KORG PA4X 76 - Manual (Page 849)

Connecting audio devices to the audio inputs |845
Programming the Adaptive EQ
When Adaptive is on, an automatic EQ algorithm is activated, and changes
the control set for the EQ. Most of the adjustment is done automatically, so
fewer controls are required.
▪ Use the Shape knob to automatically adjust the Adaptive EQ. Shape process-
ing offers an EQ curve that adds an airy brightness, or ‘sizzle’ to your voice
while reducing ‘mud’ due to the proximity effect from singing closely into a
cardioid microphone.
Adjusting the control from 0% to 50% reduces mud while increasing bright-
ness to a useful range for your voice. Turning from 50% up to 100% adds
more brightness.
▪ Use the Shape control to reduce mud.
For singers who have a voice with less bass frequencies, the ‘mud’ reduction
may be less and perhaps not noticeable at all. This is a good thing – your
voice is nicely balanced regarding bass frequencies. For the average male
singer or women who sing closely on their mic, the reduction in bass will be
noticeable and beneficial. When voices have too much bass, they tend to be-
come lost in the other instruments that occupy those frequencies resulting
in sonic clutter. Reducing bass has the natural effect of emphasizing mid and
upper frequencies which allow the voice to cut through dense instrumenta-
tion.
Lastly, the term ‘proximity effect’ and ‘cardioid’ need to be clarified as they
can cause bass build up. The typical microphone used by singers has a pickup
pattern called ‘cardioid’ or heart-like, because it picks up less sound at the
rear than at the front. This intends to reduce other instruments or sounds
from getting into the front of the mic. A side effect of this that singing closely
on a cardioid mic adds more bass frequencies than your voice actually has.
This is called ‘proximity effect’ because it is caused by closeness to the mic.
The adaptive Shape feature listens continually to your voice through your
mic and adjusts to make your voice sound like it is professionally produced
and balanced.
▪ Use the Shape control to add highs.
The other facet of the Shape feature is that it adds high frequencies, also
known as ‘air’ or ‘presence’ without making your voice sound ‘tinny’. The vo-
cal sounds we hear on commercial recordings and the radio are not typically
what you hear when you listen to a singer acoustically. Commercial vocal
sounds are more of a hyper-reality designed to flatter the voice or voices and