IN A PERFECT WORLD, equalization wouldn't be necessary. All microphones would have “perfect” frequency response, all sound systems would reproduce every part of the audio spectrum, and all live-music venues would have short, even reverb times without any bass buildup or flutter echoes. Oh, and all singers and instruments would have great timbre and tone.
Unfortunately, we don't live in a perfect world. Of the thousands of gigs I've done sound for, there have been few times, if any, when I didn't need to help things along with some EQ. Even in the best of venues, pro engineers typically wield a dozen or more high-quality equalizers at the monitoring desk and several more at the front-of-house (FOH) position. Clearly, equalizers are all but indispensable to the art of mixing live sound.
The cost of high-quality EQs is typically prohibitive for working bands, however, because of limited budgets and rackspace. Working musicians need outboard equalizers that cram as much performance and as many features as possible into small spaces at reasonable prices. Enter the new A.R.T. HQ-15, a dual-channel, 15-band, ⅔-octave graphic EQ. (A.R.T. also makes the a 31-band, ⅓-octave version, the HQ-31.)
PUT ME IN, COACH
The HQ-15 is a hefty, steel-encased unit weighing in at nine pounds. A pair of formidable-looking VU meters and a row of LEDs above each frequency band indicate that there's more to this EQ than one might expect. In addition to the graphic faders, there are also highpass (10 to 250 Hz) and lowpass (3 to 40 kHz) filter controls, as well as a 6/12 dB range-control switch and an overall channel gain. A bypass switch and clipping indicator complete the well-laid-out control panel. I like that XLR, TRS, and RCA I/O have been included, which really helps the patching situation when interfacing pro and semipro gear.
The HQ-15 appears roadworthy. The front panel is made of a thick slab of steel, which means it won't bend or tear loose if your rack takes a fall out of the van. In addition, the faders, which track nicely, are quite sturdy and not likely to break off easily in a road rack.
The LED lights across the top of the faders alert the user to any feedback ringing and “suggest” what band to turn down to stop it. This isn't an automatic feedback notch filter but rather a visual indicator of a feedback loop that's gone into oscillation. Even if you're good at picking out a frequency band that's ringing, it's handy to be able to see what's feeding back, especially if a lot of monitor or speaker channels are in use. Being able to see at a glance which channel is the culprit lets you take immediate action.
SPRING TRYOUTS
I loaded the HQ-15 into my main EQ rack, along with some Klark-Teknik and Symetrix 31-band equalizers (both of which cost many times the price of the HQ-15), and took it on some live gigs. For the first act, I patched the HQ-15 into the FOH feeds and did my gig as usual. Because I often mix for Celtic and acoustic acts, I wasn't hampered by having only 15 bands of EQ. I was able to control the bass buildup in the room nicely and put a little sheen on the top end. A little dip in the 630 Hz range got rid of the nasal squawk of that particular room. The VU meters took a little getting used to — I've used only LED peak displays for a long time. But they gave a good indication of the overall level and complemented the peak-overload display nicely.
During sound check, I was able to ring out the system by using the feedback-detection LEDs, which would be a useful technique for anyone setting up a P.A. system without the benefit of pink noise and a Real Time Analyzer.
The next time out, I patched the HQ-15 into two of the monitor channels in a six-monitor stage being fed from the FOH console. The feedback indicators proved handy in this case, as I was able to quickly correlate any overtone ringing with a particular channel and take evasive action.
Overall, the sound quality of the HQ-15 was quite good, without any added noise or distortion. There was plenty of signal headroom, allowing me to trim back the gain on the amps at the stage and really drive the EQs quite hard. This also helped hide a few pesky ground loops that sometimes sneak in between the console and stage amps.
GAME ON
The A.R.T. HQ-15 is a sturdy, affordable, well-designed, and quite good-sounding dual-channel graphic EQ with headroom to spare. The unit's feedback-detection circuitry proved useful, and I really appreciated the full complement of I/O (XLR, ¼-inch TRS, and RCA).
The only thing I didn't get was why the company used VU meters rather than LED ladder displays. Yes, I know the retro look is in, and yes, VU meters are handy for indicating the apparent sonic volume of a mix (VU stands for volume units, after all). But personally, I prefer a big, bright row of LEDs. Not only do LEDs have a faster response time and thus provide a quicker and more accurate indication of distortion, but they are also much easier to see in low-light situations. (Note: A.R.T. will soon release the HQ-231, a dual-channel 31-band graphic EQ identical to the HQ-31 but with LED rather than VU meters.)
HQ-15 SPECS
Inputs (2) balanced XLR; (2) balanced/unbalanced ¼" TRS; (2) unbalanced RCA
Outputs (2) balanced XLR; (2) balanced/unbalanced ¼" TRS; (2) unbalanced RCA
Input Level -10 to +4 dBu
Bands (2) 15-band constant-Q, ⅔ ISO spacing, 25 Hz-16 kHz; ±6 dB or ±12 dB range (selectable)
Frequency Response 20 Hz-20 kHz (±0.5 dB)
Total Harmonic Distortion + Noise 0.01% (20 Hz-20 kHz, +10 dBu)
Signal-to-Noise Ratio -94 dB
Highpass Filter 10-250 Hz (12 dB/octave)
Lowpass Filter 3-40 kHz (12 dB/octave)
Power Supply internal (switchable between 95-130 and 190-250 VAC)
Dimensions 2U × 8.5" (D)
Weight 9 lb.
