Eq'ing a vocal on digital mixer (XR18)

[Steve Browning]

This is a more general question, which is why it's not in the Behringer thread.

 

The mixer allows eq at 3 stages overall. Channel, monitor and FoH. I would expect (within a little), the first 2 can be pretty well set, with the FoH eq being tweaked for the room at each gig (if necessary).

 

My question is with regard to the channel eq. Can this be set while using cans? It strikes me it's more to do with the actual sound of the voice and, if that's the case, wouldn't cans work at this stage, with the overall FoH eq compensating for the effects of the room you're in? It seems logical to me, but I'm barely a novice at this.

 

Any advice gratefully received.

[Dan Dare]

Yes. Engage the PFL (pre-fade listen) on the channel whilst setting eq on cans and you should hear just the channel eq. You may have to set the signal sent to the cans to hear the individual channel, rather than the sound from the master eq.

 

It's best to use closed-back cans for the job, so you hear as little of the room sound as possible.

 

 

Edited Friday at 11:42 by Dan Dare

[Steve Browning]

Thank you for the confirmation. This what I had expected (and hoped).

[Dan Dare]

It's a pleasure. You probably do this already, but I find it best to set channel eqs with the FOH and monitors turned down. You may have to ignore "Can't hear myself" protests from the singer. Ask them to sing as loudly as they would when the band is playing, too. Once you have it dialled in the cans, you can use the master eq to adjust for the room.

Edited Friday at 11:53 by Dan Dare

[Phil Starr]

Great advice ^^

 

When I was mixing FOH back in the dark ages I pretty much always used headphones on the vocals, and any other channels that I was having problems with. It gives you the best starting point and helps you 'understand' the voices.

 

With the XR18 you have the possibility of recording whole gigs giving you access to both the isolated vocals and the rest of the band. I've never found a vocalist who can really give their gig voice on demand so this is a way of collecting the vocals as they are in a real life situation and you can play them back over and over. Remember that just like any instrument the equalisation that sounds good isolated is often not great when mixed in with the band at a gig.. The bass isn't the only instrument that sounds best isolated when it has a mid scoop, the opposite of what you need at a gig.

[Dan Dare]

13 hours ago, Phil Starr said:

Remember that just like any instrument the equalisation that sounds good isolated is often not great when mixed in with the band at a gig.

 

This is very true, but you need a starting point. I get instrumental and vocal sounds in the ball park individually and then make final adjustments with the whole band playing.

[Phil Starr]

8 hours ago, Dan Dare said:

 

This is very true, but you need a starting point. I get instrumental and vocal sounds in the ball park individually and then make final adjustments with the whole band playing.

It's one of the advantages of a digital mixer isn't it? You can save settings however complex and then refine them over time as you get the chance to listen to the band.

 

It's been an intersting question for me to answer because I've kind of had to re-imagine what I did four years ago when I first got the mixer. I have to admit I probably never set up in as logical way as I pretend online, it's probably more suck it and see Most of the settings on the vocal tracks aren't really eq which I tend to leave more or less flat. I use fairly heavy HPF on all the mics except for the Kick drum (not used much as I've only worked with eDrums for the past few years) I roll off the highest frequencies above 10-15kHz depending upon the mic mainly to reduce the chance of feedback. Then most of what I do is set a noise gate, reverb and delay. I don't use compression for live work, limiting sometimes for more erratic vocalists. I think I eq more for the vocal mics rather than the singer but thats about it in advance. We mainly use Sennheiser E935's with my female vocalists who have all 'borrowed" mine and then bought their own. I have one singer who uses a Shure Beta58 and that's been the one I've eq'd. It's hard to remember as these have all been tweaks carried out over a couple of years of gigging.