{"id":419,"date":"2016-04-12T09:29:00","date_gmt":"2016-04-12T09:29:00","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/box5722.temp.domains\/~audioor1\/5-eq-tricks-you-should-know\/"},"modified":"2018-12-11T18:02:56","modified_gmt":"2018-12-11T18:02:56","slug":"5-eq-tricks-you-should-know","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/audioordeal.co.uk\/5-eq-tricks-you-should-know\/","title":{"rendered":"5 EQ Tricks You Should Know"},"content":{"rendered":"
If there is one effect that is more important to nail than the rest, it would be EQ<\/a>. By mastering the use of an EQ, you will have an incredible control over your mix. EQ has been used for a long time and its use, as both a creative and a repair tool, has merited it’s place on pretty much every recorded track ever. Here are some tricks which will help you use an EQ plugin to its fullest.<\/span> Unless processing power is a massive issue, there are several benefits to having an EQ set on each track. Even if the track itself doesn’t have any need of EQ’ing, the benefits are still present. For instance, many EQs have a real time analyser built in them which allow you to view the intensity of each frequency. This is really useful if you want to see what frequencies are taken up and where.<\/span> Struggling to know what frequencies are causing you issues? Well first have a little look at and EQ cheat sheet:<\/span><\/p>\n
<\/span><\/p>\n 1. Open Up an EQ on Every Track<\/span><\/h3>\n
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<\/span>If you want to make room for a certain instrument, you will need to see it’s main frequencies. This could be done on any analyser, but each one will use a different scale. You may as well stick to the same scale and put the EQ on both tracks.<\/span>
<\/span>Like in the image above, you can see exactly where the peaks of one track are and so it is easy to dip those exact points in the EQ of another track.<\/span>
<\/span>Finally, if you plan on using EQ on every track, it makes sense to set them for when you need them. Especially if you are going to…<\/span>
<\/span><\/p>\n 2. High-pass Everything<\/span><\/h3>\n
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<\/span><\/p>\n 3. Sandwich a Compressor Between EQs<\/span><\/h3>\n
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<\/span><\/p>\n 4. Ring out the Frequencies<\/span><\/h3>\n
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<\/span>As you sweep up the frequency ranges, you will hear some harsh frequencies. These are the ones to focus on first. Bring them down a few dB and make a new band with the same settings.<\/span>
<\/span>Rinse and repeat until you have tamed all the nasty noises. A few things to look out for are the frequencies which hurt, the ones that make the voice sound like it’s going through a phone, the sudden resonances (often heard in female vocals), and anything that muddies up the mix.<\/span>
<\/span>Remember you don’t have to mute these frequencies, as the reason they hurt is because you turned them up in the first place. But if your song is destined to be played in a loud venue, they are the frequencies you want to be turned down.<\/span>
<\/span>Not every frequency has to be turned down. In fact I like to do the opposite too where instead of boosting frequencies and sweeping, I remove them and sweep.<\/span>
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<\/span>This shows which frequencies are really necessary for the body of the sound. And once you’ve identified them, try boosting and seeing whether it improves the sound. I like to make it a loose rule that you should always subtract bands the same amount or more than you boost them. That way you aren’t adding a ton of gain as you go through your signal chain.<\/span>
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<\/span><\/p>\n 5. Automate the EQ<\/span><\/h3>\n
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