I have a bunch of questions stemming from a complete lack of knowledge regarding EQ-ing. While I can read book after book and article after article, what I'm not clear about is under what real-life circumstances one would use which tool.
I realize that my ears are neither trained to hear great sonic subtleties or to distinguish, necessarily, between ear-candy distortion but I guess my questions can be divided into a couple of different categories:
1) why choose one EQ over another...there are phase-linear EQs and -looking at the Voxengo catalogue, there is the Gliss EQ, the HarmoniqEQ, CurveEQ, etc. I get the sense that they do different things - but I'm not quite sure what or when one would use one rather than the other.
there seems to be a whole number of tools that serve as exciters or some other type of processing tool: When -in real-life circumstances would these be handy. Again, looking at Voxengo, there's the transmodder (I have NO idea what that does or how it can be used) and in Ozone, again for example, there seems to be all sorts of dynamic processing that can be done.
Do dynamic processors tend to color the sound...making things sound "better" but actually ruining the pristine purity of a sound with distortion...(For instance, I remember a friend who used to work for a stereo chain who told me all sorts of tricks that they used to sell speakers...bass boosters and such...the untrained ear would think that things "sounded" better because they were louder but the sound "quality" was actually being twisted like in a fun house).
I know I'm rambling and asking VERY broad questions but I gotta start understanding this stuff sometime and what better place to start than here, I guess. Anyhow, thanks in advance to whatever brave souls who care to take a crack at answering some of this stuff.
EQs/Dynamic Processors Questions
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- KVRAF
- 1927 posts since 30 Oct, 2003 from Frolicking in Dirac's Ocean
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- KVRAF
- 5017 posts since 13 Dec, 2005 from The Void
What host are you using?
I rarely use plug EQ's unless they're built into an instrument's interface. If I need EQ, I usually use Audition's as it has several different ones that meet all my requirements.
I rarely use plug EQ's unless they're built into an instrument's interface. If I need EQ, I usually use Audition's as it has several different ones that meet all my requirements.
Jens, "B.t.w.: it appears I was wrong"
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- KVRAF
- 11839 posts since 23 Nov, 2004 from west of east
I can't be much help with the dynamic processor part, but when it comes to EQs, the goal is to use them to alter problems by making really modest adjustments. If you have to boost and cut a lot of frequencies significantly, the mix itself has problems. Some of this EQing can be done by ear, but it helps to look at a graphic representation of the spectrum and see if there are trouble spots. One of the reasons to EQ is when some instruments are getting lost in the mix because of sharing the same freqency range. EQing a bit can give them their own space, assuming the problem isn't really one of levels. Just avoid doing too much. If the sliders or knobs are all over the place, go back and fix the mix first and then see if EQ adjustments improve things. Parametrics take more time to learn to use well, but can fix subtle issues better than graphic EQs.mayan wrote:I know I'm rambling and asking VERY broad questions but I gotta start understanding this stuff sometime and what better place to start than here, I guess. Anyhow, thanks in advance to whatever brave souls who care to take a crack at answering some of this stuff.
We escape the trap of our own subjectivity by
perceiving neither black nor white but shades of grey
perceiving neither black nor white but shades of grey
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- KVRAF
- Topic Starter
- 1927 posts since 30 Oct, 2003 from Frolicking in Dirac's Ocean
Hey, Sickle...thanks for responding. Using Sonar here. I'm exploring EQ because, when I can do it successfully, I can manage to give a mix some space and to prevent frequencies from stepping on each other...I like exploring subtle changes in a sounds timbre/mitochondria and EQ-ing can help that. OTOH, I don't know my ass from my elbow and am a complete poseur when it comes to mixing/mastering...which is why I'm trying to better myself.
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- KVRian
- 755 posts since 12 Mar, 2004
The Voxengo plugs are definately not for beginners. They are indeed differnt and offer many options that could put you away from them. But this is especially true for the commercial ones. There are also some free plugs from them and they are a lot easier to deal with. Kjaerhus also has a suite of free plugs, the "Classic" one. Good and easy to use.
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- KVRian
- 755 posts since 12 Mar, 2004
On the oher hand I think it's very hard to talk about eq-ing, so the instrmuents can co-exist better in the mix, in the absence of examples and a good set of monitors.
A general rule, though, seems to be the use of low cut filters on instruments that don't have relevant bass information, for leaving that space clean for the bass instruments and bass drums.
A general rule, though, seems to be the use of low cut filters on instruments that don't have relevant bass information, for leaving that space clean for the bass instruments and bass drums.