[mixing][EQing] Are you aggressive when EQ-Unmask a mix or more conservative?

[mementus]

Let's say a pop mix.
When you go for unmasking a mix do you "isolate" elements with a sort of aggressive narrow band-pass filter or do you carefully carve out the elements with bells, say 3db here and there?
Are you aggressive or conservative when cutting for conflitting elements? Or maybe a mix of both? What's your approach/strategy?

Thank you

[enroe]

Actually, the question cannot be answered.

Why not? Well, because the type and strength of the "caving" depends on the
sounds used and the density of the song. There are sounds that don't need
any EQ intervention at all. And there are sounds that need extreme EQ
intervention in the overall context of the song. Depending on the sound and
song, the use of EQ is completely different!

[imrae]

Good arrangements need less EQ.

But aggressive EQ can also be considered part of the arrangement (e.g. scooped guitars).

[legendCNCD]

Before I had VSX I did the + and - belling while the whole tune was playing. These days with VSX its much easier to hear. One thing to remember is the output equipment.

And as people before me already said, it really depends. Good sound selection and arrangement = much less processing needed.

[Propellerhands]

Good arrangements need less EQ.

But aggressive EQ can also be considered part of the arrangement (e.g. scooped guitars).

This. People seem to focus too much on mastering and forgetting that mixing is 90 percent of success (apart from actual idea of a song). Good mix doesn't require mastering. In most cases.

[enroe]

... People seem to focus too much on mastering and forgetting that mixing is 90 percent of success (apart from actual idea of a song). Good mix doesn't require mastering. In most cases.

But this is all about mixing. Did you even read the thread opener?

[Propellerhands]

... People seem to focus too much on mastering and forgetting that mixing is 90 percent of success (apart from actual idea of a song). Good mix doesn't require mastering. In most cases.

But this is all about mixing. Did you even read the thread opener?

Yeah, I assumed it was about EQ on master bus, not individual tracks