Graphic Equalizer or Compressor

A

Apple

New member
I'm recording a song with acoustic guitar and background "oohs and ahs". The acoustic is fighting with these background vocals which are supposed to be subtle. I don't have any kind of outboard EQ and I was wondering what would sound better. Ducking with a compressor or with an outboard EQ?
 
If you are having problems with fighting frequencies, ducking the volume is not going to work well and may change the mix too much.
Either change the eq of the background tracks or (if you are using a computer) split off the guitar part during the background vocals and eq out some of the offending frequencies. That way you can leave the guitar up in the mix.

Try it and let us know if that worked.

Tom
 
Theres nothing like a multiband parametric for this...multiband compression is a great tool too...I havent liked many graphic eqs.
 
Thanks.

I was contemplating buying a some kind of outboard gear. With a parametric, are you suggesting using what I have in my Mackie board or with an outboard version I can set up to only kick in when the background vocals start?
 
Thanks again

I had one for a while and never liked liked any of the results I got, but I thought I'd give it another try. Have they fallen out of favor? Were they ever used in a professional setting? the first book I ever read about recording said you had to have one.
 
Apple said:
I had one for a while and never liked liked any of the results I got, but I thought I'd give it another try. Have they fallen out of favor? Were they ever used in a professional setting? the first book I ever read about recording said you had to have one.
Click to expand...

Which? Parameteric or graphic?

I don't recall ever seeing a graphic eq being used for recording. I have seen them in use for home stereos. I would not find that there is fine enough control with a graphic eq.
 
graphic

graphic. The first recording book i ever read, said you had to have one. I had a DBX for a short while.
 
Depending on how old that book was, it may have been good advise at the time. Parametrics are relatively new compared to graphics. That is a problem with old books about technology, they never update.
Graphic eq's are a staple of live sound rigs but haven't been (or rarely) used for recording in a very, very long time. Graphics don't give you the control of a parametric. Yes, you can use the parametrics on your mackie.
 
fraser..you've never seen a graphic for recording?. I agree they are not ideal but all sequencer's come with them and they have them made in rack units...so someone's using them
 
ducking

This may be an old topic, but I really come onto this site to pick up best practices. I've been recording for a long time, but I'm still more of a musician than engineer. I love getting little insights into how my favorite recording was done or how it was mixed. The above topic in my title is something you do with compressors that I read about way back when and have used at times, but I've wondered how often it was used on certain records I use as references. As opposed to something else. Anyone? You can use a with outboard eQ in the same way as a compressor if if has the sidechain function. The DBX graphic EQ I had, was made for recording studios and had sidechain. There still seems to be lot of companies making graphic equalizers. ZZounds and 8th street have lot of examples made by several different companies. Only a few parametrics and the one I looked at made no mention of sidechain. (I'm assuming most know what that sidechain is for) I have a Mackie Board with 4 different bands of EQ per channel and generally my approach is to cut moderately for the most part and if two tracks are fighting with each other, I cut one in a certain frequency and maybe boost the other track slightly at the same frequency. The trouble I had with ducking with a compressor is that is generally was noticeable (to my ears) An example would be to duck the acoustic guitar slightly whenever the the lead vocal came in. the results are always subjective. But, with an outboard EQ, with Sidechain, with the same tracks, the guitar would be eq'd subtly, whenever the lead vocal comes in. this isn't common anymore?
 
Apple said:
This may be an old topic, but I really come onto this site to pick up best practices. I've been recording for a long time, but I'm still more of a musician than engineer. I love getting little insights into how my favorite recording was done or how it was mixed. The above topic in my title is something you do with compressors that I read about way back when and have used at times, but I've wondered how often it was used on certain records I use as references. As opposed to something else. Anyone? You can use a with outboard eQ in the same way as a compressor if if has the sidechain function. The DBX graphic EQ I had, was made for recording studios and had sidechain. There still seems to be lot of companies making graphic equalizers. ZZounds and 8th street have lot of examples made by several different companies. Only a few parametrics and the one I looked at made no mention of sidechain. (I'm assuming most know what that sidechain is for) I have a Mackie Board with 4 different bands of EQ per channel and generally my approach is to cut moderately for the most part and if two tracks are fighting with each other, I cut one in a certain frequency and maybe boost the other track slightly at the same frequency. The trouble I had with ducking with a compressor is that is generally was noticeable (to my ears) An example would be to duck the acoustic guitar slightly whenever the the lead vocal came in. the results are always subjective. But, with an outboard EQ, with Sidechain, with the same tracks, the guitar would be eq'd subtly, whenever the lead vocal comes in. this isn't common anymore?
Click to expand...
If your DBX eq had a sidechain, it was an EQ with a compressor built in. A sidechain is not standard on a graphic EQ. Neither is a compressor for that matter. And it is still more usefull for live sound.
 
Elmo89m said:
fraser..you've never seen a graphic for recording?. I agree they are not ideal but all sequencer's come with them and they have them made in rack units...so someone's using them
Click to expand...

Perhaps, but what I said is that I have never seen one USED for recording. I may even have one in my copy of Sonar or Cubase. I have just never seen one being used for recording, and have never used it myself for recording.
 
if i'm correct it doesn't really matter what high or low quality EQ you put in the sidechain, since this EQ doesn't touch the audio signal that runs trough the compressor, right? it just makes the compressor work in a certain way,
am i correct?
so even if i connect a "hissing" unit, it might all work real well?
 
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