EQ settings.

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REEK BROCK

REEK BROCK

MR. LAST WORD
I posted this in another forum but It seems its needed here also.


EQ REFERENCE: FREQUENCIES

50Hz
Boost: To thicken up bass drums and sub-bass parts.
Cut: Below this frequency on all vocal tracks. This should reduce the effect of any microphone 'pops'.

70-100Hz
Boost: For bass lines and bass drums.
Cut: For vocals.
General: Be wary of boosting the bass of too many tracks. Low frequency sounds are particularly vulnerable to phase cancellation between sounds of similar frequency. This can result in a net 'cut of the bass frequencies.

200-400Hz
Boost: To add warmth to vocals or to thicken a guitar sound.
Cut: To bring more clarity to vocals or to thin cymbals and higher frequency percussion.
Boost or Cut: to control the 'woody' sound of a snare.

400-800Hz
Boost: To add warmth to toms.
Boost or Cut: To control bass clarity, or to thicken or thin guitar sounds.
General: In can be worthwhile applying cut to some of the instruments in the mix to bring more clarity to the bass within the overall mix.

800Hz-1KHz
Boost: To thicken vocal tracks. At 1 KHz apply boost to add a knock to a bass drum.

1-3KHz
Boost: To make a piano more aggressive. Applying boost between 1KHz and 5KHz will also make guitars and basslines more cutting.
Cut: Apply cut between 2 KHz and 3KHz to smooth a harsh sounding vocal part.
General: This frequency range is often used to make instruments stand out in a mix.

3-6KHz
Boost: For a more 'plucked' sounding bass part. Apply boost at around 6KHz to add some definition to vocal parts and distorted guitars.
Cut: Apply cut at about 3KHz to remove the hard edge of piercing vocals. Apply cut between 5KHZ and 6KHz to dull down some parts in a mix.

6-10KHz
Boost: To sweeten vocals. The higher the frequency you boost the more 'airy/breathy' the result will be. Also boost to add definition to the sound of acoustic guitars or to add edge to synth sounds or strings or to enhance the sound of a variety of percussion sounds. For example boost this range to:

· Bring out cymbals.

· Add ring to a snare.

· Add edge to a bass drum.


10-16KHz
Boost: To make vocals more 'airy' or for crisp cymbals and percussion. Also boost this frequency to add sparkle to pads, but only if the frequency is present in the original sound, otherwise you will just be adding hiss to the recording.

80hz - rumble of the bass

100hz - thump of the kick

200hz - bottom of the guitar

250hz - warmth of the vocal

350hz - bang of the snare

400hz - body of the bass

500hz - clang of the high hat

600hz - clang of the cymbals

800hz - ping of ride cymbal

1000hz - meat of the guitar

1200hz - body of the snare

1400hz - meat of the vocal

1600hz - snap of the kick/plectrum on guitar (attack)

2500hz - wires and snap of snare

3000hz - presence of the vocal

4000hz - ring of ride cymbal/top end of bass guitar

6000hz - sizzle of the high hat

7000hz - sizzle of the cymbals

8000hz - top end of the kick

9000hz - brightness on snare and cymbals

10000hz - brightness on vocal

12000hz - air on vocal

14000hz - air on cymbals


Every mix is different music wise as is every genre, but here are some "defaults" to get you pointed in the right direction. Note that this is where the solo'd signal level should be peaking at and all of these are negative values because I assume you are mixing on digital gear.

Snare: -2db

Kick: -3db

Toms: -3db to -5db depending on the use

Overheads: -6db

Room mics: -6 to -2db depending on amount of ambience

Bass guitar: -4 to -6db

Guitar: -4db to -2db (the louder the more 'metal' you sound imho)

Vocals: -1db to -0.5db

Foreground synth parts: -3 to -2db

Background synth parts: -6db to -8db

Backing vocals: -4db to -3db

Ambient sound effects/samples: -7db to -9db
 
REEK BROCK said:
Every mix is different music wise as is every genre, but here are some "defaults" to get you pointed in the right direction. Note that this is where the solo'd signal level should be peaking at and all of these are negative values because I assume you are mixing on digital gear.
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I'm sorry, but this section is complete and total fantasy, rubbish utterly unrelated to any kind of reality whatsoever.

First, if we're talking soloed tracks in the digital domain, those levels are WAY too high. Under proper gain staging, the individual tracks should be coming in at somewhere around -18dBRMS, which for most of those tracks natural dynamics would mean peaks far below what is shown.

Second, you're right, every mix is different. Not only by genre, but from song-to-song within genre. A list of levels "defaults" is basically a recipe for mixing a song (at least that aspect of mixing). Even with your caveat about different music styles, such a track list is absolutely meaningless. There are no "right levels" based upon instrument type, any more than there is a "right speed" based upon automobile type, regardless of the type of music. You might as well say that the "default speed" to drive at it 90MPH for Fords and 85MPH for Chevys.

Third, this list implies that there is very little actual "mixing" going on. Just set your track levels and export to stereo. It totally ignores how pan, EQ, compression, and reverb are all interrelated with, and ultimately affect, the levels. For example, a heavily compressed signal usually needs to ride at a different peak level than an uncompressed one.

And finally let's not forget mix automation in which one will emphasize the instruments differently in the verses, the choruses and the bridge; each song section will have it's own relative and absolute track levels, not a static "recipe".

G.
 
^^^It was meant as a reference guide.If you follow it to the letter and you don't like what you hear then change it.It has helped a lot of people.I appreciate the fact that you know a lot probably much much more than me on the subject.Good thing I did post it or I would not have been corrected.If you are mixing and this guide helps you then I did my part if it didnt my bad for passing bad info.
 
REEK BROCK said:
^^^It was meant as a reference guide.If you follow it to the letter and you don't like what you hear then change it.
Click to expand...
Now I will say that your frequency listing was not bad. That's fine. It's the mixing level stuff that is misinformed.

I'm just trying to help you to understand just how this stuff actually works. Once you have that undertanding you'll understand that your "reference guide" is just plain wrong in both premise and detail.

Premise: There is no such thing as a "default reference" when it comes to relative mix levels any more than there are default speeds for different cars; frankly your mix level numbers are absolutely meaningless. I'm noy picking on just you; ANY default mix level numbers from ANYBODY would be equally meaningless.

Detail: Peak track levels of anything above about -4dBFS or so are an indication of poor gain staging somehwere earlier in the signal chain, and are riding far too hot to leave one with any headroom in the mixdown.

This is *fundamental* information that the "levels guide" just totally ignores. This "guide" may have helped other newbs make a poor sounding mix sound a bit less poor, but it will never lead them to making a great sounding mix. Better, frankly, to just discard it and learn proper fundamental technique from the get-go.

G.
 
What Southside Glen is trying to say is that you're talking out of your ass. And he thinks you should stop (talking out of your ass). Not only for the benefit of those unfortunate enough to have stumbled upon your misinformed post ... but for yourself as well.

That's what he would have said, if it weren't for the fact that he's such a gentleman.

.
 
chessrock said:
That's what he would have said, if it weren't for the fact that he's such a gentleman.
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Don't go putting words in my mouth, jackass. Just because you're a 36-yr-old adolescent who wants to spend the rest of his life living in a high school locker room giggling at the size of everybody else's penis while cowering in the corner covering yours with a wet towel doesn't mean the rest of us over the age of Logan's Run haven't grown up.

Is that gentlemanly enough for you, "." ? ;)

G.
 
$ .02

gee how can i ever help if im here after glenn LMAO... always good to hear him... but i'm with chess not sure the gentlemanly way would have been mine... my bad...

but wait maybe we can redeem this thred after all...

if ya wanna talk EQ ya wanna talk filters... geee i'll bet tha there are three paramaters... lets see we'll want to choose where the filter affects... ok so lets call thate the freq duh... and of course whats the use of haven it if we cant really over do it so lest talk about boost... right??? how much can we boost or deboost it??? uhhh... ok so we gotta come up with a third paramater... how about some thing that basically detirmines how wide of a range gets affected???? that could be cool.... damn... i forgot my freq chart... and that thing sounds pretty shitty over there... seems to kinda ring... i bet if we crank this sucker... and make the range real narrow... now if we sweep it... you know go from the bootom up then back down again.... yeah did you hear it it gott reall obnoxious for a sec ... how about if we go back there to that freq and deboost it??? ehhhh not to shabby.... hey ill bet if i take that same idea and tame it down alittle spred that width out a little too now when i do this too that synth patch i dont have to work as hard to bring up the vocal.... damn i could get to like these things....
 
SouthSIDE Glen said:
Don't go putting words in my mouth, jackass.
Click to expand...


I didn't put any new words in to your mouth. You thought he was talking out of his ass. And I know this because my mind-reading skills are almost a match to your vast audio knowlege.

Speaking of which, sometimes your superior intellect can be a little daunting, and above the average reader's level of comprehension. I was merely providing this translating service, as a courtesy, for those who might not be at your level yet.

.
 
u know......all the info and advice that is given through this board is great, and southside does have pretty good knowledge and useful advice. But why must i always see this fool named chessrock always trying to talk his little internet trash???
 
Rockafuckball, first off you need to quit being such a pussy.

Second of all, you really need to start demonstrating a bit more knowlege of this stuff yourself before you go around calling other people idiots. Because if I were to compile a "greatest hits" of the dumbest posts yet on this board, several of yours would make it in to the finals, and possibly in to the hall of fame on first ballot.

There are many to choose from but this one happens to be a favorite of mine:
rockabilly1955 said:
on a note similar to this..........if anybody is familiar with the psychobilly band Tiger Army, you'll probably know what i mean. I love how their mixes sound and overall volume. When i put one of their wav files into my music production software, i see that the wav files just looks like one massive block with the peaks kinda cut off and they never go past the 0 level. How exactly do i get my mixes like that? ...
Click to expand...
 
well, some words from the useless amateur;

i think that the guy is just trying to strut his stuff because he made a mix that he was very happy with, and works well for most of his songs, which are probably very similar sounding.

the beginning "reference" section, the part where he lists cuts and boosts for frequency areas is good stuff to know. he should have stopped there...

i think glen is pissed because you make it seem like mixing is child's play, and if we follow your formula, every mix will be perfect. unfortunatly, we all know thats not true. every mix has different characteristics and you can't make a list and think everything will work with it.

so heres a problem for ya, how do i get my acrylic drums to have a more "woody" at 200-400hz??
do the same principles apply to my guitar, which is tuned down to Drop C? how about my bass in drop c? these are lower frequency sounds, so your lists won't exactly work with my music im guessing? what about my vocals? if i have a guy screaming at low freq. will you're eq principles apply here? what about the soprano singer?

your list just doesnt apply to everything, so best not make any lists at all....
 
lol @ "rockafuckball".

i used to play in a rockabilly band several years ago. the music is cool but i got out because rockabilly guys are typically retards. the rockabilly chicks are usually pretty cute though.
 
Greg.... u just sound like a poser. I already know u posing as a comedian. And CheeseCock.....i never claimed to be a pro, so i know i am an amateur. And i dont give a damn if i ask stupid questions. There are people here, like southside glen, who give good advice and answer the questions without having to boast about their knowledge or put people down. I didnt call you an idiot for whatever knowledge you have or may not have...... i called u an idiot because of the way you come off on this board........the personality of a fuckin idiot!
 
Still hard at work making friends and influencing people, huh?

That's 2 threads in one day.

Congrats.
rockabilly1955 said:
Greg.... u just sound like a poser. I already know u posing as a comedian. And CheeseCock.....i never claimed to be a pro, so i know i am an amateur. And i dont give a damn if i ask stupid questions. There are people here, like southside glen, who give good advice and answer the questions without having to boast about their knowledge or put people down. I didnt call you an idiot for whatever knowledge you have or may not have...... i called u an idiot because of the way you come off on this board........the personality of a fuckin idiot!
Click to expand...
 
congrats to you too for being cheesecock's bed buddy
 
rockabilly1955 said:
congrats to you too for being cheesecock's bed buddy
Click to expand...

i thought it was called 'butt buddy'...

you gotta lot of red chiclets dude... its hard to bounce back when you get negs from the vets here because typically if they give you reds, then you are just a shithead and will always be...

blah blah blah, flame, blah blah blah thats what im reading...

so back to why you cant set definite rules for eq...
 
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