My Subwoofer EQ Theory Explained.

Рет қаралды 3,247

10 ай бұрын

Well comments section...here it is. The video attempting to explain my subwoofer EQ. Hopefully this sheds light on why I do things the way I do.

Пікірлер: 40

@BillKinal-sk3ft 20 күн бұрын

Hi Billy, system processors are usually the best approach to tuning any speaker system. Their DSP is dedicated to the task, often the presets are carefully calculated by the various manufacturers. However, in lieu of these, the M-32's matrix outputs can do a decent job. In any case, tune and mix with your ears and not your eyes.

@billylaguardia 20 күн бұрын

Hey Bill. Thanks for the comment. I totally agree. I would prefer to have a system processor. I used to carry one to every gig, I just found for this band, I could achieve similar results with the console’s matrix eq. Again, you don’t get as steep of filters or delay, but its fine for what the gigs are. The videos that cause the most comment section ire are a stick PA with a 12pc wedding band shoved in a country club. In that case, you gotta do what you gotta do. I agree with using your ears. I think if any commenters saw what a Pultec boost curve actually looked like - they’d faint!

@SuperLevelone 9 ай бұрын

Hey man I have been doing what you have been preaching, and it WORKS for me to. Thanks It has helped me out A LOT! keep at it!

@StereoAnthony 4 ай бұрын

Thoroughly enjoy your sense of humour in regards to the comments section! Everyone has an opinion, especially about audio. Its important we all do what's right for us based on what knowledge and experience we have, but always strive to learn more. I for one have a learned a lot from your videos, and certainly understand drastic eq curves. All of the rooms I do sound in are terrible.

@atcordice 10 ай бұрын

Subs are design for low frequencies.. I agree. i do the same as you

@seantallica2020 10 ай бұрын

Always Logic and Reason of doing certain things. My last gig we played under a Onning and 80hz was shaking the whole building, so I p a high Q and notched it out, and lowered a bit at 60hz, sounded tight! Of course the EQ graph looked “Horrible” but it’s the Ears that count! I use Peaveu SP118s and I HPF to 45Hz, and of course LPF to 100Hz, just certain venues require A lot of cuts!!

@benadams_64 10 ай бұрын

Fantastic explanation!

@Xolanidj 16 күн бұрын

I'm definitely not nearly the most experienced expert in this matter, but I do know how to make a show sound good. I'm actually newly enrolled in audio engineering school, so I'm looking forward to what I have to learn. But yes, recently somewhere on social media, I mentioned that I have a separate eq for my subs, and a guy went at me, swearing that you cannot eq subs, and there is no reason to have them on a separate feed from the mains. I didn't have the breakdown that you gave (and I generally just don't go back and forth on the internet), but I just said that I do what makes the system sound good in the room that I'm in.

@billylaguardia 16 күн бұрын

You absolutely can (and should) EQ your subs. I I was a guest at a wedding with 800 people tonight. The band had a Martin rig with a QL5. The double 18 subs sounded awful. A steeper LPF and a couple of dips would have tightened everything up. Hugely expensive rig that sounded terrible. Feedback the whole night. Perhaps an EQ that didn’t “look great” may have solved the problems….

@Xolanidj 13 күн бұрын

@@billylaguardia That's the other part of it too. A lot of folks think that all they need to do is spend a lot of money on a rig, and make it go really loud. Meanwhile, someone else spends 1/4th that amount, and knows how to eq and place their speakers properly (not even getting into dynamics and effects), and can sound WAY better.

@timothytay4744 9 ай бұрын

I agree with your approach Billy, especially for your context and gigs, this is the most effective way. Get in, use and trust your ears, mix! Yeah of course ideally doing an in-depth tuning like phase and rta is great but for sure i’m not doing that on a wedding gig. It aint worth the time.

@NonnyStrikes 6 ай бұрын

First year of sound engineering for me. KZbin has inserted an array of ideas regarding what I do, when I do it, how I do it; with likes and views on the back of my thoughts. I notice 100 being EXTREMELY annoying. I'm most certainly going to fiddle with these concepts. Thanks.

@djacidbunny 3 ай бұрын

im likin the cut of your jib boss, i just started working at a casino venue as the sound/lights/tickets/booking guy. I appreciate the no bullshit perspective helps cut through the mess that live sound can be

@mitas3484 10 ай бұрын

It was good. Good knowledge, and as someone who aren’t super familiar with everything, it’s so true that 100hz just isn’t something that belongs in a sub.

@cephaswesley7684 10 ай бұрын

It really depends on the PA you are using and how a manufacturer designed a box and it’s believes acoustic crossover points …. If you try to force a top that is not designed to reproduce 100HZ at high decibels your are essentially hitting the limiters and reducing the overall performance of the box… in the end it all depends

@mitas3484 10 ай бұрын

@@cephaswesley7684 sure, tune by ear, but I must say most I've heard especially EV has a nasty peak at 100hz, and the standard pass is at 100 or 120

@cephaswesley7684 10 ай бұрын

@@mitas3484 personally I would never tune the PA by ear and would always prefer to use a measurement mic and Smaart especially if it’s making a top and a sub go work together. I never used a EV system before so can’t really comment.. end of the day if it sounds right it is right for you. All I meant is that some systems need 100hz on the sub by design to work with a top so it really depends from system to system.

@LucasWasson 9 ай бұрын

I want to post a screenshot of that dbx eq and m32 eq with little context and see what folks thing. How you show what an eq is doing is an interesting conversation.

@billylaguardia 9 ай бұрын

Go for it! The conversation in the comments section on this video have been really good so far.

@stefanb8526 10 ай бұрын

i actually agree with you pretty much 100%.

@wtankwey 10 ай бұрын

Yes, you're right. I do the same thing

@taucetus3657 9 ай бұрын

Question.... with the M32C can you play music from your iPad or phone through the console via Ethernet?

@billylaguardia 9 ай бұрын

Hmm. That’s a great question. My first instinct is no on Ethernet alone. However it may be possible if you are hooked up via usb & Ethernet. You could set your inputs on the M32 as “card” and set the audio driver to the M32 on your computer. Give it a try, inquiring minds want to know!

@taucetus3657 9 ай бұрын

@@billylaguardia Well, it sure is a midas console...which means extra steps for mundane tasks. There is no way to play break music from an iPad over wireless into the M32C. That USB port on the console is largely decorative. Dante came to the rescue however 'Dantefication' ain't cheap. I installed a Dante card in the M32C, connected the secondary Dante port into the M32C Ethernet port then the primary Dante Port into a unmanaged PoE switch. I connected my computer to the switch and this was the only way to run break music into the console. How i wish everything could be done from an iPad without the extra overhead.

@djabthrash 7 ай бұрын

@@taucetus3657 How about using bluetooth ? Or just a regular mini trs 2 male XLR (or jack or RCA) cable ?

@samueldelacruz3478 3 ай бұрын

Hi sir i all ready use x-over point in a DSP do i need another x-over point in a mixer sir..? Thank you

@billylaguardia 3 ай бұрын

Nope. If your system processor is handling it you don’t need the steep low pass filter.

@DavidHobbs 10 ай бұрын

Dead on, real world application. Nothing makes me more crazy than out of control low end masking all the hi freq in the mix...........................

@maizesoft 10 ай бұрын

how do you know the resonate frequency of a sub?

@billylaguardia 9 ай бұрын

Listen to the subs in solo while playing program music. Increase the volume and see if the speakers "warble" or "fart". The physical speaker cabinet may also vibrate on the floor/stage with certain frequencies. You can also hear the frequencies that resonate the room. This is really apparent with hip hop due to the kick drum being pitched in the key of the song vs the generic thud with acoustic drums.

@mostyles328 8 ай бұрын

Also take a simple DB meter with you to see what frequencies are resonating louder with your test tones/sweeps.

@johnmcquay82 9 ай бұрын

People get far too precious about how EQ curves look; I EQ with my ears. Your mention of having more full range in the main PA isn't a moot point; look at all of the L'Acoustics line arrays, they're all running at full range, and the subs add a little oomph to the bottom. Essentially, you're doing the same. So if people say YOU are wrong, arguably they're saying one of the best PA manufacturers in the world is also wrong...

@TheJonrag 10 ай бұрын

Good explanation! I agree👍👍

@jaceychan7099 9 ай бұрын

Are the people you run sound for happy? Are you still getting paid for your services? Well who cares about what trolls think who will never hear your work just remember posting a how to video opens up a dialogue about what you said and everyone has an opinion even those who don’t know what they’re talking about

@laszloturi9633 9 ай бұрын

for the gigs what's you usually do using your eares is ok, but when you have an arena with 50+ spekaers you well need smaart, and I dont even talked about phase alaghnin the mains to the sub, I would like to see how you hear the phase... Here is two excellent youtubers who you should check out: Michael Curtis and Nathan Lively.

@billylaguardia 9 ай бұрын

Big PA’s come with system engineers. PA deployment is not my area of expertise. I let the SE work with the deployment in the room based on their array calc and Smaart. They usually give me a flat PA and we dial things in tonally together. I still will dial my matrix EQs in as needed during sound check and the show. Here is a big PA: kzbin.info/www/bejne/rnPSo6WJf55srq8&si=Ej_NcQUADlCr4yHb

@cephaswesley7684 9 ай бұрын

On the big pa video you used a low pass filter on the sub send, in theory this will most likely throw your LR send out of phase with the sub send what this does is mess with the sub and top crossover area and loose summation … maybe sub eq without the filter would have helped… it’s just that filters drastically effect the phase. Really great video I love your content and build videos

@billylaguardia 9 ай бұрын

@@cephaswesley7684 The interesting thing about the Bud Stage gig was that I barely used any sub. Most of the sound you were hearing was the main PA hangs with a tiny bit of sub added in. That amphitheater had a metal roof and was made of concrete. The roof has a resonant frequency of around 100Hz. So I had to keep the show quiet at 90db and bass lite for it to work in that venue.

@cephaswesley7684 9 ай бұрын

@@billylaguardia yeah I can understand venue acoustics from the looks of it CRAZY 🤓.. I was just saying that in general adding a filter to your PA sends usually effects the phase relationships between PA and SUB sends sometimes even flip it by 180degrees depending on what filter you use. When you have some free time on your hand run some Smaart traces on your LR and Sub outs it will show you how it’s effecting the phase