Section 74. Adjust the Global Equalizer


74. Adjust the Global Equalizer

SEE ALSO

6 Configure Your iPod for Your Headphones or Speakers

60 AirTunes: Connect iTunes to a Stereo with AirPort Express

75 Adjust Equalizer Settings for Individual Songs


iTunes includes a "graphic equalizer" controller that lets you adjust the volume levels of different regions of frequency response to compensate for the specific strengths and deficiencies of your speaker system. If you have a set of large, powered speakers with a subwoofer connected to your computer, for instance, you'll want to boost medium-frequency ranges and let the amplifier handle the deep bass. If you have only a small set of speakers, you might want to boost the bass response relative to the medium and high ranges to compensate for the speakers' lack of low-range power. If you're using AirTunes to broadcast your music wirelessly to an external amp and A/V system, you'll want to disable iTunes' frequency modifications entirely and let the amp do the work.

74. Adjust the Global Equalizer


Different styles of music require different adjustments to the output frequency ranges as well; for instance, you'll want to amplify certain medium ranges to strengthen vocal tracks, or suppress the middle in favor of the extreme high and low ranges for Rock or Latin music. However, genre -specific equalizer presets are best addressed in 75 Adjust Equalizer Settings for Individual Songs ; this task instead describes how to configure iTunes in general for your speaker setup.

1.
Open the Equalizer Palette

Click the Equalizer button in the lower-right corner of the iTunes' window (the graphic with three vertical sliders). This action brings up the Equalizer palette, a floating window with many sliders, each representing a narrow frequency range and shown in order from the lowest -pitch (at left) to highest-pitch (at right). You can manually move these sliders to control sound output in various ranges, or you can choose a preset (a predefined set of frequency-range volume adjustments) from the drop-down menu.

TIP

The On check box in the Equalizer palette controls whether the equalizer settings are consulted at all as music is sent to the speakers. Disable this check box to send unmodulated, flat signals to the output channel. Use the Preamp slider to adjust the overall signal level across all frequency ranges if necessary.

2.
Select a Predefined Equalizer Preset

Choose an appropriate preset matching your speaker setup from the drop-down menu. Presets designed to address specific kinds of output configurations are Bass Booster, Bass Reducer, Deep, Flat, Loudness, Small Speakers, Treble Booster, Treble Reducer , and Vocal Booster . All other presets are designed for specific styles of music and shouldn't be set in the global equalizer unless you plan to listen to only a particular kind of music for a while and then restore the Equalizer back to its original settings.

NOTE

Equalizer adjustments are applied in real-time to the music that's playing, so you can select different presets while music is playing and immediately hear the effects.

3.
Define a Custom Equalizer Preset

Drag any of the sliders up and down to make custom adjustments to the equalizer profile; the drop-down menu's selection changes to Manual as soon as you make any manual changes. Experiment to find out what parts of the music are affected by which sliders. For instance, vocals are at their strongest between 500Hz and 4KHz, and percussion is muddled unless the very highest frequency ranges (816KHz) are appropriately boosted.

When you have the sliders placed where you want them and the music sounds right, choose Make Preset from the drop-down menu. Enter a name for the new preset in the window that pops up. Click OK . From now on, you can find your custom preset by name in the list so that you can easily switch to it.

4.
Customize the List of Presets

Choose Edit List from the drop-down menu. A window appears that lets you rename or do away entirely with presets you don't want anymore. Select a preset from the list and click Rename or Delete to alter the list's contents accordingly . Click Done when you're finished. Your changes are now reflected in the drop-down menu in the Equalizer palette, as well as in the Equalizer field for individual songs, as you'll see in 75 Adjust Equalizer Settings for Individual Songs .

NOTE

If any songs are set individually to use presets that you rename or delete here, iTunes pops up a dialog box to confirm that the songs' presets will be reassigned or cleared accordingly. See 75 Adjust Equalizer Settings for Individual Songs for more information.

5.
Adjust the Sound Enhancer

One final effect you can use to polish up your music's sound is the Sound Enhancer , an algorithm applied to all iTunes' output whose impact on your music can be increased or lessened. Open the iTunes Preferences window (choose iTunes, Preferences on the Mac, or Edit, Preferences in Windows); click the Audio tab. Enable the Sound Enhancer check box and tweak the slider to adjust the effect's intensity, which works by clarifying and sharpening the waveforms in the digital audio file to make the music sound more three-dimensional and immersive. This effect is applied in real-time; play music while you adjust the setting so that you can tell how it affects your music and where your taste indicates you should put the slider.



iPod + iTunes for Windows and Mac in a Snap
iPod + iTunes for Windows and Mac in a Snap (2nd Edition)
ISBN: 0672328992
EAN: 2147483647
Year: 2005
Pages: 152
Authors: Brian Tiemann

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