Help For a Struggling Newbie!

Lousyviking

I am a brand spanking newbie to the DRPA+ and a bit of a novice to EQs in general. I have visited the "READ ME FIRST BEFORE POSTING" and I have read the entire "Start Here" thread, but I am still flummoxed. I have the DRPA+ and the dbx RTA mic. I am running a board with two passive front of house (no subs) and two passive monitors, each with an individual mix. I am running only my house speakers through the PA+ in order to preserve the separate mix in the monitors. Here is my setup:

Mixer- Behringer Xenyx 2442FX
Amps- QSC PLX1804 - House
QSC PLX1804 - Monitors
House Spkrs- Yamaha CM12V (Pair)
Monitors- Wharfedale SVP-12M - Mon 1
Wharfedale SVP-12PM - Mon 2
Mics- Shure SM58

We are a 6 piece band (2 guitars, bass, drums, keys and sax) and the system gets moved from venue to venue (some indoor and some out), often with limitied time to set up and sound check. Having read many of the posts, I still haven't the vaguest notion what to do with the RTA (understanding that auto EQ on the fly is not an option). Any guidance would be greatly appreciated.

Gadget

Perhaps this thread will help?
Let us know..
Gadget

Dra

?? Thread ??

DRA

Lousyviking

Gadget-

Did you mean to post a link to a thread? There is nothing there.

Gadget

viewtopic.php?t=949
:oops:
viewtopic.php?f=60&t=960

Lousyviking

I did read that entire section, plus all of the links, but I will try again. In the meantime, maybe you can answer a question about setting the gain structure. When you say to "run pink noise through a channel," do you mean D.I. or through a mic? Also, whether D.I. or through a mic, how do you choose the level? Thanks again.

Dra

Either a pink noise generator or pink noise recorded on CD played into a channel on the mixer. Get the signal hot enough to clip the output (hard into the red). Then set all you other gear to that (DR & amps)

DRA

Lousyviking

Maybe it's because the auto EQ method was written for the DRPA and the not the DPRA+, but I have been reading posts, pushing buttons and turning knobs for hours and and cannot figure out how to "transfer" the product of the GEQ to a PEQ. What am I missing?

Gadget

Hello again..
I think your trying too hard here to see something that isn't there...PEQ's are best used for broad EQ strokes, if you have more bands you can also do precision notching (very narrow cuts usually for feedback suppression of a frequency or 2) but with only 2 or three frequencies per output... broad strokes are bore prudent.

So you look at the product curve of an auto EQ pass and look for trends... say there is a group of frequencies lets say 50, 63 80 and 100 hz cut by 7-8 db... this is normal for indoor auto EQ as standing waves set up in a room and become super nodes..(they combine) you would be best to EQ these by ear...but if we wanted to try and tame these with EQ I would put a PEQ @70 hz set a Q of somewhere around 1.3-1.5 and maybe cut about 6-8.5db. Again there might be a group of frequencies around 5k that has 5K boosted 5.5dB and the ones on ether side boosted by 3-4 dB... set another PEQ @ 5Khz, try a Q of like 2.3 and cut about 5-6 db...

With so little PEQ's number wise I have currently been just leaving the auto EQ pass and taking care of any major groups... but setting a peq @ 250-300hz setting a @ of 1, and using it for room boominess.. also setting one @ 100hz and 5khz and about 1.0 Q and leaving them for general trends .. like ... it's to bright in a lively room ... cut the one @ 5k some.. not enough bass in a dead room boost the 100 hz..

Does that make sense?
Gadget

Lousyviking

I am sure it does, but I am, unfortunately, hampered by my own lack of sophistcation. The PA+ manual is quite spare and says almost nothing about the PEQs and how they work. Also, there is no GUI control for the PA+, so I am limited to the little screen on the unit and it's really hard to tell what you are doing. I think I need a course, but the day job precludes that.

Thank you for your help.

Gadget

Download the GUI for the 260...this will give you a graphic representation of what you are doing...I can even send you .dwp files with examples via email if you wish. I have provided a number of links that help with understanding PEQ's, here is one:
viewtopic.php?f=60&t=2324

It's not imperative that you use the PEQ's ... as I said I like to leave the PEQ's on the DRPA for basically a "tone" control set, one for the subs, and a couple for the mid/highs...this works well as I specified...

Here is an exercise...

Press the [EQ] button...note what the HML in the upper left corner will highlight one of the HMor L if you have a 2x3/2x4 setup the M will never highlight.. subsequent presses will go H... then L... then GEQ will be displayed...press to get the H highlighted...now note that by pressing the [<prev] and [next>] keys you toggle to PEQ1, then PEQ2 and PEQ3 and then back to PEQ1... turn that PEQ on using the rotary encoder.. and set the frequency @ 200hz, the gain @ -6dB and then set the @1.5 (or there abouts) with the tops playing some music, go back to the "frequency" control and use the rotary encoder to vary the frequency center and listen as you increase and decrease the center frequency...as you scroll higher, you will note that as you get above 1Khz... the highs start to disappear... as you scroll lower the mids and lows start to disappear... now center on 3khz or so... use the gain control to cut all the way to -12dB then increase to over -0- dB and even add some gain... but be careful.. the highs will get unbearable at some point... play with this to get a feel for the way PEQ's work, set a cut and vary the Q to see what happens...@ a given frequency like 300hz...

You won't really hurt anything as long as you slowly move the gain control, but remember that you can always return to factory default with the soft and hard resets.. so you really can't hurt anything...

Gadget

Lousyviking

Much thanks for your help.

I have an outdoor gig on Saturday, which should give me another opportunity to play around without irritating too many people.