Sculpting the high end

[Tiger_]

Im working on my mixes...I finished recording all the parts a few weeks ago and after a break of listening to them Im sitting down to try and get them going.

My mixes are solid and balanced, I like them, but they dont...shimmer? They arent bright, crisp.

I do not want to just arbitrarily boost the high end of my mix. So I have two questions that I'd like to be able to transfer to/try with a parametric EQ:

1. What are some of the highs that I do NOT want to boost, problem areas, and can you please explain why for them?

2. What are some of the highs that I probably DO want to boost, and why?


Thanks in advance.


EDIT: Oh...I just realized this may not be the best forum for this, I apoligise.

 

[tubedude]

Its kind of best to try to grab the sparkle during tracking. I've noticed that people that have access to a very good high end EQ get much better sparkle out of them than say, someone with a plug-in EQ. Wish I had one. Beware the 2000hz range for sure.

 

[chessrock]

1. What are some of the highs that I do NOT want to boost, problem areas, and can you please explain why for them?

Any areas that make it sound bad.

2. What are some of the highs that I probably DO want to boost, and why?

Any that make it sound good.

 

[SouthSIDE Glen]

Its kind of best to try to grab the sparkle during tracking. I've noticed that people that have access to a very good high end EQ get much better sparkle out of them than say, someone with a plug-in EQ.

Tubedude has it pretty spot on with thiis one. You can't accentuate what's not there in the recording to begin with, and this is especially true with the high freq stuff.

If possible, the very best solution is to get that "sparkle" in the tracking as good as possible via mic selection and placement. Additional points in the signal chain to consider are the mic preamp and the A/D converter, each of which, if of dubious performance, can throw a shroud over one's sparkle that even the best EQ can not remove.

But that's not the answer you're looking for, is it? You want to get the best you can out of your current tracks...

Take a channel of parametric EQ set very narrow and boost the gain 6-10dB. Then slowly sweep the center freq across the entire spectrum while playing back an individual track. Listen for two things:

First, if a frequency really jumps out more than the others - if it really honks or bleats or otherwise resonates - when you pass the paraEQ over it, that frequency is a strong candidate for an EQ cut of a couple of dB. Sometimes "sparkle" is there, but it's just hidden because a track is covered in "mud". This sweep is a great way to identify those mud-covering frequencies. Do this across the whole spectrum, BTW, not just the HF stuff. Mud can come from all directions.

Second, listen for the HFs that seem to have the character or timbre of "sparkle" that you're looking for. Those frequencies may be candidates for boost by a dB or two. Be careful about over-boosting, though, be gentle with your EQ. When you get above 2K, a dB or two can make a world of difference.

If you feel you have to boost a particular frequeny more than a few dB, try instead boosting its harmonics. For example, let's say you want to boost 3600kHz, but it sounds like you want to boost it 5dB. Try instead boosting it 2 or 3 dB and also applying a 1-1.5 dB boost at 7200kHz and maybe even a slight nudge at 14.4k. This sam principle can apply to cuts as well.

HTH,

G.

 

[NashBackslash]

For example, let's say you want to boost 3600kHz, but it sounds like you want to boost it 5dB. Try instead boosting it 2 or 3 dB and also applying a 1-1.5 dB boost at 7200kHz and maybe even a slight nudge at 14.4k. This sam principle can apply to cuts as well.

Sorry to barge in here, but how would I know the harmonic frequency? In your example, you wrote 3600 kHz and 7200 kHz. How did you get 7200 kHz?

Sorry for the n00b question.

 

[giraffe]

Sorry to barge in here, but how would I know the harmonic frequency? In your example, you wrote 3600 kHz and 7200 kHz. How did you get 7200 kHz?

Sorry for the n00b question.

3600*2=7200

 

[reshp1]

Sorry to barge in here, but how would I know the harmonic frequency? In your example, you wrote 3600 kHz and 7200 kHz. How did you get 7200 kHz?

Sorry for the n00b question.

Harmonics are multiples of the fundamental frequency. So 7.2 kHz is the 2nd harmonic of 3.2 kHz