Anyone using a Behringer as an EQ??

[Biscokid]

I am looking to add a parametric eq to my sytem to help level out the curve. I am quite confused thouth and any help would be great. i am looking at the Behringer Ultracurve pro and was wondering if anyone is using one of these? Can you explain your experience? Is this thing hooked up to a computer or is it all done on the unit?

 

[davee70]

I am looking to add a parametric eq to my sytem to help level out the curve. I am quite confused thouth and any help would be great. i am looking at the Behringer Ultracurve pro and was wondering if anyone is using one of these? Can you explain your experience? Is this thing hooked up to a computer or is it all done on the unit?

You're lookin' at me. I've got the Behringer DEQ2496. Have it set up to adjust it from the listening position. It does a great job but you have to work with it. Think less is more. Now that I've had it a while, I only bother with it on the unacceptable CDs. Also, the DACs aren't that great compared to my CD player so it's a trade-off. I've thought about getting a higher quality external DAC but haven't done it. The external DACs cost more than the Behringer. When you shut it off it switches to a pass-through mode so you don't have to fool with the plumbing each time you use it. I also have it connected to my PC so I can record whatever it is that I've spent the last hour or two working on. And it is work. You have to listen in a way you may never have thought to before to get a good result. Fortunately there is a bypass that you can switch to so you can compare yours with the original and go back and forth on the fly. With ear fatigue and all you'll want to try it more than once before you settle on something. One thing to be careful of if you decide to get one, when I power up mine it throws out a high frequency sound that can be painful, especially if your ear is too close to the speaker, so it ought to be muted before you power it up.

 

[Biscokid]

So you don't make a chart and adjust the freq's that need it? You just go by ear? Can you output the Freq response chart to a computer?

 

[davee70]

So you don't make a chart and adjust the freq's that need it? You just go by ear? Can you output the Freq response chart to a computer?

The DEQ2496 has an RTA so you can see the frequency response and that helps but that's not the same as hearing it. I don't know about outputting it to a computer. What would you do with that? Post it on the web? The ear is what's important. That's why the guys that mix the CD you're listening to get paid the big bucks, right? Now if you are looking to use it for room acoustics, it's got an automatic equalizer function. I haven't used it because 1) my room acoustics sound pretty good to me 2) the condenser mic I was going to use to just try it out came with no cable so I don't have that yet, and 3) I don't want to use the DAC on the equalizer for everything I listen to. The great thing about the DEQ2496 is that you can do everything in the digital domain, input - equalize - output to whatever. I'm looking to buy an external DAC - a good one. Are you using your own processor now?

 

[Steve1000]

I use a Behringer DEQ2496 in my headphone setup (I'm a headphone nut). I love it. I adjust by ear and also use published frequency response curves for my phones in playing with the EQ. I am no expert, but I have read that the DAC chips in the DEQ2496 are the same as in most expensive studio equipment. So I suggest at least a little healthy skepticism in deciding whether you really need an outboard DAC.

The DEQ2496 is a lot more than just an equalizer. There's digital dynamic expansion and compression, image expansion and compression, level meters, a real time analyzer display that is a lot of fun, the bypass function another poster mentioned -- there's really just a million ways to use it and a lot of fun to be had and a lot to learn about audio and music and studio equipment by using it.

If you are going to hook it into your consumer-grade audio system, you might well stay digital though, to avoid whatever possible mismatch there is between the pro-audio line level standards and the consumer line level standards. My impression is you could lose just a smidge of signal to noise ratio running the line out to a consumer-grade receiver or amplifier (though I really don't think any increased noise would be audible at realistic listening levels), or maybe overload your consumer grade line-ins. I run the DEQ2496 balanced line out into pro-audio gear so it's not problem for me.

Anyway, the DEQ2496 is one of the GREAT all-time audio toys, so if you get it, have FUN ! Just be prepared to experiment and learn. It's a very powerful piece of gear, and this type of thing is only recently available to the average joe. The biggest limitation is the knowledge of the user.

I am looking to add a parametric eq to my sytem to help level out the curve. I am quite confused thouth and any help would be great. i am looking at the Behringer Ultracurve pro and was wondering if anyone is using one of these? Can you explain your experience? Is this thing hooked up to a computer or is it all done on the unit?

 

[davee70]

If you are going to hook it into your consumer-grade audio system, you might well stay digital though, to avoid whatever possible mismatch there is between the pro-audio line level standards and the consumer line level standards. My impression is you could lose just a smidge of signal to noise ratio running the line out to a consumer-grade receiver or amplifier (though I really don't think any increased noise would be audible at realistic listening levels), or maybe overload your consumer grade line-ins. I run the DEQ2496 balanced line out into pro-audio gear so it's not problem for me.

Anyway, the DEQ2496 is one of the GREAT all-time audio toys, so if you get it, have FUN ! Just be prepared to experiment and learn. It's a very powerful piece of gear, and this type of thing is only recently available to the average joe. The biggest limitation is the knowledge of the user.

I run the digital out of my CD player into the Behringer and the XLR analog out into my amp with a simple XLR to RCA adapter. It makes no difference in the sound as long as you keep the cable length down, that's all balanced lines really do for you. Now when I record on my PC that's across on the other side of the room I could use a balanced line but that's not what my M-Audio Audiophile2496 sound card has. I could have got the one that has balanced connectors but I don't have WinXP which the balanced M-Audio card requires. When I replace my computer, I'll definitely put in a sound card that has the balanced connectors. Being able to record what you've done and burn it to CD is a really nice capability to have.

As you said, the Behringer DEQ2496 is a great piece of gear to experiment with. I've even been able to reduce or eliminate annoying reverb using the dynamic compressor/expander functionality. If you can isolate it and grab hold of it you can fix it. Just give me the next 3 hours and I'll be able to sort it out!

From what I understand, the DEQ2496 has AKM® 24-bit/96 kHz A/D/A converters but I don't buy the "studio quality" hype from Behringer. Not at $300 for the whole rig. I can hear the difference and it doesn't sound as good as the single bit DAC in my trusty old Onkyo CD player. So I only use it when I need to, at least until I get a good quality external DAC.

 

[mouettus]

Do you think the DEQ2496 is too sophisticated if all I want to do is is being able to listen to metal music (Nickelback, Theory of a deadman, Disturbed) at high sound levels thru my presently-too-harsh-system?? Would a normal EQ be as good?? Is there another solution for me??

 

[Biscokid]

"Japs make good cars not audio"???

 

[mouettus]

Why would you reply at my signature and not my message?!?! ^o)

 

[Nick250]

Is it not obvious?

 

[davee70]

Do you think the DEQ2496 is too sophisticated if all I want to do is is being able to listen to metal music (Nickelback, Theory of a deadman, Disturbed) at high sound levels thru my presently-too-harsh-system?? Would a normal EQ be as good?? Is there another solution for me??

You'd be better off with the Behringer DEQ2496 because you can connect the digital out of your CD player or whatever you're using to the digital input of the Behringer, do whatever business you're going to do, and send the digital out to your Yammie! With a normal analog EQ you may be able to reduce your system's harshness but at the expense of smearing everything out a bit, including loosing some punch at the bottom. Of course there may be other solutions but if you want to stick with the Yammie, then something like the DEQ2496 may work for you.

Or you could try some Mendelssohn.