EQ recommendations

[Stark444]

so ive been looking at some eq recommendations per instrument, and for each instrument they give you what frequency to adjust and in which band. lets take vocals for instance. it says if you adjust your dB in the 150 Hz frequency range then it adds fullness. it also has the ranges and what to adjust to "reduce muddiness, add clarity, add presence, cut sibilances, add air or brightness."

my question is, are you supposed to combine the adjustments of various frequencies, or do you primarily just adjust one frequency? if i had to guess, i would say the former is true and to test out a few combos of my own to see what i like (a best practice would be nice, but i know people dont like the word "best" here). but my problem is that for some instruments, like toms and vox, they give you more than 4 frequencies to adjust and the DAW i use only allows 4 that i know of. maybe i can add more, idk (using cubase LE 4).

 

[TheChikenMaster]

Use your ears they're a gift

 

[RAMI]

You're taking what "they" say way too literally. Those frequencies are very very broad guidelines, but there are no set rules, patterns, or frequencies to adjust. You have to use your ears and do what YOU hear needs adjusting.

Sometimes you might adjust just one frequency. Sometimes, you'll adjust 3. Sometimes you won't touch the EQ at all. You have to let your ears tell you what needs adjusting, if anything does. Anything you do during recording and mixing should be done for a reason. If you think your vocal track sounds good in the mix with the rest of the song, don't touch it. If you feel you need to cut some low end (for example) because it's too boomy, then find the frequency that you think needs to be cut. Don't just reach for the 150hz knob because you read that somewhere.

Mixing is an art/science that literally takes forever to be good at. And I really do mean forever, because the better you get, the more you realize you have to learn. If there were set rules that appllied to everything, it would be easy. But it's not.

Patience and practice.

 

[mixsit]

.. lets take vocals for instance. it says if you adjust your dB in the 150 Hz frequency range then it adds fullness. it also has the ranges and what to adjust to "reduce muddiness, add clarity, add presence, cut sibilances, add air or brightness."

my question is, are you supposed to combine the adjustments of various frequencies, or do you primarily just adjust one frequency?
.. but my problem is that for some instruments, like toms and vox, they give you more than 4 frequencies to adjust and the DAW i use only allows 4 that i know of. maybe i can add more, idk (using cubase LE 4).

First of all 'frequencies, and their effect' is fairly universal. An octave a 150 does what it does pretty much anywhere it's considered.
There are also examples of where the descriptions can fall short when they don't follow the 'same frequencies. Presence' on bass guitar being quite a bit lower then voice for example. What they've done is given you a menu' of general places to listen for.
In the end you'll want to get a good amount of time with your eqs in different situations to make the general connections of frequencies, and bandwidth, to ear'. Then the process of 'what is there, what needs changing' begins to become clearer. Very often very few eq bands are needed at all. But even more often what's needed won't follow a template anyway.

 

[bunt]

it says if you adjust your dB in the 150 Hz frequency range then it adds fullness. it also has the ranges and what to adjust to "reduce muddiness, add clarity, add presence, cut sibilances, add air or brightness."

Bottom line is listen to what Rami & the coop said...

But to add a bit to that,
Here's a great interactive frequency range chart for reference
http://www.independentrecording.net/irn/resources/freqchart/main_display.htm

The chart is just a reference guide and doesn't presume to prescribe Rx for what your particular mix may need. That said, it can at least steer you towards those frequencies that affect the particular thing/instrument/flaw/whatever, that you are trying to address.. and maybe that's all you were saying in the first place? not sure... but it's just a guide, and by no means "recommendations"

 

[Stark444]

Bottom line is listen to what Rami & the coop said...

But to add a bit to that,
Here's a great interactive frequency range chart for reference
http://www.independentrecording.net/irn/resources/freqchart/main_display.htm

The chart is just a reference guide and doesn't presume to prescribe Rx for what your particular mix may need. That said, it can at least steer you towards those frequencies that affect the particular thing/instrument/flaw/whatever, that you are trying to address.. and maybe that's all you were saying in the first place? not sure... but it's just a guide, and by no means "recommendations"

it was. thank you lol

 

[Gizzmo0815]

Bottom line is listen to what Rami & the coop said...

But to add a bit to that,
Here's a great interactive frequency range chart for reference
http://www.independentrecording.net/irn/resources/freqchart/main_display.htm

The chart is just a reference guide and doesn't presume to prescribe Rx for what your particular mix may need. That said, it can at least steer you towards those frequencies that affect the particular thing/instrument/flaw/whatever, that you are trying to address.. and maybe that's all you were saying in the first place? not sure... but it's just a guide, and by no means "recommendations"

That chart is fan-frickin'-tastic!

Great reference when you don't know what you're looking for.