Graphic EQ Pedals - How do *you* use them?

[superheavyfunk]

I have a Whirlwind Bass Ten EQ pedal that I absolutely love. Its key to my "fly rig" board, ensuring that I can always have a tone that I can live with, even when playing in places I've never been, thru amps and cabs I've never tried. It can drive a poweramp on its own too, which is pretty darn amazing.

I also often use it as a 'stompbox' for certain songs, depending on the situation... For instance, there's a song one of my bands does that has a filtered bass sound at certain parts. So using the whirlwind, i chop off almost all the low end and push the mids a bit for those particular parts.

Lately though, I've been wondering if I'm using it enough to warrant keeping it. These days, I'm using in-ears, so I really don't care what amp I'm playing thru - I leave the heavy lifting to the FOH and my amp is just a stage monitor for the rest of the band. And now that I've got an H9, I just cycle thru my presets to get the filtered sound, or some specific EQ effect for a song.

So I'm wondering if any of you have interesting ways you've used (or use) a graphic EQ pedal in performances. There's gotta be some clever tricks hidden in this thing that I haven't yet tried.

 

[bassbrad]

I use a graphic Eq when it is the right tool, to give precise control over a specific frequency. I will grab the Boss Eq to add punch, 6db @500Hz, or to jail the restless tone I prefer. Or if switching basses to balance signal.

Unless something is duplicated or replaced by a 'better screwdriver' I tend to keep tools.

 

[nice_hat]

I use an ampeg svt 4 pro with footswitch graphic EQ. So, not truly an effects " pedal", the switch is on the floor with my board. I use it to boost-the-hell out of my high mids for when I want to cut through the mix of my metal band.

I'm grateful to have it, use it for parts of nearly every song.

 

[simotek]

I use the Graphic EQ section of the Boss MS-3 alot, I have atleast 7 different EQ presets across my 2 basses and use it as my primary EQ. My bass has a resonate frequency at 1kHz so one use is to remove that in my clean sound, I also have a slap preset but the main use is by doing different things with the graphic EQ in front of my Two Notes Le Bass I can get very different sounding overdrives out of it. I can also boost or cut the overall volume of the graphic EQ to add / remove drive then compensate for the volume differences with the MS-3's patch level

 

[JimmyM]

I use an MXR 6-Band for my upright to keep its tone and volume more in line with my electric so it doesn't frighten sound techs.

 

[superheavyfunk]

I use the Graphic EQ section of the Boss MS-3 alot, I have atleast 7 different EQ presets across my 2 basses and use it as my primary EQ.

This is interesting. Everything I've read about the EQ in the MS-3 says that it's a Global setting and can't be tailored for each patch.

I have been considering getting a programmable EQ... it'd save me some of those "Don't mind me - I'm just gonna walk to the back of the stage and take a sip of this here water *quickly pushes faders into next position*" moments.

 

[simotek]

This is interesting. Everything I've read about the EQ in the MS-3 says that it's a Global setting and can't be tailored for each patch.

I have been considering getting a programmable EQ... it'd save me some of those "Don't mind me - I'm just gonna walk to the back of the stage and take a sip of this here water *quickly pushes faders into next position*" moments.

As well as the global EQ there is a Graphic EQ and Parametric EQ block in the FX sections so if you really wanted you could just use it as a 200 channel programmable EQ pedal.

For me the EQ was the main thing that sold the MS-3 to me everything else I use it for I could mostly do without presets on my older Boss ME-50B.

 

[Johnny Crab]

Use it as a global EQ to fix rooms, make basses sound better, level control, etc. It's in my chain like this when BOSE is used(no FOH) or backline is provided or used:
Bass>wireless>Line 6 Helix> BOSE or any other amp system. Here's how it made things sound best at an outdoor gig on a short wooden stage with only 2 BOSE "bass" bins to abuse with an L1 system.