Wow, your vids are the ONLY ONES on youtube Ive found that easily teaches how to use a soundboard. Very easy to understand. Thank you and keep them coming.
I had one question, stupid question actually, but what does a sound mixer record to? Does it use its own sd card? How does a sound engineer transfer the sound it records to the person that needs it?
Raeshelle Cooke In general mixers are not recording devices, they are used to route and process sound, sort of like a bus interchange routes people and buses in and out. Some mixers have their own internal storage or can use an SD card but this is not the mixer's primary purpose. You would normally record to some form of external media like a CD recorder, handheld recorder or computer-based recording system, and then transfer the file to a computer for editing. Hope that helps. Keep up the good work on your channel - your video editing is way better than mine anyway ;)
I think most people have a great deal of trouble understanding eq because most sound engineers have a great deal of trouble explaining it. Your explanation is excellent!
I'm from Germany and most tutorials I've watched already are hard to understand. Your clear pronunciation and examples made it comfortable to watch and take notes at the same time. I gotta thank you for that !
Thanks Bruno for the video about using the EQ. I am a volunteer at a community center, which is using a Spirit Powerstation 600. Almost everybody is fiddeling around with the EQ. Now I learned how to do the right way. Actually quite easy when one knows how to adjust or not to adjust the EQ.
This helped me out a lot. Thanks a lot. Being that I can't afford to attend audio school I spend a lot of time looking for videos to try an educate myself. I'm glad I stumbled on this. Thanks once again.
Very clear. Thank you.Just starting out doing sound with a band and the lead singer has VERY sharp ears. My challenge-my ears don't work well on the highs. You've given me a path to meet her.
You're welcome! Do you have any hearing loss at all? It might be worth getting your ears checked by an audiologist if you are running sound on a regular basis, just for your own peace of mind.
- Good question. I usually start with all EQ flat, but with the frequency set to a known problem area. So for example if it's a vocal channel I will set the low mid frequency to about 400hz, but leave the boost/cut knob flat, ready for action if necessary. That way if it starts feeding back I can quickly grab the boost/cut knob and cut it without needing to check the frequency setting.
- Thanks for the request. I'm afraid that I do not use DJ mixers on a regular basis, but I will do a video on them as and when time allows. All the best with your music!
- Yes, you are welcome to do so as long as you refer people to the original video on UA-cam. Do let me know when it's done, I would like to take a look :)
I watch your GLB class very eagerly... It gives me a lot about audio and sound technology... Your presentation skill and easy to understand language used is highly motivating and gives me adequate confidence in operating any DESK , irrespective of channel multiplicity or more advanced features..... Awaiting for another valuable discription ...thanks, Dear.
- This particular mixer is a Soundcraft Spirit Live 4/2. This model has been discontinued, but the video is applicable to any analogue mixer with 4-band EQ with semi-parametric midrange.
- That's a really good question! The reason is that the high pass filter is not a 'brick wall' that cuts off everything below 100hz but is really a gentle slope that begins at 100hz and rolls off gradually. So while the signal is reduced at 80hz, there is still enough of it there for the low EQ control to have an effect.
- You're most welcome. I use these videos to train the sound people at my church so they need to be as accessible as possible to those who may not have a technical background.
- You're welcome. Unfortunately many manuals are written for those who already have a general understanding of how sound equipment works and thus do not explain certain key concepts or terms used. All the best with your music!
- You're welcome! In my opinion the Yamaha MG series mixers are good value for money but are not very well constructed. I would recommend purchasing a Mackie VLZ3 series mixer if your budget allows - those are built like tanks and will last many years. All the best with your music!
- You're most welcome. Graphic equalisers work a little differently in that each slider only affects the frequency that is marked on it, and you cannot adjust these frequencies for a given slider. With these, small adjustments are best, and stay away from the 'smiley face' curve for live sound!
- The low mid control operates mostly at frequencies above the high pass filter (HPF). The bass control is actually able to override the HPF because it is set at 80Hz, a frequency where the HPF is only just beginning to take effect. Remember that the HPF is not a brick wall but rather a slope beginning at 100Hz.
- Good to hear that. Good sound guys are always in demand, whether it be for recording, broadcast or post-production work. I have done a bit of recording and voice over work but my first love will always be live sound. All the best with your music!
- Thanks for the question. One of the best all-round books on doing live sound that I have found is 'Live Sound Mixing' by Duncan Fry. Another one would be ''Basic Live sound' by Paul White. Both of these are available online and cover the basics very well.
I love your comparison of cooking to cutting/boosting eq. I have just found your channel and look forward to learning more from you. Thanks so much for sharing your expertise with us.
- The first thing to do is to see where the distortion is coming from - make sure your gain is set correctly (see my video on how to set gain on the mixing console). If gain is correct, I would start by setting your EQ flat (ie no cut or boost) and see how it sounds. Distortion in the vocals is almost always due to the gain being set too high as opposed to incorrect EQ.
- Good question! In general, the high pass filter and the low shelving EQ can be combined - what you get is the ability to boost JUST 80Hz while at the same time reducing all the very low and subsonic stuff that is not useful to your mix. In other words, at 80Hz, the low EQ overrides the high pass filter, but below that the high pass filter overrides the low EQ, so 80Hz is boosted with everything below that rolled off. Does that make sense?
- If that's the case I would experiment with different mic positions - you can view my video on the EW100 wireless system - starting at 22:54 there are some suggestions.
- You're welcome, glad the videos have been helpful. I will add your request to my to-do list :) You seem to be on the right track with your settings - the main thing is to use your ears rather than your eyes when setting up this sort of thing. If you are working with a cover band or touring with a band that has just released an album, you may be able to contact the studio engineer and ask him what settings he used on the recording. Those would be a useful starting point for your live settings.
As always - great tutorial! Thanks, Bruno! I will rethink my EQ approaches, since I always ADD rather than CUT!)))) Many thanks to you! Regards from Russia!
You're welcome Alex! Remember that every EQ situation is different - the cut rather than boost rule is a good one for live sound due to the risk of feedback, but for certain applications e.g. kick drum it is acceptable and in some cases even necessary to boost specific frequencies.
Many recording engineers dont use any eq at all for tracking section... this is a ground breaking info... overall great video, and very clear way of showing what and why.
- Thanks for the question, this is definitely an issue when working with sampled drums. I would say that the best option in your situation is to run the sampler stereo: run the left and right outputs from the sampler into two separate channels on your mixer, pan one channel hard left and one channel hard right. This will spread the drums out across the stereo image and make it sound much bigger. I assume that you are working with a stereo mixer and a stereo PA system?
- You're most welcome. I would say give it a try and see how it sounds. The problem with most noise reduction systems is that they also remove some of the high frequency component of the sound which results in a dull or muffled tone.
- Interesting challenge! I think the easiest solution in your case is to split the signal from your sampler and patch it into as many channels as you need 'directions'. You would then EQ and pan each channel appropriately, so for example if you wanted the low end to come from the left, you would remove all the high end from that channel and then pan it hard left. You would need some Y-cables to do the splitting. Does this help?
Thanks for the EQ and monitor mix videos. I found them very enlightening. The books/manuals for my mixer is confusing to me. Now I have a better understanding of the instructions. Cheers.
- Not at the moment. However the procedure is fairly simple - set up your PA system in its normal configuration and turn up the mics until something starts to feed back. Locate that frequency on your graphic EQ and cut it. Repeat this procedure until you have discovered all the feedback frequencies in your room, or until the PA starts to sound unnatural.
- Thanks for the update! Yes the QSCs would be more versatile than the Marshall in this respect. I would begin with no EQ on the guitar and perhaps a little bit of low cut on the vocal mic. This should sound fine - remember that the mic has a built in high and high-mid boost to help the vocals come through. If necessary you can cut the guitar slightly (3-4db) in the 1-3kHz area, depending on your voice. It's always best to start with no EQ and work from there. All the best with your music!
- It sounds like you have too much 'room sound' in the microphone. Could I ask what sort of mic you are using, is it a handheld mic or a clip on/lavalier type mic? Also are you using just one mic or several?
- Thanks for the comment, I will make another video on mixer EQ when time permits. If your mixer has only one swept mid band, you can usually access the same frequencies as shown in the video, it's just that you need to choose one or the other ;)
- The easiest way to do this is directly through your recording interface (the box that connects to your computer via USB or firewire). You plug your guitar or bass into the interface and the signal shows up in your protools where it can be recorded. After that you can edit, mix and add effects.
I man a older analog Allen & Heath GL2000 at my church. 32 channel. Between 6 to 9 Vocalist. This tutorial really cleared some things up for me dealing with this board. The seperate EQ (i forget how many bands) is for the parts pretty flat with a little sweetner. anywho......Thanks !
- Oh yes I have mixed several shows on one of those GL2000s. Excellent old-school build quality! And you're right - with the right mic and the right setup you should not need that much EQ on the vocals. All the best with your music and ministry!
- In that case I would experiment with different mic positions and distances before adjusting the EQ. Try miking at the bridge or 12th fret to increase the clarity of the signal you're getting. When recording it's best to get the sound you want without EQ if at all possible. All the best with your music!
- Not really - it's always best to keep speaker cables as short as possible in order to avoid signal loss. Did you notice a significant difference in sound between your setup and his?
- It depends on the acoustics of the venue - our church has a lot of low and low-mid resonance, making it necessary to EQ as shown in the second part of the video. Your situation may differ :)
Thanks mate for the explanation, I needed a refresher on EQ. I did a Cert3 ~3 years a go but it's all ways good to have a refresh of the concepts. + I now know what the low cut switch is for on my mixer (the same as your high pass filter) so I learnt something new. :) Going to try turning on the low cut switchs on Sunday.
- The low EQ is actually a shelving type filter so even though it's set at 80Hz it will cut or boost all frequencies below 80Hz, so it still may work for your purposes. If you need to selectively boost a low frequency, eg for dub-type kick drum sounds, you might look at Allen and Heath mixers - on some of their Mix Wizard models the low mid control can be swept down to 35Hz! And yes, you can use the insert point to insert an EQ of your choice :)
- The main reason for cutting these frequencies is that it makes it easier to understand the human voice, both speaking as well as singing. Mind you, this is in the context of my church using mainly SM58 microphones - you should always start with no EQ and adjust from that point. Thanks for asking :)
- To start with: Bass guitar try boosting 100Hz and cutting 300Hz. Kick drum try boosting 80Hz and 2.5kHz. All instruments are different so you will need to experiment.
Soundcraft live mixers. cool. used these to mix down to 2 tracks on tour to DAT. choose the mics for the source sound. use almost no eq, except to cut some noise or harsh stuff. very natural sound.
- It means less high frequency content in comparison. Some people would use the term 'warmer' to mean the same thing. However I personally have not observed this with soundcraft mixers.
This was very helpful... From what I understand, the purpose of cutting low and high mid frequencies is to aid in the elimination of "feedback".... Is that true?... Thank you for your response in advance... Great videos by the way...
- The level of the amplifier depends on how loud you need your system to be. You can begin by setting it to maximum, or fully clockwise. If that is too loud turn it down until it is as loud as you need it. If maximum is not loud enough, you need a bigger amplifier and/or speakers :)
By the way i have my own technique of Equalization. I use the other auxiliary out send to 31 band graphics eq Then return to stereo channel. Then at the same time. Its up to me how do i tune my 31 band eq. And i send that aux post fade into a Dynamic microphone that need an eq. That's my way. And i got clear sounds. Instead of scrolling or adjusting the parametric eq of the mixer. :)
A very interesting system! An easier way of doing this would be to simply insert the graphic EQ into the channel that needs it, using an insert cable. Of course, you also need a mixer that has insert points. I remember this was common practice on key inputs (kick drum, lead vocal) before digital consoles with 4-band parametric EQ on every channel were available.
@@GLBProductions it's an old style. One disadvantage of it for me was. I couldn't gained them at mixer's insert channel? I know graphic eq like dbx 31 band eq has gain and gained reduction according to them. But i think it is better to control it at stereo channel. Starting from aux send to stereo return channel.
- The closest thing to this would be an automatic mixer, available from companies such as Shure and Peavey. These units can set gain and balance mic levels automatically, but they still need to be set up by somebody who knows what they are doing. There are also feedback eliminators, which will automatically cut feedback frequencies, and pitch correctors, which are mainly used to correct out of tune singers.
What a nice and comprehensive tutorial thank you very much. I am musician play flute and keyboard. Planning for a home studio. I read a lot about mixers and finally decided to buy Yamaha MG166CX USB its meats my pocket and perhaps can be a good for me. What would you please suggest me. Many many respect to you. Arshad
Dear Bruno, If you have some time in the future, could you make a video of using an e.g. 31 x 1/3 octave equalizer? in combination with a pink noise generator? I cannot find proper do's and don'ts for that. Regards, Leon
PappaDonLeone Thank you for the request. I'm very familiar with that technique but I hardly use it nowadays - if I ever break out my old real time analyser I'll do a video :)
- Unfortunately inexpensive mixers have a tendency to be noisy at higher gain levels, in the same way that cheap cars tend to be noisy at high speeds ;) The only solution is to reduce the amount of gain that you need by using a source that has a higher output level; for example using an active bass instead of a passive one. When it comes to microphones, more modern microphones sometimes have higher output levels, for example a Shure Beta 58 vs the older SM58.
Oh yes, the sound of the room is everything in live sound! This is why it's very important to have a master graphic or parametric EQ (either physical or software) on which you make the changes necessary to compensate for the room - that way your channel EQ should remain more or less consistent from venue to venue.
Wow, your vids are the ONLY ONES on youtube Ive found that easily teaches how to use a soundboard. Very easy to understand. Thank you and keep them coming.
Raeshelle Cooke Glad you find the videos easy to understand, I try to take things step by step.
I had one question, stupid question actually, but what does a sound mixer record to? Does it use its own sd card? How does a sound engineer transfer the sound it records to the person that needs it?
Raeshelle Cooke In general mixers are not recording devices, they are used to route and process sound, sort of like a bus interchange routes people and buses in and out. Some mixers have their own internal storage or can use an SD card but this is not the mixer's primary purpose. You would normally record to some form of external media like a CD recorder, handheld recorder or computer-based recording system, and then transfer the file to a computer for editing. Hope that helps. Keep up the good work on your channel - your video editing is way better than mine anyway ;)
Lol wow thank you :D
Your teachings are very important Thank you very much ,
I like sound administration a lot, I am Sri Lankan, working in Dubai
You're welcome Haris.
I'm an old sound man and it is nice to see productive videos on UA-cam like this one. Thanks....Jimmy, WX9DX, ARRL TS
+WX9DX Welcome Jimmy! What sort of sound did you do? Live, recording, broadcast etc?
I think most people have a great deal of trouble understanding eq because most sound engineers have a great deal of trouble explaining it. Your explanation is excellent!
Superb demonstration of EQ. Much appreciated! 😊
One of the best, easiest to understand, tutorials on EQing I have seen. Thank you.
You're welcome TJ :)
I'm from Germany and most tutorials I've watched already are hard to understand. Your clear pronunciation and examples made it comfortable to watch and take notes at the same time. I gotta thank you for that !
- You're welcome, all the best with your music :)
Everyone involved with music should watch this, sound guys and musicians.
Thanks Bruno for the video about using the EQ. I am a volunteer at a community center, which is using a Spirit Powerstation 600. Almost everybody is fiddeling around with the EQ. Now I learned how to do the right way. Actually quite easy when one knows how to adjust or not to adjust the EQ.
Yes, knowing when NOT to adjust is just as important as knowing what to adjust ;)
This fella is an absolute wealth of audio knowledge! Thank you sir. For sharing your experience and tried and true ideas with us! Cheers mate! 🇨🇦
Thanks for watching Fred!
This helped me out a lot. Thanks a lot. Being that I can't afford to attend audio school I spend a lot of time looking for videos to try an educate myself. I'm glad I stumbled on this. Thanks once again.
- You're most welcome, glad you can learn something from my videos. Feel free to get in touch should you have specific questions to ask :)
I love your analogy at the end, comparing it to cooking! Best video I could find on eq thank you sir!
You're welcome Tyler, thanks for watching!
Coming back to this video again for a refresher. Thank you very much.
You're welcome Chris!
Very clear. Thank you.Just starting out doing sound with a band and the lead singer has VERY sharp ears. My challenge-my ears don't work well on the highs. You've given me a path to meet her.
You're welcome! Do you have any hearing loss at all? It might be worth getting your ears checked by an audiologist if you are running sound on a regular basis, just for your own peace of mind.
- Good question. I usually start with all EQ flat, but with the frequency set to a known problem area. So for example if it's a vocal channel I will set the low mid frequency to about 400hz, but leave the boost/cut knob flat, ready for action if necessary. That way if it starts feeding back I can quickly grab the boost/cut knob and cut it without needing to check the frequency setting.
- Thanks for the request. I'm afraid that I do not use DJ mixers on a regular basis, but I will do a video on them as and when time allows. All the best with your music!
- Yes, you are welcome to do so as long as you refer people to the original video on UA-cam. Do let me know when it's done, I would like to take a look :)
Hi Bruno great tutorial. been a sound engineer myself it always great listening to topics like these in a basic language . well done!
Crazee Records Thanks for watching, always great to get feedback from a fellow professional :)
I watch your GLB class very eagerly... It gives me a lot about audio and sound technology...
Your presentation skill and easy to understand language used is highly motivating and gives me adequate confidence in operating any DESK , irrespective of channel multiplicity or more advanced features.....
Awaiting for another valuable discription ...thanks, Dear.
You're welcome Mohanan, very glad the videos have been helpful!
- This particular mixer is a Soundcraft Spirit Live 4/2. This model has been discontinued, but the video is applicable to any analogue mixer with 4-band EQ with semi-parametric midrange.
Best instructional video I've found for handling a mixer for vocals.
Thanks, I'm starting to get into sound and EQ looks like the most difficult part, awesome way explaining it, it helped me understand
- That's a really good question! The reason is that the high pass filter is not a 'brick wall' that cuts off everything below 100hz but is really a gentle slope that begins at 100hz and rolls off gradually. So while the signal is reduced at 80hz, there is still enough of it there for the low EQ control to have an effect.
- You're most welcome. I use these videos to train the sound people at my church so they need to be as accessible as possible to those who may not have a technical background.
- You're welcome. Unfortunately many manuals are written for those who already have a general understanding of how sound equipment works and thus do not explain certain key concepts or terms used. All the best with your music!
Thanks! Just bought my first mixer and I´m total novice using it properly. These tutorials help quite a lot.
+Vesa Lempinen Glad to hear that, we all have to start somewhere - stick with it and you'll improve for sure.
- Thank you, glad the video helped you to understand EQ better. As you say, it is one of more difficult parts of our art to explain :)
Glad the video was helpful, thanks for your comment!
- Thank you, this is only the second time in my life somebody has paid me that compliment ;)
- You're welcome! In my opinion the Yamaha MG series mixers are good value for money but are not very well constructed. I would recommend purchasing a Mackie VLZ3 series mixer if your budget allows - those are built like tanks and will last many years. All the best with your music!
- You're most welcome. Graphic equalisers work a little differently in that each slider only affects the frequency that is marked on it, and you cannot adjust these frequencies for a given slider. With these, small adjustments are best, and stay away from the 'smiley face' curve for live sound!
- Thanks for the positive feedback, much appreciated!
- The low mid control operates mostly at frequencies above the high pass filter (HPF). The bass control is actually able to override the HPF because it is set at 80Hz, a frequency where the HPF is only just beginning to take effect. Remember that the HPF is not a brick wall but rather a slope beginning at 100Hz.
- You are most welcome, thank you for the comment.
- You're welcome, glad the video was helpful. All the best for the new year!
- Good to hear that. Good sound guys are always in demand, whether it be for recording, broadcast or post-production work. I have done a bit of recording and voice over work but my first love will always be live sound. All the best with your music!
- Thank you, I always appreciate hearing from my viewers!
- Thanks for the question. One of the best all-round books on doing live sound that I have found is 'Live Sound Mixing' by Duncan Fry. Another one would be ''Basic Live sound' by Paul White. Both of these are available online and cover the basics very well.
- You're most welcome, thank you for watching :)
"If you have too much salt don't add sugar to try and make the dish less salty." Genius!
I love your comparison of cooking to cutting/boosting eq. I have just found your channel and look forward to learning more from you. Thanks so much for sharing your expertise with us.
You're most welcome, thanks for supporting the channel!
- The first thing to do is to see where the distortion is coming from - make sure your gain is set correctly (see my video on how to set gain on the mixing console). If gain is correct, I would start by setting your EQ flat (ie no cut or boost) and see how it sounds. Distortion in the vocals is almost always due to the gain being set too high as opposed to incorrect EQ.
- Good question! In general, the high pass filter and the low shelving EQ can be combined - what you get is the ability to boost JUST 80Hz while at the same time reducing all the very low and subsonic stuff that is not useful to your mix. In other words, at 80Hz, the low EQ overrides the high pass filter, but below that the high pass filter overrides the low EQ, so 80Hz is boosted with everything below that rolled off. Does that make sense?
Excellent demo on how to use the EQ section of the mixer. thanks for sharing.... some times we forget that simple steps :)
You're welcome, thanks for watching!
- If that's the case I would experiment with different mic positions - you can view my video on the EW100 wireless system - starting at 22:54 there are some suggestions.
- Thanks for the question. Are you recording direct via the line input or using a microphone?
- You're welcome, glad the videos have been helpful. I will add your request to my to-do list :) You seem to be on the right track with your settings - the main thing is to use your ears rather than your eyes when setting up this sort of thing. If you are working with a cover band or touring with a band that has just released an album, you may be able to contact the studio engineer and ask him what settings he used on the recording. Those would be a useful starting point for your live settings.
As always - great tutorial! Thanks, Bruno! I will rethink my EQ approaches, since I always ADD rather than CUT!))))
Many thanks to you! Regards from Russia!
You're welcome Alex! Remember that every EQ situation is different - the cut rather than boost rule is a good one for live sound due to the risk of feedback, but for certain applications e.g. kick drum it is acceptable and in some cases even necessary to boost specific frequencies.
Thank you, Bruno!) I will keep this in mind.)
Many recording engineers dont use any eq at all for tracking section... this is a ground breaking info... overall great video, and very clear way of showing what and why.
+Chrząszczyświerszcz Chrabąszczyżowąski Thanks for watching!
- Thanks for the question, this is definitely an issue when working with sampled drums. I would say that the best option in your situation is to run the sampler stereo: run the left and right outputs from the sampler into two separate channels on your mixer, pan one channel hard left and one channel hard right. This will spread the drums out across the stereo image and make it sound much bigger. I assume that you are working with a stereo mixer and a stereo PA system?
You are the man!! Thank you for taking the time to make these videos sir.. Greetings. From Los Angeles California..
techingo666 You're most welcome, I enjoy it!
Really useful - I much prefer your no-nonsense approach to the " School of Rock" style tutorials . Much appreciated .
PrimaryInt You're most welcome, glad you appreciate my way of doing things :)
- You're welcome, thanks for watching :)
- You're most welcome. I would say give it a try and see how it sounds. The problem with most noise reduction systems is that they also remove some of the high frequency component of the sound which results in a dull or muffled tone.
- It depends - what sort of sound are you trying to achieve?
- Interesting challenge! I think the easiest solution in your case is to split the signal from your sampler and patch it into as many channels as you need 'directions'. You would then EQ and pan each channel appropriately, so for example if you wanted the low end to come from the left, you would remove all the high end from that channel and then pan it hard left. You would need some Y-cables to do the splitting. Does this help?
Thanks for the EQ and monitor mix videos. I found them very enlightening. The books/manuals for my mixer is confusing to me. Now I have a better understanding of the instructions. Cheers.
- Certainly - please tell me more about what equipment you're using so I can better advise you.
- That's great, welcome back! Feel free to contact me if you have questions or doubts about anything PA-related.
- Not at the moment. However the procedure is fairly simple - set up your PA system in its normal configuration and turn up the mics until something starts to feed back. Locate that frequency on your graphic EQ and cut it. Repeat this procedure until you have discovered all the feedback frequencies in your room, or until the PA starts to sound unnatural.
- Thanks for the update! Yes the QSCs would be more versatile than the Marshall in this respect.
I would begin with no EQ on the guitar and perhaps a little bit of low cut on the vocal mic. This should sound fine - remember that the mic has a built in high and high-mid boost to help the vocals come through. If necessary you can cut the guitar slightly (3-4db) in the 1-3kHz area, depending on your voice.
It's always best to start with no EQ and work from there. All the best with your music!
- Thanks for the encouragement, keeping it simple is exactly what I try to do!
Well my roommate is new and learning and thanks to you he now understands swept mids it was a very nice tutorial
Awesome stuff Bruno... Really appreciate your clear instructions on using EQ, to cut out frequencies. Great way to help improve sound.
Thanks for watching!
- It sounds like you have too much 'room sound' in the microphone. Could I ask what sort of mic you are using, is it a handheld mic or a clip on/lavalier type mic? Also are you using just one mic or several?
- Thanks for the comment, I will make another video on mixer EQ when time permits. If your mixer has only one swept mid band, you can usually access the same frequencies as shown in the video, it's just that you need to choose one or the other ;)
- The easiest way to do this is directly through your recording interface (the box that connects to your computer via USB or firewire). You plug your guitar or bass into the interface and the signal shows up in your protools where it can be recorded. After that you can edit, mix and add effects.
- Yes it can be confusing when you are first starting out. If you are comfortable with the Yamaha MG series mixer then go ahead with that.
I man a older analog Allen & Heath GL2000 at my church. 32 channel. Between 6 to 9 Vocalist. This tutorial really cleared some things up for me dealing with this board. The seperate EQ (i forget how many bands) is for the parts pretty flat with a little sweetner. anywho......Thanks !
- Oh yes I have mixed several shows on one of those GL2000s. Excellent old-school build quality! And you're right - with the right mic and the right setup you should not need that much EQ on the vocals. All the best with your music and ministry!
- In that case I would experiment with different mic positions and distances before adjusting the EQ. Try miking at the bridge or 12th fret to increase the clarity of the signal you're getting. When recording it's best to get the sound you want without EQ if at all possible. All the best with your music!
- Not really - it's always best to keep speaker cables as short as possible in order to avoid signal loss. Did you notice a significant difference in sound between your setup and his?
Your explanation is very clear for a beginner like me. Will watch more of your video for sure... Thanks a lot!
You're most welcome :)
- It depends on the acoustics of the venue - our church has a lot of low and low-mid resonance, making it necessary to EQ as shown in the second part of the video. Your situation may differ :)
Thanks mate for the explanation, I needed a refresher on EQ. I did a Cert3 ~3 years a go but it's all ways good to have a refresh of the concepts. + I now know what the low cut switch is for on my mixer (the same as your high pass filter) so I learnt something new. :) Going to try turning on the low cut switchs on Sunday.
- Glad to hear that. In my opinion the high pass/low cut filter is the most important part of the EQ section.
A lot of people must know this very extremely good
A very calm lecture and lecturer. You are good. Thanks so much,God bless you.
You're welcome, thanks for watching and God Bless you too!
- The low EQ is actually a shelving type filter so even though it's set at 80Hz it will cut or boost all frequencies below 80Hz, so it still may work for your purposes. If you need to selectively boost a low frequency, eg for dub-type kick drum sounds, you might look at Allen and Heath mixers - on some of their Mix Wizard models the low mid control can be swept down to 35Hz! And yes, you can use the insert point to insert an EQ of your choice :)
- The main reason for cutting these frequencies is that it makes it easier to understand the human voice, both speaking as well as singing. Mind you, this is in the context of my church using mainly SM58 microphones - you should always start with no EQ and adjust from that point. Thanks for asking :)
- Thanks for watching!
A simple and easy way to explain, very clear and useful
Thank you for watching, glad the video was helpful.
Do you have some video regarding setting up amplifiers? Also connection parallel and series
Luis Eduardo Cordero Ferrer Not at the moment but will add it to the 'to do' list. Thanks for the suggestion.
- To start with: Bass guitar try boosting 100Hz and cutting 300Hz. Kick drum try boosting 80Hz and 2.5kHz. All instruments are different so you will need to experiment.
THANKS A LOT BRUNO.GOD BLESS YOU AND HAVE A HAPPY EASTER. LOVE FROM CYPRUS.
Soundcraft live mixers. cool. used these to mix down to 2 tracks on tour to DAT. choose the mics for the source sound. use almost no eq, except to cut some noise or harsh stuff. very natural sound.
- You're most welcome, glad the video was helpful to you.
- It means less high frequency content in comparison. Some people would use the term 'warmer' to mean the same thing. However I personally have not observed this with soundcraft mixers.
Great Info Bruno, Just getting back in the PA game again after a long absent.
Thank you. Very well explained. I will remember your analogy of not to add sugar to remove salty taste, instead remove salt :)
This was very helpful... From what I understand, the purpose of cutting low and high mid frequencies is to aid in the elimination of "feedback".... Is that true?... Thank you for your response in advance... Great videos by the way...
- The level of the amplifier depends on how loud you need your system to be. You can begin by setting it to maximum, or fully clockwise. If that is too loud turn it down until it is as loud as you need it. If maximum is not loud enough, you need a bigger amplifier and/or speakers :)
- You're welcome, hope your music sounds better as a result!
bruno thank so much ....i just learn now ,your teaching is so clear. slow showing is very good for..because i am not english..thanks so much
You're welcome, thanks for watching!
By the way i have my own technique of Equalization. I use the other auxiliary out send to 31 band graphics eq
Then return to stereo channel. Then at the same time. Its up to me how do i tune my 31 band eq. And i send that aux post fade into a Dynamic microphone that need an eq. That's my way. And i got clear sounds. Instead of scrolling or adjusting the parametric eq of the mixer. :)
A very interesting system! An easier way of doing this would be to simply insert the graphic EQ into the channel that needs it, using an insert cable. Of course, you also need a mixer that has insert points. I remember this was common practice on key inputs (kick drum, lead vocal) before digital consoles with 4-band parametric EQ on every channel were available.
@@GLBProductions it's an old style. One disadvantage of it for me was. I couldn't gained them at mixer's insert channel? I know graphic eq like dbx 31 band eq has gain and gained reduction according to them. But i think it is better to control it at stereo channel. Starting from aux send to stereo return channel.
Another great video and explanation, Bruno.
- The closest thing to this would be an automatic mixer, available from companies such as Shure and Peavey. These units can set gain and balance mic levels automatically, but they still need to be set up by somebody who knows what they are doing. There are also feedback eliminators, which will automatically cut feedback frequencies, and pitch correctors, which are mainly used to correct out of tune singers.
You're most welcome, glad the video was useful to you!
- I would recommend the 'live sound reinforcement' DVD by Scott Hunter Stark. There is both a book and a DVD, the DVD is very comprehensive.
What a nice and comprehensive tutorial thank you very much. I am musician play flute and keyboard. Planning for a home studio. I read a lot about mixers and finally decided to buy Yamaha MG166CX USB its meats my pocket and perhaps can be a good for me. What would you please suggest me. Many many respect to you.
Arshad
Dear Bruno, Thanks for the great video. Great how you clearly explain the challenges.
PappaDonLeone You're welcome, thanks for watching!
Dear Bruno, If you have some time in the future, could you make a video of using an e.g. 31 x 1/3 octave equalizer? in combination with a pink noise generator? I cannot find proper do's and don'ts for that. Regards, Leon
PappaDonLeone Thank you for the request. I'm very familiar with that technique but I hardly use it nowadays - if I ever break out my old real time analyser I'll do a video :)
Dear Bruno, I will be looking forward to that in the future. Regards, PappaDonLeone
- Unfortunately inexpensive mixers have a tendency to be noisy at higher gain levels, in the same way that cheap cars tend to be noisy at high speeds ;) The only solution is to reduce the amount of gain that you need by using a source that has a higher output level; for example using an active bass instead of a passive one. When it comes to microphones, more modern microphones sometimes have higher output levels, for example a Shure Beta 58 vs the older SM58.
amazing how Venue can completely change a sound as well. went from working a GYM to a building. had some work to do getting EQ on same team.
Oh yes, the sound of the room is everything in live sound! This is why it's very important to have a master graphic or parametric EQ (either physical or software) on which you make the changes necessary to compensate for the room - that way your channel EQ should remain more or less consistent from venue to venue.