looking for EQ advice...

[Hi_Flyer]

I know this is sort of a general question, and I know that questions of this sort are generally met with the "use your ears" and "there is no right answer" responses, but here goes anyway...

Say you have some tracks that just need EQ'ed a little bit make space and fit them in together... Generally, how much do you cut? I've read that cutting more than 3dB is bad -especially when using lower quality digital EQs.

Say for example, you are trying to get a kick and bass guitar to fit together. say there is nothing radically wrong with the way they were tracked, you just want to get them to "fit"... If I am making cuts of more than 3dB, would you say that I'm doing something wrong in order to accomplish this?

I guess part of my question is: How do you define "drastic" when it comes to EQ? With narrow Q settings, its hard for me to hear what a 1dB cut is doing. But then, if I widen the Q I can start to hear it much better... So would you say a 6dB notch with a very narrow Q is "drastic"?

 

[grinder]

For me and my equiptment, anymore than 3-4db of cut or boost and I can really notice the bad side effects of using eq. If it gets to that point I retrack but, that's going by my sub-par ears and equiptment. Also, certain frequencies seem to show the negative side effects of eqing more than others, again that could be just my ears or equiptment.

 

[scrubs]

I wouldn't worry about it quite so much with cuts compared with boosts. If you don't need those frequencies, get rid of them. Be as drastic as you need to be. Your ears will tell you when you've gone too far.

 

[TheDewd]

I wouldn't worry about it quite so much with cuts compared with boosts. If you don't need those frequencies, get rid of them. Be as drastic as you need to be. Your ears will tell you when you've gone too far.

I agree with this. I often use over 20dB of boost (especially on cymbals) to make them sound as lush as they can be. I also cut about 10dB on the bass low mids. And I boost about 12dB above 5k for rhythm guitar sound a la Nickelback.

 

[Hi_Flyer]

wow dewd. uh, that sounds kinda extreme to me... what the hell is in the guitar thats over 5k? other than fizziness and rattiness??

what are the bad side effects that I should be listening for? Because I have never really noticed much as far as weird sound artifacts unless I boost with narrow Q settings... Never really noticed anything with cuts though, even with bigger cuts.

 

[grinder]

wow dewd. uh, that sounds kinda extreme to me... what the hell is in the guitar thats over 5k? other than fizziness and rattiness??

what are the bad side effects that I should be listening for? Because I have never really noticed much as far as weird sound artifacts unless I boost with narrow Q settings... Never really noticed anything with cuts though, even with bigger cuts.

Those are pretty extreme boosts. You might want to try using mics that are better suited to the instrument(more accurate) or even differant instruments that are closer to the sound you are looking for.


Hard to explain the sound of artifacts from eqing. It just doesn't sound right. Kind of phasey, maybe. Try soloing a track and using extreme eqing to hear for yourself.

 

[Reggie]

Well..., sometimes it can sound cool using a high shelf boost above 5K, moving it around until the negative part of the Q or slope or whatever is dipping out the typical fizzyness that CAN be in the 5-7K range. Know what I'm sayin? Can't explain very well in words, but a lot of shelving EQs have a Q control that can give you a dip at the front of your shelf boost. Kind of rebalances the effects of the boost or something. You get some brightness, and at the same time kill some harshness.
I think Slipperman is a big fan of this too.

 

[TheDewd]

wow dewd. uh, that sounds kinda extreme to me... what the hell is in the guitar thats over 5k? other than fizziness and rattiness??

Grind and grit. I don't boost when I use my miked Mesa, but I boost when I use the POD, cause it sounds better with a little bit of top end grit and agressivity.