Graphic equalizers, used in both home and car audio systems, offer a way to control low, medium and high frequencies in narrower, more specific ways than the regular bass and treble control knobs. This can be helpful in tailoring the sound of the audio system to compensate for peculiarities of the listening space, or simply to customize the stereo according to one's tastes.
Instructions
Use a Graphic Equalizer Amplifier
1. Read the owner's manual for the graphic equalizer amplifier and become familiar with its operation. Be sure it is either professionally installed or hooked up properly according to the manual. Equalizers may have three, five, seven, ten, or more frequency bands in which each sliding control knob operates.
2. Park the vehicle in a quiet place, turn off the engine and close the windows to eliminate outdoor sounds.
3. Look at the equalizer sliders and set each to the neutral or zero point. Most have a "detented" center setting that clicks as the knob passes through it, identifying the zero position where the control exerts no effect on the sound. The knob on the left side controls the lowest frequencies and the right-hand knob the highest, with the other knobs moving through the spectrum of frequencies in between.
4. Turn on the power to the graphic equalizer amplifier. Play a familiar CD or tape and adjust the volume to a comfortable but not overly loud setting.
5. Experiment with moving different sliders up or down. In general, the lower-frequency knobs increase or decrease sounds in the boom and rumble area. Mid-range controls alter the "presence" of the sound, and too much mid-range can cause harshness. The high-range controls affect the "sizzle" as well as the "hissing" regions of sound.
6. Try to keep the "average" of all the controls as close to zero as possible. Turning all of the bands all the way up has no real effect and is simply the same as cranking the volume knob way up. It is easy to become addicted to the "hot" sound of turning many bands up at random, but this probably will not wear very well on the ears over time.
7. Once a desirable initial setting for all knobs has been found, write down all of the settings by number. If someone bumps the controls with a hand or knee, all of the settings can be lost and difficult to remember.
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