High / Low Cut Filter Pedal

[rogerbayliss]

As some will know the early sounds were often shaped in the studio with the application of high and low cut filters to bring out the mid range where the guitar shines and sits in the mix better. Typically cutting the lows around 250Hz or so and the highs around 3-4khz approx. I have searched for a pedal that does this and there are not many out there but came across this Carl Martin Pedal called 'The Contour and Boost' which has this type of eq function. Using it with a graphic EQ or Parametric EQ pedal would allow you to shape your live sound nearer to the record.

www.carlmartin.com/product_contour_boost.htm


Here is a UTube Video featuring Paul McCartney's guitarist Brian Ray explaining the sound it generates.

[Deleted]

i would have thought much easier and cheaper just using a EQ pedal

[rogerbayliss]

Jul 20, 2014 18:09:55 GMT @stevebarnes said:

Hi Roger, he looks like my sister in-law so its a no go straight away but seriously..have you noticed how american guitar players go on and on about absolutely nothing. steve

Ha ha

Jul 20, 2014 18:06:28 GMT @bobbydog said:

i would have thought much easier and cheaper just using a EQ pedal

Not quite the same with a graphic EQ though and this is the way they approach it in the studio. Subtle differences !

[somebodyelseuk]

What you have to bear in mind here is that the HPF/LPF is/was done to the guitar recording, NOT the guitar. You put a pedal between your guitar and amp and it will limit what comes from your guitar, but the amp & speaker will still produce the harmonics. In a gigging situation, the nearest you'll get is EQing the guitar at the PA, from the amp, you'd need to be able to filter the speaker output after it leaves the speaker to get the same result.
Recording wise, if you're recording through gear and a mic, you can EQ at any point after the mic, with a dry/VSTed guitar you want the EQ after the speaker/mic sim.

Cheers, Julian

[rogerbayliss]

Yes I appreciate that Julian but I hear from Brian Ray's demo that it does cut the top and bottom and boosts them as well and the Beatles riffs sounded good to me. So yes not quite the same as the recordings but gets you closer. Same thing applies to other EQ pedals for the guitar such as Graphic and Para as well as say the Cutting Edge type of pedal. I have got one on order on the strength of my beliefs and the demos !

[harley]

I have used stereo EQ (GEQ and PEQ) for this purpose for some time now with great results. i have always recorded "live" as i want what I play live to sound the same as what i record. By using stereo EQ I basically have 2 mono EQ's. My set up runs the guitar into one channel of the EQ and pushes certain parts of the signal till they begin to clip. They then go into the echo, then back into the other channel where the final adjustments are made. Works for me :-)

this is what i use. Ive heard it praised and slated in equal amounts


www.behringer.com/EN/Products/DEQ2496.aspx

[rogerbayliss]

Jul 29, 2014 19:39:53 GMT harley said:

I have used stereo EQ (GEQ and PEQ) for this purpose for some time now with great results. i have always recorded "live" as i want what I play live to sound the same as what i record. By using stereo EQ I basically have 2 mono EQ's. My set up runs the guitar into one channel of the EQ and pushes certain parts of the signal till they begin to clip. They then go into the echo, then back into the other channel where the final adjustments are made. Works for me :-)

this is what i use. Ive heard it praised and slated in equal amounts


www.behringer.com/EN/Products/DEQ2496.aspx

Yes that is a good rack for EQ work and I have seen at least one other using it for the Shadows sound shaping. This Low/high cut pedal I have proposed here with a GEQ or PEQ pedal should give similar sound shaping results. The behringher product has been slated over its reliability by some I recall when I looked into it as an option which put me off.

A number of the lads at our club use GEQs to shape their sound and again a good result. I know it can sound great just with a guitar amp and echo but using EQ just finishes the sound off better for me and that is why I have looked into using something like this low / high cut filter pedal.

[rogerbayliss]

Well it has been a long wait since June but it arrived today and I gave it a test run.... Perfect, it shapes The Sound and works exactly as I thought it would. It also acts as a boost if you want which work well lifting the volume. Obviously each Shads tune has its own EQ and method but for live performance this pedal will give you a great sound pushing the all important Mids out. A bit pricey but a little bit better that just a graphic eq or bass cut pedal would be as I have tried those methods. I have also added in a little parametric EQ and it works well if you boost high and low mids depending on the tune.

The unit has a 3 pin mains plug on the end, so a different design to most, but there is no noise at all. A great pedal and I recommend it for getting a great shadows sound live ! The pedal could also be used to shape a recording sound I would think as it acts a Low / High pass pair with a crossover point at 440 Hz.

[harley]

Hi Roger

Itd be great to hear some A/B sounds with the pedal on/off.

cheers
Ian

[rogerbayliss]

Ian if I can find the time for it I will try too at some point just to show how in works.

[streetboy]

Jul 29, 2014 19:39:53 GMT harley said:

I have used stereo EQ (GEQ and PEQ) for this purpose for some time now with great results. i have always recorded "live" as i want what I play live to sound the same as what i record. By using stereo EQ I basically have 2 mono EQ's. My set up runs the guitar into one channel of the EQ and pushes certain parts of the signal till they begin to clip. They then go into the echo, then back into the other channel where the final adjustments are made. Works for me :-)

this is what i use. Ive heard it praised and slated in equal amounts


www.behringer.com/EN/Products/DEQ2496.aspx

Hi Harley,

I also use the Behringer DEQ2496, but never managed to get the right sound (settings). Wonder if you are willing to share your two channel settings with me so I can give your setup a try?

rgds
Soren