Ohmic Audio

🔰 BEGINNER LEVEL: EQ Basics

What is Equalization?

Equalization (EQ) = Adjusting volume of specific frequencies.

Why use EQ: - Fix peaks and dips in response - Adjust to personal taste - Compensate for cabin acoustics - Match to music genre

Before and after EQ response graph comparing an uneven measured response to a smoother corrected response
EQ is easiest to understand when you compare measurements before and after. The goal is usually not a dramatic shape change, but a more controlled response with fewer obvious peaks and holes.

Types of EQ:

Graphic EQ: - Fixed frequency bands (sliders) - Common: 5-band, 7-band, 13-band, 31-band - Easy to use - Less precise

Parametric EQ: - Adjustable frequency - Adjustable bandwidth (Q) - Adjustable gain - More flexible - Professional choice

Using Basic EQ

Bass, Mid, Treble Controls:

Simplest EQ - three bands.

Bass: ~100 Hz - Increase: More boom, impact - Decrease: Tighter, controlled

Midrange: ~1000 Hz
- Increase: Forward vocals - Decrease: Recessed vocals

Treble: ~10,000 Hz - Increase: More sparkle, detail - Decrease: Smooth, less harsh

Guidelines: - Small adjustments (±3 dB) - Cutting better than boosting - Listen at normal volume - Use multiple tracks to test

What is Time Alignment?

Time alignment = Delaying speakers so sound arrives simultaneously at listener.

Why needed:

Your ears are different distances from each speaker: - Left tweeter: 2 feet away - Right tweeter: 4 feet away - Sound from right arrives 2ms later

Top-down vehicle diagram showing a driver seated off-center, unequal speaker path lengths, and the corrected result after adding delay so the left and right speakers arrive together at the listener.
Time alignment is not abstract DSP magic. It is just a way of making the nearer speaker wait long enough for the farther speaker to catch up, so the image stops collapsing toward the driver-side door.

Solution:

Delay left tweeter by 2ms: - Now both arrive together - Better imaging - Clearer sound - Sounds like speakers in front of you

Calculating delay:

Delay (ms) = Distance difference (inches) / 13,500

Example: - Left speaker: 24 inches away - Right speaker: 48 inches away - Difference: 24 inches

Delay = 24 / 13,500 = 1.8 ms

Delay left speaker by 1.8ms.