QSC K10.2 for live acoustic guitar

keemer · #1 10-01-2020, 11:39 PM

Hi
I just got a QSC K10.2 to use for live solo acoustic gigs with my J45 and an LR Baggs sound hole pickup. Any suggestions for using the speaker's built in EQ? Seems like I am getting a harsh brittley sound (even when using the different presets for which Default and Live seem to sound best). Anyone have experienced with a similar setup and getting a good sound?
Thanks

midwinter · #2 10-01-2020, 11:40 PM

I routinely gig with a single K8. My guitar goes into a tuner and then into a zed6fx. Minimal EQ or reverb.

What’s the pickup?

keemer · #3 10-01-2020, 11:53 PM

Pickup is LR Baggs M1 Active. I have a Zed 10FX that I am using with 2 Yamaha DBR10's for vocals. I've tried using the mixer with the K10.2 and I thought it actually sounded a little better without it. How do you have the mixer set?

midwinter · #4 10-02-2020, 01:06 AM

Mostly flat. Almost no EQ.

midwinter · #5 10-02-2020, 01:10 AM

I should add that my guitar is a custom shop Breedlove with a B-Band.

Chipotle · #6 10-02-2020, 09:09 PM

There are so many variables aside from just the speakers: guitar, pickup, processing, room.

I use K10.2s in my rig. I've done a single one up high and behind for a really small pub, and two up in front (with a CP8 for a monitor) for larger spaces. But I use both a Behringer XR18 mixer with full parametric EQ for taking care of room acoustics, and tone-shaping on my Alix preamp for the guitar. I leave the speakers flat. The K10.2s are perfectly good and generally good-sounding speakers.

That said, if you have no other tone-shaping options, you do have 4 bands of EQ in the K10s themselves: high and low shelf, and two full parametric. If it sounds "harsh", try bringing down the high shelf, then sweep the parametric bands to find any frequencies you think are being "brittle", and cut them.

But be aware that what you hear in one room may be totally different in another room.

keemer · #7 10-02-2020, 10:48 PM

Thanks for your advice. This is helpful.
I am debating whether to use the speaker along with my Zed 10 fX mixer or just use it by itself.

Regarding the 4 bands of EQ in the K10.2, I am a little intimidated by it. I’m not really sure what is meant by “Shelving” and how to adjust the 3 different parameters

Are there any kinds of standard or “go to” settings that you find yourself using more often than not (like I read about generally always wanting to cut off frequencies below 100hz) when EQ-ing acoustic guitar?

Chipotle · #8 10-03-2020, 09:45 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by keemer

Regarding the 4 bands of EQ in the K10.2, I am a little intimidated by it. I’m not really sure what is meant by “Shelving” and how to adjust the 3 different parameters

Are there any kinds of standard or “go to” settings that you find yourself using more often than not (like I read about generally always wanting to cut off frequencies below 100hz) when EQ-ing acoustic guitar?

A "shelf" takes everything from a certain frequency and everything either below or above and raises them all equally, sort of like raising or lowering an entire "shelf" of frequencies. Then you get a couple parametric bands on the K10 where you can raise or lower ("notch") right around a specific frequency that is giving you problems.

Here's a pic to help explain:

The orange setting at left is a low shelf; it's raising all frequencies equally from 81Hz and down. The purple at right is a high shelf; it is boosting everything equally from 7600Hz and up. The green band in the middle is a notch, drastically lowering frequencies right around 380Hz (maybe there is feedback there).

The K10.2 also has a high-pass filter (also called low cut), in the "SUB" menu. The low E on a guitar is about 83Hz, so there is little useful audio information below that. But lower frequencies can cause a lot of muddiness or feedback, so it's common just to cut those low frequencies. The K10.2 filter starts to roll off at 80Hz, so that would be a good thing to turn on (choose "80 Hz KS" in the settings). Here's a helpful visual:

Typically we tweak all of this from the mixer, simply because it's easier than trying to do it from the back of the speaker, where it may be up on a pole and you can't hear it anyway. The Zed10 has basically a low shelf, high shelf and one parametric band, rather than two in the speaker, but still quite useful... and you can hear your changes from out in front which can make life a lot easier!

If you're just doing acoustic guitar and voice (no keys, bass or kick drum) through the K10s, I'd set the low-pass filter and just leave it on. Otherwise, just experiment with the other EQ settings. If you find something that works for your guitar, leave it, but realize you may need to tweak further based on different rooms.

M Hayden · #9 10-03-2020, 11:54 PM

Even with powered speakers, I use a small Mackie board and a good preamp. Collectively it adds a lot of control....

shufflebeat · #10 10-04-2020, 10:37 AM

It's worth bearing in mind that the m1a has a separate transducer to pick up body sound. It's not adjustable except the balance between those transducers and the magnetic pickup can be changed by giving the polepieces a little anti-clockwise tweak. Individual strings can also be balanced in the same way.

Pulling all the polepieces nearer the strings will take some of the brittleness out and also give you a little more headroom before feedback, is case that's ever been an issue.