Here are the 3 I checked out:
TC Electronics TC-1140
Behringer PEQ2200
PreSonus EQ3B
I brought my rack to GC to check them out. I made an appointment ahead of time and they were very cool to let me check them out.
As I mentioned in an earlier thread... when my pedal board is inserted between the SP77 and the T100 I get a tiny loss of high frequency clarity that I can't dial back in with a conventional graphic EQ.
All 3 units did the job perfectly. I only need to mess with one frequency in the high-mid range.
One thing I noticed about parametric EQ's. They can REALLY mess up your sound. The wrong adjustments can kill your sound. The nice thing about the Behringer was that you could switch off the bands you don't need to mess with. It also has a hard bypass switch which basically connects the input to the output jack so you can compare your sound.
The TC Electronics unit looked better built for sure but for what I need to adjust, It didn't do any better. It was actually harder to use because I couldn't switch off the bands like the Behringer. It too has a true bypass feature.
The PreSonus again worked perfectly for my application. Its not like I am totally shaping my guitar tone. I am just dialing in some missing mid highs.
While I was there I checked out a BBE 362 and a 422 with my rig. They sounded identical. There was absolutely no difference between the 2 of them. I went up online and downloaded the specs for each when I got home. The specifications are EXACTLY the same. No difference at all. Both units made my rig sparkle. I am fairly familiar with BBE's. They basically give you MORE of everything. Some people say they add a degree of processed sound to your guitar tone. I don't agree. If anything, the BBE effected what the speakers sounded like. They sounded clearer with more punch, clarity and presence. Tighter.
I am sure the TC is better than the Behringer if you really need to make alot of extremely specific changes to your live guitar sound. I think its better suited for high end studio use. The Behringer or the PreSonus on the other hand is most likely substandard for pro studio use but for a live guitar rig its more than sufficient. Regarding BBE's. There are many models ranging from $50.00 used up to $250.00 for a new 482i. They all do basically the same thing. Especially the 362, 402, 422, 422A. Some have stereo controls, some have shared controls but basically they sound the same. Again, for high end pro studio work I would go with the 482i but if you are looking to add some sparkle and presence to your live guitar sound and only want 2 knobs to mess with, the 362 or 422 work great. Its almost like lifting a blanket off of your speaker cabinet.. even if it didn't sound like it had one on it before.
Keep in mind though.... if your amp sounds like canned ass... neither of these items will help you out. You really need to start with a good to great amp tone. My rig sounds really good with nothing. They are not a fix for a crappy amp sound.
TC Electronics TC-1140
Behringer PEQ2200
PreSonus EQ3B
I brought my rack to GC to check them out. I made an appointment ahead of time and they were very cool to let me check them out.
As I mentioned in an earlier thread... when my pedal board is inserted between the SP77 and the T100 I get a tiny loss of high frequency clarity that I can't dial back in with a conventional graphic EQ.
All 3 units did the job perfectly. I only need to mess with one frequency in the high-mid range.
One thing I noticed about parametric EQ's. They can REALLY mess up your sound. The wrong adjustments can kill your sound. The nice thing about the Behringer was that you could switch off the bands you don't need to mess with. It also has a hard bypass switch which basically connects the input to the output jack so you can compare your sound.
The TC Electronics unit looked better built for sure but for what I need to adjust, It didn't do any better. It was actually harder to use because I couldn't switch off the bands like the Behringer. It too has a true bypass feature.
The PreSonus again worked perfectly for my application. Its not like I am totally shaping my guitar tone. I am just dialing in some missing mid highs.
While I was there I checked out a BBE 362 and a 422 with my rig. They sounded identical. There was absolutely no difference between the 2 of them. I went up online and downloaded the specs for each when I got home. The specifications are EXACTLY the same. No difference at all. Both units made my rig sparkle. I am fairly familiar with BBE's. They basically give you MORE of everything. Some people say they add a degree of processed sound to your guitar tone. I don't agree. If anything, the BBE effected what the speakers sounded like. They sounded clearer with more punch, clarity and presence. Tighter.
I am sure the TC is better than the Behringer if you really need to make alot of extremely specific changes to your live guitar sound. I think its better suited for high end studio use. The Behringer or the PreSonus on the other hand is most likely substandard for pro studio use but for a live guitar rig its more than sufficient. Regarding BBE's. There are many models ranging from $50.00 used up to $250.00 for a new 482i. They all do basically the same thing. Especially the 362, 402, 422, 422A. Some have stereo controls, some have shared controls but basically they sound the same. Again, for high end pro studio work I would go with the 482i but if you are looking to add some sparkle and presence to your live guitar sound and only want 2 knobs to mess with, the 362 or 422 work great. Its almost like lifting a blanket off of your speaker cabinet.. even if it didn't sound like it had one on it before.
Keep in mind though.... if your amp sounds like canned ass... neither of these items will help you out. You really need to start with a good to great amp tone. My rig sounds really good with nothing. They are not a fix for a crappy amp sound.
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