Thursday, February 27, 2014

How To EQ – Mixing and Mastering - CDSoundMaster.com – 12 EQ Issues Part 7


Audio Recording Issues – Actual notes that are out of balance Part 3

Sometimes, it is hard to put your finger on what you don't like in a mix. What do you do when you have a good mix, and the notes and balance all seem to be working well, but there is something about a particular instrument that still bugs you. The tone is nice, the amp is good, the reverb matches the song, the vocals are good, but something on a particular instrument just doesn't have the right feel. There is a chance that the problem isn't with any primary target notes, but rather may have something you are unhappy with in the instrument's overtones.

If the EQ balance is good and you like the instrument's tone, it is possible that it is resonating with the room or its own sustain cavity, or other characteristics, in such a way that the overtones are not a good match to the primary performance. This can mean that harmonics are being generated in the musical performance that are not flattering to the fundamental notes. Once again, you can use an EQ with a narrow band to boost and sweep through Frequencies to listen to the upper harmonics and listen for things that do not sit well with you. You can start a sweep in the upper mids and listen carefully for Frequencies that are linked to the instrument in question. You may have anything from guitar to vocal to keys before getting into the cymbals and higher Frequencies. These tones can bounce around and interfere with the energy and even rhythm of a song. Usually, with all things chosen carefully, you will be able to focus on the offending Frequencies without having to remove something that you like from other elements in the mix.

I briefly touched upon this in the last post as well, but I have a technique that often resolves certain issues if I find that removing a narrow specific issue causes something else to go off balance. By removing a very small amount of a narrow frequency, I can load a medium "Q" EQ and boost as little as 1/2 the same dB's as were cut. You can try this using the same center Frequency or slightly lower or higher, but you will hear what I am sharing if you give it a try. For example, let's say that you have an extremely powerful rhythm guitar track that sounds amazing and lively through the entire song. However, whenever it reaches a certain note, let's say in the upper mids, it overlaps with some of the character of the room's ambient sound. This room is well-tuned, and it does not have an issue with standing waves or suffer from being completely out of balance. The fact is, that location, direction, and power and other characteristics can push certain Frequencies against an ambient reflection and the perfect mic preamp and perfect mic position will capture a spike where there were no physical anomalies. People in the industry and in music science have denied this for years, but I have studied this in detail and found that there is more to do with angled walls and standing waves than what we resolve on paper.

The truth is that surface response and reflection have so much more to do with what the end result will be, than certain architectural and simplified reflective factors. So, you find yourself in a spot, because you have an amazing performance, in the perfect room, with the amp in the exact place you want with the ideal recording chain. Everything came out great, but the energy gets so strong in that upper mid register that it now has to be dealt with. You were blown away by the power when recorded and mixed, but now that the song has made it off to the Mastering Engineer, you realize for the first time that note is an issue. By slightly reducing a narrow band that catches the problem, and boosting a slightly wider "Q" at the same spot, you end up reducing an extremely small amount of data and detail in the mix, and soften the blow for surround frequencies not to lose their relationship to the complex harmonics that tell your brain that something sounds good and real and natural. What is even more interesting, is that you will be surprised just how much difference comes from the individual personality of each individual EQ. I cannot tell you how many times I have been thankful for Nebula Pro technology and my time given to translating my favorite EQ's.

You can listen to a single track and make some EQ changes and love the sound, but in a critical situation, seemingly identical band widths and shapes can sound absolutely, completely different from each other. I welcome the description of technical devices in creative terms. Some engineers despise this, and I think it is why they will always see only a very narrow and inaccurate part of the musical picture. The absolute truth is that sound has certain amazing qualities that will always exist slightly beyond our reach. Our quest in capturing the beauty of these things and analyzing the science that brings us closer to understanding sound does not offer an answer for every musical quality in the equipment we use.

I highly recommend trying certain needed surgical problem-solving processes with a few different EQ's and listen to how varied the results can be. You will love the learning process, or at the very least you will appreciate how small measures of individuality in EQ design bring you results that affect your music in ways you never would have thought of. At some point you can become an expert at predicting these variances ahead of time, and this palette of EQ's will become the artist's favorite tubes of paint!. Give these things a try before committing a track to your next mix. You will be surprised how well this can work!

http://CDSoundMaster.com

Monday, February 24, 2014

How To EQ – Mixing and Mastering - CDSoundMaster.com – 12 EQ Issues Part 6

Audio Recording Issues – Actual notes that are out of balance Part 2

You can use a narrow band Equalizer to control specific notes that are out of control. This could involve increasing the volume where a specific note is too quiet, or lowering the volume if the note stands out. If the Frequency shares too many other elements of the sound in the mix with ambient sound, volume balance, other instruments, reverb, etc., then it affect which approach that works best. You may want to combine EQ with minimal band-limiting. In some cases, we can level out the balance in a mix by making very small changes in slightly wider band "Q" widths instead of honing in just on a single note. In the same situation where a low note on a bass guitar is jumping out too loud, let's assume that the kick is using this same EQ to accentuate the power of the kick's attack.

It may be possible to lower the thin narrow "Q" on this note by a very small amount, and then apply a wider "Q" eq just above, below, or centered on the same note, to revive the low end energy coming from the kick and other mix elements. This can work if the qualities in the low end are consistent with the song. But, if the rest of the low Frequencies come across mushy or too bold, this technique may not work. Another option is to slightly reduce the offending note,and use a stereo signal control. You may find that you can reduce the detail in this frequency by narrowing just the Frequency to center, mono, or simply less stereo information. This does not mean reducing the stereo signal of the entire mix, but only the note that is jumping out too much. This requires a stereo plug-in that is capable of adjusting specific Frequencies.

If it is only coming from a single instrument panned center, then this may not work. The goal is to know the combination of elements that may balance out the primary issue in mastering. By controlling the note itself and considering the balance with other instruments, using an EQ and a band-limiting compressor/limiter, you can tighten up the mix and even increase the potential volume of the mix to balance better with the volume of other songs in the same project. Narrow band EQ is a huge benefit to bringing these details into the proper context and focus.

Wednesday, February 19, 2014

How To EQ – Mixing and Mastering - CDSoundMaster.com – 12 EQ Issues Part 5

Audio Recording Issues – Actual notes that are out of balance Part 1

Not everyone is aware that Equalizers can be used to affect the actual notes of an instrument, and not just the tone, hum, or noise of a track. The notes of a scale all have an equivalent Frequency range. This idea is similar to the way that radio Frequencies are transmitted. Each individual Frequency represents a sound that is a separate pitch from all other Frequencies.

With a wide "Q", meaning that the shape of the EQ starts at a center Frequency and extends a large amount below and above the given Frequency, an EQ will usually cover overlapping notes in a scale. But, with a narrow "Q", you can focus in on a single note. It is not as easy as literally manipulating each individual note on a track or an instrument in a mix. Musical notes are expressed in complex combinations, each of which is completely unique to the instrument being played. We can express a note in terms of attack, swell, sustain, decay, and many other expressions. A note with a fast attack may start with an articulated pitch and, if left to sustain, may resolve to a steady tone that is more accurate to the note played, depending on the instrument. The note itself can carry multiple overtones that are expressed as harmonics. These fluctuate with the instrument, materials, performance, and sustain and attack factors as well. The way that a note is played therefore affects how much we hear of the primary note and its harmonics, and whether there is natural fluctuation in this combination. A note from an instrument usually also carries natural ambient sound from the instrument itself, along with its environment. Even in close, direct miking, we hear things like the vibration of a wood cavity on an acoustic guitar or the hum of a string. With information coming in from anywhere a waveform can travel and bounce off of a surface, it presents a new complex abstraction of the original note.

With rooms, the note can become more scattered, with the timing spread all over the environment, and the actual sonic qualities of the room itself can stray from the primary root note. These are just a few of the factors that can affect the use of Equalizers, so you should always listen for the qualities that accompany a note and performance when making a corrective adjustment. What do you do if you have a final mix that is ready to send to the Mastering Engineer, who notices that the bass player had a couple of strings out of tune? Your song has already been mixed down and everything sounds great. But, you didn't really notice that there were a few sagging notes coming from the bass guitar. It is possible to sweep a narrow EQ and isolate the offending note, or notes.

There are many options for this scenario. Since the song is mixed, you are not likely to make a pitch adjustment that doesn't affect the other instruments in the mix, and this can be damaging to ambient sound and stereo detail to the rest of the mix as well. But, you can lessen the blow by gently reducing the volume of the offending notes. Sweep the Frequency of your narrow band EQ, place a limiter on the end of your mastering chain, and boost the EQ so that it will resonate when it hits the note being played. You can use a low quality digital Equalizer for sweeping the signal, as it is easier to hear the resonance of a bad note with a straight forward EQ, where a high end EQ will resonate better and more subtly on the same note. When I work with a situation like this in mastering, I tend to use a basic digital EQ to find the note I want to reduce, and then I will switch to my "Mastering Suite" Nebula Pro narrow band EQ to reduce the signal by a few dB.

I only make the adjustment for the duration of the note at each passage, and only when it is the most obtrusive. This technique is even more effective when used for a note that is on the correct pitch, but is simply too loud. Once again, you don't want to upset the balance of things like ambient sound and other overlapping Frequency qualities, but if a certain note stands out it may affect the volume and balance of the entire track. The question becomes whether something else is prominent in the same range. Do you have a bass guitar note that is louder than the rest of the performance, but also have a kick drum that uses the same Frequency or pitch?

You may want to EQ only at certain passages or to use less dB reduction to avoid weakening the kick drum. What about ambient sound from a well-recorded guitar or other mix elements that share this part of the lower register? You don't want to harm the mix by trying to fix a single element within it. Another option is to identify the note or Frequency and also use a multi-band limiter to slightly compress and reduce the same Frequency. This is the idea behind using Equalizers to help deal with individual notes that are out of balance.

http://CDSoundMaster.com

Sunday, February 16, 2014

How To EQ – Mixing and Mastering - CDSoundMaster.com – 12 EQ Issues Part 4


Audio Recording Issues – The Right EQ for the Job Part 2

In the past, I have mentioned that the ideal mastering session ends after a second pass listening test, where the best EQ choice was not using anything at all. Despite being true, it also drives home the point that when you have a great sounding record, you don't want to get in the way if you need to make a few subtle EQ adjustments. If everything sounds solid at the mastering stage but there are just a couple of tweaks needed, then use the EQ that accomplishes the tasks without changing the personality. This is not the time for the most colorful EQ, but a musical high end mastering EQ may work well. If using something in the super-clean mastering EQ camp, you also don't want to choose something that can sometimes sound thin or clean 'in the wrong way'.

Another saying involves passing the buck; where a track needs to be re-recorded, but "we can fix it in the mix". Then, when it affects the mix, "we can fix it in the master". Then, at that stage, with the problem buried deep and poor decisions and over-corrections, we give up to say "they'll never know the difference.” The final result is the sum of all parts that come before it. A great bass track should start with a great player, instrument, strings, tuning, amp, mic, preamp, room, and choice in tracking. All things that make up the original sound should be well-defined and well-designed. The same holds true if using a keyboard, VSTi, samples, loops, etc. If the sources are chosen well, there is still a good chance you are going to use some EQ through the mix process.

There are good reasons for doing so even with great tracking and all the requirements above being met. This is where we have the creative options of the mix engineer and producer, and anyone who chooses to be involved in the creative and technical shaping of the song. Before making the signature artistic statement, try to identify things that need fixing. Whether you need a surgical EQ or a personality EQ, make sure that the tools you reach for are an extension of your own thinking. For my own work, I think of this in terms of equipment that "hears things the way that I hear them.”

How To EQ – Mixing and Mastering - CDSoundMaster.com – 12 EQ Issues Part 4

Audio Recording Issues – The Right EQ for the Job Part 2

In the past, I have mentioned that the ideal mastering session ends after a second pass listening test, where the best EQ choice was not using anything at all. Despite being true, it also drives home the point that when you have a great sounding record, you don't want to get in the way if you need to make a few subtle EQ adjustments. If everything sounds solid at the mastering stage but there are just a couple of tweaks needed, then use the EQ that accomplishes the tasks without changing the personality. This is not the time for the most colorful EQ, but a musical high end mastering EQ may work well. If using something in the super-clean mastering EQ camp, you also don't want to choose something that can sometimes sound thin or clean 'in the wrong way'.

Another saying involves passing the buck; where a track needs to be re-recorded, but "we can fix it in the mix". Then, when it affects the mix, "we can fix it in the master". Then, at that stage, with the problem buried deep and poor decisions and over-corrections, we give up to say "they'll never know the difference.” The final result is the sum of all parts that come before it. A great bass track should start with a great player, instrument, strings, tuning, amp, mic, preamp, room, and choice in tracking. All things that make up the original sound should be well-defined and well-designed. The same holds true if using a keyboard, VSTi, samples, loops, etc. If the sources are chosen well, there is still a good chance you are going to use some EQ through the mix process.

There are good reasons for doing so even with great tracking and all the requirements above being met. This is where we have the creative options of the mix engineer and producer, and anyone who chooses to be involved in the creative and technical shaping of the song. Before making the signature artistic statement, try to identify things that need fixing. Whether you need a surgical EQ or a personality EQ, make sure that the tools you reach for are an extension of your own thinking. For my own work, I think of this in terms of equipment that "hears things the way that I hear them.”

Thursday, February 13, 2014

How To EQ – Mixing and Mastering - CDSoundMaster.com – 12 EQ Issues Part 3

Audio Recording Issues – The Right EQ for the Job Part 1

Our goal with these 12 scenarios that require EQ starts with being able to address the “what” of the situation first. Before we can do anything, we need to know what the issue is, and then address this with the best tool. In this process, we look at the EQ as a wide range of utilitarian possibilities. The way one engineer can find a way to add sweetening to the highs and another might know how to get low's that no one else could achieve, proves the complexities of creativity and utilitarian skill.

Since this is about the use of Equalizer's strictly for making corrections as opposed to using EQ's for the sheer joy of coloration (which will surely come up!), we start by recognizing that there is something in the program material that needs adjusting. Take a few moments and let this sink in. There are times in our lives that things can have a profound effect on us, and I think this basic concept can mold an entire career.

The desire to reach for a great EQ program should be a direct response to something specific, or the capacity for doing something regretful to a track is greatly increased. When mixing a song, don't just jump to a device that is easy to use and start doing what comes naturally or what you were taught. Listen. Trust your instincts, but don't react out of habit, and don't just make EQ choices based on what someone taught you. There are times that boosting can sound better than cutting, and there are times where we get further by taking something away from an offending track than trying to boost it on another track. So, with corrective EQ, don't reach for your EQ choice before you've started listening to the things that need correcting. It is true that even incredible mixes might be 99% there, and a great mastering might involve a very picky 1%, but don't over-correct out of a need to do something or to justify your EQ arsenal.

Every tool truly has its time and place, and that doesn't have to be every session. To skim the surface with broad strokes, you want to choose the right EQ to work with each individual track as opposed to a bus group, or a bass guitar versus acoustic guitar, for mixdown versus mastering. With dozens of choices of inductor EQ's, channel strips, high voltage tube mastering EQ's, solid state op-amp EQ's, with and without transformers and more, how do we develop the instinct for the right tool for the job?

http://cdsoundmaster.com

Tuesday, February 11, 2014

How To EQ – Mixing and Mastering - CDSoundMaster.com – 12 EQ Issues Part 2

Audio Recording Issues – Introduction Part Two

In every scenario we face in audio recording, mixing, and mastering, we find ourselves reaching for different tools from our audio arsenal. We have the choice of precise EQ's and musical EQ's, digital EQ's and analog EQ's, Mix, Outboard, Console, Mastering, Graphic, Parametric EQ's. It seems that the more situations that come up in the process, the more categories and modes of Equalization we can turn to.

In as many options we have available, we also find that it often pays off to use these EQ's in ways that they were not necessarily designed for. We also find that a great EQ tends to be great in many situations beyond its typical scope. Even the most flexible EQ has a personality all its own, and the most precise EQ has a personality, even in cases where we find it hard to measure where that character comes from.

Of all the tools we use when dealing specifically with Equalization, there is nothing in today's technology that can remotely come close in importance to the human ear and its interaction with the human mind. Sure, we live in the technology age, and we face the future of possibilities with every passing day. We live in a world of exponential growth in information and the development of new integrated systems of technological implementation. Some areas are good and some threaten elements of society and careers that have stood the test of time, and perhaps are best left to their own advancements.

One thing is for certain, as long as music has been created to be listened to and enjoyed by human beings, the ear will continue to be the greatest invention for the listening process. Enhancements, technology, new pioneers in future developments will come and go, and the future will bring inventions that will seem to antiquate even the greatest traditional human achievements, but even science will agree, for a time, that the most logical and direct process tends to be the most accurate. In this case, billions of people throughout our human history has had healthy pairs of ears, and although these vary in size, accuracy, sensitivity, and in the transformation from youth to later years, we see a common thread of what tends to be enjoyable to the human ear. This is not to say that the construction of the human ear lends itself to a single pathway of musical genres and constructions that are all the same, in fact the brain and one's human experience tends to give just as much feedback into the enjoyment of listening than any physical characteristics. But, we tend to notice the extreme cases under similar projections.

The majority of listeners tend to find the scratch of fingernails on a chalk board as a painful listening experience, the roar of a passing siren as painful and resonant in our brain, a passing train as noisy and disruptive. A loud clap, firework, or gunshot might make any of us leap, startled and perplexed. Likewise, regardless of preferences in music style, we might commonly find the repetition of a bubbling brook pleasant, or a beautiful chamber work from well-seasoned string players enjoyable to hear, even if it does not fall into our library of personal favorites. Our ears can tell us that something sounds good even if we don't particularly like it. For example, someone may loath the chaotic, non-traditional vocal stylings of an edgy punk rocker. The same band may have intentionally chosen a guitarist who's sonic palette is coarse and challenging on the ears. Even so, an Audio Engineer may also be able to dislike the style and be able to hear that excellent production choices have been made. The voice may not be their cup of tea, but they may be able to ascertain that the distance to the mic is a great choice, and the clarity and Frequency balance make for the proper artistic statement. That guitar may offend their musical sensibilities, but the off-axis classic recording technique may be the perfect choice for the album, and the Audio Engineer may be able to easily recognize this, despite their personal taste. This holds true for any music style and any devoted professional, or aspiring, pair of ears. This is the wonderful interaction between the natural human listening apparatus and the brain that has been designed to make use of them.

Between the mind and the ears, we have technical messages sent and received, but also we have personality, learning, concentration, focus, and decision making that can become so complex, it is a wonder of remarkable ingenuity in itself. Why am I going on about the human ear and the human mind? This seems to be the perfect place to mention such a thing. We are entering into a deep analysis of 12 scenarios that come up in the tracking, mixing, and mastering process. The greatest tools in the world will fail us, as human beings, if we do not use them in their best context, and especially if we allow these tools to rule over us instead of the vice versa.

The human ear has a remarkable ability to recognize extremely small variations in volume and harmonics. The way that electronic gain-staging affects the analog qualities of an EQ are additive and combine with the "Q" width, the actual shape of the EQ, and the amount of boost or cut. The energy of the EQ fluctuates depending on the material being fed and every setting. We find that having several primary tools allows us to choose a specific character that matches the instrument, mix, or bus group. EQ's that use transformers tend to have an added dimension of weightiness to the sound. While they help to balance and float the signal and to keep things clean and low in noise, they also add a certain thickness and tone from subtle to recognizable. With heavier inputs, the transformer can be driven into intentional harmonics.

These play a role in affecting the personality of the EQ filters. Low Frequencies carry a long waveform and can be a larger challenge to keep absolutely clean without pushing the amplification ceiling into slight distortion. When combined with transformers, this can gently compress signals while also adjusting their frequency, giving a wide sonic palette to work from even with a single device. The Op-Amp, Tube, Transistor; they all play a role in treating the sound in a unique colorful way, where transformerless devices have the potential to react in a more transparent manner, they can lead to more audible artifacts in the EQ filters themselves, where caps and transistors interact with specific Frequencies as well. All of these factors work together to affect the analog nature of sound, and this is what we are working with when providing you with a new EQ product, whether for Nebula Pro or as a stand-alone audio plug-in. These are all factors to remember when choosing the eq that is right for the specific task at hand. Remember that these elements have an affect on the signal just as the shape and type of EQ also have an affect. Whether you need a surgical EQ or a personality EQ, you want to have at least a couple of favorite "go-to" options that shape the sound the way you want to hear it. For my own work, I think of this in terms of equipment that "hears things the way that I hear them.”

Monday, February 10, 2014

How To EQ – Mixing and Mastering - CDSoundMaster.com – 12 EQ Issues Part 1

Audio Recording Issues – Introduction Part One

The topic for this series of Posts is about specific audio recording issues that commonly come up in the tracking, mixing, and mastering processes. The Audio Engineer often plays a combination of these roles in the chain, or may specialize in a niche position.

I have addressed an outline of 5 specific types of Equalizers and how they are used in daily tracking, mixing, and mastering. I followed this with covering 10 common EQ modes that we work with under these 5 categories of EQ designs, both in analog and in digital domains.

Now, I would like to break this down into a process of analyzing 12 specific scenarios that we face, with a groundwork provided of EQ types and EQ modes. What situations arise that call for us to be the EQ Artisan, making creative decisions, and when do we run into EQ emergencies that call for an EQ surgeon? Although the situations are ongoing and extremely expansive, I have outlined 12 specific scenarios that I think are interesting to discuss at length. I began this topic throughout my 2013 Blogging year, but as many of you know, it has been an incredibly eventful year for audio recording, including releases and updates that CDSoundMaster has taken part in with Acustica Audio, like the Cooltec EQP-1 Audio Plug-In that we are so proud of, and our independent Nebula Pro libraries that we believe are among the world's finest audio processing options available today. Needless to say, my Blogging has been unsteady, and has shifted topics many times throughout the year as a result.

So, I am going to begin this topic fresh, uninterrupted, and I hope that it serves as an informative tool for you. As I have stated in the past, we use tools in order to leave a creative mark on our work. We define our artistic decisions with the hope that they provide a signature, whether it is a strong artistic statement or the decision to always remain true to the song or music style. Productions are approached in so many different ways, and every choice can have a profound effect on tracking, mixing, and mastering.

Regardless of your approach, you want to be sure to identify key factors in making improvements to your mix. The following is list of scenarios that call for important EQ decision making in tracking, mixes and mastering:

1. Actual notes that are out of balance.

2. Overtones that overstay their welcome

3. It sounds great on its own, but...

4. Nice sound when tracking, but way too much "-----" when blending parts together

5. Multiple mic's setup to track the same instrument and need the right balancing together

6. Two birds, one stone

7. Separation or glue

8. Overlap in the mix causing unwanted frequency bumps

9. Compressing and limiting changed something that needs to be fixed

10. What happened to my stereo field?

11. Comb what?

12. Making it stand out or bringing it all together

These processes come up all the time in music production. Every Audio Engineer has their own approach to address these situations. There are also Producers, Engineers, and others involved in the recording industry that have not run into these issues, or have not been equipped to handle them. Addressing these situations can show the myriad of scenarios to help prepare those that have never run into them, are lost as to how to handle them, and also those that are well-trained, but may be looking to broaden their experience and offer more ways of approaching the same situations. This is also about showing how the mastering process can lend information to the Mixing Engineer, providing ideas about how to better prepare recording sessions for a successful outcome.

Thursday, February 6, 2014

How to EQ – 10 Equalizer Modes – Part Eleven - CDSoundMaster.com

Audio Recording with Equalizers – 10 Equalizer Modes – Part Eleven – Graphic or Parametric EQ

The final Equalization modes that I would like to discuss are Graphic and Parametric EQ's. These are two different modes, but since they are the two primary choices of EQ design that the user will choose between, I wish to close in a combined discussion on these modes. There are other EQ's, like Paragraphic among others, but Graphic EQ and Parametric EQ are the two predominant operation modes. You can technically design an analog Graphic EQ and Parametric EQ using the same basic signal path, and therefore with the same sonic integrity and character. However, they provide a noticeably different range of possibilities.

The Graphic EQ is defined by having multiple fixed Frequencies, each with their individual Gain, all available at the same time. We see these everywhere from live sound installations to car stereos and home stereos. Because the Graphic EQ is used so commonly in many scenarios outside of the studio, some people make the mistake of thinking that it is not meant to be used in the studio at all. In some ways, we truly tend to under-use the Graphic EQ. It is largely because the Parametric EQ was such a radical invention at the time it was developed, that it become the norm in most EQ designs. For the Console EQ, Parametric makes perfect sense, because the user can be provided a lot of flexibility in a small linear space, where a Graphic EQ on every channel would take a lot more space. For Outboard Equalizers, we often see the Graphic EQ being used to control the balance of the outputs in a given room, to EQ the speakers themselves, or for monitoring in multiple scenarios. Many live mix Consoles will have a Graphic EQ on the main output, which perpetuates the belief that Graphic EQ is not used in typical tracking, mixing, or mastering.

The reality is that the best sounding Graphic EQ's can be an incredible mixing tool, and although they are almost never used as such, they can be incredible for Mastering as well. In general the Graphic EQ tends to provide each EQ Band at the same precise width, with one Band backed up to the next. Since each band controls its own independent EQ with the same amount of boost and cut Gain, you can sculpt the entire output spectrum with individual control. With a Parametric EQ, you have various individual modes that help shape the output and the Band EQ's can be used in a flexible manner that we will not find in a Graphic EQ, but in the case of the Graphic EQ, we can add and subtract exactly the amount that we wish to for each part of the Spectrum needed. This can work wonders on individual tracks and on the main outputs. The Parametric EQ was originally designed for hand-built mixing consoles that became the world famous GML and Sontec lines of mix and master EQ's.

The Parametric design is believed to originate with these developers. The Parametric EQ was the first design that allowed the user to tune in on the exact Frequency desired, adjust the “Q”, and even select multiple bands for specific tasks, some of which could even overlap other bands. Since the Frequency, width, and Gain are all adjustable, the user can fine tune their EQ needs with a great measure of flexibility. Because we have become so accustomed to having the Parametric design for many years, it is hard to imagine not having this flexibility available to us. In analog form, the Parametric EQ provides us the structure, and the construction of the individual brand of EQ provides the individualized sound character.

Inside the computer, we are presented an increase in visualization options for the Parametric Equalizer, showing the movement of Frequencies, the width options, and allowing us to grab, bend, and stretch positions while seeing the shape on the screen. The Graphic EQ tends to exist in the digital realm as an emulation of the analog device, usually only adding the flexibility of input and output levels and volume visualization. I highly recommend exploring the EQ options in different formats, and always let your ear lead the way. Functionality is crucial, but sound quality is always the ultimate aim.

http://CDSoundMaster.com

Tuesday, February 4, 2014

How to Mix and Master with EQ – 10 Equalizer Modes – Part Ten - CDSoundMaster.com

Audio Recording with Equalizers – 10 Equalizer Modes – Part Ten – Shelf EQ

The Shelf EQ is a vital tool in the art of recording, mixing, and mastering music. It is called a Shelf EQ because it does not taper off at the ends, but remains constant like a shelf until the end of the spectrum. If you use a high Shelf EQ that begins at 10kHz, it will continue in a curve until it reaches a certain point and then remains at that level as far as the upper Frequencies continue. If you are working at a sample rate of 44.1kHz, then the high shelf EQ will continue all the way to 22,050Hz, and a low Shelf EQ will continue all the way to a theoretical 0Hz.

In actuality, it takes roughly 10Hz to reach the edge of a digital wave file, and approximately +/-10dB, but this is practically irrelevant to any audible recording. The Shelf EQ will sound and mostly appear perfectly straight beyond its edge, curve, or slope. A Shelf EQ will normally have Fixed Frequency positions to choose from along with +/- Gain options. As an example, you may have a Program Equalizer with 30Hz, 50Hz, and 100Hz Shelf EQ positions with boost and cut Gain, and you may have high Shelf with 6kHz, 8kHz, 10kHz, 12kHz along with boost and cut Gain. All of these options will extend all the way to the extreme high or low spectrum beyond the starting curve or slope, but the Frequency that is designated will mark the position that the EQ goes from flat to adjusted. In some ways, you could look at a Shelf EQ as being a Bell-Shaped EQ where only one side of the EQ has the Bell, and the other side continues at the height of the Bell. Shelf EQ is not always the exact same slope or curve.

There are some rare cases where a “Q” control that would be used in Band mode, doubles as an adjustable edge for the Shelf EQ as well. In this case, the user is able to not only select the Frequency from which the Shelf will begin processing, but also the shape of the edge Frequency that makes the transition from flat to Shelf. In this case, the user can decide whether the transition is extremely gradual or a quick, sharp transition.

Monday, February 3, 2014

How to Mix and Master with EQ – 10 Equalizer Modes – Part Nine - CDSoundMaster.com


Audio Recording with Equalizers – 10 Equalizer Modes – Part Nine – Band or Bell-Shaped EQ

The Band or Bell-Shaped EQ is one of the most important and common EQ modes available today. The Band mode denotes a single location on the EQ spectrum. It begins and ends at the intersection of 0dB Gain. The width of the Band EQ is determined by the “Q” width setting. The Band EQ runs at a distance from its first point, which is the lowest Frequency of the Band, to the second point, the highest Frequency of the Band. When adjusting the Band EQ Gain, it selects the very center point of the Band In most cases. The typical Band EQ is symmetrical, so its central point is selected from minimum to maximum boost and cut Gain points. Typically, Gain can be selected from +/-10dB, but we often see as much as +/-12dB and even +/-16-20dB. The wider the range of Gain, the more potential there is for variability in its response. Sharp “Q” width slopes tend to be steeper and more resonant than smooth narrow shapes and much more than wide “Q” width.

Most Band EQ options are called Bell-Shape EQ. As you might guess, this is named for the height and smooth shape at the peak Gain of the Band EQ. This is usually the most visually consistent at moderate “Q” settings. The more narrow the “Q” setting, the sharper the tip will become. Some Band EQ's are sharper in narrow “Q” and some tend to maintain the same Band shape. Most Band EQ's have a lower range of Gain at their wider settings. The Bell-Shape will be extremely gradual and smooth and the peak levels may be as little as half the amount when they are at the narrowest setting.
It is possible, depending on the intention of design, that the Band EQ is not symmetrical when comparing boost Gain and cut Gain. Some Band EQ's are designed to be a perfect mirror image at positive and negative Gain settings. If these EQ's are plotted on a graph so that you can see all settings and Gain at once, it will look like a perfectly symmetrical oval shape. Other Band EQ's are designed to have a rounder, wider, smoother Bell-Shape when given boost Gain and a sharper, narrower, deeper cut Gain. This is seen as making smooth additive changes that are sonically pleasing and making cuts that are more corrective and affect less of the surrounding Frequencies.

Some Band EQ's are not symmetrical from the edges to the peak or central point. These are rare in comparison, but they can give the user a very unusual and unique creative control that otherwise does not exist. These EQ's tend to have a regular initial distance from point to point, but as Gain is increased beyond a few decibels, there is a curve to the center point, much like a hook or claw. This allows the ability to gently boost or cut a center point and then reduce more from the Frequency just above center. As the point sharpens above the center, there is the increasing ability to cut a very narrow amount of corrective EQ.

When using Band EQ's, I recommend testing out various settings. If the Frequencies are fixed, get to know what it sounds like at boost and cut, and at the steepest settings, to learn if it becomes more subtle and narrow as the Gain is increased or if it remains fairly curved and more audible. If your Band EQ is adjustable in “Q” width, test it out on different material to get used to its affect at different widths. There is always more to the affect of an EQ than the visualization of its shape, so listening is the key to becoming familiar with its individual personality. You will find that you lean more towards some settings over others, and this will help you to develop your personal mixing or mastering style.
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