Reply To: Vocal mic feedback destroyer channel settings?

[timhum]

The settings depend on the room shape, size, position of the FOH speakers and the level of the vocal mic may depend on the amount of sound absorbing audience attending.
In rehearsal, once your basic mix is established or before if you get to set up before the band arrive, hit the RTA tab on the Home screen and the fade up the vocal mic until you get the your first howl, notice the frequency on the RTA and notch the graphic EQ down a few dB at that frequency, repeat these steps until you achieve audio happiness.
The skill comes in, and here I will have to defer to other more experienced practitioners, where you inevitably find yourself looking at a graphic EQ setting resembling a profile view of the Alps with serious notches in the vocal range. This may have the effect of making your vocalist sound like a duck and that is before they ask you for a “bit more middle”, “more presence” or reverb. All of which will compromise your anti-feedback settings. There is a rather nice and cheap iPad App called FFT Plot which is useful to use when doing this.
You could but a “Feedback Destroyer” but then you are in the hands of an unthinking algorithm which will save your speakers but may have unwanted audible artefacts.
I am interested in following this myself because I have a regular booking in a truly ghastly room with a Big Band too loud for the room and a vocalist who can not hear herself. I have tried squeaking the room with some success but am waiting for the day someone spots what I have done to achieve the nearly OK sound!