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Combination EQ / Subwoofer Out: Good Idea or Waste of $$?

Zooberwerx

Gold Supporting Member
Dec 21, 2002
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Virginia Beach, VA
This is actually an extension of my earlier crossover search so bear with me.

I ran across a Behringer Ultragraph Pro 15 Band EQ w/ Subwoofer Out and thought "gee...that will kill two birds with one stone!". Now, I'm not a big Behringer fan but feel the concept may work given our PA rig which includes:

16 channel board
2 modest power amps (QSC 1450, Crest CA-6)
2 Carvin 1503 main speakers (3-way)
2 Yorkville 18" subs
Sonic maximizer (in effects loop)
Independent monitor system

Am I missing something or would a combination EQ / subwoofer out be appropriate for this application? If given the thumbs up, can anyone suggest any other manufacturers besides Behringer? As always, thanks for the assistance.

Riis
 
What model of yorkville subs, board do you own?

The board is some Behringer model, can't think of the # designation. It actually works pretty well. It has all sorts of groovy buttons and 1/4" jacks that serve no apparent purpose...until I get done with the manual.

The subs are Yorkville Performance YS118's (discontinued). They're not great but they'll suit our needs.

Riis
 
If you want a combo unit that will handle eq, crossover, feedback elimination, and even compression, I'd try a used DBX Driverack. Check it out.

I can't tell whether the Behringer is a crossover that actually strips the lows from the outs going to your tops or whether it simply has a sub out for lows, but sends full signal to the tops. You DO NOT want to be sending the lows to the tops if you have subs.
 
If you want a combo unit that will handle eq, crossover, feedback elimination, and even compression, I'd try a used DBX Driverack. Check it out.

I can't tell whether the Behringer is a crossover that actually strips the lows from the outs going to your tops or whether it simply has a sub out for lows, but sends full signal to the tops. You DO NOT want to be sending the lows to the tops if you have subs.

The dbx appears a little pricey but is probably cheaper than 3-4 separate, dedicated units. The downside is we're a bunch of technophobes and generally shy away from anything that doesn't have knobs, buttons, and / or sliders. That's why the Behringer was attractive.

I'll e-mail Behringer and ask if it is a true crossover.

Riis
 
The dbx appears a little pricey but is probably cheaper than 3-4 separate, dedicated units. The downside is we're a bunch of technophobes and generally shy away from anything that doesn't have knobs, buttons, and / or sliders. That's why the Behringer was attractive.

I'll e-mail Behringer and ask if it is a true crossover.

Riis

...and here's the response from Behringer (within an hour, mind you):

Dear Riis Unterzuber,

Hi Riis and thank you for writing to BEHRINGER technical support!

You can connect it between the mixer and amps.

The SUBWOOFER output from this product carries the low-frequency information in the range specified on the crossover knob. However, this output is considered an "extra output" - and it's crossover settings do not filter out the low frequencies from the main channel outputs.

To clarify, changing the crossover setting for the SUBWOOFER does not affect the channel outputs. Changing the LO CUT filter settings on the front panel of the unit, however, will affect the SUBWOOFER output.


We hope that we have been able to help you with this information.

Best regards,
Glenn S.
Your BEHRINGER Customer Support Team

So there you have it. Guess I'll look at a more conventional unit (ART, dbx, etc.)

Riis