Isn't a dynamic equalizer, practically a multiband compressor?

[djscorb]

Shane1980

If you have only used an old dynamic eq once ages ago then perhaps your contribution to this thread would be better if it consisted of questions rather than statements.

Dynamic EQ has huge advantages over multiband compression. When no GR occurs the signal is left completely untouched. No crossovers are splitting up the signal and then recombining it. A dynamic EQ can also be made to focus in on a very small and tight proportion of the spectrum or across a broad area. Equally it can be used to affect a broad area but with a focus around a centre frequency.

A well designed dynamic eq can trigger gain reduction in a different area of the spectrum to the area it is listening to which can be a huge problem solver in mastering.

Lastly you can use expansion which gives you access to frequency dependant transient enhancement and lots of other useful and fun ways to add excitement to rhythmical parts.

Cheers

Scorb

[robertszalapski]

@Shane1980: Why call it Dynamic EQ when it's similar to Multiband Compression?

If mulberries are so similar to blackberries, why not just call them blackberries?

[g_loughnan]

Thanks for your responses guys.

Basically, it is inferred from the threshold and maximum. Really, it doesn't have the same paradigm, and you should just use it to solve a few problems until you get a feel for it.

I suspected this.. but I would like to know what the basic formula/theory behind the filter gain adjustment is. I am trying to design a dynamic EQ, have a fair idea of how they are used, but I am trying to get under the hood of how they work.

[kd8t23]

I think djscorb's explanation is excellent.
But here is my ½ cent anyway, just a slightly different view of the same thing:

One important diff between the two, Dynamic EQ (DEQ) and Multiband Dynamic (MBD), is that the DEQ allows for one frequency range to be controlled by the signal from another frequency range. Thus the controlling and the controlled signal does not have to be from the same frequency range.

With the MBD, you can't do that since the same BP filtered signal is used for both the controlling and the controlled signals (sidechained to itself), just like a simple compressor.
So a MBD could be described as multiple compressors, each sidechained to itself, working on separate frequency bands.

The DEQ on the other hand have separate BP-filters for extracting the control signal, and for adjusting the level of the controlled signal.