EQ Setting: Need advise/suggestion

[shioo]

Hi, I am interested in tweaking my PSR-S900 and PSR-2100's EQ setting for Church hall. Currently, it's out-of-box default setting (not too expert in this area), so need expert's help/advise. So basically, I just hook up the PSR's output to the mixer's AUX input. Mixer's AUX input don't have any EQ settings, so I basically control the volume from my PSR.

Please note: our church don't like too much bass during worship.

I would be much and greatly appreciate if you can provide me with step-by-step instructions on tweaking the PSR's EQ(first time).
If there's a link/tutorial on this subject, please post here. Thanks again.

[Bill Grosse]

Shioo,

How to adjust EQ's for a specific situation, such as playing in the church, could easily be the subject of a lengthy article.
May be someone will write that article for us some day.

In the mean time, I suggest you do the adjusting in the church while playing a MIDI file that seems to cause the most undesirable sounds.
Here is a link to a short list of instructions to correct various EQ sound problem.

Adjusting EQ's

Bill G

[travlin-easy]

Shio,

The easiest, and sometimes the best, way of setting the EQs for a particular venue is to first create a midi file on the keyboard, one that would be appropriate for the venue. Be sure to use the style, voices, etc.. that you want your audience to hear.

After saving the midi file, set up the keyboard and PA system where it will be set up for the job. Set the master volume of the keyboard at the 1:00 O'clock position, then set the PA volume to the 50 to 60 percent of maximum level.

Fire up the keyboard, then load and play the midi file and walk throughout the church and listen to the sounds. Pay particular attention to the mids and highs--the lows will probably be OK if you are using a quality PA amp with speakers of 12 inches or larger.

Now, go to your keyboard, press the Mixing Console button, and scroll down to User1 and press Edit. Adjust the sliders to the following: 5, 4, 2, 4, 8 and save them to Store1. Now play the Midi file again, and take the same walk through the church and listen to what you hear from the mids and highs. If they're improved you're on the right track.

This is only a basic guideline setting, and you must keep in mind that every venue and PA system will require different settings.

Hope this helps,

Gary 

[shioo]

Thanks Bill & Gary. Good suggestions. More question for you guys..   

The mixer do have a extra empty slot to hook up my PSR to Mixer's Ch. 8 with EQ Setting on it (Ch. 1-8 has connection to hook up both MIC and 1/4 Phono).  But some reason, I always hooked them up to the Mixer's AUX input with no EQ adjustments. So is it better to hook up the PSR to Mixer Channel with EQ adj or AUX?

2. When I go into Mixing Console->EQ-> it has option {Pannel, Style, Songs 1-8, Songs 9-16}. By editing User1 in the Pannel makes global changes to rest of the option as well..

In church, we like to keep the treble high and bass much lower. People always complain when they hear too much bass.. So EQ: 5, 4, 2, 4, 8 good for treble high and bass low?

[DonM]

Be careful not to OVER EQ.  It is so easy to do this, particularly when you are adjusting both the internal e.q. and e.q. from a mixer.
My advice:  Start from zero on all settings.  As suggested, listen to your sound from around the area.  Slowly SUBTRACT from settings that are too harsh or too loud.  In some cases, you may have to boost a little.  Don't just automatically boost everything, as all this does is increase volume in all areas boosted, and doesn't affect the relative volumes. 
Also, pay attention to the width of the e.q. band you are adjusting.  Many Yamahas have variable band-widths on each of the e.q. bars.
Trust your ears (if they are in good shape!) and remember that a little can be a lot when it comes to e.q.
Over the years I have gone from using the classic "V" shape on the mixer to mostly flat.  Our instruments are better now.  Having said this, Yamaha arrangers seem to need more tweeking to the factory settings than other brands.  Fortunately, they make it available to us.
Even the PSR S-900 sounds better out of the box than the previous generation.
DonM

[manojy]

Hi friends, can anyone please give me the perfect EQ settings for PSR S710 for playing just in home. I checked out the "Adjusting Your EQ" by Gary but its not having EQ settings for 710.

[Hypofx]

Hi Guys, Just arrived to the EQ section in the lessons and i need some help from you, PSR S750 EQ setting advice?

[nhsinger]

I have used the forum EQ settings since the PSR 1100 through S700, S900, and S910.  Since EQ is often personal taste it is subjective, needing tweaks to to your preference.  It is a good staring point.  Good luck,  Dave

[Songman55]

Shio,

The easiest, and sometimes the best, way of setting the EQs for a particular venue is to first create a midi file on the keyboard, one that would be appropriate for the venue. Be sure to use the style, voices, etc.. that you want your audience to hear.

After saving the midi file, set up the keyboard and PA system where it will be set up for the job. Set the master volume of the keyboard at the 1:00 O'clock position, then set the PA volume to the 50 to 60 percent of maximum level.

Fire up the keyboard, then load and play the midi file and walk throughout the church and listen to the sounds. Pay particular attention to the mids and highs--the lows will probably be OK if you are using a quality PA amp with speakers of 12 inches or larger.

Damn!!  Thanks Gary!  I just tried this with my S 900 in my studio with onboard speakers only and it almost sounds as good as my S 950.  THanks again and Happy New Year!

Joe

Now, go to your keyboard, press the Mixing Console button, and scroll down to User1 and press Edit. Adjust the sliders to the following: 5, 4, 2, 4, 8 and save them to Store1. Now play the Midi file again, and take the same walk through the church and listen to what you hear from the mids and highs. If they're improved you're on the right track.

This is only a basic guideline setting, and you must keep in mind that every venue and PA system will require different settings.

Hope this helps,

Gary 

[TyrIA]

Hey !

I ran through this topick briefly and noticed that nobody has mentioned how crowd is affecting total acoustics - dramatically.

Of course from beginning set equalization in empty space , but when it s becoming more and more filled with visitors, choir singers, other musicians .... acoustics change a lot and then the best judge are your ears !!!

And the right way of equalization is NOT to add   but to TAKE OFF frequencies  you don t need.

Good luck !!!!

[beyerjf]

If I am not mistaken, this is why venues with even a relatively small group of musicians will have a sound man in the middle of the audience area with a mixing board who makes these adjustments on the fly as the room and the pieces of music change. In my business we haul sound and theatrical equipment for broadway shows, concerts etc. Some of the setups are very extensive. The sound man for the Cirque du Soleil is on a perch 50' above the audience in a theatre in the round type of arrangement. And of course the speakers and amplification are spread all over.
This is what you are competing against.  Suggestions already made about playing a file and walking around in a "sound check" is probably the best you can do.

[travlin-easy]

TyrIA,

Yes, crowd density and crowd noise will have some bearing on EQ settings, as well as overall volume settings. This is a judgement call by the musician as to where to change those settings. However, some of this will depend upon the sound system as well. Crowd density and noise is far less of a problem when you are using one of the new vertical array systems that alleviate this problem to a large degree.

As for eliminating sounds you do not need, there are no sounds in a style that I do not need. However, changing the EQs can place more emphasis on certain frequencies, thereby enhancing those sounds. Therefore raising EQs above the flat line can be high beneficial to the overall sound of the keyboard.

All the best,

Gary

[bushmanjones]

You won't need to eq if ur playing solo.  All Yamaha keyboard voices as a solo are eq perfect with "subtractive eq" "high pass and low pass filters".  If ur playing in a band then it would matter.  If u look up on YouTube " how to eq mix music audio" u will get a better idea of what I mean.

[travlin-easy]

You won't need to eq if ur playing solo.  All Yamaha keyboard voices as a solo are eq perfect with "subtractive eq" "high pass and low pass filters".  If ur playing in a band then it would matter.  If u look up on YouTube " how to eq mix music audio" u will get a better idea of what I mean.

This would be a valid argument if you were playing outdoors. However, when performing indoors you must take into consideration the composition and size of the venue itself. Tile floors V/S carpeted floors, lots of windows V/S tapestry covered walls, high or low ceilings, sitting on an elevated stage V/S performing at floor level. All of these elements have a huge bearing on the EQ settings. Add to this crowd density and crowd noise, and things tend to become more complex with the EQ and volume settings. And, there are times during a performance that things will change, such as crowd noise and crowd density, which will require further adjustments as the job progresses or winds down. There is a lot to consider for every type and configuration of venue when it comes to EQ and volume settings.

All the best,

Gary

[nhsinger]

I just reread even my own remarks on this thread from a few years ago and found that some of my settings have changed as age has taken my ears away.  While I have never been a proponent of the so-called rock and roll EQ "smile" as it was known in the old days, I find that my ears are more sensitive to the bass frequencies so my EQ l looks more like a pretty  even slope from about 100 to 6K or 8K with a standard  1.4 bandwidth, sometime adjusted down to a more peaky .7, dependant upon the room accoustics.  Inasmuch as my audiences are now all elderly I expect they are hearing things pretty much as I now hear them . . . roaring lows and weaker highs so apparently I've unconsciously adjusted over time. No more squealing hearing aids. hands over ears or complaints, we might be doing something right!

[musicalmemoriesuk]

What settings do you use ?