parametric equalizers?

Here's the difference in my opinion: a parametric EQ is a tool that is used to correct issues with frequency response. A graphic EQ is a tone-control used by people who like to tweak their system to suit their mood.Support the12volt.com

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well i didnt think people felt so strongly about parametric eq's. as far as my statement about Q control on a graphic eq, its not exactly a Q control obviously because you cant control the exact width of boost/cut, my point was mainly that there is more to using a graphic eq than just turning knobs to make the system sound how you want it. i use them just like you say, to fix response peaks and valleys. if you still end up with a flat response then why would it matter whether or not you can adjust the Q. is there something that i just dont know about how a parametric eq functions? to me it is just the same a graphic eq just that the controls are implemented a different way.

The point is this: A graphic EQ is fine, it is just limited in that the user is stuck with whatever parameters of Q and center band frequency the designer used. A parametric is simply much more flexible, and in the hands of a pro using the correct testing tools, much more usable to actually correct system issues. Rather than hoping the GEQ happens to be designed just right, they can use a PEQ with confidence that they can adjust it be just right. A GEQ is a much more hit or miss solution. It's like using a shotgun. A PEQ is much =more precise. It's like using a rifle.Support the12volt.com

we can explain it to you 50 ways to sunday, but we cant understand it for you.

you can make a para do things that a GEQ can do, but a GEQ cant do the things a para can do.

yuk

quiet rural missouri, near KC.

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

itsyuk wrote: we can explain it to you 50 ways to sunday, but we cant understand it for you. you can make a para do things that a GEQ can do, but a GEQ cant do the things a para can do.

i understand it all perfectly. what i dont understand and probably never will is why everyone seems to like a parametric so much. i understand that it is much more precise and can be just as effective, but what if you have multiple peaks? or a peak and a valley within the same parametric bandwidth? you cant adjust a PEQ up and down within the same band. a sniper rifle is nice if you only have a few enemies but sometimes you need a machine gun. plus, most PEQ's are still limited to set bands that you get to choose one of within a bandwidth, if you have a PEQ that is fully selectable then that is great but that still goes back to the point about if you have multiple response issues to deal with within a single band. sorry if i sound hard headed, my intention is not to be aggravating either, i just find it strange that no-one except Dyohn seems willing to meet me in the middle. either way, its all good, honestly i think someone should produce a combo EQ. ive had awesome results when i could use both at the same time, maybe ill buy a PEQ to augment my 12 band and see how that works out. ill just have to make sure it can be set in between the set bands on my GEQ or else it will be useless.

Tackling it one way, if you have 3 peaks, or 2 peaks and 1 trough etc, then that's one typical 3-channel parametric. If it were possible to use a graphic as you described, that's 9 channels used. Another way - a parametic is used to fix certain select problems. Its output is usually put through a full-band graphic to provide the overall frequency balance. Many systems have mains notch filters (50/60Hz etc) or 19k filters etc etc before or irrespective of later graphics. Parametric eqs are a similar tool but tunable for whatever problem be it resonance, snare rattles, bad kick drum mics, etc. I see parametrics and graphics as having different functions. A graphic is very limited for use as a parametric, and a parametic is often wasted as a graphic else is limited by the number of bands. Then again, a (say) 3 channel parametric can often provide the "typical" curve that 8-12 channel graphics can provide. But if using DSPs and digital equalisers, I see no reason that the lot can be covered, eg - adding multiple parametric filters and cascading into a graphic. It's merely limited by what the interface software can provide.

so i guess oldspark just hit the nail on the head, they seem to be two parts of the whole equalizer. they have their own functions, though similar in nature, usually you can get by with using one or the other. but, for a total suit of tools to tune a system i really think you need both working together to be able to handle whatever your system throws at you. still, if i had to choose one, id still pick a 7 or higher band GEQ. if i couldnt get more than 7 bands then id choose a Parametric. the ideal situation would be to have your 3 channel crossover first, then your graphic eq to level out the response, then a parametric to fine tune anything that the graphic eq cant touch because of the set center points. i didnt want to say it at first but what made me think of this thread was thinking about how most cheap-mid level head units come with a parametric built in and only when you get into the more high end head units do they give you a nice graphic eq( i know this is a huge blanket statement). this general order would suggest that one type of eq is better than the other. with that being said, it confused me as to why there are so many options for aftermarket parametric eq's and not much to offer in the way of a nice graphic eq, they are either really small or really big, whereas a parametric seems to come bundled with just about everything. i asked because i wanted some opinions as to why a seemingly worse choice for total system tuning would be so much more popular than a decent sized graphic eq.

Because it's a better choice, not a worse one. I give up.Support the12volt.com

I don't know of any parametrics on cheap or mid level units. And I would have thought parametric first followed by a graphic. But they are different. How would you remove 120Hz hum from the 120Hz graphic band that you want to boost?