What Reference Resources Does the EQ Guide for IEMs Include Beyond EQ Instructions?

Updated

The EQ Guide for IEMs is more than a step-by-step EQ tutorial. Beyond its "How to EQ" instructions, it hosts four reference-oriented sections: a collection of AES papers relevant to IEMs, an examination of popular measurement databases, a section on metrology and preference testing (Rigs, Curves, & Targets), and a tools section covering EQ and measurement utilities with usage instructions. These resources suit readers who want to go deeper into the theory, data, and tooling behind IEM equalization rather than just follow a preset.

Where the reference material sits in the guide

The guide's own overview lists seven main sections, navigable from the left table of contents, plus a changelog and an FAQ/contact page. The reference-heavy ones are:

Section What it provides Best for
Rigs, Curves, & Targets Information about metrology and preference testing Understanding how measurements are made and how target curves are chosen
Measurement Databases Examination of relevant and popular measurement databases Finding and comparing IEM measurement data
Additional Tools Descriptions and instructions for EQ/measurement-related tools Putting measurements and EQ into practice
AES papers collection A hosted collection of AES papers relevant to IEMs Readers with a theoretical or academic interest

The remaining sections—Audio & EQ Basics, How to EQ, Case Studies, and Myths & Misconceptions—are the instructional core. The AES papers are described as an addition for the "more theoretically and academically inclined," so they are optional depth rather than required reading.

How to use these resources

There is no prescribed order. The guide explicitly states that readers can check and read any section when they want or need to as they progress, using the left table of contents for main sections and the right-hand secondary contents for specific topics within a page. A practical approach:

  1. Start with How to EQ if you want to act immediately, and consult Audio & EQ Basics when a term or concept is unclear.
  2. Go to Measurement Databases when you need measurement data for a specific IEM, and to Rigs, Curves, & Targets when you need to interpret that data or understand where a target comes from.
  3. Use Additional Tools when you are ready to apply EQ or take measurements yourself.
  4. Treat the AES papers as a reference library to dip into when a specific technical question arises.

What to expect from the guide overall

The guide describes itself as long and not meant to be an easy read; it requires active effort from the reader. If you only want a quick introduction, the site points to a shorter alternative: the Equalizer tab in squig.link databases, where a yellow question-mark button opens a condensed guide covering a small portion of this content—suitable for most people who want a brief intro without the detail. The full guide is the better fit when you specifically want the measurement databases, metrology and preference-testing discussion, tool instructions, or the AES paper collection.