\u00c6<\/span><\/span>.\u00a0 I’m guessing just using that ancient letter is probably going to destroy my SEO ratings so maybe I’ll do it just that once and then you can be in on the joke.\u00a0 If I ever get lazy and say AE, you will know what it should really look like.<\/p>\nMoving on!<\/p>\n
What is the difference between equalization and and equalizer<\/h2>\n
The idea of equalization is the process of manipulating the way something sounds by adding or decreasing the amplitude of certain frequency ranges: making them louder or softer. Contouring your waveform like an expert stylist gets all up in coiffure theory.<\/p>\n
The equalizer itself is a tool that can be used to accomplish what is outlined above.\u00a0 This tool makes those manipulations possible.\u00a0 The scissors and clippers for the stylist.\u00a0 Just like the stylist, there are subtle things that can be done to hair to refine, and there is also the mow-hawk.\u00a0 That approach can exist in equalization as well.\u00a0 Later on I’ll show a manipulation that actually looks like a mow-hawk that you would probably never ever ever use on purpose but it’s artistically (and sonically) funny.<\/p>\n
EQUALIZATION<\/h3>\n
Gotta go back to “Ma Bell” for this one.\u00a0 Once upon an ancient time when “land lines” were the only method of voice communication outside of actually seeing somebody face to face (oh the long distance bills I rang up as a kid not knowing any better…) telephones were able to connect to each other via means of junctioned copper wire.\u00a0 No big deal, right?\u00a0 Pick up your phone, dial a phone number – or ring the operator and ask to be connected to words that to this day don’t make sense to me (another blog post!) – it rings and somebody picks up the other end and VIOLA!\u00a0 The literal phone conversation has begun.<\/p>\n
Sometimes those distances were extremely long.\u00a0 A call from Los Angeles to New York had to take physical distance into account and, as a result of the distance, there could be frequency degradation.\u00a0 Usually in the high-frequency arena.<\/p>\n
The solution?\u00a0 A device was built to compensate for that loss to make them sound “equal” to the expected “quality” of the short distance call to your neighbor’s house asking if they have any milk because we can’t just go there and ask.<\/p>\n
You know who you are.<\/p>\n
EQUALIZER<\/h3>\n
Referred to above! The device that made the long distance call audio quality equal to the short distance call.\u00a0 Ba da bing, ba da boom.\u00a0 These devices were highly specialized at the time and excruciatingly expensive.\u00a0 They got the job done though!<\/p>\n
As time went by, equalizers started getting used in more settings outside of the phone industry.\u00a0 Public address systems use them to compensate for rooms that sound wonky.\u00a0 Audio engineers use them to compensate for recordings that sound wonky.<\/p>\n
I vote for renaming it to “The De-Wonkifier.” WHO’S WITH ME??<\/p>\n
Now that we got that nonsense out of the way<\/h3>\n
Examples!\u00a0 Here we go.\u00a0 The following are not even remotely <\/em>comprehensive.\u00a0 Like, not even.\u00a0 They are the start<\/em> of some examples.\u00a0 These will probably continue into another post with still yet more detail.\u00a0 For now, this is what I’ve got.\u00a0 Enjoy!<\/p>\nEqualizer Example 01 – Quick rundown<\/h2>\n
In all of the examples for today, I am using what is called a “parametric” equalizer.\u00a0 It’s kind of my bread and butter go-to because it allows me to pinpoint and tweak specific “parameters” of the sound.\u00a0 The view of this specific one starts waaaaay down low at around 10hz – a frequency you can’t hear but it probably feels great in a massage chair – all the way up to twenty thousand hertz – twenty kilohertz, or 20khz – and everything in between.<\/p>\n
Other types of equalizer exist.\u00a0 No foolin’!\u00a0 Out there in the wild.\u00a0 That’ll be part of episode 2 of this mayhem.<\/p>\n
On to the video example!<\/p>\n