Sweepable mids starting point.....

[wmhill]

I'm using some powered monitors (Mackie thumps)- what's the consensus on a good starting point for the sweepable mids? (only vocals are in the monitors).

 

[ddnidd1]

That's a meaningless question. What are you trying to do?

 

[wmhill]

That's a meaningless question. What are you trying to do?

thanks for the help........... obviously I'm trying to fry eggs with the monitors. What do you think I would be doing with monitors with the vocals going through them?

 

[EastCoastThump]

Translating ddnidd1's puzzlement: I'll start at a different frequency if I'm trying to bring more intelligibility into a baritone vocal lead, add body to a whispy female indie singer, take the harshness out of a straining rock lead vocalist, or just get the submixed background voxes to feel a bit further back in the mix. Note: I wouldn't do *any* of this on the powered speaker's sweepable mids.


You won't find a consensus about a magical mid-sweep frequency, b/c EQing is really hands- and ears-on rather than one-size-fits-all art. But for some (very) general advice, here are a few starting points:

behindthemixer (jump to section 7)

• 100 Hz – 300 Hz : Clarity / Thin (Good for cutting these frequencies)
• 100 Hz – 400 Hz : Thickness
• 100 Hz – 600 Hz : Body / Warmth
• 100 Hz – 700 Hz : Muddiness (Good for cutting)
• 400 Hz – 1,100 Hz : Honky / Nasal
• 900 Hz – 4,000 Hz : Intelligibility
• 1,000 Hz – 8,000 Hz : Presence (I told you the ranges could be wide)
• 1,500 Hz – 7,000 Hz : Sibilance (Start in the 3,000 to 5,000 Hz range)
• 2,000 Hz – 9,000 Hz : Clarity (Compared to the 100 to 300 range for cutting, this is good for boosting)
• 5,000 Hz – 15,000 Hz : Sparkle (who makes up these words!?!)
• 10,000 Hz – 20,000 Hz : Air / Breath-iness

behindthemixer (more discussion eqing vocal ranges)

principle-based discussion

 

[ddnidd1]

thanks for the help........... obviously I'm trying to fry eggs with the monitors. What do you think I would be doing with monitors with the vocals going through them?

No we don't know what you are thinking.

Are you trying to fatten the vocals, add presence, eliminate feedback nodes, etc.

Ask a question that makes sense.

 

[Geri O]

I'm using some powered monitors (Mackie thumps)- what's the consensus on a good starting point for the sweepable mids? (only vocals are in the monitors).

I would have left off the first part of that first response, but, sorry, the question is valid for the reasons (and multiple starting point as well as what and why) that Derrico1 lists.

I was going to make suggestions, but (A) Derrick beat me to it (in grand style, too, I might add) and (B) I didn't feel like being in the crosshairs.

 

[SV777]

Tough crowd here lol.
If monitor is on the floor def use a low pass to cut anything 100 hz or lower

Try boosting between 500 to 2000hz
Somewhere in there the vocals should pop admist the stage noise depending on what's playing around you

 

[morgansterne]

the best starting point for EQ is leaving it flat.

 

[4Mal]

overall eq e.g graphic on the mains for you I would dip slightly at 250. that will reduce a little 'boxy' from the thumps and save that sweepable mid for more surgical use. scope the 7 bad system dwarfs for a cute and accurate frequency band representation.
Invalid Link Removed


that and uh, leaving the snark home when seeking salient advice here is perhaps more productive...


morgansterne - brilliant!

 

[Steve]

The very first thing you do with the Mackie Thumps ( since I work every wednesday with a band that just bought 4 of those things) is kill the massively exaggerated low end that they put out. I wouldn't even consider trying to go at the mids with THAT in the way. Pretty much all the advice you get on sound and EQ is based on a flat cabinet. They ain't.

Once you sort that. The beef in a male voice tends to be higher than you think, 200 or so. Harsh tends to be in the 1.2 zone...I look for vocal mids around 500 give or take a few.