It depends of course but I just boost the notch all the way, say +24 db and move it along until I find any unpleasant frequencies and notch them out, compare to make sure I haven't done something wrong, but most of the time its amazing how much better it sounds.evo2slo wrote:Great discussion!
I've been struggling a lot with eq, particularly with trying to reduce muddiness in my mixes. Have never really used notch cuts, so am looking forward to experimenting more with that.
Wondering if anyone would recommend using automation to shift note specific notches along with the music?
Is there any concern about phase issues?
Any other tips regarding notch cuts (how many, how deep, how spread apart) would be appreciated.
Also don't be afraid to cut out bass frequencies too, as for example you might find in your bassline frequencies that don't belong to the root note and are actually conflicting with it, I think this is because synth filters are introducing resonances.
And another thing, you don't always need such low bass, even on kicks, sometimes things can really tighten up if you notch out some very low frequencies on the kick or bass, or even do a 48db shelf cut, which sounds great for electronic music.
I also search for the good bits using a notch, especially on the bass, so when I find that spot on the bassline that sounds really good I may just use a notch to bring it up a few dB.
The main thing you should watch out for is volume drops when it changes note. This technique has been used for ages in dance music though:
You have a bassline, you get it to sound just right with bass boosts compression etc, in dance music it will stay on the same note for a while until the main melody or chorus part, at which point it will change, now it might contain 3 notes, and the third one (for example) may sound louder and boomier than the other two. You can just find that particular freq and use a notch to
bring it down a fee dB without it affecting the rest.
I've always remembered this mix for it's uneven bass
http://youtu.be/IYFKYMZ3fsU?t=2m42s
Check out F at 3:53 and how much louder than the other bass notes it is. Odd coming from such a good mix otherwise.