Graphic equalizers use fixed filter banks while parametric ones use variable controls

Evidence

An equalizer in which all the filter’s param­ eters can be varied is called a parametric equalizer. However, in practice many imple­ mentations, especially those in mixing desks, only use a subset of the possible controls for both economy and simplicity of use. Typically in these cases, only the cut-off frequencies of the band-pass, and in some cases the lowand high-pass, filters are variable. There is an alternative version of the equalizer structure that uses a bank of closely spaced fixed frequency band-pass filters to cover the audio frequency range. This approach results in a device known as the “graphic equalizer” with typical bandwidths of the individual filters ranging from one-third of an octave to 1 octave. — David Howard, Jamie Angus, coustics and Psychoacoustics, 2404

An equalizer in which all the filter’s parameters can be varied is called a parametric equalizer. However, in practice, many implementations, especially those in mixing desks, only use a subset of the possible controls for both economy and simplicity of use. Typically in these cases, only the cutoff frequencies of the band-pass, and in some cases the lowand high-pass, filters are variable. There is an alternative version of the equalizer structure that uses a bank of closely spaced fixed-frequency band-pass filters to cover the audio frequency range. This approach results in a device known as the “graphic equalizer,” with typical bandwidths of the individual filters ranging from one third of an octave to 1 octave. For parametric equalizers, the bandwidths can become quite small. — David M. Howard, Jamie Angus, Acoustics and Psychoacoustics, 2421

An equalizer in which all the filter’s parameters can be varied is called a parametric equalizer. However, in practice, many implementations, especially those in mixing desks, only use a subset of the possible controls for both economy and simplicity of use. Typically in these cases, only the cutoff frequencies of the band-pass, and in some cases the lowand high-pass, filters are variable. There is an alternative version of the equalizer structure that uses a bank of closely spaced fixed-frequency band-pass filters to cover the audio frequency range. This approach results in a device known as the “graphic equalizer,” with typical bandwidths of the individual filters ranging from one third of an octave to 1 octave. — David M. Howard, Jamie Angus, Acoustics and Psychoacoustics, 2421

Categorization

• DEFINE: Cleanly distinguishes parametric from graphic equalizer architectures.
• corroborated: 3 independent passages support this claim — David Howard, Jamie Angus, coustics and Psychoacoustics, 2404; David M. Howard, Jamie Angus, Acoustics and Psychoacoustics, 2421