, especially in a car, is that the engine and road noise tends to desensitise your ears to the higher and lower end of the frequency range. To compensate for this you can boost these frequencies with the equaliser.
An interesting experiment to do is to adjust the bass and treble levels to suit when the car is at speed. Then, when you stop, turn the engine off and play the music at the same levels as before. Notice how much you have had to boost the bass, in particular. You usually need to turn it down if you listen with the engine off.
chevy-stu said:
I thought you were just supposed to make a smiley face shape and everything automatically sounds better...
(this must work as every rehearsal studio PA, bass amp, hifi shop etc graphic seems to be left like this)
Depends a lot on the music / type of sound as well. This works really well for most rock / pop / dance music, but not so well for classical (where you want more treble and mid range and a bit less bass) and spoken word stuff (similar).(this must work as every rehearsal studio PA, bass amp, hifi shop etc graphic seems to be left like this)
Also, too much bass in my alfa means the speakers contort and buzz at high volumes e.g. when I've got the hood down on the motorway, so I have to keep it lower than I would elsewhere.
alfa pint said:
chevy-stu said:
I thought you were just supposed to make a smiley face shape and everything automatically sounds better...
(this must work as every rehearsal studio PA, bass amp, hifi shop etc graphic seems to be left like this)
Depends a lot on the music / type of sound as well. This works really well for most rock / pop / dance music, but not so well for classical (where you want more treble and mid range and a bit less bass) and spoken word stuff (similar).(this must work as every rehearsal studio PA, bass amp, hifi shop etc graphic seems to be left like this)
Also, too much bass in my alfa means the speakers contort and buzz at high volumes e.g. when I've got the hood down on the motorway, so I have to keep it lower than I would elsewhere.
chevy-stu said:
I thought you were just supposed to make a smiley face shape and everything automatically sounds better...
(this must work as every rehearsal studio PA, bass amp, hifi shop etc graphic seems to be left like this)
It's sorta true. (this must work as every rehearsal studio PA, bass amp, hifi shop etc graphic seems to be left like this)
I've always believed that any speaker, good or crap can produce some amount of bass, and tweeters can deal with treble. But it takes a f
king good speaker to make the mid range sound good. Gassing Station | Music | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff