If you asked me what I thought was the most important piece of outboard gear in a soundman’s arsenal, I would say, without hesitation, a good graphic EQ. Whether you agree with me or not, you can’t deny the importance of this type of gear. Well, Mackie has pulled out all the stops with its new digital Graphic QuadEQ. I don’t know the backstory on the research and development of the EQ, but this new device can do just about everything that you would want a graphic to do and more.
The Gear
Mackie squeezes four 30-band EQs into this two-rack space box. But that is just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to features. Why 30 bands instead of 31? I have no clue (I told you I didn’t know the backstory). Anyway, all banks of 30 bands use Mackie’s “Adaptive-Q” filters for all frequency adjustments. These exclusive digital algorithms provide precise +/- 12 dB adjustments without the rippling or dragging effect on adjacent EQ bands found in most graphic EQs. Super-accurate LED display ladders let you see what you are adjusting. There is also an array of on-board analysis tools.
A pink noise generator is built in, and a reference mic is included. RTA (real time analyzer) and SPL (sound pressure level) can be checked via the reference mic. At any time, you can check the RTA of your performance with the touch of a button on the front panel of the graphic. Basically, you get a lot of add-ons as standard fare in the QuadEQ. As you look at the front panel of the device, you see the EQ in red LEDs and the RTA in green. RTA can be displayed over the EQ display simultaneously. This is one of my favorite features because it allows you to see immediately how an EQ change affects the output. Since the RTA information is post EQ, feedback can be seen, heard and eliminated quickly. Channels A, B, C and D represent the four independent graphics. However, they can be linked together into two stereo channels with locking parameters, or you can use one stereo link and two independent channels. This is the ideal configuration for a stereo FOH with two independent monitor equalizers.
All this info can be stored in 99 user snapshots and recalled from venue to venue. The actual working of the QuadEQ is very analog. You simply press a button at the bottom of each frequency, selecting that frequency and turn a knob (the one and only knob) on the face of the unit. The LED bars adjust up or down, and an LED display above the knob lets you see + or – numbers. Once you have dialed in your mix, press the “store” button and save your settings to the user presets. For a digital device, it is almost beyond simple to operate. The backside of the device has TRS and XLR ins and outs and an in-dependent reference mic input, along with 110 volt and 240 volt selection.
I think that about covers the basics of the Mackie graphic. How about we take it out for some playtime?
The Gig
My first adventure with the QuadEQ was at a two-day wedding event. Day one was on the golf course of a private country club with a 10-piece band. The setting was beautiful and, of course, outdoors. Adjusting EQ outside is generally very easy, so I bypassed the reference mic and used my ears and the RTA. I did have some difficulty seeing the green LEDs of the RTA in the outdoor light, but the red indicators of the individual graphic frequencies showed up just fine in the afternoon sunlight. The unit is very precise and, as I mentioned earlier, very simple to use. There is no pulling or pushing effect like what I experience in my own analog graphic EQs. This precision does have an effect on how I set the EQ.
Basically I was working with the less-is-more approach to equalization. It really didn’t take much to get the desired results. But I was, after all, work-ing outside and, in almost any open-air environment, less seems better. The following morning was at a brunch in the same country club’s restaurant. Being that I was indoors, I had a chance to use the reference microphone. This on-board device is simple to operate and works great. Just plug the mic into its own dedicated input on the back of the unit and press the noise button. Pink noise will play through your system, and the other function will be bypassed. A little note here, you must adjust the noise level via the edit button, or you will get a rather hot signal, as I did. The reference mic sends its sig-nal back to the RTA, and you can see the sound of the room. Problem frequencies can be dealt with simply and quickly.
At this point, I could have saved this room to one of my user presets. Since I doubt I will be back to that same venue, I opted not to save it. But you can obviously see the advantage of being able to bring up a particular room at any given time. This same process of EQ analysis can be done with the monitor mixes also. Just put the reference mic up on stage and ring out the monitors via the pink noise generator. This feature really simplifies the monitor EQ process, especially if you are operating as a one-man show. It eliminates the need for an assistant when you stage test the mics.
Summary
The Mackie QuadEQ is a great new piece of gear — very user-friendly and powerful in what can be accomplished with this box. The fact that you don’t have to buy any add-ons or other gear with this unit is a big plus
What it is: Digital graphic EQ
Who it’s for: Bands, sound companies, anyone with a sound system.
Pros: Simple to use, powerful, complete
Cons: Needs brighter green LEDs
How Much: $899.99
Web site: www.mackie.com/quadeq
