Gain boost or EQ boost ?

[the low one]

I have an MXR M80 and therefore 2 options to boost:
1, turn up the gain on the EQ channel.
2, turn up the bass middle and treble EQ.
In general will boosting the EQ basically have the same effect as turning up the gain ?

[JTE]

Boosting the gain boosts (more or less) evenly across the frequency spectrum. Boosting all three EQ levels only boosts where those three controls affect the frequency. Read the pdf of the manual. It shows the EQ controls' effect.

Bass ± 18dB @ 60Hz
Mid ± 10dB @ 850Hz
Treble ± 12dB @ 4KHz

That means if you boost all three of the EQ knobs, you're going to have a hole between 60 and 850 and another between 850 and 4K. Not at all the same as boosting the gain control.

John

[the low one]

Originally Posted by JTE

Boosting the gain boosts (more or less) evenly across the frequency spectrum. Boosting all three EQ levels only boosts where those three controls affect the frequency. Read the pdf of the manual. It shows the EQ controls' effect.

Bass ± 18dB @ 60Hz
Mid ± 10dB @ 850Hz
Treble ± 12dB @ 4KHz

That means if you boost all three of the EQ knobs, you're going to have a hole between 60 and 850 and another between 850 and 4K. Not at all the same as boosting the gain control.

John

Thanks for the reply. I wasn't sure but the boost really is that specific to frequency ? I'm guessing then the same would be true for any EQ pedal.

[colcifer]

Bass and treble will be shelving so they'll give a fairly flat boost starting at their respective frequencies but mid will boost in a bell curve shape, centered at 850. Also, there's an 8db difference between mid and bass and treble so you'll have a scooped sound with a high mid bump but that's not necessarily a bad thing.

If it works, it works.