How do you use Global EQ (for your on-stage monitor vs FOH)?

Dpoirier

Dpoirier

Fractal Fanatic
In the past, I've seen some pretty extreme settings suggested by (very respectable) members of this forum. Things like "31 and 63 all the way to the bottom" or "8k and 16k at -6db". These suggestions were made to take out the rumble at the bottom and the fizz at the top. I *think* these were suggestions for FOH, and *not* for on-stage monitoring, but I'm not 100% sure...

My dilemma is two-fold:

- If these knowledgeable users also tame down the lows and highs for their on-stage monitors, then why not leave everything flat instead, and dial in you basic tone to avoid the rumble and the fizz in the first place (rather than fix it after-the-fact in global EQ)

- If, on the contrary, these knowledgeable users apply these suggested settings only to FOH (and this implies their basic tone *is* in fact properly dialed in for their monitors), then this means that these users generally think that their on-stage monitors do not translate well to FOH (hence their need for radical EQing to limit the damage).

I am just barely starting to prepare my presets on my new XL, and my tendency would be to leave EQ flat (both Out 1 and Out 2), dial in my tone for my monitor (without rumble or fizz), and hope that my monitor's behavior is close to whatever FOH will be imposed on me at gigs (then use Global EQ as a one-evening adjustment to correct any FOH/room oddities).

Help? I can't reconcile this approach with the fairly common use of "fixed" global EQ settings...
 
My advice would be not to dial in your tones at all using Global EQ - calm any high or low excess, as you suggest, within the patch (Cab Block Hi & Lo Cuts are my method)

Try to reserve Global EQ for troublesome / peaky venues to make compensations or enhancements
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There is no wrong way to do it.

GEQ is a simple intuitive way to carve out lows / highs. It's in the box. Use it if its your particular cup of tea mate.
 
I'd say let FOH deal with their stuff on their own. They're in a better position than you to know what it should sound like with the rest of the band.
 
Our FOH guys allways cuts the guitars at 100 at the desk anyway, so i don´t care what´s going to FOH.
They tune in whatever comes in and make it sound great (in the mix).

I cut 31 complete and 50% of the 63 band too. No use for it in my monitors. Those freq just steals energy from the amps anyway.
Low freq use a LOT of energy. That´s why bass amps need more watt to hang on and sub´s in a PA system ideally need a lot more watt.

The best PA setups is twice the amount of subs vs mid/top end speakers IMHO.

So my advice would be to cut the bottom you don´t need. Just because you free up power to the freq you are in need of.

Just my 2500000000$ ;)
 
If your poweramp and monitor is FRFR spec then I'd be doing the same as you seem to be thinking about doing. Dial in the presets (at typical stage volume) with a flat Global EQ and let the FOH EQ be sorted out by the desk. However, if you've got the CPU to spare it might be a good idea to have a parallel FXL last thing in your grids as some insurance - this leaves you the option of switching to Output 2 for FOH and applying some isolated Global EQ at your end when maybe the house PA is not up to the job.
 
Every time i use Global EQ i feel frustration to the fact that there is not way to bypass it WITH OUT taking slider by slider to zero, i mean its so important to A/B the sound for me setting this with monitors or guitar cabs. A quick before and after function would be extremely helpful and a time saver!.
 
Well, i've been using a FRFR for while (RCF nx10) running in mono from output 2 as my personal monitor, and sending FOH stereo from output 1.

I bump the bottom end down a bit using the global eq on output 2, as i found bottom end coming through the RCF to feel exaggerated, even at "stage" levels.

I leave output 1 flat, let the FOH engineer deal with the FOH sound however he/she needs to.

I generally setup sounds/patches using my studio monitors in full stereo to get a good idea of whats going on. This is what i use as a reference, and i know how it translate's to world outside.

The RCF is purely my stage foldback, hence it's main function is to make what i'm playing intelligible to me.

The whole idea of a completely flat, uncoloured, perfect FRFR monitor is kinda ridiculous, they all have their various vagaries etc; every monitor has it's own sound, hence use a bit of eq to compensate for that, globally.

Cheers
 
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