Letting frequencies "breathe"

M

mahzerwrath

New member
I am aware of EQing certain frequencies to allow others to "breathe" thus creating a wider, clearer, more full mix, but am having trouble actually doing this. Should I write down the frequencies that each instrument is rich in, and EQ around those frequencies? I feel like I need to get on it to an OCD degree. Does anyone have a non stressful technique they use? U_U
 
You can't do it by pre-selected frequencies. If the instruments are playing in the same key, they will be using mostly the same frequencies. And even if they are playing in harmonied keys, they will still be sharing a crapload of frequencies. You can't just select a frequency band and say, take that one away from track X because it doesn't use it, because chances are, it does to at least some degree; especially if it's a frequency band that's suffocating other instruments as well.

Read this thread which is right on the first page of this forum right now, and you'll see much the same question discussed. Read about the "parametric sweeping" technique talked about in there, and read the article about it that Typhoid linked to. That'll give your tracks more space to "breathe", or as I like to think of it, "play well together", while making each instrument sound cleaner at the same time, all without having to get rid of any of the good stuff.

G.
 
Pay attention to the registers (the part of the audio spectrum) of the instruments as well as their EQing. Example- If you have alot of midrange instruments and vocals in your arrangements playing in the same register, IMO they will be more likely to collide and obscure each other in the mix. By carefully arranging the registration of each element it will help "open up" the sound. EQing is secondary to arranging IMO.
 
As a the post above, I recommend give space to everything, and don't overlayer too many tracks on top of each other, it will be hard to mix in the future.

That's why they use different mic for backvocals, because freq fall in the same pattern as the lead vocal for most part and create clutter
 
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