Loading Custom Bose EQ
into Bose Professional Sound Processors & DSP-based amplifiers
The Bose ControlSpace Designer software uses IIR filter-based signal processing blocks (PEQ blocks) to configure DSP functions for EQ.
This page describes how to use the Bose ControlSpace Designer software to load custom EQ settings (IIR filters) from FIR Designer M and FIR Designer into Bose Professional Sound Processors and PowerShareX, PowerShare & PowerMatch amplifiers.
FIR Designer M and FIR Designer have a built-in ‘Bose Professional’ IIR filter mode to emulate filter behavior in Bose processors & amps. The mode contains options for parametric, low-shelf, high-shelf, notch, Butterworth, Bessel and Linkwitz-Riley filters. The ControlSpace Designer PEQ block enables loading of parametric, low-shelf, high-shelf and Butterworth (1st & 2nd order) filters loading via a *.peq file.
‘PEQ’ typically refers to ‘Parametric EQ’, however parametric filters are not the only kind of IIR filter that can be loaded into a PEQ block.
FIR Designer
In the IIR Filters tab, select the “Bose Professional” mode and set up the EQ filters as desired. Under “Save IIR Coefficients”, select the format “Bose ControlSpace Designer (PEQ)” and press Save.
ControlSpace Designer
On a MS Windows PC, run ControlSpace Designer. (Download ControlSpace Designer here).
Sound Processor Instructions (or see Amplifier instructions instead)
Choose a processor and drag it onto the “Project View”. (For example, the ESP-880A shown below.)
Double-click on the processor icon, or click on the processor tab (to the right of the “Project View” tab), to open the specific signal flow view of the processor. On the left, under EQs, select either “Parametric EQ Mono” or “Parametric EQ Stereo” and drag it onto the signal flow view of the processor. A “PEQ” window will appear; select the desired number of bands (IIR filters) and press OK.
A VPEQ block appears on the processor view.
Double-click on the VPEQ block to open the “Variable PEQ” window. Press “Load Settings” and select the PEQ file (previously saved from FIR Designer). After loading, the “Variable PEQ” plot will display the IIR filter magnitude response; the same as in FIR Designer.
Note: if the “Variable PEQ” block is set for a lower number of bands (IIR filters) than the number of filters in the PEQ file, only the first filters are loaded from the PEQ file. Any filters that exceed the block’s band count are ignored and discarded.
Amplifier Instructions
Choose an amplifier and drag it onto the “Project View”. (For example, the PM8250N shown below.)
Double-click on the amplifier icon, or click on the amplifier tab (to the right of the “Project View” tab), to open the specific signal flow view of the amplifier. PEQ files can only be loaded into input channel parametric EQ blocks, shown as, for example, PEQ-5band A. (The output channel speaker parametric EQ blocks – shown as “SpeakerPEQ 1”, “SpeakerPEQ 2” etc.
The output channel speaker parametric EQ blocks – shown as “SpeakerPEQ 1”, “SpeakerPEQ 2” etc. – require a different file type (*.seq) which contains additional parameters including alignment delay, limiter settings and more. FIR Designer does not currently export this file type, but might in the future.
Double-click on a PEQ-5band block to open the “PEQ-5band” window. Press “Load Settings” and select the PEQ file (previously saved from FIR Designer). After loading, the “PEQ-5band” plot will display the IIR filter magnitude response; the same as in FIR Designer.
The filters for the block are now set and the PEQ-5band window can be closed.
