Roundup
How did they do?
AB Intl 231: An out-of-production trouper that has been through it all and kept on working. This unit's front face is rusty which attests to a lot of outdoor gigs in tough weather. As a graphic EQ, it offers a little more than just the basics -- check out the variable Low and High cuts. Sonic performance is solidly mid-pack with better-than-average ability to zero in on a 'tweener frequency. The fader tips are too small to be very easy to see or to quickly grab but at least they move with a light touch. HF power tapers off the most of any EQ tested; down 2dB at 8kHz and heading further south above that.
ART HQ-31: This model has the cool VU and a soft-clipping feature but suffers from silk-screening inaccuracy. Nice and quiet circuitry though not much of a line driver. Good CMRR. Main output knob has no mark for unity. Small 31-band fader tips with no knobs.
Ashly GQX 3102: Feels great with its big knobs. Features vHPF and LED ladder. Wide filters that overlap for smoother response but not as well suited for singling out a few feedback frequencies.
Ashly Protea 4.24G: Wide filters like the GQX but they don't overlap and stack the same way. Your fader positions are more representative of what's coming out. Cool remote that connects via XLR cable so you can go out on stage and tweak the wedges quickly. I think this product could use a few parametric or notch filters stolen from the 4.24PS or 4.24C so as to enable your graphic adjustments to start from flat.
Audient ASP231: One of the standout performers at the GEQ Shootout. Great precision bench specs although IMD artifacts were seen in the Multiple Cut test. Very light in weight. Big blue buttons are easy to grab and the lighted strip of numbers between channels makes for better visibility. Assymetrical narrow cut mode proved most useful for cutting individual feedback modes without cutting sound power. Caution: neighboring boosts can easily overpower a narrow cut. No signal level metering. We didn't test the unusual 'Tilt' function that gives dual shelving centered at 1kHz. This EQ has been too long overlooked by the market in general.
Audio Logic SC31: This out-of-production EQ is similar to the Ashly GQX in that it has wider filters that add up in groups for greater cuts and boosts than you thought were being dialed up individually. Adjacent filters on the SC31 appear to sum to the center which helps when attacking a single 'tweener feedback freq.
Behringer DSP8024: Very smooth filter summation from this EQ -- tidy curves. Watch out for transitional overshoot which you can see everywhere but best on 'Death To 100.' Check out the boost at around 140Hz even though you were cutting at 100Hz and below. Adjacent filters appear to sum to the center making this model one of the best at cutting one single feedback freq. Very slow and frustrating user interface. Fast fader access is lost behind a four-button navigation scheme. No real HPF, just a low shelf.
Behringer GEQ3102: This unit sounded dark or choppy to the feedback team. Faders are short and flimsy and the LEDs on the fader tips don't register RTA level like the Peavey. Wider filters kept this guy from excelling in single tone notching and they cut more sound power out of 'Death To 100' which shows 6dB of lost signal at 250Hz. The 500Hz filter was visibly off ISO center -- you can see it best in 'Frown' and 'Capital V.' Crummy CMRR performance at 1kHz suggests that the unit will not take well to radio interference. Peak indication doesn't give any prior warning. The good news is that the GEQ3102 is very quiet at idle.
BSS FCS-960: Sweet-sounding box with big grabby faders for fast tweaking. Narrow mode is symmetrical, unlike the Audient. I like the steep 18dB/octave vHPF slope. CMRR numbers were topnotch and the square wave symmetry performance was the best of the eight which were bench-tested. Easy to see why this unit will meet and exceed expectations of the visiting monitor engineer.
dbx 3231L: Another smooth/wide EQ that has excellent design specs and a sweet sonic character. I don't know why dbx pulled it from production -- maybe the market segment is too jammed with stiff competition. I'd put this one in the same class as the Ashly GQX, Audio Logic and BSS EQs.
dbx 480: This EQ didn't get as much attention as it deserved at the Shootout. We didn't have the nifty moving fader remote control but we used the front panel interface to perform one or two of the frequency curve tests. Basically, this EQ is a very popular solution for monitor wedges and wasn't unknown to the Shootout participants. A proven performer. A problem that surfaced during one test was that the notch filters are somewhat widely spaced, making it difficult to target a specific feedback frequency.
dbx iEQ31: This new item is billed as the junior version of the 480 and you can see the family resemblance in 'Dude Is Deaf.' The iEQ31 has basic auto-feedback suppression features which our mon wedge crew couldn't figure out on the fly. I was able to get exceedingly good feedback notching performance out of it in the '915Hz down 6dB' test, but it took me looking at the manual. I didn't like the combination of reaching around behind the unit and cycling the power to change modes. I saw some filter overshoot around 200Hz in the Capital V trial.
IRP TEQ DG-4023: This '70's-era EQ came very late to the party -- about six weeks too late! But since it is such a rare bird I had to include it in as many tests as possible... Its unique filter topology is called minimum-phase transversal. This EQ unseated the Rane DEQ 60L by scoring the best of all pure graphic solutions on the 'Multiple Cuts' trial even though the 'Flat Pink' showing was somewhat uneven, probably due to component age. I noticed that all 29 ISO centers had shifted upwards in frequency and that every single boost was beefier than any particular cut. These kind of global value shifts seem to point to internal component values changing over time. Still, the old chap showed his stuff by returning remarkably smooth curves in 'Wavy' and 'Dude Is Deaf,' though 'Frown' was lopsided because the 500Hz filter couldn't reduce signal down far enough. The most unique curve illustrating how truly different transversal filters are can be seen in the dramatic 'Death To 100' where the attempted low cut actually delivers on the promise once you get over the 125Hz hump. That ringing pre-filter slop is visible again on 'Dude Is Deaf' -- see where 1.8k-2kHz dips down a dB before the 2.5Hz filter kicks in with boost? The IRP TEQ DG-4023 has switchable HPF at 20, 40 and 80Hz. There's also switchable LPF at 20k, 12k and 8kHz. No power switch. One circuit was non-operational and that was the 'HI FREQ BOOST' switch which didn't add a +10dB shelf above 3kHz as promised. And the gain trim was never able to add enough to match unity gain if all the faders were at the center detents. No problem, just raise every single fader a little bit ... ;^) Check out how the 'Flat Pink' results smoothed down when all filters were maxed out! Beware: nearby cell phone calls send out enough RFI to hammer the EQ's circuits quite a lot -- this is bad. Though peculiar in some ways, the TEQ DG-4023 remains a monument to its designer's vision.
KT DN27: This large and heavy EQ has big fader knobs but lacks vHPF. It is an interesting variation in the proportional-Q family. You can see the difference most clearly in 'Dude Is Deaf' where the DN27 sums smoothly and the DN360 forms a pair of peaks. The DN27 was much better than the DN360 at notching our single 915Hz tone. Note that the DN9340 Helix can be switched to DN27 emulation mode plus it has vHPF and a rich array of cutting-edge modern DSP features. The DN27 does it without latency, though, and the solid faders are a physical reassurance. Big hands? Big sound.
KT DN360: The industry standard EQ is a fine performer with clear sound, returning a lot of low-mid sound power in 'Death To 100' (note the 63Hz ISO center is creeping down closer to 50Hz) and a nice, deep valley in 'Capital V.' Cutting a single feedback freq was not its forte and the fixed 30Hz HPF isn't as appropriate to monitor wedge duties. This EQ has been the most-requested graphic since shortly after its introduction, and remains a great choice for FOH voicing tasks.
KT DN9340 Helix: A powerful tool that frustrated everyone who checked out its interface at the Shootout. The dual touchstrip for adjusting GEQ filters was glitchy and hard to use, making it difficult to get the exact fader you want. Luke and I found it easier, faster and more predictable to tweak sliders using two of the three continuous rotating knobs off to the right instead of trying to control via touchstrip. In nearly every Shootout test, the DN9340 was used in default proportional Q mode -- we would have checked it out in other modes if it was friendlier to use. Since it offers parametric filters along with the graphic filters it was able to keep a large amount of sound power while chopping down your feedback tones surgically. The sound of the Helix seemed clean enough even though it had a big problem with IMD spikes when processing the four-tone chord in the Multiple Cuts trial. More immediate for most potential users, the unfortunate touchstrip interface was off-putting. Also, it is audibly fan-cooled, a concern for a few attendees.
Lake Contour: Ah, what can I possibly say about the Contour that would do it justice? Its main attribute -- amazingly clear sound -- is nearly overwhelmed by the whiz-bang wireless remote control and the revolutionary filter design algorithms. All that in a crossover/speaker management system which offers as much tweak power as a rack of analog devices. We all loved seeing Miguel's fingers fly over the Tablet PC remote control and the Smaart graphs revealed excellent smoothness and predictable signal handling capabilities. Its 'Death To 100' screenshot tied for top place and every other screenshot shows optimum target reached. All in a package that's slim and light. No front panel controls.
Nady GEQ-231 [early blackface]: Hoo, boy, did this little pup suffer at our hands. We concluded that it was the worst Shootout EQ among those that are still in production. It had a non-operational 800Hz slider on ch.A and its bench test line driver and CMRR specs were at the bottom. The graphic sliders are small and have a short travel, making it tough to tweak in a hurry. Other than that, its frequency performance held up with other Constant-Q devices and it has a vHPF unlike some higher-cost competition.
NEI 2711: It seems Neptune Electronics produced a solid unit that could keep up with similar wide and smooth EQs. To me, it sounded pretty decent. It placed near last in the ability to notch 915Hz but looked good in 'Frown', 'Wavy' and 'Capital V'. 'Death To 100' looked terribly rough, though, with a jaggy and nearly unreadable phase and freq trace. This EQ should have been supplied with variable high-pass circuitry.
Peavey EQ31FX: This EQ joins the growing group of Shootout EQs that show the wide/smooth response which works so well for FOH and general voicing. The Peavey jumped up alongside the Audient and KT DN27 during the '915Hz down 6dB' trial. We liked the feedback indicator LEDs, vHPF and vLPF. Too bad we didn't bench test the EQ since it boasts one of the hottest output drivers capable of +24. Peavey recently discontinued production on this top-line EQ in favor of models that command a greater sales volume.
Presonus DEQ624: A flawed but interesting beast. The faders seemed flimsy and cheap and didn't line up straight at the detents. Two of the channel A filters were always 'on' a bit even when in the center detent. The Presonus DEQ is one of the very few that offer compression or limiting and switchable Q as well Presonus's new circuit to reduce AC hum. Why do you need such a filter? -- we didn't investigate but I was suspicious that it might be hiding a flaw in circuit layout. In -24dB narrow cut mode, the Presonus turned in a great score for '915Hz down 6dB' but in the 'Frown' test there's no visible difference between a -3dB slider setting and a -6dB one. Also, the faders demonstrated a low number of level increments, making it difficult to achieve specific dB cuts via slider. One feature it offers is HiQ mode which is toggled per filter -- a unique and powerful tool. Other EQs with switchable Q do so globally. I thought the method for toggling Q was poorly chosen: After touching the Hi-Q button you have to wiggle the fader that you would like to have change Q. I can imagine times when moving the fader during a show wouldn't be a good idea sonically. Much better would have been 62 little Hi-Q buttons, one per filter. In the Smaart tests, the Presonus was never looked at with a mix of both narrow and wide filters. We stayed globally narrow or globally wide. A combination of narrow and wide cuts might have done well on the Multiple Cuts test.
Rane DEQ 60L: Consistently placed at the top or near the top of every trial though not remarkable at the simplistic and unrealistic assignment of cutting 915Hz. Very good IMD performance and excellent isolation from filter interplay in Perfect Q mode. One of the best GBF showings -- veteran road dog Allen Craft gave it top marks in the wedge test. This unit joins the small group of new digital entrys that aim to be friendly to digiphobes; you get a plain front panel with no computer interface or LCD screen. I liked seeing each audio channel get dual gain sliders and dual LED ladders, one for input and one for output. I didn't like not having a power switch and I think the little steel mode toggles say 'break me off' -- everybody else uses push buttons. We never tested the three tone-shaping sliders. This EQ is new to the market and promises to make a big dent.
Rane GE 27: This early Rane EQ got short shrift at the Shootout. There was only time to test its ability to cut 915Hz down 6dB where it helped define the midpack of Constant-Q contenders. This individual unit's unbalanced TS output was modified by BBI to be XLR. A more modern version of the GE 27 is the GE 130 which comes fully balanced on XLR.
Rane GE 30: This interpolating EQ whaled on cutting 915Hz with a big 37dB drop delivered in Cut-Only mode. Looking at its Smaart screenshots you see the freq and phase responses are smooth and predictable, showing interpolating filter interaction the most clearly in 'Capital V' where the 500Hz cut was outvoted and pulled upward 3-4dB by the two neighboring filters. I'd like to have another crack at this EQ by running it through the Multiple Cuts trial. I want to see how good interpolating filters are at cutting a few random feedback tones while retaining sound power. Prior to the release of the DEQ 60L, this was my favorite Rane graphic and remains their top analog model.
Rane ME 30 [early unbalanced model]: This old guy suffers from more than the usual noise at idle, but it laughs in the face of a long 300' mic cable, pumping out the same voltage with and without the extra capacitative load. Its frequency responses in the Smaart tests proved it to be a fair example of mid-pack performance, though the lack of high-pass filter means that users are more likely to resort to 'Death To 100' forms of LF management. In 'Death To 100', the ME 30 was not as effective as it would have been with a greater than 12dB cut depth. 'Frown' performance showed a slight gap between 315 and 400Hz, demonstrating sharper filter responses that combined less. There's a modern balanced version of this EQ, the ME 30B, which probably demonstrates better noise specs.
Rane ME 60: I was just a little disappointed in the ME 60 results since it seemed like it would be a one-step upgrade from the ME 30 and two or three steps better than the old Mojo line. Aside from increased fader cut capability and the addition of faders for vLPF and vHPF it responded very similarly to the ME 30. However, 'Death To 100' was lumpier than either of its small cousins. All the other ME 60 screenshots are reassuringly smooth. The sound was clean.
Rane MQ 302S 'Mojo': This pup surprised me with super flat response at idle. In action it is predictable and smooth, proof of its heritage. Lacking a Low Cut control makes it much less appropriate for monitor wedges than it might be for FOH, though it posted a decent 'Death To 100' screenshot. The modern version which comes without that mojo splash pattern graphic paintjob is the SEQ 30S. A low-cost sleeper.
Sabine GRQ 3101 Graphi-Q: See GRQ 3102. This individual 3101 needed an update to its internal software but performed fine.
Sabine GRQ 3102 Graphi-Q: At +30dB, the Graphi-Q has one of the highest input and output levels I've ever seen in a line-level audio device. This one inescapable fact makes the Sabine a difficult choice for those who are looking to tame room modes and stage wash with its excellent automatic anti-feedback system. Onboard delay, HPF, LPF, compression and limiting help sweeten the deal, though I'm not a big fan of the compression algorithm after using it off and on for over a year on spoken voice. Folks report power-up quirks and mid-show seizures so hopefully Sabine is working on a beefier engine. The anti-feedback circuitry is the standout selling point here, giving quick and powerful notch filters automatically centered precisely over your problem feedback frequencies. Note that the demands of your highest-quality listening experience means that no automatic circuitry will be actively seeking during the show -- the FBX hunt and kill job should be done ahead of time. In Smaart screenshots, the GRQ series shows super-smooth filter management. A single FBX filter was able to cut over 30dB of one frequency. This EQ would do very well on the 'Multiple Cuts' trial but would need to have a the four sine tone frequencies timed for brief sequential bursts instead of all four at once. Otherwise each cut would automatically go down to -30dB, not the target depth of 3 to 6dB down. Failing that, the FBX filters could be retroactively adjusted as parametric filters by engaging computer control. There is no front face parametric control capability.
TDM 30GE-2: A uniquely powerful analog EQ that comes with a small bank of notch filters off to the right side of the main graphic control area. These skinny notches enable the TDM user to kick down those first two or three annoying room modes or mic/wedge interaction tones without penalizing the overall sound power. The TDM was one of the mellowest-sounding designs with a slight tapering off of HF above 12kHz. 'Death To 100' was overly bumpy, though, and in both 'Wavy' and 'Dude Is Deaf' you see the target dB levels weren't reached. I would have suspected an accidental pushing of the ±6dB button except that there isn't one! Filter interplay is minimal to the extreme. If I were designing the notch filter section I would have made it possible to place two or three notches in the same general frequency region, not limited to the Lo-Mid-Hi bands as they are. Two other detractions are the lack of slider center detents and the internal HPF options which aren't variable via front face control.
UREI 527-A: These two vintage EQs presented with ailing, noisy and a few non-operational faders. AC line buzz was a problem as well. Otherwise, they posted screenshots typical of their family background wherein the filters remain surprisingly independent of each other. UREI equalizers were among my favorites fifteen years ago when I started out in live sound, so I know what they are capable of.
XTA GQ600: A fine-looking and sweet-sounding EQ! This unit has super low noise on the outputs, giving it a ton of headroom. Acoustic feedback results made our testing team happy but not ecstatic. This EQ was not a leader in cutting a single frequency due to its wider filters. One of the more dramatic 'Frown' screenshots shows the XTA's combined filter response pushing the targets of 5 and 10dB down to 9 and 14dB, respectively, whereas in 'Capital V' the filters are totally immune from being pulled away from nailing the 10dB targets. We didn't record it in the screenshot, but when the HPF was engaged, SmaartLive was able to track coherent LF response farther down towards the noise floor than was noticed on any other EQ. Note the KT DN360-style filter summation in 'Dude Is Deaf' in which the peak contains a double-hump. I wonder if Abdul EQ would like this rather Bactrian filter response... ;^)
Yamaha Q2031B: Here's another EQ I've used quite a bit in my early sound career and now I can confirm why it was never my favorite. The filters are so wide! The Yamaha lost the most sound power when used for cutting a single feedback tone. It's frequency response stood out as the only Shootout participant with a high-frequency boost at idle. Thankfully, its vHPF slider means you don't have to use the EQ in a 'Death To 100'-type way -- note the picture-perfect example of what you don't want to have happen to your signal. The 'Wavy' screenshot shows either ISO center drift at 1.6k or a different filter topology employed boost vs. cut. Finally, the 6dB mode changes how soon the overload LED lights up.