Signal Processing Hire | AV Hire

Audio processing equipment is designed to alter the original audio signal in some way with a view to making it more controllable or pleasing to the ear.

Graphic Equalisers

A graphic equaliser (or EQ) allows the adjustment of audio frequencies by separating them into distinct channels.

Graphic equalisers are a vital addition to any PA system as they allow the following benefits:

Feedback control - Feedback occurs when a microphone picks up its sound which is then continuously looped back through the PA system. A graphic equaliser can reduce the gain of troublesome audio frequencies reducing the chance of feedback.

Sound modelling - EQs also allow the modelling of the sound to make it more pleasing to the ear. The effective use of a graphic equaliser can alter a sound signal to better suit the acoustics of an event venue.

Acoustic control - Graphic equalisers can be used to highlight certain aspects of the sound for example increasing the low end sound or adding clarity to a vocal.

Your chosen AV hire professional will discuss your particular PA hire requirements and recommend the most appropriate PA equipment including suitable graphic equalisers.

Vocal effects

Effects units alter an audio signal by adding effects such as delay, reverb and chorus.

Effects units can add depth and character to an audio input such as a vocal making it sound more natural or less dry.

Your chosen AV hire professional will discuss your particular PA hire requirements and recommend the most appropriate PA equipment including suitable effects units if required.

Gate Units

A gate unit automatically closes a chosen mixing desk channel when the input signal drops below a user defined level.

Without a gate unit the sound engineer will manually mute and unmute the channel when a microphone is not in use. A gate unit will do this immediately and automatically when the input signal (a voice for instance) drops below a certain level. Gate units usually have a number of channels which are then applied to the chosen audio source via the insert jack of the relevant mixing console channel.

Compressors

Compressors are designed to manage the dynamic range of an audio signal by reducing its gain by a defined amount.

This is accomplished by reducing the gain of a signal that is above a defined level (threshold) by a user defined amount (ratio). For example an input that gets 10% louder at the input can be adjusted to a 3% volume increase at output.

Compressors are particularly useful for controlling highly dynamic audio inputs such as vocals or drums which can vary from very quiet to very loud from moment to moment. Without a compressor the engineer would have to adjust the gain manually via the mixing desk but a compressor allows for an immediate and automatic gain adjustment.

Compressors usually have a number of channels which are then applied to chosen audio source via the insert jack of the relevant mixing console channel.