What exactly does toggling EQ do?

[Quagmire02]

I noticed in Cubase that I have my standard Hi-Mid-and Low EQ knobs, and there are 2 different dials on each nob. One is the type I'm familiar with, and the other modifies the Hz. I don't know what that is....I have just been EQing by ear.

Can someone translate from logic to subjective terms what the Hz knob does, and especially in conjuction with the regular dial. This is partly a technical and partly a mixing inquiry.

Thanks to any who can help....

 

[mshilarious]

I noticed in Cubase that I have my standard Hi-Mid-and Low EQ knobs, and there are 2 different dials on each nob. One is the type I'm familiar with, and the other modifies the Hz. I don't know what that is....I have just been EQing by ear.

Can someone translate from logic to subjective terms what the Hz knob does, and especially in conjuction with the regular dial. This is partly a technical and partly a mixing inquiry.

Thanks to any who can help....

It changes the center frequency of the EQ control. This is called a 'parametric' EQ, and is most commonly found on midrange EQ, although many EQs will be parametric for each control.

Thus it allows you to very accurately select a frequency range to alter.

A third knob sometimes found on parametric EQs is called 'Q'; it controls the width of the EQ control, allowing you to make very broad or narrow spectrum changes.

 

[Quagmire02]

Could you translate that into more subjective terms? How would I EQ a bass drum to get, say, a heavy metal double kick sound? Which frequencies would I alter?

 

[corban]

To put that even a different way, when you boost your high control, it's boosting the high frequencies, which is measured in hertz(hz). If you turn that hz knob, it will change which frequencies are affected when you boost or cut the EQ with the other knob. So you can control which highs you are affecting, maybe you want to turn the really high highs up, or the lower highs. Hope that makes sense.

 

[corban]

ok, or to be specific for double kick your probably want to take out some of the really low stuff below 80 hz and boost something in the 3-4k area to get the click. However, it really depends on the source recording and so you really need to listen. You can boost one EQ all the way and then sweep the frequency to find some real ugly stuff and then take that out. After that find some real nice stuff to accent if necessary.

 

[RhythmRmixd]

If you trying to get more thump out of a kick drum, more of the "meat" of the kick will be around 60 to 80hz, and boost the gain by a few db's, with a somewhat narrow Q. Of course, different transients of the kick will sit in different frequency ranges, with the definition of the kick sitting up high, maybe 1K to 3K. Although many engineers would argue that instead of boosting the EQ gain in desired areas above 0 db, you should actually subtract the EQ in the undesirable areas, so as to not introduce distortion. You'd still be shaping the overall EQ curve the same way, it would just sit lower in the db range. And the real "thump" that you get from kicks would probably come from a combination of EQ and low-end compression. I'm sure that probably sounds confusing at first, but I'd say let your ears guide you, you'll learn from trial and error.

 

[Quagmire02]

Alright thanks. Any recommendations on some good Cubase books? The manual is hardly friendly...

 

[RhythmRmixd]

I'm not sure what specific version of Cubase your using, but this should get you started.

http://www.sweetwater.com/store/detail/CoolSchool7/