Help me understand frequency and EQing?

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Jeremy Clarkson

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I think I know that the source you record has a optimal frequency rang and you want to exclude the too highs and too lows? Which is eqing...

Tell me about frequencies...

What is 32 bit float?

what it your mixer has only 1 eq control?

in basic terms please

I want to know how to set up an input for the best results dealing with the mixer and computer settings and why?

Thanks!
 
You would not, generally, use a mixer EQ on the way in. So the number of knobs doesn't matter. You would EQ once you've recorded. You may use a high pass filter / rumble filter on a mic, but I've not generally used EQ when tracking.

At this stage of your development I wouldn't worry about 32 bit float recording. 24 will do. Others may disagree... Google it if you want a full explanation, there's plenty out there.
 
Jeremy Clarkson said:
I think I know that the source you record has a optimal frequency rang and you want to exclude the too highs and too lows? Which is eqing...

Tell me about frequencies...
Click to expand...

There are lots of reasons to use EQ. These can range from correcting problems that occurred when recording, through trying to emphasize certain parts of a voice or instrument to simply helping different tracks in a mix sit nicely together and not fight with each other. THIS page has plenty of tips and tricks to try--it's worth a read.

What is 32 bit float?
Click to expand...

Not really anything to do with EQ. The bit rate or bit depth of a digital recording controls how many different discrete levels you system can distinguish between when the sound is converted to a digital file. For example an 8 bit file can have 256 different sound levels. CDs are all in 16 bit which can distinguish 65,536 different sound levels. Modern DAWs tend to use either 24 bit or 32 bit floating point for greater accuracy. The "float" part indicates that the decimal point can move within the numbers so, if you don't need all 32 bits for a super loud signal, you can use decimal numbers for more accuracy.

what it your mixer has only 1 eq control?
Click to expand...

Then you probably shouldn't even try to use it. EQ is best done with great accuracy--use a scalpel, not a sledge hammer. Beyond that, though, you're generally better off not EQing as your recording anyway, even with the best controls on a mixer. Record flat and use your software to make changes while you're mixing.

in basic terms please

I want to know how to set up an input for the best results dealing with the mixer and computer settings and why?
Click to expand...

Well, as noted above, don't even try to set up any EQ on the mixer--do it in the computer. That link I gave you above gives a lot of examples of what EQ at various frequencies can add or take away from your recordings. For example, a bit of extra EQ at 250Hz can make things sound "fuller" but too much and things can sound "muddy". Sounds at around 500Hz can help the intelligibility of your voices but too much can make things sound "honky". And so on. Your best bet is to record a bit of voice--even somebody speaking--and just play on your DAW, listening to what happens as you cut or boost frequencies. Oh, and you're usually better off cutting some problem frequencies a bit than boosting others!

Bob
 
How about a little physics class :) Before we try to understand what frequency is lets understand what a wave is.
A wave is a transfer of energy through a medium. A medium being anything like air, water, wood etc. If you ever seen a wave in the water or any wave for that matter. You might notice there is a top and bottom to this wave. One wave is if you start say in the middle of the top and bottom, you go up once and down once and return to the middle Sine wave - Simple English Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. This is also called wave length represented by the greek letter lambda. The time it takes to go through one wave is called the period of the wave. And ready for the punch line... The amount of waves that propagate in one second is called the frequency. In light all the waves travel at the same speed, the speed of light duh. And same with sound they all travel about 330 m/s. So where do all these different frequencies come from if they are all traveling at the same speed? The answer is different wave lengths. Something with a short wave length will have a higher frequency. Long wave lengths will have a lower frequency. Got that?? Here are all the colors wave lengths What Wavelength Goes With a Color?. Notice violet has the shorter wave length so it will have a higher frequency. Red have a longer wave length will have a lower frequency. Now you know why the ocean is blue haha. So anyways back to our topic sound. You have a whole spectrum in sound from low to high. Those guys with really deep low voices probably are producing some long waves with there vocal chords which is btw a low frequency. The shrillness of when someone squeaks there violin produces those short waves which are higher frequencies. This is only the beginning. Anyways you might have figured out by now that what eq does is just boost or cut select frequencies. Like 80HZ (Hertz) which a low frequency and 12 KHz which is a high f. Hope this confused you more :)
 
What colour EQ would you need to remove the tartan from a bagpipe?
 
But seriously folks...

I think I posted this a couple of weeks back in another thread, but...

If you want a bit of instruction on what EQ does to your mix, THIS SITE is an excellent training aid. It really shows the effect of small EQ changes at various frequencies and helps train the ear.
 
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