Outboard EQ with ProTools

[myunrestnoise]

Ok, I'm a newbie so any help will appreciated. So far my when I record, whether it be drums or guitar I have been using the RTAS 4-band EQ in Pro Tools to equalize my tracks. I have a SAMSON 2 channel 30 band EQ that I have been hoping to use some how, but want to know the best way first.

Should I be going through this and EQ'ing certain mics before input in the rack, or should compress the track first, and somehow loop the track using the 30 band? I tried outputting an already recorded track, going through the EQ, and then reinputting it and recording onto another track after I compressed it, it sounded like it worked, but was hard to monitor.


Any suggestions on how to use this thing to its full potential.

 

[DrJones]

Ok, I'm a newbie so any help will appreciated. So far my when I record, whether it be drums or guitar I have been using the RTAS 4-band EQ in Pro Tools to equalize my tracks. I have a SAMSON 2 channel 30 band EQ that I have been hoping to use some how, but want to know the best way first.

Should I be going through this and EQ'ing certain mics before input in the rack, or should compress the track first, and somehow loop the track using the 30 band? I tried outputting an already recorded track, going through the EQ, and then reinputting it and recording onto another track after I compressed it, it sounded like it worked, but was hard to monitor.


Any suggestions on how to use this thing to its full potential.

Yeh I have the perfect use for that EQ! Dont use it for mixing, use it for something a little more important. RTA your control room!!! Artifically tuning your room will allow to mix and to hear what you are mixing correctly.

Untuned room="Bump up the bass I can barely hear it" Put CD in car "MAN! this is way to Bassy"

Tuned room= "WOW this sounds great!" Put CD in car "WOW this sounds great!"


Really though it is very important to RTA your room and it will be easier for you to mix. As far as EQ via RTAS pro tools plugins I like them! In combination with analog EQ from my board( Tascam M2600mkII ) I have no EQ issues at all.

Hope this helps!
Good Luck!

 

[bennychico11]

myunrestnoise-
You need to use hardware inserts. Pro Tools has them. What hardware unit are you using? On the Mbox they are labeled...on the 002 you just use a valid I/O.
Buy a pair of insert cables (or make some). Basically what they are are 1/4" Y cables. You plug the TRS end into the out of the 002 or Mbox, and the TS leads into your hardware unit. The signal loops out pro tools, into EQ, and back into pro tools. Then in the software, under inserts, you choose I/O instead of plugins. Bam! EQ in real time.
Also, make sure you download the new EQs from Digi (it says only 6.7 and higher, but I have it working on 6.4). They're free and much better than the old ones:
http://digidesign.com/news/details.cfm?story_id=3813

DrJones-
take a look over this:
http://ethanwiner.com/acoustics.html

Another common misconception is that equalization can be used to counter the effects of acoustic problems. But since every location in the room responds differently, no single EQ curve can give a flat response everywhere. Over a physical span of just a few inches the frequency response can vary significantly. Even if you aim to correct the response only where you sit, there's a bigger problem: It's impossible to counter very large cancellations. If acoustic interference causes a 25 dB dip at 60 Hz, adding that much boost with an equalizer to compensate will reduce the available volume (headroom) by the same amount. Such an extreme boost will increase low frequency distortion in the loudspeakers too. And at other room locations where 60 Hz is already too loud, applying EQ boost will make the problem much worse. Even if EQ could successfully raise a null, the large high-Q boost needed will create electrical ringing at that frequency. Likewise, EQ cut to reduce a peak will not reduce the peak's acoustic ringing. EQ cannot always help at higher frequencies either. If a room has ringing tones that continue after the sound source stops, EQ might make the ringing a little softer but it will still be present. However, equalization can help a little to tame low frequency peaks (only) caused by natural room resonance, as opposed to peaks and nulls due to acoustic interference, if used in moderation.

 

[slidey]

I use the Q10 from waves & the mcDSP filterbank. Sometimes the filterbanks can make the top end appear really hissy so I tend not to use it on cymbals for instance, I use the digirack 4band EQ most of the time unless I want to make more than 2 parametric shifts...............to be honest I like to get it as close as poss before mixdown, so if I'm tweaking more than 2 parametric parameters I'm slightly unhappy

however I am looking at getting a stereo 31 band graphic, not for my room though as I'm fortunate enough to have a nice sounding four walls

 

[sushi-mon]

myunrestnoise-
You need to use hardware inserts. Pro Tools has them. What hardware unit are you using? On the Mbox they are labeled...on the 002 you just use a valid I/O.
Buy a pair of insert cables (or make some). Basically what they are are 1/4" Y cables. You plug the TRS end into the out of the 002 or Mbox, and the TS leads into your hardware unit. The signal loops out pro tools, into EQ, and back into pro tools. Then in the software, under inserts, you choose I/O instead of plugins. Bam! EQ in real time.
Also, make sure you download the new EQs from Digi (it says only 6.7 and higher, but I have it working on 6.4). They're free and much better than the old ones:
http://digidesign.com/news/details.cfm?story_id=3813

DrJones-
take a look over this:
http://ethanwiner.com/acoustics.html

You learn something everyday, very cool that you can do that with the Mbox 2, the channel insterts. I just got two Presonus EQ3Bs that I will use instead of plug-ins with this method. And some other hardware too.

Only problems I would have to point out here is that you have to do a D/A to go out into the hardware insert then an A/D conversion to get back into Ptulz. Allready after the original A/D from recording the track. So that is 3 conversions.

Probably best to use the insert method going in from your mixer, and do your best job tweaking the hardware before recording. Of course, then you might be trying to undo what you recorded, so there is a trade off.