Rack EQ? good or bad?

[warner-211]

Hey guys im looking at a used biamp eq220 10 band rack eq. Ive got absolutely no experience with outboard eq's I mean outboard by not on the amps control panel. Ive been looking at getting some form of eq so i can have some ability to either mimic some guitar tones, change guitars and sound very similar or just rip through a band mix. Is this two channel rack a good idea or should i just pickup a cheap boss eq pedal to get my feet wet?

 

[Jeff5]

Re: Rack EQ? good or bad?

Just a thought on EQs in general...invaluable tone shaping tool. You don't have to use it all the time, and too much may not be a good thing, but some of the greatest tones of all time were created with an EQ before the amp or in the loop. And of course in the mixing room. Everyone should have one.

I use mine on my pedal board, but I think either can work. I don't have experience with the model you're referring too though.

 

[Funkfingers]

Re: Rack EQ? good or bad?

One way to look at this is that every additional frequency band offered by an outboard graphic equaliser is one more opportunity to mess up yo' guitar sound.

I can see the point of a touring guitarist tweaking the EQ to obtain a consistent sound from venue to venue. There is the notorious video of Billy Gibbon's stage tech, programming a bank of digitally-controlled corrective equalisation to make every guitar sound identical. There is a limit to which EQ can make one guitar type sound exactly like another, different type. This is why acoustic guitar simulator pedals are yet to actually deliver what they promise.

 

[Boogie Bill]

Re: Rack EQ? good or bad?

I used an old blue MXR 10-band EQ for years to help warm up my SS SUNN Solos II 212 combo and it worked well. I now use Mesa amps, and the Mark and DC amps use the Mesa built-in 5-band, and I find it indispensable.

I have a newer Dunlop/MXR 10-band on my acoustic board to help warm up my Taylor 710CE. It helped, but it didn't turn it into a Martin, either.

So, a couple of thoughts...

Pickups sound like they sound. Don't expect a 10-band or even a Parametric EQ to change your 'bucker into a Strat single coil, or your Duncan Invader into a Seth Lover. Your Strat into an EQ is probably never going to sound exactly like an LP.

EQs are typically made with the sliders centered on standardized ISO frequencies: 31.5, 62, 125, 250, 500, 1K, 2K, 4K, 8K, 16K. That's GREAT for the recording engineer who walks into a new studio, because he knows that the EQ will be familiar. The more complex 2/3 and 1/3 EQs are done the same way.

The problem is, these ten bands might not give the guitarist the best control over the guitar's frequencies. The Boss GE-7 has its sliders centered in non-ISO frequencies, but they are very effective on the guitar. The same is true of the Mesa amps' EQs. That 750Hz slider is SO effective...the smallest change can make a huge difference in your tone.

Biamp built some good products, but they've probably been out of business for more than 25 years. And you probably won't be able to footswitch it in and out of the circuit. I'd recommend passing on that unit, and taking a hard look at the MXR 10-band, the Boss GE-7, and the new Mesa 5-band EQ pedals. If you have your heart set on a rack unit, then something like a 15-band 2/3 octave unit from Peavey, Carvin, DBX, et.al. will be your best bet.

I would not get a 31-band EQ, unless you are a totally obsessive maniac. That's way too many sliders, even for a Mesa guy like me! LOL!

I hope that helps.

Bill

 

[Rand-O-Monium]

Re: Rack EQ? good or bad?

Once yet again,Boogie Bill hits the mark!


If you're not running a rack system,keep it on the floor.

.02

 

[dystrust]

Re: Rack EQ? good or bad?

Another thing to consider is input impedance. Most rack EQs (Biamp EQ220 included) are designed for line-level signals and have a rather low input impedance; in this case it's 10K ohms which is a bit low even for active pickups. That EQ *might* work in an effects loop, but it would probably maybe a guitar amp sound weird, awful, or both if used in front.

 

[Mincer]

Re: Rack EQ? good or bad?

I would go for a good pedal over a rack. A rack is a pain to bring around, and as was stated, there might be level mismatches. You don't need tons of bands, either. I'd start with a simple one, and learn how each frequency affects your signal.

 

[Artie]

Re: Rack EQ? good or bad?

dystrust beat me to it. The Biamp EQ220, while a nice quality EQ, is really intended for pro-audio use. The input impedance is all wrong for guitar. Now, you could use an inexpensive direct box as an interface, to get around that, but . . . I just bought nice Talent HLZ1 direct box, and guess what? It's physically larger than my 6-band MXR EQ, specifically designed for guitar. Doesn't make much sense unless the Biamp is an absolute steal. (Like $10.)

P.S. The MXR sounds killer.

 

[Obsessive Compulsive]

Re: Rack EQ? good or bad?

I have been using a dbx 231s 31-band rack EQ since 2014. 4-5 left and right most bands stay at zero cause they aren't in guitar frequency range. It's a pro audio rack EQ not exclusively for guitar, connected to the effects loop on the back of my amp. If you are not mobile, get one. Don't settle for a half-ass guitar-specific EQ with limited capabilities.

I should add that I have encountered zero problems using this dbx, except for the overwhelming bands to deal. But if you have golden ears and patience, it's a very good investment.

 

[Artie]

Re: Rack EQ? good or bad?

If you are not mobile . . .

This, and if you have a buffered effects loop, could be cool. I've been wanting to try this with an old SAE Parametric EQ. Could be cool.

 

[Mincer]

Re: Rack EQ? good or bad?

Be careful about using an EQ all the time, as your ears get really used to hearing them sound 'right' so if you are in a situation where you don't have it, a normal amp doesn't sound right to you. I use EQ to correct things, but rarely...like if my rig is in a strange room of mirrors or all curtains (where do I play?).

 

[dystrust]

Re: Rack EQ? good or bad?

This, and if you have a buffered effects loop, could be cool. I've been wanting to try this with an old SAE Parametric EQ. Could be cool.

I used a Rane PE-15 parametric EQ for a while, but found I largely didn't need it.

Be careful about using an EQ all the time, as your ears get really used to hearing them sound 'right' so if you are in a situation where you don't have it, a normal amp doesn't sound right to you. I use EQ to correct things, but rarely...like if my rig is in a strange room of mirrors or all curtains (where do I play?).

+1

I wouldn't say that my amp sounded wrong without the EQ, but it was definitely more trouble than it's worth. Another drawback I found is that with the EQ it'll only sound truly 'right' with the guitar you use to dial it in. These days I typically don't break out an EQ until I'm mixing a recording and need to fix something.

 

[eclecticsynergy]

Re: Rack EQ? good or bad?

Biamp wasn't a great brand. And the points about standard center frequencies being less than ideal for guitar are well taken. Guitar-optimized or sweepable frequency EQ will be far more useful.

I have programmable fully parametric EQ in my Replifex that's very handy for certain types of sounds. I cut the extreme low end to increase power amp headroom and help my guitar sit better in the mix without affecting the apparent tone, and I have surgically precise control over the critical mids available when I want to alter them. Still, that's a once-in-a-while thing for specialty tones, not used for setting my overall sound. Occasionally I wish for a separate EQ to tweak my tone globally compensating for strange rooms. But not often.

If you did get a stereo EQ of some sort and you aren't running a stereo rig, you could use one side for your personal tone sculpting and have the other on tap when necessary to suit certain environments.

 

[DrNewcenstein]

Re: Rack EQ? good or bad?

Rather than a single-setting unit, I'd suggest a programmable one, even if it was a multi-FX and all you ever used was the EQ. The Digitech TSR-12 is a nice unit, and features graphic and parametric eqs of varying bands and sweepable freqs. The programmability lets you set up similar patches for different guitars so they work well in various rooms, with various amps, and various other tonal factors. As was stated earlier, you're not going to coax Tele tones from a Les Paul and vice-versa through EQ - you'd want a Variax for that anyway - but it'll keep the LP from being to boomy and the Tele from being too twangy. They'll still sound like they're supposed to, you'll just have more control over their room interaction.

I have used the TSR-12 in the loop of an amp (Peavey Transtube 112) but I can't speak to the Line vs Instrument requirement of the TSR or remember the persuasion of that amp's loop. These days it lives in my rack, with an ADA MP-1 running into it for tone-shaping EQ and effects.

Lugging around a 2-space Anvil or SKB rack (the TSR-12 is 1-space) is not all that extra hassle, and if the rack case is large enough, it could pull double-duty for extra cables and mics if needed.

At one point I had a padded rack bag that held my MP-1, TSR-12, a GSP-21 and its pedalboard for MIDI control of the MP+TSR combo, my volume and wah pedals, my wireless receiver, power strip, and the cords. I'd get to the gig, unzip the bottom and dump pedals and cables out, plug my strip into the existing strip, run the cables to the amp, then flip it over to get to the front panels. The rack units stayed connected at all times, as did the foot controller, wireless receiver, and wah and volume. The cable to the receiver was long enough to be used as the main guitar cable if the transmitter died during a gig, or if I started picking up passing truck CB radios.

The bag also had a pocket on the front for extra cables and mics, and a shoulder strap. Lugging it around wasn't much of a chore; I walked in with the bag on my shoulder, combo in one hand, guitar case in the other. They make 2-guitar heavily-padded guitar bags, as well, if you take a spare with you. Or you can just carry two SKB-style cases in one hand, holding both handles (or strap the cases together for transport).