headphones
"Audio Empire" wrote in message
...
On Thu, 27 Oct 2011 14:58:22 -0700, Arny Krueger wrote
(in article ):
"Audio Empire" wrote in message
...
On Wed, 26 Oct 2011 15:47:58 -0700, Arny Krueger wrote
(in article ):
Audio Empire" wrote in message
...
Analog 1/3 octave or parametric equalizers introduce so much
"insertion"
coloration into a system that would think that the improvement in the
frequency domain would be more than offset by the distortion
introduced.
What form does this insertion coloration take, when does it happen, and
is
it always there?
You know as well as I do that the insertion distortion of which I speak
is
caused by the ringing of active filters and yes, it's there as long as
the
filter is in the circuit. It's not there if the filter is bypassed
(obviously).
Not all ringing is necessarily bad. If a filter is carefully applied in
appropriate circumstances, it can truly compensate for errors that were
previously causing problems. This means that while the compensating
filter
may ring, its ringing is either not audible or it actually compensates
for
the ringing that is already there, and thus leads to a system that
overall,
has reduced or no ringing.
The purpose of an equalizer is to produce audible changes. Faulting an
equalizer for having audible effects all by itself is like faulting a
bird
for flying. The real question is whether or not the filter compensates
for
the error that it is designed to correct.
Say what you will but my experience with 1/3 octave, decade, and
parametric
equalizers is that they usually do more harm than good.
What I will say is that there is no debate over the idea that the effect of
an equalizer is highly dependent on its operator.
Since no bias-controlled evaluations have been mentioned, any results given
can easily be attributed to personal bias.
I've never heard one
yet that didn't sound better switched OUT of the system than in it.
In the real world, YMMV. It is possible that an equalizer will introduce
some small variations even when its controls are centered. It is certain
that any equalizer with a gain control or non-unity gain will change levels
unless it has been set up with test equipment.
Sure, they can fix a lot of problems in the frequency domain,
In a sense you just contradicted yourself. If they fix problems, then they
make the sytsem sound better when switched in.
but if you want the cleanest signal path possible, I feel that
one is better off not using them at all unless the original audio signal
is
pretty bad to begin with (like EQing an old acoustic or early electrical
transcription).
If you want the cleanest path possible, you avoid the use of microphones,
speakers and other similar electroacoustic transducers and rooms. Since that
is practically impossible at this time, we are stuck with signal paths that
audible problems. Equalizers obviously work advantageously in some cases
such as LP and tape equalization. The rather extreme equalization that has
been used with LPs for over 60 years completely negates any claims that
equalization has to cause problems.
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