Different EQs show different peaking for the same drum element?

s∃nn

New member
Hi,

First of all, sorry for my bad English.

I was watching some tutorials about layering drum elements and many authors of these tutorials find where the main drum element is peaking and then they transpose/detune the layer so its peak is on the same frequency/note.

So I am trying to find where is my drum kick peaking but two different EQs display different peaking/frequency structure for the same kick:

Ableton's EQ8/Spectrum displays:

aHj1wii.png

... so the biggest peak is on ~51.5 Hz (G#0).

But FabFilter Pro-Q 2 displays different for the same kick:

CK2XD2J.png

... and the biggest peak is on ~129.0 Hz.

So I'm confused and cannot determine where this kick drum is peaking - on ~51.5 Hz (as Ableton's EQ8/Spectrum shows) or on ~129.0 Hz (as FabFilter Pro-Q 2 shows)? Also, why are they displaying differently the same drum element (kick)?
 
FabFilter looks like it's applying a display filter or slope. It's probably +3db/octave, which is pretty common out there because it makes pink noise look flat. Most decent mixes come close to pink noise, so we see this slope pretty often. If that wasn't happening, they would probably match a lot more closely.

I don't have any idea what you're trying to do, so can't say which one you should take as "correct" 51 Hz is really quite low, more like sub-bass. 129 Hz is probably more like the actual meat and thump of the kick.
 
That doesn't even look like a spectrum from the same track man. Sure you captured the right one? If so, that is odd. I personally would trust the Pro Q. Love that Eq.
 
That doesn't even look like a spectrum from the same track man. Sure you captured the right one? If so, that is odd. I personally would trust the Pro Q. Love that Eq.
It's the same sample (drum kick), if you have Ableton & Pro Q2 and if you want - I can send you that sample so that you can check :) The difference between Ableton's EQ8/Spectrum and Pro Q2 is pretty big.

I don't have any idea what you're trying to do, so can't say which one you should take as "correct" 51 Hz is really quite low, more like sub-bass. 129 Hz is probably more like the actual meat and thump of the kick.
Not sure, that kick sample sounds very "low" (sorry, my English is bad and it's hard to describe :)), with strong sub-bass range. But as for the Ableton's EQ8: on spectrum analyzer, while that sample is playing, it looks like that the higher frequencies (~129 Hz) are "triggered" before those peaking frequencies at ~51 Hz...

ONUuRXP.png

... but maybe I don's see well :)
 
Straight from Fab Filter online help:
"The Tilt setting tilts the measured spectrum around 1 kHz with a specified slope, expressed in dB per octave. The default setting of 4.5 dB/oct results in a natural looking spectrum, resembling best how loudness is perceived by the human ear."
 
Attached is spectrum by Rightmark (audio.rightmark.org) of pink noise generated by Samplitude Pro X3 at -18dBFS.

The descending slope is due to how RM is setup. RTAs have shedloads of settings and how they present data can be very different on those. Analyser are statistical devices as are 'true rms' meters and different brands of those will give readings several dB adrift on the SAME waveform!

N.B if you use RMA it can only accept 16bit .wavs which I can't attach to HR! Not even a tiny one!

Dave.
 

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