How to Use the Equalizer on an iPod

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By eHow Contributing Writer

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You use the equalizer on an iPod to alter the sound as heard from the earphones. The equalizer increases the volume of narrow bandwidths of the music, which allows for tight control over the sonic picture emerging from the earphones. The equalizer settings on an iPod are almost identical to the presets available through iTunes, so if you can use iTunes, you can use an equalizer on an iPod.

Difficulty: Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

iPod

Step 1

Pull up the main menu on the iPod. Do this either by tapping on the center button two times or by turning the iPod on.
Step 2

Choose “Settings” from the menu. This gives you a list of options which allow you to change and alter how your iPod performs.
Step 3

Use the click wheel and center button to select “EQ.” Doing so will pull up a menu of EQ presets, from “Acoustic” to “Rock.” Each preset alters the sound in a particular way.
Step 4

Try a couple of different presets to get the sound just the way you like. The "Acoustic” preset, for example, does not cut any of the frequency ranges, but it does provide a gentle boost to the low and upper midrange frequencies.
Step 5

Compare the sound using the same song using a different preset. For example, the same song played with "Pop” would have more midrange punch, while the high and low end would be rolled back. This EQ preset is good for emphasizing a vocal performance.

Tips & Warnings

Different presets are good for highlighting different aspects of a musical performance. An EQ preset that provides a midrange boost will tend to bring out a song’s vocal parts and downplay the drums. A preset with more of a bass boost, such as hip-hop, emphasizes the bass and drum line.
Install the latest versions of iTunes on your computer and make sure the operating software is up to date on your iPod to get the best sound from your iPod.
If you created a custom equalization preset in iTunes, you will need to shut the EQ off on your iPod in order to use the iTunes EQ preset.
Using the EQ presets drains more power from your iPod’s battery.