EQ freqs for highs, lows and mids

A

AjnaDaath

New member
I recently added a presonus studio channel tube preamp to my collection of gear.
so it goes, TLM 102/solo 610/tube pre/scarlett/comp/ableton.
im just trieing to find a good frequency for mids, lows and highs. :o
I typically record hip hop but new to mixing and mastering.
i have many questions that my ear cant seem to find or i feel like it does but then i question after i listen to other songs.
their mix and mine sounds a little different.(not so smooth and in the mix)
my vocals are in front of the mix, but more abruptly at some points and low at others. :rolleyes:
i think its because some of my frequencies match with the beats at points.
im trieing to get ozone 7 to maybe EQ the beat and see if that will help at all.
but for now my question would be, finding good frequencies and gains for lows,mids and highs and how to do that?
i feel like i was having better luck with just the solo 610 and using the effects ableton comes with but i aslo feel like i was just drowning out a bigger issue with layers, ad libs, and wacky EQ racks.
i added the tube pre to add more presence and have more customization than what the solo offers.
seems like when you add new gear, its more to learn before you just jump into it and slows down your workflow.
all this gear is a little new to me, used to working with much cheaper gear so having a little trouble with it all.
its a whole new level of sound. :facepalm:
ANY help or comments on ANYTHING i said would be great. :cool:
 
"i have many questions that my ear cant seem to find or i feel like it does but then i question after i listen to other songs.
their mix and mine sounds a little different.(not so smooth and in the mix)
my vocals are in front of the mix, but more abruptly at some points and low at others".

Are you using compression? Seems to me that may be what is lacking in your equation man.
 
the studio channel is a compressor and an eq all in one.
like i said though, if i layer and just make up for it in the layer it sounds decent.
hip hop isnt really supposed to sound pretty, maybe im just expecting too much.
some people just complain about how they cant understand me at times, but i am saying a lot at a fast pace.
maybe ill add saturation and see where to go from there.
regardless though, would you have any suggestions for frequencies when it comes to highs mids and lows on the eq.
its hard to hear a difference.
 
AjnaDaath said:
the studio channel is a compressor and an eq all in one.
like i said though, if i layer and just make up for it in the layer it sounds decent.
hip hop isnt really supposed to sound pretty, maybe im just expecting too much.
some people just complain about how they cant understand me at times, but i am saying a lot at a fast pace.
maybe ill add saturation and see where to go from there.
regardless though, would you have any suggestions for frequencies when it comes to highs mids and lows on the eq.
its hard to hear a difference.
Click to expand...

Post a link to one of your tunes man. Otherwise we are only guessing.

I use up to 5 different compressors depending on what the recorded track needs. Sometimes more than one instance of the same compressor directed at different issues.

One plugin will not do it all in most cases.
 
AjnaDaath,

It's true, adding more gear--especially pro gear--can be overwhelming and takes time to learn.

Like Jimmy said, we need to hear your song to know what's really going on. A possibility is you're not leaving space in your mix for the vocals. As you alluded to in your post, a big challenge in mixing is masking; that's when one instrument covers up another because it creates the same frequencies. This could be why your vocal sounds loud in one part and buried in another. Another reason could be the frequency balance of the vocal itself. Since we don't know what you're singing or what the instrumental arrangement is, we're just speculating.

Assuming you have well-balanced levels between instruments, there are two basic strategies for addressing masking: EQ and panning.

EQ
Equalization can be used to make room for the vocal by cutting frequencies from the other instruments that get in the way of the vocal. This is called subtractive EQ because you're cutting frequencies to achieve a sound you want--in this case to open up space for your vocal. (When you boost frequencies, it's called additive EQ).

It can also be necessary to cut frequencies from the vocal (like very low frequencies) that can get in the way of other instruments or cause a vocal to sound too loud in exposed passages. The key to equalizing all instruments--including vocals--is that they need to sound good in the mix, not all by themselves. One might love how their vocal sounds by itself, but it's possibly way too big to be in a full mix.

Note: planning the arrangement of a song (which instruments are played and when) also needs to be considered when writing songs. If done right, it can avoid masking issues altogether.

Panning
Lead vocal typically gets panned center. Use panning to place competing instruments elsewhere in the stereo field. Some instruments can be panned hard left or right, but most will be somewhere between center and full L/R.

If you're using pre-recorded beats, you're stuck with the panning, but can still use subtractive EQ to make room in the mix for your vocal.

Finally, as Jimmy also noted, compression can help, but it's not the type of thing you can just turn on and magic happens; you need to know how it works and when it's needed. It can steal high end clarity from the vocal performance if used improperly, which is exactly the opposite of your reason for having the PreSonus. More important than compression is proper levels, so the vocal level isn't loud in one line and quiet in another. This is easily adjusted in digital audio. And don't be afraid to automate the vocal track to raise and lower its volume when needed.

-Jamison
 
Okay so, here is one without the presonus. its unfinished ( i jump around from project to project a lot) but, its most recent. since i just added the presonus the other day ive only got one project with the presonus and its all rough right now (not exactly where i want it) but, ill post it and if you guys take the time, you can tell me what you hear.
 

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So, heres the one using the presonus.
I posted one with and without so maybe you guys can hear a difference and maybe throw some advice my way to say which one sounds better.
Personally, i think the one with the presonus is way more clear.
Its unfinished so, cut me a little slack, would ya. :o
BTW, thank you guys for helping me out, its real sick of ya. :cool:
 

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  • Puppet master.mp3
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Not bad at all man. There seems a bit of disconnection between the backing track and the vocals but that it kinda typical of the genre. I would suggest working with compression and also some creative use of delay and verb. The vocals just seem a bit 'too' in front. It needs some type of 'space'. Hope that makes sense.

I am not hearing an eq issue here really.
 
maybe the disconnection youre hearing is just me layering in certain patterns?
yeah thats what i thought as well, too in front of it the mix.
do you have any idea how i would fix this though?
or should i just run with it?
space does make sense though, just trieing to figure out how to achieve this 'space'.
know i said this before but, i really appreciate your time my man!
 
Yeah man. I already gave suggestions. I work with some rappers myself. Actually every Wednesday for the last 2 years.

Compression and reverb/delay. In no particular order. You need to spend the time to learn what and why you need either.
 
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