EQ techniques: Newbie

J

Jim S

New member
I've got the songs for my 1st to-be-CD recorded and mixing levels and panning is pretty much finished. I ass/u/me I need to EQ to get a better separation and identiy or clarity of instruments in the mix.

I know I should EQ only in the mix and not with tracks solo. I should cut and/or boost and not only boost. Any general tips or pearls or sources to help out besides experimenting and common sense?
 
>I know I should EQ only in the mix and not with tracks solo

Why is this? I'm not wise-cracking here. What are your reasons to avoid application of EQ to individual tracks?
 
No, I expect to EQ individual tracks and not just across the whole mix.

But I think/read that EQing a track in solo and out of context with the mix doesn't allow one to appreciate how it will sit with the rest of the mix. Example, an acoustic guitar EQ shelved with cut off below 180Hz would sound bad solo'd but might sound great in a mix.
 
Then you've answered your own question!

Make EQ adjustments to individual tracks but only in the context of the entire mix.
 
I meant pearls of wisdom or experience regarding general bands of frequency to watch regarding electric guitars clean and dirty, drums, electric bass, male and female vocals, etc.
 
oops.. there are heaps of eq'ing 'standards. The Most important thing you have to do is simple: listen very well. After a while you train a ear for frequencies.

The most important is that instruments do'nt get in each other's way. For example: guitars and vocals tend to use the same frequency area. In acoustic guitars you can often remove a lot of the low end and several middle frequensies. Also things like a bass drum and the bass guitar should be a whole, depending on your taste. I often shelve the bass drum low, and search it's 2 attacks, often on around 100 HZ and another one between 1000 and 2000 Hz (to search for frequencies you have to boost or cut, turn the Q to it's maximum, 16, boost it extremely high and play with the frequency switch, you'll hear the attacks and bugging noises). so you'll hear that when you shelve a snare drum at the high end, it will add lots more snare, that there is an attack between 100Hz and 200 Hz, and so on...

Just try it out yourself!!

greetingz

Brett
 
GO through every track and see what freqs you can eliminate without affecting the sound too bad... and always try to pull just a db or so around the 315 hz range, and then pull a little 315 on the entire mix... helps a LOT in many cases... eliminate instead of adding.
Try it. Report back your results.
 
I ass/u/me I need to EQ to get a better separation and identiy or clarity of instruments in the mix.

After getting my levels and panning I usally add my effects next. Before eq. I force myself to never touch an eq unless it's absolutely needed. It's suprising how little eq you need if you add your ambience before eq. I've done many mixes where I've hardly touched the eq.
 
That's great! Thanks all! I fooled around a bit last night.

One track I cut 60Hz on the kick and it separated the Sadowsky jazz bass nicely. Recorded DI from a Kern IP 777.

On another I lightly boosted 1Khz on a guitar solo (very thick distortion with an octavia clone) and that was sweet.
 
You said that you had all your levels and panning sorted before you were going to start EQing it. You're better off starting with EQ, as any EQ you touch after wou've dealt with levels and panning and stuff will effect the mix

Good Luck :D


Link
 
Link said:
You said that you had all your levels and panning sorted before you were going to start EQing it. You're better off starting with EQ, as any EQ you touch after wou've dealt with levels and panning and stuff will effect the mix

Good Luck :D


Link
Click to expand...

I disagree, unless your using eq to completely alter the sound. For me the purpose of eq is to bring clarity to the mix. After you have your levels and panning roughed out and used your effects and reverb to your desired effect, then you can really tell where the kick and bass are competing, guitars and keys, etc. etc. then very small amounts of cutting or boosting should do the trick. The sound you want, should be the sound you recorded. Messing with the eq early is asking for trouble and unnatural sounding instruments.

respectfully,

Greg
 
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