parametric equalizers?

my question is very simple and its something ive been thinking about for a long time. what is the point of a parametric eq? isnt it technically a three or four band graphic eq? i honestly cant think of a reason why you would choose a parametric eq over a graphic eq. can someone enlighten me about why parametric eq's are popular. the only benefit i see is the ability to select the center frequency(sometimes) but over all i dont see their use. this isnt a rant, i really want to know your opinion of parametric eq's.

graphic has a preset center frequency per slider and a preset Q or bandwidth.. all you can do is add or decrease amplitude for that frequency and other near frequencies as effected by the Q roll off.

on  parametric you can choose from a variety of center frequencies for each slider/knob, adjust its Q from a variety of Q factors and of course cut or boost the fequncy as needed.

targeted, fine tuning is what the para has over graphic units.

yuk

quiet rural missouri, near KC.

If your system moves you physically and not emotionally, you have wasted your money.

i guess what i mean is that you can do the same things with a 7 band graphic as you can do with a 3 band parametric. being able to chose the center frequency is pretty lame compared to a proper graphic eq where you can adjust every frequency versus having to pick one. the only problem i have with graphic eq's today is that you cant find any with sliders anymore. they all have knobs that dont allow you to visualize the eq curve which IMO makes them much harder to set.

if you have a driver that has a lil harsh spot that needs toned down you can use a para to grab that frequency in a narrow fashion and tone it down. the same goes for over bearing resonances from a sub box or listening area.

with a gragh you may be no where near the frequency you need it. and the broad bandwidth will poorly affect other nearby frequencies anyway.

i like having a parametric to tweek where a steeply crossed over sub (18 r 24 db) and a smow sloped midbass (12db) driver meet. for this use it can make a huge difference.

yuk

quiet rural missouri, near KC.

If your system moves you physically and not emotionally, you have wasted your money.

soundnsecurity wrote: i guess what i mean is that you can do the same things with a 7 band graphic as you can do with a 3 band parametric. being able to chose the center frequency is pretty lame compared to a proper graphic eq where you can adjust every frequency versus having to pick one.

Parametric EQ is far more flexible and effective than any graphic EQ can possibly be because "choosing the center frequency" is exactly what you need to do to tame issues properly. With a graphic, you often get close, but with a parametric you can be exact. So I would not call that "lame." I would call that being professional. :)Support the12volt.com

a good example at least in a digital para is the 3 band that is included within several Pioneer head units.

i would take a 3 band para over any 7 band GEQ.

as for knobs vs sliders. sliders are nice to see where you are at by looking but as far an longevity in an auto environment, the knobs are sealed better against dust. knobs also seem to make slimmer pieces.

i like digital versions. if up front.

knobs for a trunk mounted.

on my home audio system i went from a proton  preamp with an ADC Soundhaper SS-3 to a Sony 1000ESD with no external EQ. the sony only has a nice 3 band para built in and it has helped me tone down a couple areas and center in and slightly boost the very bottom without effecting the frequencies above 50hz much at all.

these things i couldnt do at all even with the great flexability of the SS-3. its bandwidths were just too wide.

yuk

quiet rural missouri, near KC.

If your system moves you physically and not emotionally, you have wasted your money.

im not saying that being able to select the center frequency isnt a nice function, in fact its the only thing i respect about a parametric but in my mind its still amounts to a 3 band eq. i like using them together with a bigger graphic eq but as a stand alone unit it doesnt allow you to fully tune a system thats not already nearly perfect. now,if te center points are fully adjustable then thats a different story but i havent used one that was fully select-able, those must be the really nice ones. ive only used ones that have maybe 3 or 4 preset center points which when you break it down it amounts to a 9 band eq but you can only use any 3 bands. my old clarion had a 3 band parametric and i used it to augment my kenwood 9 band graphic by finding center points in between the bands of the kenwood. this allowed me to fine tune a specific section of my eq, it was pretty nice to have. i guess maybe i just like all the buttons and knobs on a graphic eq too much

Don't overlook the Q-factor. All the standard graphic equaliser allows is the boost and cut to a predefined frequency and spread. The difference is blurred with configurable equalisers. Some can be used anywhere from fixed bandpasses to full parametric. I went off sliders years ago. Though good for some things, they tend to get noisy, and hard to adjust. For the visual confirmation, I'd be tempted for rotary post with a LED bargraphs, or these days full graphic displays.

you can control the Q factory a little bit on a graphic if you know how to do it, all you do is boost one frequency and cut the two bands around it by a little by. if you know that each band affects the bands around it then you can compensate for it. there is more to using graphic equalizers than just turning things up and down, its a balancing act. oldspark, what do you mean by sliders getting noisy? im confused...

That's not controlling the Q - that's changing adjacent frequencies... What if you want the adjacent channels at a certain level? Sliders seem more prone to contamination than (sealed) round pots. Though professional sound mixers use them they are digital and often motor controlled. But they are usually more for amplitude whereas rounds are used for tuning (ie, graphic equalisers).   Maybe I should ask my mixer mates what they prefer, though I know they have a need to "immediately see" what the amplitude levels are when problems arise. AFAIK, typical slider graphics still use analog pots, though being vertical they are less prone to dust etc ingress.