Seamless Tone
I’ll reiterate the importance of using opposing and subtle EQ settings for the “Low” and “High” channels. EQ boosts and cuts always introduce a degree of phase shift, so I recommend subtle, wide adjustments. And as mentioned, if you get it just right, the tone should be seamless with the EQs IN or OUT if the two VCA faders are at the same level. I checked this on a daily basis.
For the most part, the channel EQ on the guitar inputs never had to change if the PA was tuned the same each day. The only adjustments needed to vary overall tone were done with the VCAs. I’ve used this same technique ever since that mid-1990s tour with other inputs as well. It works great with two kick drum channels derived from a single “double-patched” or “Y-d” input, and it’s fantastic on bass guitar as well.
I recently deployed it on lead vocal, but primarily to control the vastly different tone of the vocalist when singing (a long way away from the mic) versus speaking to the audience between songs when he would be right on the capsule. The singing tonality could get a little thin, so I would add a good amount of low-mid while cutting some high-mid on his main vocal channel. This was exactly opposite to what I needed during the breaks between songs, so I’d reverse that EQ on the second vocal channel.
Back To The Future
There are many great tools at our disposal these days, including hardware processing gear and software plug-in versions of the same legendary equipment. Tonality and level control of troublesome inputs can certainly be managed with these amazing tools, but sometimes a little creative routing and onboard imagination can be just as effective.
Way back in the 90s when our choices were limited to the amount of outboard gear we could throw on the truck, choice number two was our only option. Decades later I’m still using the same tricks I learned when I had hair on my head, and they still work great.
With Eddie’s guitar tone all sorted out in the PA, it was time to move on to that darned kick drum… Alex, give me a call. I’ve got some ideas.