The graphic equaliser will become one of your best mates in any live sound setting because it will enable you to obtain clarity, prevent distressing feedback from happening, and provide the maximum volume possible from your stage monitors.
You may either boost or cut certain frequencies on a graphic equaliser. Hi-Fi stereos and other music amplifiers used to have these back in the day, and they typically had 10 frequency bands. Nowadays, live sound systems typically include professional audio models with 31 frequencies.
Perfecting the Monitor Mix
Every monitor has a specific frequency curve that emphasises some frequencies over others. These particular frequencies are therefore more vulnerable to feedback.
Imagine a dynamic microphone’s frequency response. The monitor speakers respond similarly.
Here are examples of frequency responses for an AKG C5 Professional Condensor Microphone and the JBL EON712 Powered Loudspeaker, which typically can be used for live stage monitors.
Consequently, what can be done by being aware of the frequency response of any microphone or loudspeaker as well as the frequencies that are louder than others?
Knowing these frequencies will enable you to use a graphic EQ to reduce the volume of some frequencies, effectively increasing the monitor’s total volume. In order to successfully increase the monitor’s volume, you need to flatten the overall frequency response.
So if you know the frequency specifications of the speaker and microphone, it will make it a lot easier to pinpoint the frequencies that are more pronounced and cut them.
More often than not you may not have access to the manual or specs for every monitor and microphone, therefore you need to figure it out through your own deduction.
By Creating Feedback, Identify the Problematic Frequencies
How to do this? Turn up the speaker volume and start introducing the feedback frequencies that will occur naturally.
Here are 4 easy steps to follow:
Step 1. Turn up the volume from the monitor send on the mixer until the monitor starts making a little feedback noise. Be careful with the volume knob because you don’t want screeching feedback on stage, just a little noticeable feedback hum.
Step 2. When it starts to hum, fiddle around with the sliders on the graphic equalizer. Try boosting certain frequencies and see if they add to the feedback. If they do, cut them and raise the volume of the monitor.
Step 3. Repeat this exercise. Raise the volume until you get feedback, then find the offending frequencies and cut them. Some frequencies may generate more feedback than others, and usually, the high-mids between 200-2,000 Hz are the most problematic regions.
Step 4. When you end up with a monitor that can’t be raised any higher unless all the frequencies generate feedback then you know you have a flat frequency response.
After some time, you will get to recognise the range of frequencies, and you should be able to automatically cut the ones you anticipate becoming problematic.
Graphic Equalizer in the Mix
A graphic equalizer is a great tool for better monitor mixing. You can get a louder and better monitor sound at your shows by making full use of it and improving the band’s ability to hear one another live.
Having a happy band is crucial to a good show so you should do whatever you can to make the stage sound as good as it can get as everyone will benefit.
This method may appear a little out of date given the advancements in technology, although not everyone will have access to parametric EQs or frequency analyzers, we believe this to be a tried-and-true method that everyone can apply.
Happy mixing!
