EQ pedals: do sound guys hate 'em?

[scottfeldstein]

At a recent gig in Minneapolis the sound guy approached me after our set and asked about my pedal board. I assumed he was interested in my Source Audio Manta, which I use throughout the title track of our latest album. But not so! Instead he wanted to know about my EQ pedal. I have a programmable unit (also from SA).

He may have heard the difference between my slap EQ and my finger EQ. But there's also one song where I use extreme settings for a special effect (Portishead's Glory Box).

I wondered later, though, if he hated that I was doing that or whether he was admiring what I was doing with it?

Thoughts?

 

[s0c9]

My guess is he was trying to figure out what changed your sound up so dramatically mid-song, and figured it was an EQ pedal or something.
Probably wanted to know what you did and how you used it, so he could be ready.

My $0.02.

 

[scottfeldstein]

Oh I never change EQ mid song. But I'm sure you're right. He heard the first notes of Glory Box and went whoa, where did that come from? As far as being "ready"... he'll never mix me again. Or if he does it'll be two years from now, next time I'm at the Amsterdam in St. Paul.

 

[s0c9]

Oh I never change EQ mid song. But I'm sure you're right. He heard the first notes of Glory Box and went whoa, where did that come from? As far as being "ready"... he'll never mix me again. Or if he does it'll be two years from now, next time I'm at the Amsterdam in St. Paul.

<phew!> I guess not changing it mid-song is a good thing... one never knows around here.. of course.. if you'd gone up to home BEFORE the set and said you were going to be doing some rad EQ changes from song to song, you might not have got that *** look that made him come up at teh end of the set

 

[BazzTard]

If only you had asked him, then you'd know....

I want one of those programmable EQs.

 

[scottfeldstein]

Good call. I should be more proactive about what I'm doing in the set. Note to self. Still not sure, though, if he was irritated by it or just intrigued. Either way, I'll make sure to step on some stuff during sound check next time at least.

 

[walterw]

Either way, I'll make sure to step on some stuff during sound check next time at least.

sure, at least enough to work out that they'll all be the same volume so there's no mix surprises.

 

[EastCoastThump]

Either way, I'll make sure to step on some stuff during sound check next time at least.

sure, at least enough to work out that they'll all be the same volume so there's no mix surprises.

big +1.

And always give FOH a heads-up if the show includes songs during which bass eq or levels will—by design—noticeably change. For example, if any songs call for a loud bass synth or filter sound, then during soundcheck I at least try to give FOH a couple seconds of the set's loudest/bassiest signal before attending to the bread-and-butter bass tone.

 

[scottfeldstein]

Weirdly, the guy wasn't interested in my Manta, the thing I use to get really wacky and synthy for one song. I think maybe he was concerned that I dropped out some, rather than got too loud.

 

[Fishyfishfish]

Just my $00.02, it shouldn't matter what you use on your pedal board. I have mixed some pretty obnoxious bands (IMO) that had some crazy effects (chorus and delay on bagpipes, violins with metalzones ext.) it is just the FOH job to accurately reproduce you through the house as accurately as possible. The only time I ever had a problem is when a group used POd's for everything and refused to use any IEM or wedge with the singer complaining about how crappy It sounded through their set. Total pro's. Your guy/gal might of wanted to know if his rig made the change or yours, that's all. You get a little goofy mixing 5-6 bands a night.

 

[imnotded]

Just my $00.02, it shouldn't matter what you use on your pedal board. I have mixed some pretty obnoxious bands (IMO) that had some crazy effects (chorus and delay on bagpipes, violins with metalzones ext.) it is just the FOH job to accurately reproduce you through the house as accurately as possible. The only time I ever had a problem is when a group used POd's for everything and refused to use any IEM or wedge with the singer complaining about how crappy It sounded through their set. Total pro's. Your guy/gal might of wanted to know if his rig made the change or yours, that's all. You get a little goofy mixing 5-6 bands a night.

This. When I am mixing FOH I generally dont touch guitar or bass EQ's because the musicians should have that dialed. The only EQ I should have that would effect the musicians is only to flatten the response to the mains.

 

[Lonnybass]

Hey Scotty-

I use the same programmable SA-EQ and have four different curves dialled up, at least three of which I will typically use in a given night. Typically I'll give a heads-up to the crew during my sound check so they aren't caught off guard by anything at the desk.

I've set up each of my four EQ settings to be even in volume, generally subtractive-based, and without any huge spikes - enough to make a difference or push the rest of my effects setup a certain way, but not enough to blow anything up Let me if you want to see my settings.

In your case, since you do have a more extreme EQ setting dialed into your SA, you might want to ask to try that effect during the soundcheck, and explain that, since it's so different than your primary tone, you simply want to make sure they are set up with any necessary adjustments for FOH.

Lonnybass