For many people, the peace of mind that comes with a feedback eliminator is worth the investment in a new piece of equipment—and the good news is you don’t have to spend a ton to get your hands on one. We’ve rounded up our favorite feedback eliminators below, including options for a variety of different ensemble sizes and set-ups.
These are our recommendations for the 4 best feedback eliminators on the market:
Behringer Ultracurve Pro Feedback Eliminator
The original Feedback Destroyer from Behringer made a splash when it was released for its innovative approach to feedback suppression. It uses an advanced algorithm to detect and eliminate feedback without altering the rest of the signal. With the Ultracurve Pro, Behringer brings you this same feedback elimination technology and adds signal analysis and mastering tools that will help you to better shape and control your overall sound.
Along with the Feedback Destroyer (see full specs), you’ll get three additional EQ modules on the Ultracurve Pro: a 10-band parametric EQ and a 31-band graphic EQ, along with three dynamic EQs on each stereo channel. You don’t have to choose between them, either.
You can use any or all of them concurrently or independently, making this one of the most versatile mastering processors you’ll find at any price. The quality of the audio signal is maintained through an ultra-high resolution processor that takes advantage of floating-point DSP technology—basically your sound will only change the way you want it to. If you want to get rid of feedback and give your audio a professional finish, this is one of the best feedback eliminators for the money.
Behringer MiniFBQ FBQ800 Feedback Eliminator
The most frequent cause of feedback is frequency imbalance. The MiniFBQ FBQ800 both monitors and controls your entire sonic picture, helping you to identify trouble spots and get to the root of your feedback problem. It gives you nine frequency bands so you can perfectly tailor your sound, with a smooth fader to control each band, letting you boost or cut your signal as needed. The LED level controls give you a visual indication when your signal hits a danger zone, making it easy to tell when you need to make adjustments.
Feedback is definitely the most jarring result of a frequency imbalance, but it’s not the only noise that can plague your signal. The FBQ800 also gives you other tools for making sure your sound stays pure regardless of the space. There’s a low-cut filter for getting rid of floor rumble or muddiness from the lower end of your sound. This isn’t a one-trick pony—it’s a great all-purpose graphic equalizer that can help you monitor and shape your signal for the ideal acoustic response.
Behringer MicroHD HD400 Feedback Eliminator
If you want to take advantage of Behringer’s feedback elimination technology but don’t have the budget for something like the Ultracurve, the MicroHD HD400 is a compact way to help clean up your signal for a less money. It specifically focuses on eliminating AC hum and other signal noise, while also breaking ground loops and converting unbalanced to balanced signal with no loss. This combination of functions helps to eliminate the causes of feedback before it starts.
The MicroHD is designed to go between your mixer and your amps. It has two channels that function completely independently of each other, so you can use them to process two mono signals or combine them for a single stereo signal. It weighs less than a pound and is solidly built, too. This combination of factors makes it a great option for touring bands and performers, making sure you sound your best no matter what kind of audio equipment exists in the venue.
DBX AFS2 Advanced Feedback Suppression Processor
Behringer isn’t the only game in town when it comes to eliminating feedback. The DBX AFS2 lets you monitor and control your signal quickly and easily, and gives you customization options you won’t find elsewhere. It has 24 feedback filters per channel, more than twice what you’ll find on the majority of feedback eliminators, and offers a wider adjustment range to go with the expanded filter options. With both live and fixed modes, it’s the perfect choice for any live music venue, and is slim and lightweight enough for touring musicians to use, too.
You might think this range of features would make the AFS2 (see full specs) tricky to use, but we found the interface to be surprisingly intuitive. The LCD display is large, bright, and easy to read. They’ve also redesigned the navigation wizard so it’s easier than ever to set up the right sound for your space. It accepts both TRS and XLR connections, so you can use it with pretty much any equipment. If you’re looking for a comprehensive option for professional applications, this is probably the best feedback eliminator out there.
Feedback Eliminators – Control + Reduction
If you’re getting feedback on your signal, this is a symptom of a problem somewhere in your audio set-up. A feedback eliminator like the ones above is a kind of band-aid on the problem, and is an excellent tool for situations where the quality of the equipment is beyond your control. If you’re getting frequent or consistent feedback, though, there are some other things you can do to address the problem.
Feedback basically happens when the sound coming out of the speakers is captured by the microphones and re-amplified. How many microphones you’re using and where they’re placed in relation to your speakers will be the most significant factors in how prone you are to feedback. Use the fewest microphones possible for your needs, and turn off any microphones that you’re not using. When you’re setting up the stage, keep all loudspeakers—including guitar and bass amplifiers—as far away from the microphones as possible. Don’t forget to compensate for the space you’re playing in. If there are a lot of hard surfaces that will reflect sound, turn down your speakers a bit. Do the same if you’re playing on a cramped stage and have no choice but to put the microphone and speakers closer than you’d like.
The best feedback eliminators really come in handy when you’re playing in less than ideal acoustic environments, like the cramped stage mentioned above. It can help to make sure your guitarist doesn’t have to sacrifice his ideal sound, and the monitoring functions on most of the models above also help you identify trouble spots in your signal before you hear the first feedback squeal. By adding one to your arsenal, you can help ensure that all your future gigs are feedback-free. Good luck!
