A dream product for the wish list - a multianalyzer combined with an EQ

[docdued]

Still it's a good idea, and I don't think it has been done in the way the OP suggested. Think something like 20 tracks, with an EQ on all of them, but controllable with a single interface that lets you equalize all these tracks simultaneously... would make life much simpler than 20 UI windows floating around. Hmmm...

[Selfik]

Still it's a good idea, and I don't think it has been done in the way the OP suggested. Think something like 20 tracks, with an EQ on all of them, but controllable with a single interface that lets you equalize all these tracks simultaneously... would make life much simpler than 20 UI windows floating around. Hmmm...

That would be awesome...can you do it?

[lingyai]

The day of reckoning is nigh. Stop buying plugins and you'll have the cash for a better DAW (Cubase? Studio One?) soon.

Oscar Wilde's alleged last words: "This wallpaper is terrible. One of us has got to go"

[osiris]

Google Har-bal...

[lingyai]

Google Har-bal...

Doesn't appear to be a plug-in. I would need something which works within a DAW.

But thanks for the suggestion.

[Captain]

I was just about to ask a similar question in a new topic, but since this is kind of close to my issue, I will not start a new one... so here goes:

Over the years, I have noticed my ears have become very (overly?) sensitive to these narrow frequency peaks that can occur in a lot of situations - for example with ambient pads that have some serious frequency processing, or when loud vocals are compressed heavily. Often single tracks suffer from these peaks, or it can happen when two or more more tracks are summed.

Now, I have noticed that every time my ear catches these annoying peaks, it's very easy to locate them visually with a frequency analyzer (the peak or peaks clearly stand higher than the surrounding frequencies), and then I can just use a narrow-band EQ to tame them. But the problems start when the vocalist or instrument moves to another note (as they often do, those bastards), which means the problem frequencies shift to another place.

I have sometimes used a dynamic EQ and pre-programmed the most problematic frequencies, but it seems that no matter what I try, it never really does what I want it to do (it cuts some even when it's not supposed to, and does not cut enough when my ears hear a very apparent spike). Not to mention that depending on the audio content, there can be a dozen of different problem frequencies at different times. In the end I always have to use static EQs and a lot of automation, which is extremely frustrating and time-consuming.

So. What I'm after is a plugin that intelligently monitors the whole frequency range, and notices any narrow frequencies that are about to rise too high compared to the rest of the audio (usually there are only 1-2 of those at a time), and makes them softer. My limited common sense tells me that it shouldn't be impossible, since I can easily spot those frequencies with both my ears and eyes, although it probably requires some processing power. I know there are "feedback eliminator" devices which probably work similarly to what I'm after?

Maybe such a plugin exists, in which case I'd be more than happy to hear about it.

[Gonga]

Waves Bass Rider monitors the bass track, and selectively raises and lowers the volume like a ghost mixing engineer. I thought I saw a plug-in introduced recently that worked the same way for vocals, but I don't know where.

It sounds like a multiband compressor might be another tool that could help. You could select the range of frequencies that are giving you trouble, then the compressor could tame the highs only in that range.

[Captain]

Waves Bass Rider monitors the bass track, and selectively raises and lowers the volume like a ghost mixing engineer. I thought I saw a plug-in introduced recently that worked the same way for vocals, but I don't know where.

Yeah, Waves has Bass & Vocal Rider. Tried the demo of Bass Rider, but frankly, I didn't hear much effect. And in any case, unless I'm completely mistaken, these work on the overall volume, instead of the frequency curve. And in any case, they are meant for "broad" processing rather than the exact narrow cuts I'm after.

It sounds like a multiband compressor might be another tool that could help. You could select the range of frequencies that are giving you trouble, then the compressor could tame the highs only in that range.

Yup, it's just that the problematic peaks are very narrow (often single harmonics), and sometimes very close to each other, and require surgical precision. For example, on a vocal track, there might be problematic peak at 350Hz, then a second later, at 380Hz. To cut those properly, the cut needs to accurately follow the peak, one fixed setting doesn't quite do it. It's also important that the imaginary plugin would always compare the peak to the overall audio level, instead of just monitoring if it exceeds some fixed threshold.

One thing I didn't mention is that the problem frequencies I'm talking about usually happen somewhere between 300-1000Hz, and they are usually one of the first harmonics above the fundamental (at least in vocals).

[Gonga]

This is the sort of thing that a computer should be able to do - essentially to automate tedious, repetitive mixing tasks. Please keep us informed if you do find a solution, because this is a really interesting topic to me as well.

[docdued]

Still it's a good idea, and I don't think it has been done in the way the OP suggested. Think something like 20 tracks, with an EQ on all of them, but controllable with a single interface that lets you equalize all these tracks simultaneously... would make life much simpler than 20 UI windows floating around. Hmmm...

That would be awesome...can you do it?

I'll see what I can do...

[lingyai]

Still it's a good idea, and I don't think it has been done in the way the OP suggested. Think something like 20 tracks, with an EQ on all of them, but controllable with a single interface that lets you equalize all these tracks simultaneously... would make life much simpler than 20 UI windows floating around. Hmmm...

Yes, that's exaclty what I meant.

By the way your 6144 EQ is so sweet!

[lingyai]

Still it's a good idea, and I don't think it has been done in the way the OP suggested. Think something like 20 tracks, with an EQ on all of them, but controllable with a single interface that lets you equalize all these tracks simultaneously... would make life much simpler than 20 UI windows floating around. Hmmm...

That would be awesome...can you do it?

I'll see what I can do...

If you do, could you name it after me?

[enroe]

Still it's a good idea, and I don't think it has been done in the way the OP suggested. Think something like 20 tracks, with an EQ on all of them, but controllable with a single interface that lets you equalize all these tracks simultaneously... would make life much simpler than 20 UI windows floating around. Hmmm...

That would be awesome...can you do it?

I'll see what I can do...

In the current Developer Challenge

[docdued]

Hmm, I was thinking about integrating it into IIEQPro, because there "everything else" is already there...

[don1thedon]

Hmm, I was thinking about integrating it into IIEQPro, because there "everything else" is already there...

Sweet idea, I'd certainly upgrade to a "multi" (lingyai) version!