Feedback suppressor
Hello all,Just a quick question, can someone please recommend a feedback suppressor they have used? Good and bad points.
This will be used in a multi purpose venue where multiple techs will have their hands on the mixer. I guess budget is 300-500 but happy to take advice on all units.
Many thanks
Ray Simple answer, the cheaper units probably won't do what you want them to in that situation. They analyse the signal and try to detect the feedback signals, but they can also lock onto entirely legitimate sounds and reduce those as well. They quite often only make a tiny difference and cause more problems than they cure.
A good tech will not need to use a feedback destroyer, as they will know how to ring out the problem frequencies using the EQ on the mixer. With correct gain setting - so that unity on the fader will not feed back and full travel to6 might cause feedback in some circumstances, you can be assured that untrained operators are less likely to get into trouble.
You would be better suited to have the system tuned to the room and lock a relatively flat response into the system controller or a parametric EQ (Ideally not a graphic equaliser, as they cause their own problems.)
If there are any compressors or limiters, make sure these aren't operating too early and causing gain reduction issues. This often affect monitor systems when run from Front of House, as the engineer will apply a compressor to get a nice, tight levelled vocal into the mix, but as it is hitting the gain quite early, the level into the monitor is compromised.
If you have lots of lapel mics, an automixer - or app on a digital desk will provide a better solution. These work by only putting live mics detected as in use, thus reducing the number of open channels. They also work well with top table mics and even for lecterns etc.
In short, lots of solutions, but frequency searching feedback destroyers are generally not the best choice and they will also annoy good techs who can usually do a better job than they can any way! Thanks for the detailed response. Will need to digest it all once I get a free moment and your last statement hits the nail on the head really. The space is used by professionals sound guys, AV techs with some audio knowledge (I sit in this bracket) and also novices to deliver daily shows with the use of a couple of mics.
Main reason is to combat the second two who may fiddle with settings rather than stick to just using the volume controls and keep the preset.
Also, this is an analogue desk so those knobs can be too irresistible for some! Investing in a small digital desk might work for you.
https://www.thomann.de/gb/allen_heath_qu_16_chrome.htm These are very good and you can apply user locks, so that non-trained operators can only control certain functions - channel level and mute, but not EQ or gain as an example.
Other brands are available, but these are extremely popular and well supported. Many years ago I used to use a behringer ultra-curve pro which used to do a reasonable job of clamping down on feedback quickly. However it was best used before the show (ie force the situations that cause it) as otherwise it could possibly latch onto intended sounds that it thought were feedback. Yes, the ultracurve used frequency detection. It also had massive amounts of distortion if you adjusted adjacent bands on the graphic and had very poor signal to noise ratio.
Very popular, but not a great bit of kit really. It was however very cheap!
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