Solve Volume Problems With A Decibel Meter

   Having played in live bands for so long I’ve been in plenty of situations where I’ve had comments about the bands volume level. Some people complain that the band’s too loud. Some people complain that the band’s too quiet. I’ve even had cases when there have been people commenting both ways right after one another at the very same gig!

   Here’s a funny story for you. One night we were playing a gig at a local Elks Lodge. There was an incredibly diverse range of ages and people there that night. An older lady came up and complained that the band was too loud. We turned down just a little bit and a younger girl came up and demanded we turn the band up louder! We told this girl “The lady over there complained that we were too loud, so we turned down.” Immediately the younger girl marched over to the older lady and got right in her face saying that the older lady wasn’t the lodge manager and that the band was way too quiet. It turned into a full scale fight and somebody had to actually separate these two women!   

   My point is, the volume level of the band is extremely subjective and if you ask 5 people in the room how they like the volume level of the band, you’ll get a very mixed reaction. Some will say the band’s too loud, some will say too quiet and some will say just right.   

   One thing that I’ve found to be very true is that the people who think the band is too loud will complain the loudest. That’s why the most common volume complaints you’ll get are of the “you’re too loud” variety. So what can you do when people are complaining about your volume level?

   The first thing you can do is to get out and ask multiple people in the room how they feel about the volume level. If everyone is saying you’re too loud, then you probably are. If more people are saying just right or they don’t have an opinion then your volume level is probably fine. If the majority of the people are saying “crank it up!” then by all means, turn up.

   Another thing to remember is that the manager of the club or venue is the final word when it comes to volume levels. I played a gig one night where the entire audience was saying “turn it up, turn it up!” but the manager said we were playing too loudly. We had to turn our volume to a level that was acceptable to the club manager in order to keep playing and get paid.

   Most club managers have a reason for telling you to play at a certain volume. Sometimes it’s because they have a neighbor that complains about the noise and threatens to call the police on the club. Sometimes there’s a local noise ordinance that the club must obey. That’s why you will always be safe following what the manager of the club says is the right volume level for the band.

   One of the very best things you can do is to talk to the club manager before the band starts playing and let them know you want to play at a volume level that’s best for their club. Ask them to let you know if you need to turn up or down. Then check with them a couple more times throughout the night by asking, “How’s the volume level?”. You’ll score big points with the club manager every time you do this because you’re showing them you care about their club and the comfort of the clientele.

   These are some basic suggestions that you can use when dealing with complaints about your band’s volume level. Make sure you give them a try and you’ll increase your chances of return bookings everywhere you play.

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What To Do When People Are Complaining About Your Volume Level

Rane AC 22S Crossover - The Key To Your Bi-Amp System

   There are a lot of different ways to run a P.A. System in your live band. Depending on the size of your gigs, your P.A. requirements can be very different. If you’re just playing a small room such as a coffee house for 20-30 people then using powered speakers may be the way to go. If you’re playing medium sized to large clubs, it may be time to step up to a bi-amped P.A. System.

   So what is bi-amping? Put simply, it’s using two separate amplifiers on your P.A. System with one of the amps powering the low  frequencies and the other amp powering the mid/high frequencies.    

   There are two big advantages to using a bi-amp system on your P.A.. The first is simply the increased audio quality you will achieve with a bi-amp system. You get better audio quality by spreading the sound out among more speakers along with  the fact that you will have more overall power pushing your P.A. system. The second advantage is the fact that you will be able to actually run your P.A. at lower volume levels while still being able to maintain a good solid amount of low-end fullness and thump.

   In a bi-amped speaker system you need to use an active crossover to split the full range audio signal from your board into the separate frequency ranges that your multiple amps will power. The most common frequency ranges to split for a bi-amp system are 250-350Hz and below to the Subwoofers and 250-350Hz and higher to the mid/high speakers.

   The reason for splitting frequencies at 250-350Hz is because of the fact that at 350Hz, the amount of power required to drive the mid/high speakers is equal to the amount of power required to drive the subs. I personally prefer to run 250Hz and lower to the subs since my mid/high speakers sound better than the subs reproducing the frequencies in the 250-350Hz range.

   Once you have your frequency ranges split by the crossover you simply run the outputs of your crossover the the inputs of your amplifiers. One amp will connect to your subwoofers and one amp will connect to your mid/high speakers.

   From there you can adjust the volume level of the separate amplifiers to fine-tune the audio until it sounds the very best. You now have the ability to get good, solid low end while maintaining clean mids and crystal clear high sounds. You can get even more control and better sound by running a tri-amp system but it’s hard to justify the gains with the associated cost in a tri-amp system. It’s my personal recommendation that you Bi-Amp your P.A. system whenever possible as it will give you much better live sound.

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Should You Bi-Amp Your P.A. System?

A Drum Shield Will Help Control Stage Volume

   One of the most common problems with playing in a live band is dealing with loud stage volume. High stage volumes can hurt you and your band in several different ways. The biggest problem with having a high stage volume is the terrible toll it takes on your hearing. You are literally destroying your hearing when you have things too loud onstage. It also doesn’t help your band at all when the clubs that book you are complaining about volume either. I’ve heard of many bands not being asked to play again because they were too loud. So what can you do to deal with high stage volumes?           

   Let’s look at the most common causes of high stage volumes. The most obvious cause of high stage volume is the simple fact that everyone is turning up louder and louder trying to hear what they are playing. You have to be able to hear yourself play in order to create music together. That’s a struggle when you have someone who is very loud onstage. The problem with having a very loud player onstage is that everyone will turn up their volume to match the loudest instrument. It becomes a volume war until someone gets reasonable about their volume or you can’t turn up any louder.

   The key to setting your stage volume is to match levels with the least controllable instrument. Most of the time that’s the drumset simply because it doesn’t have a volume knob that can turn from silence to 140 decibals like a guitar amplifier. Every drummer has their own drumming style and it can be very difficult for drummers to play their best if they are forced to play too quietly or too loudly. So the best thing to do is to have your drummer play the volume that they play their best at and set everything to that volume level onstage. If you need advice on how to set these levels easily, read my post “Live Mixing Tips For Small Venues And Small Budgets“.

   So what should you do when your volume matches the drums but you still can’t hear yourself? First of all you should make sure the mix sounds good out where the audience is. If your mix is good and you still cant’ hear yourself there are some things you can do that will help you with this problem.

   The first thing you need to do is make sure your amp is pointing at where you stand onstage most of the time. Guitar amps are very directional and if you’re not in the amps line of fire you may not be hearing yourself well. A lot of guitarists make the mistake of putting their amp on the floor so the sound is down by their feet. It may sound fine in the audience but you’re going to have a hard time hearing yourself onstage. If this is your problem, try tilting your amp back on a stand so that it points up at your ears. You could also put your amp on a chair. You’ll also want to put your amp further away or maybe even closer to you. You should adjust the amps distance away from you so the sound has a chance to focus more where you are standing.

   Another thing you can do is put some of your guitar through your monitor mix. If you’re wearing in-ear monitors this will completely solve your problem. If you have floor monitors then having more of your instrument in the monitor closest to you can definitely help. Hopefully you’ll have enough monitors for everyone in the band to get their own monitor mix. If you only have two monitors then you’ll have to boost certain instruments in the monitor closest to each player.

   If you have an extremely loud drummer, you can purchase some plexiglass drum shields to put around your drummer. This will go a very long way in controlling the volume level of the drums while still allowing your drummer to hit their drums as hard as they need to for their playing style. Remember, it’s not fair to the drummer to ask him to play soft if it’s killing their chops and a drumshield can really help them.

   As always, it comes down to working together as a team to solve loud stage volumes. Everyone has to be willing to compromise on volumes and you may not be able to hear perfectly 100% of the time. Just remember that you’re creating music together and not trying to have a volume competition.

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What Can You Do If Your Live Band’s Volume Is Too Loud Onstage

In Stereo Plays A Small Room

   In my live band we have a microphone on every drum and on every piece of equipment onstage and it’s all run through the main P.A.. It’s by far the best way to get a good mix and the best way to control your live sound level. Of course we have invested a lot of money in our live setup and we also play fairly big venues so having everything mic’ed up and mixed through the P.A. is not a problem for us. But there are times when we play a smaller room and we don’t need to mic everything up. There was even a time when all we could afford was a drumset, instruments and amplifiers and a microphone with a small P.A. for the singer. That’s when it can be tricky to get a decent live mix. So what’s the best way to get a good live mix without mic’ing everything? Here are some tips for you to help you with your small venue and and small budget live mixing.

The most important thing to remember is you should never be louder than your quietest instrument. If you have an underpowered guitar amplifier, then everyone in the band is going to have to set their volume levels to that amplifier or else it’s going to be totally lost in the overall mix. The most common instrument to mix to when you don’t have the ability to mic everything is the drumset. Nowadays, even the cheap amplifiers can get louder than the drumset. So how do you determine what your quietest instrument is? That brings us to tip number two, always record your mix.

The best thing to do is bring along a portable recorder such as the Zoom H2 Portable Stereo Recorder.  Simply place the recorder somewhere out in the room and record a song. Listen to the  playback of the mix and a lot of problems will become very obvious. You’ll be able to hear which instruments jump out and which instruments disappear in the mix. You’ll also be able to hear if there are too many high frequencies or if things sound muddy and muffled. The recording will be your most powerful tool in getting a decent live mix. Once you’re able to identify which instrument is the quietest it’s simply a matter of setting the volume levels on everything else to match it. Which brings us to tip number three, listen to your neighbor.

If you don’t have a soundman and are mixing by ear from the stage, it’s essential that you listen to the other instruments in the band. There is going to have to be a lot of compromise if you want to achieve a good live mix without mic’ing things through the P.A. and having a soundman. Just remember that it’s in your best interest to have the entire band sound good. All the players that can move around while they play should walk around onstage and listen to the mix. Remember to be fair in your evaluation. If the guitar seems too loud by the guitar amp, that’s because it should be loud in that spot and that’s okay onstage. Be sure to check your recording to make sure things are blending well out where the audience is. Just remember to listen to your band mates when you get things set so you know how things should sound onstage in relation to each other.

Finally, remember to EQ your amplifiers to compliment each other. That means backing down on the the bass frequencies on the guitar amp. It seems like guitar amps with too much bass are almost always the main offenders when it comes to muddy sound. Check out my posts on amplifier equalization and EQ Frequencies for more EQ’ing tips. Watch out for extremely loud cymbals or individual drums as well. Hopefully your drummer is skilled enough to control his touch to maintain a balanced sound on an out of balance drumset.

It is possible to get an excellent live mix using only onstage amplification if you’re willing to spend the time to get things set properly. Hopefully the tips in this post will help point you in the right direction.

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Live Mixing Tips For Small Venues And Small Budget

Bill and Frank work out parts in the practice room.

  How many times have you spent a lot of time recording your new masterpiece only to come to the mixdown and finding that there are way too many low frequencies? It sucks when you get to mixdown and you have to filter out frequencies on the bass guitar just so it will have some presence in the mix. Having too many low frequencies in the mix is something that you will struggle with at your live shows as well. The biggest cause of too many low frequencies that I have found over the course of my live and recording career is the simple fact that the players in the band are playing in the same frequency range as each other at the same time. I’m not talking about lovely unison lines but when two or more instruments are playing different parts at the same time in the same frequency range.

   Let’s think about how the frequencies overlap each other for a minute. Let’s take the bass and guitar for example. The way a guitar is tuned overlaps the bass guitar all the way down to the E on the second string of the bass. So that’s almost two entire strings of overlap on the bass and the guitar. If you play your guitar tuned down to D then the overlap is even greater. This results in a lot of the same frequencies being doubled between the two instruments. That’s not necessarily a bad thing if you’re going for that low frequency heavy sound but you will lose a lot of definition between the bass and the guitar if you’re not aware of what each other is doing. Another thing to think about is the way keyboards fit in the mix. Keyboards can play frequencies below the bass and above the guitar but most of the time they’re playing right in the same range as the bass and guitar. Again, this can steal definition from the low frequencies. The drums have the most sonic frequency range of any instrument in the band but again the bass drum competes directly with the bass guitar. As you can see, it’s very easy for things in the low octave to get out of control.

   What can we do to help contain this low frequency soup that gets created by all the instruments playing in the same note range? The first and most important thing you can do is listen to each other. People get caught up in the “fixing the EQ” or “fixing compression” when really it’s most important to listen to how the instruments are working together. You may have a killer bass guitar part all worked out but if the keyboard player is holding down a low note in the exact same range as your bass, then your part is going to get lost. I’m not saying that the keyboard player should never play in the low range. It’s essential to have the keyboard player playing some low frequencies to give the song more depth than the bass alone can give it. I am saying that the keyboard player should be paying attention to what the bass player is playing and make sure the parts are complimentary. The same thing goes for the bass player. The bass player has to ask the question “what is best for the song here, the keyboard part or the bass part?”. Believe me it’s not as easy as it sounds once egos get involved along with differences in vision as to how the song should go. But the essential point is, if you want to have a great sound you have to compliment each others parts. A great player isn’t afraid to back off and let someone else take the spotlight for a minute. It should go both ways when players are competing in the same frequency range with each player giving up the room when the song calls for it.

   The same thing goes for every other player in the band. The drummer needs to listen and decide if the double-bass drum 1/8th notes are stomping out the killer guitar part that’s being played. The players need to take time to coordinate such bass heavy happenings. One thing that sounds great is when everyone plays those double bass 1/8th notes together. As I said before, it all comes down to being aware of what each other are playing. Be prepared to make compromises because that’s what it takes to really control all the things happening down in the low frequency range.

   The second thing you need to be aware of is the need for proper EQ’ing. I’ve already written a couple of articles about about getting proper EQ on your guitar as well as an article detailing how to watch for and mix key EQ frequencies. Those are good basic things to be in control of when you’re initially setting up your instruments. On bass frequencies the biggest problems usually happen between the bass drum and the bass guitar down in the 150HZ and below range. On the mixer it’s a good idea to put a bass frequency cut from 150HZ down on the bass guitar and letting the kick drum dwell in that range. Another device you can employ is a multi-band compressor that will let you tame down specific frequencies that are popping out of the mix. A multi-band compressor is one of the handiest tools I’ve found for controlling bass frequencies.

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Creating Sonic Space Between Instruments Before Mixdown

Matt Copying The Original Artist

   I remember back when I was in my first live band how awesome it was just to make it through an entire song from beginning to end. We would get a chord chart and the lyrics and just play through the songs. It was fun and it sounded pretty good. As time went on and our ability to listen to the individual parts that make up a song increased, we realized that we were missing a lot of subtle nuances that made the songs we were playing go from good to great. It’s true when people say “The difference is in the details.” That’s what I’d like to talk about today.

   When I teach beginning guitar students they all want to play a song as quickly as possible. So I break a song down into it’s most basic components, harmony and melody. On the guitar that means playing the chords while singing the melody. That will get you playing a song as quickly as possible. I’ve heard live bands survive on this method alone where they’ll take a selection of songs, learn the chords and go out and play. It’s not bad but it’s definitely not all you’re hearing when you listen to music on the radio or on recordings that you buy.

   Although it is good to be able to play the right chords and sing a song well, if you’re playing in a live band you need to play the details to be on the top level. If you’re covering a recording of someone else’s song and the song that you’re copying has sold millions of copies then there’s probably some good things happening on that recording that you’ll want to be sure and play live. Here’s a basic way to break down the components of a song that you’re going to cover. First of all you want to try and copy the sounds you’re hearing. What type of distortion is the guitar part using? What keyboard sounds are being used? What vocal effects are being employed? You also want to listen to the mix of the original recording. If the recording is extremely drum and bass heavy then you want to have the drums and bass front and center when you play the song live. So the most basic thing you want to do is try and match the tones of the original recording.

   The second thing you want to do, and this is what will set you apart if you’re good at it, is copy the details in the playing. That means playing the chords on the guitar in the same chord positions as the original recording. If the guitarist does a little fill or hits some unique harmonics then take the time to learn them. It’s especially important for the drummer to get the fills in the right places. The bass player needs to hit the correct bass notes that compliment the chords. For all you bass players out there, that means that just playing the root and the 5th of the chord may not be the right choice for the song you’re playing. It’s the little details like the three note bass fill at the end of the first chorus, or the pick slide at the beginning of the third verse that make the song come alive. It’s the little details like these that truly do make the song come to life. Every player in the band needs to pay attention and learn the small nuances of the songs to really make the song come to life.

   I have students ask me “How come this song is such a huge hit when it only has two chords?” and I tell them it’s because of the way it’s being played. All those little parts add up to a big, ear pleasing sound! The difference between playing a song and playing a song well really is in the details.

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The Difference Between Playing A Song And Playing A Song Well

Yamaha SPX2000 Digital Effects Processor

   One of the tricks of the trade when it comes to mixing down recordings is synchronizing the delay settings with the beat of the song. It gives your recorded tracks a very smooth and even feel when the delays are hitting on the beat or on divisions of the beat. These days, so many live bands are using sequenced tracks or recorded backing tracks that it’s an essential skill as a live musician to be able to set your delay effects to hit with the beat of the song that you’re playing. With all of the excellent digital delays and digitally controlled analog delays it’s easier than ever to get your delay effect units set to the beat of the song you’re playing.

   In the old days of analog delays the best you could do is use your ear to set the delay to the beat of the song. It was a good skill to have and not extremely difficult. The biggest problem that we used to face in a live music setting was changing that delay with every song to match the beat. In the studio it wasn’t so bad as we had time to fiddle with delay settings for each project. With digital delays, it’s so much easier to set a delay on the beat of the song that you’re playing. A lot of the new digital delays have a Tap button that will let you tap on the beat to set the delay in synch with the song you’re playing. But even the Tap button has it’s limitations as it still depends on human input.

   There are two simple delay formulas that you can use to calculate delay settings for type of note duration that you’re after. The first thing you need to do is determine the Beats Per Minute of the song. If you have sequenced a song you can simply look at the BPM setting of the sequence and use that for the delay formula. If you are working on a live recording simply count beats for six seconds and multiply the number by ten and you’ll know your BPM. Now, let’s say you want to set up a 1/4 note delay on a song that is 120 Beats Per Minute. For the first formula you simply take the decimal equivalent of the note fraction (1/4 note = .25) and multilpy it by 240,000 then divide by the BPM and that will give you the resulting delay setting in Milliseconds. The formula looks like this:

Note Fraction x 240,000 ÷ BPM = Delay Time (in Milliseconds)

First example for a 1/4 note delay at 120 BPM: (.25 x 240,000 ÷ 120 = 500 ms)

For a 1/8 note delay at 133 BPM: (.125 x 240,000 ÷ 133 = 225 ms)

Remember! To figure your decimal value for the note duration divide the top number by the bottom. For example 1\4 note = 1÷4 = .25

   The other way to set a delay up so that  it lines up on the beat is to use this formula. This delay formula is a little more complicated but it may make more sense to you:

BPM÷60 = Beats Per Second then divide 1 by BPS (1÷BPS=1/4 note Delay Time)

So first you need to determine your Beats Per Minute. If you have sequenced a song you can simply look at the BPM setting of the sequence and use that for the delay formula. If you are working on a live recording simply count beats for six seconds and multiply the number by ten and you’ll know your BPM. After you have your BPM just divide it by 60 to figure our your Beats Per Second. Once you know your BPS you simply divide BPS by 1  by can then set your delays accordingly. Here are a couple examples:

60 BPM ÷ 60 Seconds = 1 Beat Per Second. [1÷1BPS=1] For a delay that happens on each 1/4 note set your delay to 1 second. For a hit on each 1/8 note set it to 500 milliseconds. For 1/16 note set it to 250ms.

120 BPM ÷ 60 Sec. = 2 BPS. [1÷2BPS=.5] For 1/4 note delay set your delay to 2 seconds. 1/8 note = 1 second delay, 1/16 note = 500ms.

135 BPM ÷ 60 Sec. = 2.25 BPS [1÷2.25=.444] So 1/4 note = 444 ms, 1/8 note = 222 ms, 1/16 note =  111 ms.

   So there you have it. I have used both delay formulas to figure out delay settings. For some reason I seem to understand the second one better even though it does seem more complicated. But they’ll both get you the settings that you’re after.

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Set Delays On The Beat With The Delay Effect Formula

Peterson Stroboflip VS-F

   I’m going to talk about a common problem that I hear quite often when I’m out listening to bands. It’s a problem I’ve encountered working with various musicians in my studio as well. The problem that I’m talking about is the use of several different electronic tuners while tuning the various instruments in a band. You would think that a tuner is a tuner and that they’re all properly calibrated but the truth is that any individual tuner can be slightly out of calibration. If you have two different tuners and they’re both a little bit out of calibration, let’s say one is slightly sharp and the other is slightly flat, you’ll hear a big difference in tuning between the different instruments that have been tuned on them. The audience will simply hear an out of tune band which isn’t good for any performance by a live musician.

   Another problem with simple electronic tuners is that the accuracy of the display scale is limited by the number of lights or increments on the dial. Some tuners will show a light every half semitone until you’re “in tune” but even when the “in tune” light is on, you may still be off by up to 100 cents (a half-step). I hope you can see how using multiple tuners onstage can lead to serious tuning problems.

   So how can you deal with this problem? The easiest thing to do is to have everybody sharing the same tuner. This way, if you all tune on the same device then even if it’s a little bit out of perfect tune the band will still be off an equal amount which will still sound “in tune”. Of course, if you keyboard is not adjustable to the tuner, then you’re in trouble again. The best solution of all is to get one of the extremely accurate strobe tuners from Peterson and have everyone in the band tune with that. I wrote a post yesterday about the Peterson Autostrobe 490ST which is accurate to 1/1000th of a semitone! The reason strobe tuners are so accurate is because of the moving strobe wheel on the device. The following video details the history of the strobe tuner and how they work. It also discusses the new and extremely affordable LCD readout strobe tuners such as the Peterson StroboFlip VS-F. The great things about the StroboFlip are, it’s as accurate as any other strobe tuner, it’s very affordable and it’s extremely portable. This would be the perfect tuner to tune your entire band with.

Strobe Tuners: Their History and How They Work

   So as you can see, the strobe tuner is really the way you want to go if you want your band to be in perfect tune.

   Lastly, here are a couple more tips for working with tuners. You can also check tuners against each other by tuning with one and checking that the other tuner agrees with the first. All tuners can go out of calibration, luckily most Peterson tuners can be re-calibrated by playing a recorded reference tone into the tuner which the tuner will read and re-calibrate to. Even cheap tuners will usually offer some simple calibration settings in case they get off. So be sure to check your cheap tuners against your expensive strobe tuners. Better yet, just buy a Stroboflip VS-F!

Peterson StroboFlip VS-F Virtual Strobe TunerThe StroboFlip VS-F Virtual Strobe Tuner is a great addition to Peterson’s line of multi-temperament tuners, offering easy-to-use functionality in a flexible new design. It uses Peterson’s exclusive Virtual Strobe Technology to provide an instantaneous picture of musical pitch. It gives you a compact flip design, large bright LCD, and full user programmability. The StroboFlip is perfect for intonating guitars and basses as well as realtime intonation practice to improve performance and listening skills.It features cent offset, FTS drop tuning, and tuning assistant and comes with tempered tuning presets, some of which have never before been included in a tuner. In addition to Peterson’s proprietary GTR temperament, which sweetens a guitar’s tuning, the VS-II adds BAS, which does the same for basses, plus E9 and C6 tempered presets for pedal steel and lap steel guitar. The StroboFlip also supports the Buzz Feiten tuning system. The Bass Shift feature allows for effortless tuning of acoustic or electric bass down to 2 octaves below a normally tuned low B on a string instrument.

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How To Get Your Band In Tune

Mackie Quad EQ

   One of the most important aspects of mixing music in a live venue or in the studio is the use of equalization. The other day I wrote about how to tweak your guitar amplifier EQ settings. Today I’m going to write about the effect of equalization on other parts of the mix.

   Having a good EQ at your disposal with your P.A. or home studio is one of the most important pieces of gear you can have. It seems like every time I play in a different venue I have to change the EQ of the main P.A. system. Every room has unique sound characteristics and in order to have your band sound the same from room to room you will have to make changes on the EQ. Mackie makes a fantastic EQ called the
Mackie Quad EQ 4-Channel Digital Graphic Equalizer. It’s an extremely powerful live Equalizer that will let you analyze the room with a built in pink noise generator and a microphone input. By generating pink noise through the P.A. and putting a microphone out in the room the Quad EQ will give you a visual readout of the frequency response of the room. This is the easiest way to make sure your EQ settings are consistent from room to room. By boosting or cutting specific frequencies you will be able to get the same frequency response in every room you play. The nicest thing about setting your main EQ like this is you won’t have to touch individual instrument, channel or board master EQ’s at all after they’ve been set at one room. The Quad EQ will also give you a visual readout of frequencies that are causing feedback allowing you to cut those frequencies and eliminate the feedback. It really is a must for proper live sound.

   If you’re mixing music at home or you’re searching for a great live mix you should know which frequency ranges affect which instruments. Bob Dennis has written a great table that outlines each frequency range and which instruments they most prominently affect. You can check out his article here: Equalization Key Frequencies.

   Now that you have some reference for your EQ settings all you have to do is listen and decide what you like to hear. One way I approach EQ’ing is by listening to some of my favorite album mixes. I then try to match what I’m hearing on my own music. It all comes down to what sounds good to you and having a good EQ at your disposal will let you find that perfect mix.

Mackie Quad EQ 4-Channel Digital Graphic EqualizerThe Mackie Quad EQ employs 4 – 30-band graphic, Adaptive-Q Equalizers to provide equalization <## HC plus mn ##>12dB using 30 individual EQ filters, without the ripple and boosting effects found on traditional (Constant-Q) units. These Adaptive-Q filters and super-accurate LED display ladders paint a highly detailed picture of the Quad EQ’s effect on the output signal. In other words, what you see in the display is what you get.Of course, if you’re the type of person that likes to measure and analyze, you’d really want to get a mic and an RTA unit. For the first time, sound-pressure level (SPL) and SMAART real-time analyzer (RTA) meters are no longer expensive add-ons, but part of a fully integrated, user-friendly package. The Quad EQ includes an SIA reference mic, as well as a dedicated reference mic input. Once plugged in, SPL can be displayed via a bright 3-digit display in the upper right corner. Or simply press the mic button and the RTA will display what’s going on in the room, on the same ultrabright ladders as the EQ filters. In this way, you can simultaneously view your EQ settings versus what the results are. And RTA data is post EQ, so if you encounter feedback, you can quickly see it, cut it, and view the results. Mackie also added some features live sound folks will really appreciate: 99 user snapshots to store and recall your EQ settings; a built-in pink noise generator; variable hi and low pass filters with multiple slopes on all 4 channels; stereo linking of channels A/B and C/D; high-quality TRS and XLR input/output, and a Planet Earth power supply for use anywhere between 100 and 240V.People are really attracted to sound engineers who know how to operate equipment with lots of flashing lights, so the Quad EQ was especially designed with plenty of lights. (Heh!)

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Getting Proper Equalization With EQ Frequencies

Fender 65 Twin Reverb Control Panel

When you’re EQ’ing your guitar at home you’re most likely turned lower in volume than onstage. You’re also most likely directly in front of your amplifier with the amp within arms reach so you can tweak the controls. So you work and tweak your amp until it sounds perfect and you’re happy with your tone. So why does it sound so horrible when you get to the gig?

   There are a couple factors that will cause the “Sounds great at home and crappy at the gig” phenomenon. The biggest being that you are listening to your amp at a low volume within arms reach when you’re at home. To replicate your stage EQ you need to get about 15 feet away from your amp with your amp turned up to stage volume. It’s amazing how much an amp’s sound will change with distance and volume. This will give you a good starting point to begin EQ’ing your amplifier.

   The next thing you have to watch out for is the fact that you’re listening to your amplifier without the added benefit of having the other instruments playing at the same time. When you get your amp to the gig and the bass and drums kick in, how often have you had a hard time hearing yourself? Part of the problem is that when setting the equalization on your amp while listening to it alone you’ll fall into the problem of trying to get a bass heavy sound. When your amp is alone, a lot of bass in it will sound really good because there’s nothing on the low end competing with it. But when you get your amp to the show and your amp is EQ’d heavily in the bass frequencies, you’ll turn up to stage volume and start competing directly with the bass guitar, bass drum and low tom-tom’s. The thing to do when you’re EQ’ing your amp alone at home before the gig is to try turning the bass down a bit and boost the high-mid’s and the high frequencies.

   The best way to EQ your amp would be to do it at the gig during soundcheck. This would allow you to EQ your amp with all the instruments playing. If you have an amplifier with multiple patches and custom EQ’s on each patch like I use on my Fender Cyber-Twin SE, then you’ll still have to try rolling down some bass in advance and make mental notes at the gig about which patches to tweak when you get home. That method has worked very well for me.

   Finally, if you’re on a wireless system, you’ll want to take a walk out front during the soundcheck or even during the show and listen to your guitar sound. This will give you a good feel for how your EQ sounds in the overall live mix. Most guitar amps are very directional and sound the best about 10-15 feet in front of the amp. Tweaking the EQ properly will allow your sound to spread out a bit more. You should also listen carefully to how your amp sounds coming through the main P.A. system. You want to EQ your P.A. channel so it sounds like your amp sounds onstage. Again, the tendency is to mix in even more bass on your P.A. channel. Be objective because if you add mids and highs your guitar will cut through a lot better and people will be able to hear your guitar more clearly.

   So there you have it, a few words on amplifier equalization.

Fender 65 Twin Reverb AmpThe Fender ’65 Twin Reverb Amp is an authentic all-tube reproduction of the original classic! One of the cleanest tube amps ever, or crank it hard for slight crunch. Delivers 85W through 2 – 12s. Has 2 channels, tube vibrato, tube spring reverb, tilt-back legs, and Blackface cosmetics. Includes 2-button footswitch. Order the optional Fender amp cover to protect your investment (see accessory box on this page).

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A Few Words On Amplifier Equalization