Specifications

processes. The SMS-1 had chosen to apply a +6 dB boost at 20 Hz to try and raise the
response where the sub is naturally starting to roll off. Applying such a powerful boost at
a low frequency like this would be very likely to exceed the sub's capabilities, for very
little actual improvement in bass extension.
After using either of the automated EQ set-up processes, it is a good idea to apply a
sense check to the settings and manually correct anything obviously unwise such as this.
The final method of applying EQ is to do the job entirely manually, giving you total
control and flexibility. You can place the cursor on each individual slider using the remote
control and move it up/down in level. By pressing Select on a slider, you can then move it
left/right to change the center frequency at which the filter is applied. This works in 1 Hz
steps in the range 15 Hz to 120 Hz. You can even stack sliders on top of each other to
increase the amount of boost/cut available at a particular frequency. The warning about
not exceeding your sub’s capabilities applies even more if you are stacking boosts.
You can use the Set +/- buttons to adjust the Q (width) of the filter which determines the
range of frequencies over which the slider acts. By default, all the sliders have a Q value
of 4.3 which corresponds to 1/3 octave.
Setting Q higher restricts the effect to a narrower band of frequencies up to a maximum
value of 20.0 (equivalent to slightly narrower than 1/12 octave). Narrowing a filter is
useful to reduce the area of overlap between two closely adjacent sliders which might
otherwise fight each other.
Lower values of Q work over wider frequency ranges, right down to a very low minimum
value of 0.3 (equivalent to about 3.5 octaves). A single slider with a low Q can be used to
control broader peaks or dips.
The level (L), frequency (F) and width (Q) of the currently selected slider are shown at
the bottom right of the screen.
While the automated EQ modes are perfect for the user who wants quick results with
minimum effort, they are no substitute for careful manual set-up which will always give
the best results.
For me, the single greatest feature of the SMS-1 is that you can instantly see on-screen
the effect of every minor parameter change that you make, allowing you to target the
real problems both quickly and accurately. My final results using manual EQ were as
follows.