good live sound equipment and some questions

[professorlamp]

First off
I'm looking for an external rackmount EQ for room correction and also a graphic EQ

Q: Do they use EQ for live sound other than for room correction and feedback problems? As in tonal boosts for guitars, high shelfs for cymbals etc?

Second is a Reverb/Delay unit that is also rackmountable

Q: Reverb doesnt seem that necessary to me considering a reverb is trying to emulate an open space and well if you're playing in an open space that pretty much makes it redundant doesn't it? Delay I can see the need for. But is there a point to reverb?

And lastly I need 2 different compressors, one to slam vocals and the other for drums

Q: Would you buy a different compressor for live than you would for studio use?

and last random little question completely unrelated, Bands that use autotune, do they use that live or do they try and pull it off?

Sorry for the Q's but I just need to get a bit more in the know for yet another piece of coursework for uni

 

[arv_foh]

First off
I'm looking for an external rackmount EQ for room correction and also a graphic EQ

Q1: Do they use EQ for live sound other than for room correction and feedback problems? As in tonal boosts for guitars, high shelfs for cymbals etc?

Second is a Reverb/Delay unit that is also rackmountable

Q2: Reverb doesnt seem that necessary to me considering a reverb is trying to emulate an open space and well if you're playing in an open space that pretty much makes it redundant doesn't it? Delay I can see the need for. But is there a point to reverb?

And lastly I need 2 different compressors, one to slam vocals and the other for drums

Q3: Would you buy a different compressor for live than you would for studio use?

and last random little question completely unrelated, Bands that use autotune, do they use that live or do they try and pull it off?

Sorry for the Q's but I just need to get a bit more in the know for yet another piece of coursework for uni

1. yes, but many of the concepts you apply for studio use do not work for live, there are many more things to take into account

2. yes there is a point because not all rooms have natural reverb

3. I guess it depends, most venues aren't outfitted with $3000 compressors, many big name touring acts use very expensive studio outboard gear, but essentially any decent compressor will do what you need it to do for live use (as long as it's not broken, half the time you walk into a venue and half their shit doesn't work)

 

[professorlamp]

Cheers for answering
didn't wanna talk out my arse in this essay

 

[arvoitus]

99 out of the 100 people cant hear the difference live between a 200$ and 3000$ compressor, several reasons why:
- 105db is blowing at their ears.
- Your audience is drunk (most of the time).
- Mic positions sucks because your stagehand had to reposition because the mic stand had fallen down.
- Not really decent musicians are playing.
- Drums aren't tuned well (cold when being transported, hot in the venue).

Since your gear is being (ab)used a lot live, i would prefer to have an extra backup unit instead of one expensive unit.

I would use a graphic EQ for room correction mostly, and adjusting the mixdown to my taste. If your having feedback at the FOH your doing something wrong.

About reverb, what arv_foh is saying. Reverb could just do that little extra to your vocals.

 

[fade_2_black]

GEQs are vital for tuning to room - this is one of the things I would prefer to invest good money on (over good compressors or something)..
As far as reverb is concerned, it is always a great tool for controlling how things sit in the mix, or for using as a noticeable effect - eg, large reverb on snare on slower, more open parts in songs, etc.. Obviously delay is always important too. I would recommend something affordable yet reliable such as the M1 effects unit and the D2 delay - both cheap and both great!
For compression, as mentioned above, there isnt much point in getting something stupidly expensive. Quad comps and quad gates are always good value, im a big fan of the BSS quad gates and comps but these are quite pricey.. Something nice yet affordable can generally be the way to go for starting up, eg dbx 1046, etc, then as time goes by and money builds up, you can spend more and more on better, nicer units.

 

[-Noodles-]

"standard" live units. These are used in my work frequently, and come in with large tours a lot - so I'd guess that they're either the best for the job, or we're all deaf.

EQ ; XTAs (or digital desk FOH EQ)
Compressors; DBX160s, maybe a high end one for vocals (Opto perhaps)
Effects; Spx-2000
Delay; D2.

To answer your questions;
Q1: Do they use EQ for live sound other than for room correction and feedback problems?

31 band EQ over the whole mix for FOH for "room correction". FOH should NEVER feedback. If it is - you've done something wrong.
I've not seen people using graphics over groups. Channel EQ is normally all that is required. Remember, you're not having the aural resolution that you do in a studio - SPL affects frequency response in hearing - bodies absorb frequencies in a "weird" way. It's a different type of EQing.

Q2: Reverb ?
Yes. Have you ever been to a large gig and wondered why things should "cohesive"? Probably because of reverb, and giving a false sense of spacial unity. Reverb on vocals, ime, is always used since it gives them more "life" when using a 58.
Delay is also used a lot on vocals, snares.. whatever you want. A tap tempo is a must. There are no other delays in live sound.

Q3: Would you buy a different compressor for live than you would for studio use?
Yes. They are different beasts. Not to say you can't bring studio compressors out on the road - but I wouldn't want a rack with LA2As to fall off the back of a truck. Or get drinks spilled on them. Or lost in transit. etc.
As I've said above, 90% of compressors that I've come across are dbx 160s. They compress, and they're not expensive. For vocals - you can use anything you want, perhaps a 2U / 2 channel afair, but most people don't worry too much about them.

and last random little question completely unrelated, Bands that use autotune, do they use that live or do they try and pull it off?

Yes.