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About The daily Nebraskan. ([Lincoln, Neb.) 1901-current | View Entire Issue (Feb. 27, 1976)
I f rWay, february 27, 1976 t daily r.ebraskan paga 7 V s out of f Stereo equalizer can distorted sound frequency a Rv Rvan Scott In my last stereo column, it was noted that many re gard the speaker as the most critical component in as sembling modem stereo systems. Your stereo is only as good as the speaker's sound. Many people discover that, much to their surprise, the speaker that sounds outstanding in the store sounds altogether different in the home. Others are upset to find the speaker that sounds great on rock sounds terrible on classical. Rarely may these problems be attributed to a defective speaker. Tne problem is one of equalization. Sound reaches our ears in the form of sound waves. Sound is comprised of different tones and pitches called frequencies. Frequency is measured, by counting the num ber of sound wave oscillations in a second. Low pitch frequencies oscillate fewer times in one second than high pitch frequencies. Each frequency has a number refering to the number of sound wave oscillations in a second. Following the fre quency number is the abbreviation cps, which stands for "cycle per second," the unit measure of sound. (Cps has been replaced with "Hz" irw tribute to German phy sicist Heinrich Hertz, for his contribution to the study of sound). The human-ear has an effective frequency hearing range of 20 to 20,000 Hi. Speaker manufacturers try to produce speakers that can effectively reproduce this same audible frequency range as flat as possible. (A flat fre quency response is one in which every frequency is dis cerned at the same audible leve, called sound pressure level). Bass and treble Equalization allow for contouring of a speaker's fre quency response. Ii also allows for correction of defi ciencies inherent in the listening environment, and for per sonal taste preferences in sound reproduction. All of us are familiar with some mode of equalization. The bass and treble controls on most stereos are effective equalizers, though they have a very small operating range. Active equalizers then are merely tone controls with a more definite and precise operating range. The 20 to 20,000 Hz frequency spectrum may be bro ken down into ten ranges of sound called octaves. Whereas typical bass and treble controls are assigned to cover the highest and lowest octaves, the equalizer assigns one band to each octave or half octave. Each band is assigned a frequency number and given an effective range inside that ! QBflDD BB-OPBDEDO I fti di Uth It. pi lill number of plus or minus 10 decibels. The result is a box full of knobs or sliders that gives you the thrill of play ing sound engineer. If your ear is sensitive to irregularities in frequency re sponse, like the "bumpy" midrange response mentioned in the last column, a decrease of 2 to 4 decibels in the midrange area of 1,000 to 5,000 Hz win smooth this problem right out the speaker. Almost any desired sound can be achieved with equal izers, as long as you remember to stay within the design limitations of your speaker (boosts in frequency response, especially in the bass, require a boost in amplifier power as well. It is easy cook" (destroy) your speaker through carelessness.) -Listening environment The most serious and beneficial area of frequency con touring comes in regard to inherent difficulties in the listening environment. Few people realize that the lis tening environment can drastically alter a speaker's per ceived performance. Briefly, the type of furnishings in the room have the most effect on a speakers response. Thick carpets, heavy drapes and heavily upholstered chain and couches tend to soak up high frequency response and accent bass re sponse. Bare walls, uncarpeted floors and highly reflective sources like windows, picture frame glass and mirrors tend to reverberate and distort sound around the room. Proper application of an equalizer can reduce these problems to the point of near nonexistence. The room's layout also alters sound. Sound waves do not turn comers, rather they bounce off the obstruction they run into and radiate back into the listening environ ment. . Equalizers can adjust for this problem, which should delight owners of L-shaped livingdining rooms. Tape enthusiasts also will enjoy using an equalizer. The sound of old, scratchy records can be improved greatly when processed through an equalizer before recording. Many companies are manufacturing equalizers today. BSRMetrotec offers the least expensive, assembled equal izer in their model FEW-2, a five band equalizer offering two octaves of equalization a band. Soundcraftsmen offers the most popular and reasonably priced ten band (one an octave) equalizes currently on the market. SAE markets a 20 band a channel equalizer, and ALTEC's model 729A offers 24 bands a channel at the "reasonable" price of $875.00 (both the SAE and ALTEC operate in naif octaves). A few companies offer equalizer kits for the do-it-yourselfers. ' 'Equalization is an interesting and complex subject which, once again, deserves more discussion than space allows. Audio buffs, whether novices or confirmed freaks, should look into the addition of an equalizer as a neces sary component in the assembly of stereo systems. oris of Sheldon presents two Renoir films By Diane Wanek The Sheldon Film Theatre presents two classic films by Jean Renoir this weekend. A Day in the Country, a "dialogue between Renoir and Nature," and The Lower Depths, Renoir's version of Maxim Gorky's play, are the fourth and fifth films the theatre is showing in their Renoir series. A Day in the Country is Renoir's story of an innocent young girl who comes of age in the late 1800s. For Renoir, the making of A Day in the Country must have been a labor of love, it is so full of the details of the famous canvasses of his artist father, August e. Even the positions and attitudes of the actors, not to mention the costumes and sets, seem as if an Auguste Renoir canvas has come to life. The Lower Depths, in contrast, is a flophouse at the bottom rung of the ladder, the end of the line." Call it what you will, this trap has ensnared thieves, prostitutes, a baron down on his money and his luck-some trying des perately to crawl out, others to adjust, and others just trying to maintain their illusions. Pauline Kacl, in the book Kiss Kiss Bang Bang, said, "The bottom drawer of society is represented in a filthy rooming house for transients-a skid row that has the horror and fascination of looking over a cliff. One might, like the gambler baron or the actor, fall down there-or one might, like the thief, be down there trying to climb up... ,4Thesa people at the lower depths are not very dlffer ent from people anywhere, except for the loss of human dignity: in a flophouse, gregarlousness is the unspeakably ugly fact of life." Screenings of tha films will be at 3, 7 and 9:15 today and Saturday. 4ft 53 -v. s Tie Jr.'s Perl Parlor im o st. s Sins "cli" vzi tea "di" Irtisis : S i tis inn n Ilk J iflf . a HUM . 0 Open 7-10, Mon.-Sai., 1-lOpm Sun. THE KAPPA CHAPTER OF SIGMA ALPHA IOTA PRESENTS "AMERICANS IN MUSIC" a benefit concert SUNDAY FEB. 29fh 8:00 SHELDON ART GALLERY AUD. proceeds so to Sigma Alpha lota philanthropies KUTI&5S DAILY XiJ at 2:15 4:4$ 7:15 M g 2nd kzzd C:iy fercr.: Xkd A film you won't see on television for a long, long time. ' HPTTTT A collection , XX1 , Jii ' of prize-winning TiTnPfYfi and specially PI !iC X VX1 selected films nTFTTP presented at the XXXXLi annual New York Film Festival. The Official Judges included: Andy Warhol Sylvia Miles Terry Southern Milos Forman Xavcrla Hollander Holly Woodlawn Core Vldal. Executive Director of the Festival: v -.,..! Jb JJLilNX 1 tolor from Sllv. Film.. FBSTIVMj Kaird X. UiKter 17 not tsJniltted. Frfer. hk 27 zzi tzliTizttf& 13 7:00 a 9:30 p,m, Nebr. Unksn Ballroom $1 1 1 ci I ft tah. 1 1 mmMwmm-m , : q, n ! H R'&"'" SCi iOOiQi kl r Wi , t. . j: Z Kit J isji i 1 Hi Ylr l B -A i 1 1 i ft m JC IP mm Wk: 'an i. ,J-r a m e 1 of " I I STfl -Al 1 t II if-..- v n m r-,. 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