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135:, tend to augment the midrange frequencies. Various compensations have been developed to counteract excess midrange response in the instrument, including the use of amplifiers with a built-in smiley face curve and amplifiers that offer a handful of graphic equalizer filters so that the user can make the necessary adjustments when appropriate.
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Some concert sound mixers employ the smiley face curve as a tool to help them gain initial control of a sound system. Even with recorded sound, the smiley face curve has its backers. Will
Shapland of Floating Earth location recorders said in 2004 that his basic mixing technique for the recordings of
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Many cars which have a graphic equalizer have been observed to have it set as a smiley face curve which emphasizes low and high frequencies. Graphic equalizer use leading to speaker damage is common — large amounts of bass boost and treble boost can distort music and damage loudspeaker drivers.
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Kip
Bradford of Expert Village emphasizes that the live sound engineer must not employ smiley face curves when setting up a sound reinforcement system. Bradford advises that the graphic equalizer should instead be used to "tune the system to the room", taking account of the combined frequency
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professor and bass player Dan
Berkowitz has observed that the smiley face curve as applied to bass played within a blues or R&B band can make it hard for bandmates to play off the bass line. Berkowitz recommends an upside down smile curve: a "frown" curve with its peak centered at
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intended for bass players that includes a preset labeled "color" which engages a smiley face curve. Neither of these products prevent the user from adjusting the equalizer based on the sound that is actually heard rather than relying on a predetermined visual image.
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circuitry in that it increases the relative power of high and low frequencies without increasing the midrange power. In order for a sound system to be heard properly by humans, it should have an equal-loudness contour applied to it when it is performing at low
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Ideally, the equalizer can be set once to compensate for the combination of the response of the speakers and the car's acoustic characteristics. A smiley face curve can indicate that a car's sound system is lacking both high and low frequency response.
478:"...Ivan Bodley, bassist for soul legend Sam Moore... said that if you invert the normal smiley-face EQ curve to a frown-face curve with 500Hz as the high point, you generally will have a tone that cuts through most live band performances."
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that produces a classic smiley face curve in its default voicing. However, it includes tone controls that can be adjusted so that the amplifier is within 0.5 dB of a neutral, uncolored frequency response.
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which includes instructions for a "Metal
Distortion" setting that reduces 1,000 Hz, a midrange frequency, down to its maximum reduction point, with nearby frequencies reduced in the form of a mid scoop.
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operators. Though the graphic equalizer was intended to tailor a system's response to compensate for venue and performance conditions, the smiley face curve is sometimes applied as a purely stylistic effect.
57:, which shows a graphic representation of a "smile" using its frequency band faders to form a curve that sweeps upwards at each end of the frequency spectrum. Smiley face curves have been popular with some
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Some bass players decry the attenuation of midrange frequencies, holding that the midrange area centered on 500 Hz will make the bass instrumental line stand out more satisfyingly in the mix.
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that did not extend as low or as high as desired, especially in the 1970s and 1980s. It has also been seen as either a useful or a detrimental tool for shaping the sound of a bass guitar.
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was to use "a bit of a 'smiley-face' EQ curve on the output" until he got a handle on a new band's mix, at which point he said "your balance comes together and you don't really need it."
226:" at low sound levels but which is used to lesser and lesser degrees as the car sound system's volume is increased. This describes an equal-loudness contour circuit.
370:"Pretty much everyone tried to boost the lows to get some decent bass and boost the treble to try to coax something resembling highs out of the 2" paper tweeter!"
308:"My biased perception ...is much the same as seeing a soundman's eq set to "smiley face" setup... it's an indicator of inexperience or maybe last resort..."
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curve characterized by boosted low and high frequencies coupled with reduced midrange frequency power. This curve is often attained by users employing a
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has offered for sale a product for car audio systems that works to counteract any smiley face curve that was applied to a car's factory
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463:"Keep it pure, keep it clean, EQ it right (mids are your friend, avoid "smiley face" EQ curves) and let your fingers do the talking."
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offers several smiley face curve presets in their digital graphic equalizer product line called DriveRack. Jim Dunlop offers a
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493:"It sounds big and powerful, but lacks the note definition that helps your bandmates play off of what you’ve done on bass."
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Some audio equipment manufacturers have accommodated the user by engineering a smiley face curve into a product.
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The origin of the smiley face curve has been attributed to the search for more bass and treble response from
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354:"The 'smiley face' EQ curve is actually desirable if you are listening at lower than usual volume levels."
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The smiley face curve is roughly analogous to the frequency response of human hearing as charted in the
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response of the room and the sound system to ensure that all audible frequencies have equal presence.
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Ampage.com. Tube Amps / Music
Electronics. Archive of vintage threads from the first ten years.
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222:, a digital media player, includes a "Loudness Control" feature that is described as adding a
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161:. Several products exist for this purpose such as a 10-band MXR-branded equalizer offered by
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sound system, along with an analysis feature that adjusts for road and vehicle noise.
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571:"Essentially all the color switch does is engage a preset "smiley face" EQ curve."
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Expert
Village Presents. Music series. Kip Bradford. How to Set Up PA Systems:
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Why Music Really Is
Getting Louder: Not always true – the Fletcher-Munson curve
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292:"I see (non-recording) people do it on their cars and stereos all the time..."
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338:"Some folks even tell you to set the smiley face before you even turn it on."
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Guitarists and bassists can choose to equalize their instrument with an
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levels, then the curve should gradually flatten out as it gets louder.
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ActiveBass: The Online Bass
Community. November 7, 2002. Kelly Marsh.
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Alpine adds brains to in-car equalization with IMPRINT architecture
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Square One: The
Sculptor's Tool: How to use EQ to shape your music
248:, a business concept that charts value relative to market position
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An idealized and extreme smiley face curve shown using a 29-band
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Car Audio Signal
Processors – Crossover, Equalizers and More
279:
Harmony Central Musician Community Forums. Recording Forum.
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A stereo 15-band equalizer showing modest smiley face curves
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Electronic Musician. December 1, 2007. Brian Smithers.
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Audioholics: Online A/V Magazine. Home Theater Forums.
131:
Certain styles of electric bass playing, especially
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The Isle Of Wight Festival Sound: Behind The Scenes
267:
Video and Audio Abbreviations and specialised terms
368:. Post by Rob Babcock, Moderator, on June 6, 2004.
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473:Premier Guitar. September 2008. Mike Visceglia.
581:engadget.com. Darren Murph. January 14, 2008.
490:Bass EQ Basics: A frown for the smiley face.
521:. December 2004. Daniel James. Live Sound.
488:Premier Guitar. March 2008. Dan Berkowitz.
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569:. Post by edgebass5 on September 19, 2005.
283:Posted by Elements6259 on March 18, 2004.
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595:Persiconi Construction. WRX. Downloads.
306:. Post by fstfwd74 on September 8, 2007.
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461:Post by adouglas on September 26, 2008.
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457:Ernie Ball. Forums. Music Man Basses.
537:11. How to Set Up a Graphic Equalizer
336:. Posted by Enzo on October 15, 2004.
281:"Smiley face" EQ curve... feelings?
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459:Need Some Effects For My New Bongo
415:Car Audio Book. Car Audio Basics.
380:Car Audio Book. Car Audio Basics.
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443:Francis Deck. December 22, 2005.
352:. Post by Andy R on June 9, 2007.
224:"smiley face" curve automatically
69:players, home stereo owners and
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554:. pp. 38. Presets 9, 13 and 17.
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505:MXR M-108 Ten Band Graphic EQ
429:Basic Car Audio Electronics.
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302:Media College. Audio Forum.
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402:September 30, 2008, at the
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93:, and has been compared to
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236:Audio system measurements
170:Live sound reinforcement
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16:Frequency response curve
565:Sputnik Music. Forums.
552:Studio DriveRack Manual
304:Getting Rid of Feedback
47:audio signal processing
21:Smiley (disambiguation)
445:GK Backline 600 Review
185:Isle of Wight Festival
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91:equal-loudness contour
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78:Equal-loudness contour
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288:May 21, 2011, at the
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95:loudness compensation
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195:Manufacturer presets
163:Dunlop Manufacturing
143:instrument amplifier
19:For other uses, see
622:Tone, EQ and filter
71:sound reinforcement
603:2008-10-01 at the
507:(PDF image manual)
431:Graphic Equalizers
212:Alpine Electronics
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151:University of Iowa
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51:frequency response
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567:MXR M-80 Bass DI+
320:How to EQ Your PA
265:Diverse Devices.
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39:smiley face curve
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550:dbx, Inc.
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220:Empeg Car
201:dbx, Inc.
141:makes an
118:Car audio
59:car audio
43:mid scoop
616:Category
601:Archived
400:Archived
286:Archived
230:See also
133:slapping
106:Usage
183:the
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45:in
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