EQ and mixing

  • Thread starter Thread starter elviskennedy
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elviskennedy

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Hello All.
I am mixing a recording at the moment, but am a bit lost when it comes to EQ. I can muck around for ages and get a range of decent sounds, but I would really like to slap a default "Snare EQ" setting on my snare track and fine tune from there. Lazy I know, but does anyone know of anything that can do this? Or even a list of suggested EQ settings that I can apply in Cubase?
Any help greatfully appreciated
 
Every snare is different and fits into every tune differently. Same with every other instrument.

Best thing I could suggest is to make a medium Q setting and sweep the whole frequency range to hear what pops out - Good or bad - and increase or decrease to taste and to fit the song.
 
My Lord! how many different times did you post this same question? The real answer to your question is: If you really want to be an engineer, you will have to learn to like fiddling with EQ. Thats what we do
 
When in doubt, do nothing... it's been working for me for more than a couple decades so far...
 
Fletcher said:
When in doubt, do nothing... it's been working for me for more than a couple decades so far...
Click to expand...

Me too.................Then I decided recently to buy some recording equipment to help kill some time........
 
Fletcher gave you some great advice.

There's a book by Bobby Owsinski called "The Mixing Engineer's Handbook" that would be a good one for you to own. He offers specific suggestions regarding eq and compression. The book also has numerous interviews with various mix engineers, who talk about their own mix techniques and approaches.

There are other books out there as well, but the Owsinski book is probably one of the most approachable.
 
SonicAlbert said:
Fletcher gave you some great advice.

There's a book by Bobby Owsinski called "The Mixing Engineer's Handbook" that would be a good one for you to own. He offers specific suggestions regarding eq and compression. The book also has numerous interviews with various mix engineers, who talk about their own mix techniques and approaches.

There are other books out there as well, but the Owsinski book is probably one of the most approachable.
Click to expand...

I just finished reading that one actually.
Its a fine read i'd say.
Got this other book with all those bubble illustrations of a "visual mix".
Its a good book, but the Owsinski book smashes it in terms of broad knowledge. Plus all the veteran tips and tricks in there...that shit is to die for man.
 
As long as we are on the book track, here's a couple more in the Owsinski vein.

Mix Masters - by Maureen Droney
Behind the Glass - by Howard Massey

If you read all 3 including Owskinski, you pretty much get a grasp on recording chains, use of compression, limiting and EQ.
 
Middleman said:
As long as we are on the book track, here's a couple more in the Owsinski vein.

Mix Masters - by Maureen Droney
Behind the Glass - by Howard Massey

If you read all 3 including Owskinski, you pretty much get a grasp on recording chains, use of compression, limiting and EQ.
Click to expand...

Ive been trying to find some contemporary books on learning mastering skills.
Any ideas middleman?
 
yup, thats a good one, though I have'nt gotten it yet:(

SonicAlbert said:
Fletcher gave you some great advice.

There's a book by Bobby Owsinski called "The Mixing Engineer's Handbook" that would be a good one for you to own. He offers specific suggestions regarding eq and compression. The book also has numerous interviews with various mix engineers, who talk about their own mix techniques and approaches.

There are other books out there as well, but the Owsinski book is probably one of the most approachable.
Click to expand...
 
xfinsterx said:
Ive been trying to find some contemporary books on learning mastering skills.
Any ideas middleman?
Click to expand...

This is kind of like searching for the Holy Grail but, there is one book that comes closer than most to laying it out from the basics. Bobby Owsinski’s "The Mastering Engineer's Handbook" is also a good resource. This will teach you the equipment, gear chains and a few tricks.

Once you have digested Bobby's book then go for this one, "Mastering Audio" by Bob Katz.

There is no source for what results to create using EQ however; this is purely in the heads of the many guys out there who are mastering gurus. I know a few of the techniques they use for processing files but the only references available are the hits we currently hear on CDs and radio. To emulate these sounds you would need very expensive monitors in very controlled rooms.

That said, the average learner can pretty much simulate compression and limiting to match CDs but it’s the EQ part i.e. knowing what to cut and what to push that you can only learn by working with a really good expert.

Another area, compression in certain frequency zones, is tricky as well as stereo widening. Lot's of the stuff you can pick up by combing through forums though. So a combination of a good search engine and the books above will set you on the road.
 
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One thing you MUST remember

When EQing and Mixing Down a recording, you have to realize that the equalization that you give it is universal meaning that its able to be manipulated by the EQ of the person who is playing it. In other words I am saying that the EQ of a recording, mixed down track should be rather flat so that the player can EQ the song to his or her own specifications. One thing you DON'T want to do is scoop everything.
 
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