Equalizers

[Danny]

I'm looking for a cheap 31 Band EQ for my 2Ch system, has any one had any experience with the cheaper models, or with digital (hook up to a computer) gear?
If you can recommend some good models I'd be appreciated.

[Wayne A. Pflughaupt]

What kind of gear do you have in your system?

Regards,
Wayne

[Danny]

At the moment a Ramsa and AE440 amp, an EV crossover and a couple of speakers, am looking at getting a new pair of speakers soon anyway and possibly getting a Behringer mini mixer as a cheap preamp.

[Wayne A. Pflughaupt]

I’d stay away from the really cheap stuff like DOD, Pyle and Nady, Phonic. I’ve also heard Yamaha’s EQs are re-badged Phonics (yikes!), and high priced at that. They seem to be universally reviled by the pro audio crowd – can’t say I’m all that impressed with the one I have. I’ve had problems with the cheap Rane one-space models introducing noise – they seem to pick it up from the power supplies of adjacent equipment.

Aside from that – probably best to just try them out. Just make sure they don’t add any appreciable noise and can pass a clean signal.

You can check for noise by turning your system up to your usual listening level, turning off the source, then switching the EQ in and out with its bypass button. Make sure all filters are set to flat. You might try the same thing with the EQ engaged and boosting various filters, especially in the upper frequencies (unless you plan to cut only).

A quick and dirty test is to see if it passes a clean, unaltered signal when engaged and the filters set to flat. Run a broadband pink noise signal through the EQ and switch between engaged and bypass. There should be no tonal change in the pink noise when engaged.

Regards,
Wayne