Say it with me...Parametric Equalizer.

[boingoman]

1- fixed Q means that you will never be able to truly clean those annoying frequencies that can clutter your mix.

when you add (boost) you add frequencies, noise, distortion etc. That means that you add trash over the sound.

if you subtract (cut) then there is a filter that will subtract that frequency (ies) which mean it is not adding "trash" over your sound but actually cleans it out.

My friend the witch doctor he told me what to say
He told me
ooh eee ooh aah aah
ting tang walla walla bing bang

 

[boingoman]

In fact a very good learning tool because of the fact you can see the adjustments made to the Q etc.

Just so long as you understand that the pretty little picture isn't really what's happening to your signal. It just shows how the eq is set. To really see what a particular setting is doing to your signal you have to run a before and after with an analyzer. It's something to keep in mind when comparing eqs. I've found that many times if one eq sounds better than another with the same settings, their actual outputs are different enough to account for a lot of why one might sound better than another. If two different eqs are set so their outputs match instead of their front panel settings, it's a much better comparison. You can hear how each eq affects the sound when they are essentially doing the same thing.

Here is a link to a graphic eq shootout set up by Mike Allen and Bink Knowles of ProSoundWeb. They assembled a bunch of the most common graphic eqs in use and put them to the test. From the results it's easy to see that the actual output of each unit can vary widely from the front panel settings. The list to the left marked "flat pink", "death to 100" etc. link to Smaart screenshots of output and phase for each eq at each setting.

http://www.roaddog.com/bink/geq_bench.php

 

[Freudian Slip]

Just so long as you understand that the pretty little picture isn't really what's happening to your signal. It just shows how the eq is set.

I would hope people would be at least that intelligent.

It would be cool to have a parametric plug with a pre & post analizer built in.

I will throw one on the master once in a while for kicks, but I tend just to use my ears.

F.S.

 

[MOFO Pro]

I would hope people would be at least that intelligent.

It would be cool to have a parametric plug with a pre & post analizer built in.

I will throw one on the master once in a while for kicks, but I tend just to use my ears.

F.S.

you can do that now... you just wind up dealing with three plug-in instances.

 

[boingoman]

I would hope people would be at least that intelligent.

You are more hopeful than I am. But then, I meet a lot of recording school graduates, it wears me down.

 

[brendandwyer]

Great addition dementedchord. Thanks for talking some about "Q", anybody else want to add their knowledge/tips?

if i don't know what frequency or width i'm after, but i know it's a cut, i'll fully cut the dB down, and then sweep the frequency. Then when i find it, i'll mess with the width until it's right.

 

[Freudian Slip]

You are more hopeful than I am. But then, I meet a lot of recording school graduates, it wears me down.

That's just sad

F.S.

 

[Steve Henningsgard]

That's just sad

F.S.

I'll bet they know every fucking short-cut in Pro Tools though! And isn't that what really matters?

 

[boingoman]

I'll bet they know every fucking short-cut in Pro Tools though! And isn't that what really matters?

Heh. "I'm Protools certified". I could go a long time without hearing that again. To be fair, I've also worked with some great grads.

 

[Freudian Slip]

Hey I am Sonar certified!. Do I get a cookie or something?

I wish someone else would start a free certification program for their software just for shits and grins.

Put a big test online and send a certificate out to those who pass and own thier software. Hell I'm going to make up my own certificate and have my uncle sign it and put it on the wall. People will surely throw thier money at me then!

My nieghbor was going to open a protools studio and he said he was going to florida to get certified. I asked him if he was looking for an engenier. He said him and his partner would do it. Two people who aren't even fit to be assistants! I had to wonder what the hell pro tools told them they would get out of thier certification program, or if they just thought all you needed was the ability to push the right button here and there. I was invited to go to florida with them and declined.

F.S.

 

[vadoom]

Oh, come on! You could at least enjoy the beaches...


well... and large hairy spiders...

 

[Freudian Slip]

Oh, come on! You could at least enjoy the beaches...


well... and large hairy spiders...

I've been there it was nice except for the flash flood like rain showers
Seemed strange to go somewhere that they advertise wet toilet paper I thought the stuff must be some new product they where advertising the hell out of, having never seen it before. Then I realized that it was a Florida thing and that I would never see the likes of moist toilet paper in my low humidity home state of Oregon.

Leave it to my butt crack to get a case of culture shock Let's hope that's the worst culture shock it ever gets

F.S.

 

[groovyisland]

scoop the high mids???

??????????????

really?

i go for the lows and low mids

the mud range

dont the high mids tend to work themselves out?

i try to eq with mic placement and i dont like to run my signal thru unneccesary processors

i tend to boost the high mids on cymbals if i want to bring them up

that said, parametric and paragraphic eq's are primary soundshaping tools

those and a little reverb are all you really need. then delay.