Equalization Question.

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disdain

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Just taking a minute to say hello to everyone on the forum and ask a quick question.

I consider myself very new to home recording though I have spent the last 3 years playing around and building my studio. I have recently started using my computer for processing and the final mixdown which has given me great results.

What I am curious about is if recording with equalization produces better results then applying the EQ digitaly during the mix?

Up until now I had never taken the time to play around with EQ settings since I got decent results without any tweaking, however there is room to liven things up a bit. I only ask this question to possibly save myself a few hours of time heading in the wrong direction.

Any comments are appreciated.

Thanks.
 
Welcome to the forum! :)

It has always been my practice to record everything flat (no EQ on the way in). Concentrate on getting things to sound right in the first place by choosing the correct mic/placement for the job...make sure your sources sound the way you want them to before recording, etc...

Then, if tweaking is needed, it can be done during mixdown. If you record something with EQ to start with, you may do damage to the source that cannot be reversed.
 
The problem is that if you EQ the signal before you record it, it will leave you less possibilities to tweak it after. You don't want what you record to sound good on it's own. You want it to sound good in the mix... So I guess EQ'ing after, when everything is recorded, would be better...

Again, I'm no expert when it comes to EQ, I'm just starting to use it...

Peace,
Beathoven
 
I'm no expert either, but agree with looney and beathoven. I like to record with flat EQ to ensure I'm gettin gth ebest possible natural sound through our equipment. I try to imagine I have no mixing or EQ capabilities to squeeze every ounce of quality out of the first recording. But again, I'm just getting started into this stuff and others may have different experiences.

BTW, welcome to the board:)
 
Eq somehow is most flexible unit in your FX line. You can always put it anywhere in your chain. First place, middle, last, even after mastering. But playing around with EQ means you playing around with frequencies blended. Once you reduce some, the result won't be the same again with if you pump up the same freq later. One more thing in EQ rulez is boosting certain frequency also boosting noise signal within that frequecy. So wherever you put it, be very carefull with it. Afterall, I agree with the rest post above... Specialy... Welcome to the BBS !!!
 
Imagine putting your music on CD and listening on your hi-fi with BBE and Bass booster etc.- and then taking it to your grandma. How will it sound on her $40 Dollar General boombox? Obviously nowhere near as good as it did on your system.....flat EQ without any processing done by your monitoring system will give granny something she can shake her groove thang to.

My grandmother dances to Pink Floyd's "Brain Damage"
 
it would be better to record WITH EQ and not play with it in the mix....the thing is, you dont know before hand what EQ is needed, and if you do, you dont belong here:D

so, what these guys are saying is true....its best to record flat and EQ in the mix......
 
I agree with what everyone here has said about recording flat and using EQ in the mixing stage.

There is one exception to this rule.

If you are using a four track analog machine and are forced to bounce tracks, you will want to experiment with the eq on the tracks you are bouncing. A second generation recording will kill a lot of the highs and muddy the bass depending on what has been recorded on the bounced tracks.

You have to experiment a bit until you are familiar enough with your equipment to know which frequencies are going to be affected by the bounce on your particular machine.

I used to have to do this alot. Sometimes bouncing a couple of times to get the EQ correctly balanced on the bouncing tracks so the final bounce comes out sounding right. And it has to be right in the final bounce. Once you have recorded over the original tracks there is no going back.

Of course if you are working in digital all of this means nothing.
 
While it is best to record with out EQ, and get the sound right before tape/HD, many of us record in rooms that are less than ideal. EQ is one way of making up for these room short-commings.
Don't be afraid to experiment.
You can listen here to the difference of no EQ and very slight EQ used to make up for the room.
2 files: one's called SM81eqa
the other M81sanseq
The first has EQ applied during recording.
The other doesn't.
I think the first one, the one with EQ applied, sounds better.
 
...and don't forget to ask what EQ do you use. You know, many kind of EQ are not that "honest" to boost / cut certain frequency we want. It says boost 1k, but it bosts too wide around 1K. Cut the 70hz, it also cut the 100 Hz... see ? So I think having 20 band EQ will put us in more control than using 5 band EQ. Once Dragon sez having sweepable EQ is like having sex, you'll never get enough. :) So one more thing to consider is to choose the right EQ when you need one. :cool:
 
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