Boosting eq by cutting.

[ChristopherDawn]

So I've read and read about 'instead of boosting eq, cut the areas you don't want boosted then raise the overall volume.' Now my question is how do you cut the rest of the track? There's not exactly a 'roll off everything except the chosen frequency' to use. Do you just use a really wide Q?

Can somebody post maybe some pictures of an eqed kick drum or snare or something, just the EQ 'form' or whatever it's called so I could see an example?

[chessrock]

I think a better way to put it would be to: "Cut where/whenever possible or practical." If you're really trying to get surgical, there's really no way around boosting. And for the most part, a +6 db or less increase probably isn't going to screw things up too badly. Example would be if you wanted to get more low end out of a kick and you're specifically targeting 80 hz (because that's where it is and everything else is mud, hypothetically speaking).

But if you're talking about broader ranges, like let's say you want to do a high-shelf boost of everything above, say 4 kzh in order to get a little more definition and/or air to a snare track or a final mix . . . then it might be a better idea to just cut / low-shelf everything below rather than boost eveything above.

Another example: Suppose you've got a snare track where you want to sort of boost a wider range between 2 khz and 5 khz for more definition. You could achieve this by highshelving everything above 5 khz and low-shelving everything below 2 khz, cutting a few db's on either side (of the shelves).

. . . Would accomplish the same basic thing as boosting 3.5 khz with a wide Q factor, only with fewer artifacts (theoretically).

[shackrock]

and I mean, techinically you could do what you said the opposite way...

lower the track's volume by so much, and boost where you want boosted (and then, that will be what the tracks volume was at, say, originally). you know what i mean?

[Son of Mixerman]

Originally posted by ChristopherDawn
So I've read and read about 'instead of boosting eq, cut the areas you don't want boosted then raise the overall volume.' Now my question is how do you cut the rest of the track? There's not exactly a 'roll off everything except the chosen frequency' to use. Do you just use a really wide Q?

Can somebody post maybe some pictures of an eqed kick drum or snare or something, just the EQ 'form' or whatever it's called so I could see an example?

Cutting is a negative, so when you cut on a track 3 db for instance you have lowered the output of that channel, so you have to use either the channel fader or master fader to bring the level back up. Just like make-up gain on a compressor if you follow me. The Q doesn't matter as much as the number of bands and db of the cut. But if the Q is wide and your cutting on all 4 bands then Q becomes more important. Its all trial and error until your familiar with how your EQ responds best. Some Q settings I find to be more musical than others. IMO

SoMm

[masteringhouse]

Originally posted by ChristopherDawn
So I've read and read about 'instead of boosting eq, cut the areas you don't want boosted then raise the overall volume.' Now my question is how do you cut the rest of the track? There's not exactly a 'roll off everything except the chosen frequency' to use. Do you just use a really wide Q?

Can somebody post maybe some pictures of an eqed kick drum or snare or something, just the EQ 'form' or whatever it's called so I could see an example?

I wouldn't be overly concerned about if it is a cutting or a boosting process, as what's required in order to provide the least amount of EQ processing for the sound that you want to produce. Phase distortion is the thing that you want to prevent. Most likely it's going to be a mixture of both.

For example on a kick I would try cutting 200-300 Hz, and maybe boost 3-5K for a "slappier" rock kick. Rap would be another story, it really depends on what you are trying to accomplish for placement in the mix, effect, or correct about the original recording.