Parametric Equalization

Hand-Crafted

Electric

Guitars and

Basses

for the

21^st Century.

Parametric Equalization

Parametric Equalization can be used to either refine or reshape an instruments tone. On the instrument, the Parametric EQ controls can be expressed in several different configurations: 1 to 4 bands accessible on the front of the instrument or all bands accessed via recesses in the back cover plate using trim pots.

The Parametric Equalizer is similar to Graphic Equalization in operation but with two major exceptions. The Parametric refers to two additional band parameters that can be altered or varied: Frequency and Quality Factor (Q) or Bandwidth. A Parametric Equalizer may offer only one or both of these parameters.

The Frequency Parametric refers to the target center frequency that can be boosted or attenuated. With a Graphic Equalizer, each band is fixed on a specific frequency. With the Parametric Equalizer, each band has the ability to act upon a whole range of frequencies. For example, a 4-Band Parametric Equalizer might have each of the 4 bands able to act upon a different set of overlapping frequency ranges: 30 Hz - 600 Hz, 80 Hz - 1.6 kHz, .4 kHz - 8 kHz, 1 kHz - 20 kHz. The potential to sweep the frequency acted upon by each band, provides greater opportunities for altering tonal characteristics, when compared to the standard Graphic Equalizer.

The Quality Factor (Q) or Bandwidth Parametric refers to the width of the band pass filter around the center frequency. The wider the band pass filter the more frequencies (on either side of the center frequency) that are effected by the Equalizer band. A band pass filter can be as broad as several octaves or as narrow as a single note. As with the Frequency Parametric, the ability to alter Bandwidth provides yet another opportunity to effect tonal characteristics.

The Paian Instruments Parametric Equalization Module, provides up to 4 separate bands for boosting or attenuating a frequency range within a fixed bandwidth. The current Bandwidth for the Low and High filters is set to .667 while the Mid filters are 1.44 (The smaller the Bandwidth value the broader the curve around the center frequency).

The actual location can vary depending on the body style and user customization.

All electronics are completely analog. I have drawn a line by choosing not to indulge in the use of digital devices (such as DSPs, digital signal processors). Two 9 volt batteries are all that is required to power the electronics module and pickups.