Controlling Feedback

When it comes to live sound there are two new ingredients that belong in your audio spice rack. They will help prevent the gig from screeching out of control, and keep you from getting burned. One such tool is an Q215F  from the Peavey FLS series. Peavey has taken the guess work out of live audio engineering. No more fumbling around trying to locate that squealing channel.

The F.L.S. ( Feedback Locating System ) does all this for you from a single 15-band to a dual 32-band format. Red lights above each frequency will illuminate as the signal passes through the band width. When a frequency feedsback, the red light will glow bright and slowly fade giving you time to identify the frequency and pull it out. This type of E.Q. is also helpful in ringing out a room prior to a gig. Not everyone has the ability to recognize each frequency in a split (pea) second, but thanks to Peavey, now we can.

Another helpful product for your audio spice rack is the Feedback Destroyer by Behringer. The DSP 1100 acts like a feedback watchdog. It constantly sweeps the band width patrolling potentially hazardous frequencies and squashes them before they ring out. This is most helpful when it comes to mixing monitors. Many different variables cause feedback on stage, especially with so many mics next to loud speakers, the feedback destroyer helps keep things in line.

Each of these units sell for about $200.00 but this is a small price to pay for a practically screech free gig. These tolls are a live sound mans newest best friends. So next time you stir up some audio, make sure to have one of these ingredients on hand to ensure a tasty bill of fare.