EQ Plug-In to compensate acoustics

[TBlizz]

Having a very small control room and far from ideal acoustics, I’ve been looking at EQ to tune my speakers as a last resort option to help my mixes translate better.

I know there are hardware options like the Behringer DEQ 2496 and dbx DriveRack, but instead of inserting another piece of (inferior) gear in my monitoring chain I was thinking of a software approach.

Wouldn’t inserting a matching EQ Plug-in on the Master channel of my DAW get the same results?

I’m thinking of Elemental Audio Firium, Powercore Assimilator or the new Logic Pro 7 Match EQ. Record the results of some pink-noise through my control room and then match it to a ‘perfect’ pink-noise signal.

Or am I missing something...

Martijn.

[lofi]

i thik you are heading the wrong way...

acoustic probs should be resolved with acoustic solutions...


but try it and report...

[TBlizz]

Acoustic treatment is on its way, but in a small room like mine it will only go so far. (Massive bass-trapping is needed and I just don't have the room nor the money!)

So, as a last resort option, did anybody try this?

Just thinking out loud here... wondering about the q of the notch filters in these plug-ins, how loud the pink-noise should be recorded at, etc.

Thanks,
Martijn.

[AlexLakis]

I made over 20 bass traps for less than $500, less the cost of a nice graphic EQ. It might be worth looking into more thoroughly. EQ on the monitors is just whack. We used to do it at a studio that I worked at. Clients would idlely change the settings (it was in a public spot, and they wouldn't know it was hooked up.) Plus, it sounded terrible. But you wanna use a software EQ, and color up your whole sound? Yeeeesh. My suggestion would just be to spend more time listening to familiar mixes in your monitors. Get better acquainted with them. If you know how they sound, you shouldn't need EQ to help you "translate" better.

[Ethan Winer]

Originally Posted by AlexLakis

I made over 20 bass traps for less than $500, less the cost of a nice graphic EQ. It might be worth looking into more thoroughly. EQ on the monitors is just whack. We used to do it at a studio that I worked at. Clients would idlely change the settings (it was in a public spot, and they wouldn't know it was hooked up.) Plus, it sounded terrible. But you wanna use a software EQ, and color up your whole sound? Yeeeesh. My suggestion would just be to spend more time listening to familiar mixes in your monitors. Get better acquainted with them. If you know how they sound, you shouldn't need EQ to help you "translate" better.

Exactly.

The other day I made graphs showing the measured response and modal decay in a typical size "home mixing room" with a bunch of bass traps versus EQ only. All three are shown below, and I believe these graphs explain more than 1,000 words ever could.

--Ethan

[TBlizz]

Originally Posted by AlexLakis

But you wanna use a software EQ, and color up your whole sound? Yeeeesh. My suggestion would just be to spend more time listening to familiar mixes in your monitors. Get better acquainted with them. If you know how they sound, you shouldn't need EQ to help you "translate" better.

I don’t think a software EQ would necessarily color the sound. Firium is a Linear Phase EQ and I can’t imagine Behringer DEQ 2496 and dbx DriveRack sounding better.

Ethan, thank you for joining this thread; we had a similar discussion on the Sound on Sound forum called “What is wrong with this idea ? (EQ to compensate acoustics)“.

Fact is that a lot of people that don't have a lot of space are using EQ to tune the speakers in their (mini-)studio and like the results. JBL is releasing LSR4326P and Dynaudio already has the AIR-series for a few years, so I think it must have it uses. Of course the beauty of a plug-in is you can just press “Bypass” and you have no signal degradation whatsoever and you can decide if you like the results or not.

[AlexLakis]

Originally Posted by TBlizz

I don’t think a software EQ would necessarily color the sound. Firium is a Linear Phase EQ and I can’t imagine Behringer DEQ 2496 and dbx DriveRack sounding better.

My point is that you'd really be working against yourself. Using EQ for monitoring will ultimately hinder you in the long run by making you rely on a crutch. Listen to your room. Listen to your monitors. Listen to the music. Listen to the same music in your car. A boombox. What's different about it? Compensate. You'll be better off for it; your mind will learn to adapt, and those mental skills will translate to other working enviroments you might find yourself in in the future.

[TBlizz]

All true, point taken.

Now back to my original question: is a software plug-in version of the Behringer DEQ 2496 or dbx DriveRack possible...

[Ruudman]

Trust me, my friend: you'll never be happy with your sound using eq only..

ruudman

[T_R_S]

Originally Posted by TBlizz

: is a software plug-in version of the Behringer DEQ 2496

Now that is truly funny!!!!!!!

[TBlizz]

Originally Posted by Ruudman

Trust me, my friend: you'll never be happy with your sound using eq only..

Just to ease everybody's mind: this month the acoustic material I've ordered from Golden Age Music and RPG Europe will arrive. Considering my small controlroom is rectangular (355x252x273 cm) and has large windows on two sides, I’m not expecting miracles.

Just looking for anything that could improve this.

[TBlizz]

… year-and-a-half later… IK Multimedia introduces the ARC system!

What do you all think… shouldn’t I at least be entitled to a free copy for giving them the idea?

[Ethan Winer]

Originally Posted by TBlizz

What do you all think

Same ol' BS it's always been. According to their site this is based on the Audyssey system. As it happens, I did a thorough technical assessment of their high-end unit and found it woefully lacking. Read for yourself here:

RealTraps - Audyssey Room EQ

--Ethan

[DanGo]

I just saw that IK ARC plugin...

I used to use the DBX Drive Rack Studio and while it did sort of help, it also was not as accurate as I would have liked and introduced enough inaccuracies that I felt that I did better just mentally taking note of the room problems and mixing with those in mind.

So, I will add my voice to those who say to tame the problems with room treatments.

Also, for comparison use crap speakers (I've got Radioshack Optimus cubes with nothing below 100Hz) and really really nice headphones, just to check. Bass is nearly always the hardest thing to tame in a small room, so headphones and small speakers both take the room a bit out of the equation--even if they do introduce other issues! At least this way, you can triangulate and come at a good mix.

If you are set on EQ, I'm happy to sell you my DBX drive rack with its mic. It's just taking up space here!

[narcoman]

Maybe somebody should state it slearly -

it is IMPOSSIBLE to deal with time domain and modal problems with EQ. It cannot be done. EQing monitors is only for big rooms to get them sounding subjectively "right" once the response of the room is either designed right or corrected.

[lofi]

Originally Posted by narcoman

Maybe somebody should state it slearly -

it is IMPOSSIBLE to deal with time domain and modal problems with EQ. It cannot be done. EQing monitors is only for big rooms to get them sounding subjectively "right" once the response of the room is either designed right or corrected.

amen to that... many issues in studio have NO SHORTCUT.... ask my wallet

[Ethan Winer]

Originally Posted by narcoman

it is IMPOSSIBLE to deal with time domain and modal problems with EQ. It cannot be done.

The problem is the sellers of this technology claim their products work in the time domain. Of course, I proved them to be full of crap.

--Ethan

[psycho_monkey]

Originally Posted by narcoman

Maybe somebody should state it slearly -

slearly?!! narcoman's been hitting the shandys again ;)

[johnbohn]

I was going to post something negative but decided against it. Instead I'll say that there are plenty of options for you to "fix" the acoustics of your room. You'll never get the sound of a great control in that room, but you can help it. Google some designs for DIY bass traps. Don't stop there though, a room that small will probably benefit from diffusion. Diffusers and bass traps are pretty easy and cheap to build. You're not going to be making the best in the world but they'll be pretty good and you're not going to end up spending more on the acoustics than you did on your whole rig. Please don't EQ to fix though.

[Firefox]

Originally Posted by lofi

i thik you are heading the wrong way...

acoustic probs should be resolved with acoustic solutions...

+1

[johnbohn]

Originally Posted by narcoman

Maybe somebody should state it slearly -

it is IMPOSSIBLE to deal with time domain and modal problems with EQ. It cannot be done. EQing monitors is only for big rooms to get them sounding subjectively "right" once the response of the room is either designed right or corrected.

Didn't read this before, but hell yeah. EXACTLY what he said.