Parametric EQ - Need help

[Falcor77]

Hey guys,
 

Hoping I could get some tips for how to dial in the parametric EQ on the Stomp, particularly for hard rock and metal tones.  Also, where's the best placement of the block? Is a high/low shelf similar? TIA

[Schmalle]

Here is a great resource on equalization.

[zappazapper]

I just got my LT and I'm not at home and can't check the specifics of the effects you're talking about, but...

 

A parametric equalizer is generally a bell curve on either side of the chosen frequency and a shelf affects everything above (high shelf) or below (low shelf) the chosen frequency. 

 

You can use EQ blocks anywhere in your signal chain but if you're talking hard rock and metal, the most common way to use them would be directly after the amp to shape the tone of the distortion... a good starting point is a "mid- scoop"...  take that parametric EQ, set it to take out 9 dB at 1k, and then move those settings around and see what kind of effect they have on your tone... or you could try the opposite, a mid-boost, where you're adding 9 dB at 1k and then experimenting with those settings to see what works. Or you could do both, a scoop at one frequency and a boost at another. There really isn't a right answer to EQ. 

 

Also,  putting an EQ before the amp would be more like affecting what "type" of distortion you have...  EQ settings with lots of low end might give you chunkier, looser, fuzzier distortion, whereas EQ settings heavier in the high end might give you a tighter, more aggressive attack... of course I'm generalizing... it really depends on the amp you're using... again, there really aren't any right answers with EQ. Just keep playing with it until it sounds good. 

 

 

[DunedinDragon]

Here's my take on EQ which is pretty much similar to what Jason Sadites demonstrates in his Dialing In videos on his YouTube channel.

The main thing is EQ is a finalizing tool for tone, not a maker of base tones.  You use it after you've crafted your main tone using appropriate amps and cab/IR's that include the right combination and placement of microphones,  followed by a low/high shelf (not high/low cut) to get the overall tone to have the right mix of lows and highs before any post-amp effects such as reverbs or delays.  Then toward the very end of the signal chain you use a parametric EQ to do some basic "mastering" of the tone for specific problems such as high and low cuts and taking the edge off of very specific problematic frequencies.

A high/low shelf is very different from the high and low cuts you would use in the parametric EQ.  It's used to accentuate or decrease frequencies above or below a specific target frequency.  Hi and low cuts are about chopping off the ends of the frequency range above a certain frequency in the case of high cut and below a certain frequency in the case of low cuts.

NONE of these are set in stone because it all depends on the style and sound of the song as well as the type of guitar being used as well as what kind of speaker setup you're using for output.  But, for example, you might use a low/high shelf set in lower mid range of guitar frequencies at around 580 Hz up to maybe 700 Hz to slightly accentuate by maybe 0.5db above that frequency and decrease frequencies by maybe 1.5 db below that frequency in order to have slightly more body in you guitar tone and less low end rumble to get a nice crisp, well articulated guitar tone.  You might then use a high cut on the parametric EQ after the effects to take the edge off of the highs above 8.5 Khz and the low bass boominess or mud with a low cut 125 to 140 Hz.  Those might be more representative of a Les Paul style guitar.  With a single coil guitar you might also want to take some of the twangines out with a very narrow cut of 3 or 4 db in the 4.2 - 4.5 Khz range on the parametric EQ.

Again these are just general ideas, not specific.  You'll have to use your ears to listen to what you like or dislike in your tone to get what fits your sound and your setup.  The most important thing is to let the modeling do the heavy lifting work by making smart decisions on the amp and particularly on the cabinet/IR mic combinations and placements before final SLIGHT tweaking of the tone with EQ.  Otherwise, in my opinion, the result will sound more synthetic than authentic.

[zappazapper]

1 minute ago, DunedinDragon said:

...followed by a low/high shelf (not high/low cut) to get the overall tone to have the right mix of lows and highs before any post-amp effects such as reverbs or delays.  Then toward the very end of the signal chain you use a parametric EQ to do some basic "mastering" of the tone for specific problems such as high and low cuts and taking the edge off of very specific problematic frequencies...

Not that I think your approach is wrong, only that there is a well-established history of using targeted mid-frequency equalization directly after the amp. Putting an EQ pedal in the FX Loop is an old, old trick. Many Mesa Boogies come with a post-gain graphic EQ built in. Like most effects, equalization can be used many different ways - the method i describe is more about "shaping" tone, the method you describe is more about fine-tuning tone. Both are valid tools. 

[Falcor77]

Very helpful and interesting. Thanks!

[DunedinDragon]

12 hours ago, zappazapper said:

Not that I think your approach is wrong, only that there is a well-established history of using targeted mid-frequency equalization directly after the amp. Putting an EQ pedal in the FX Loop is an old, old trick. Many Mesa Boogies come with a post-gain graphic EQ built in. Like most effects, equalization can be used many different ways - the method i describe is more about "shaping" tone, the method you describe is more about fine-tuning tone. Both are valid tools. 

 

I think we're talking about two different philosophies although both can come into play nowadays.  My approach is a bit more "old school" in that I learned it in the '70 and '80s which was a time when authenticity of tone was preached in the studio.  By the late 80's things had transitioned in some genres to bigger swings at shaping EQ.  Much of that was due to better equipment and tools that could be easily used in the studio and on stage.  Both are clearly valid, but each tends to dominate more in specific genres even today.  Authenticity still tends to reign in country (although less so now in modern country), but is still revered in blues, bluegrass, jazz and funk.  Modern Pop, Rock and Metal are more open to dramatic flourishes in EQ.