Equalizer (EQ) edit techniques
EQ – The centerpiece of mixing
The biggest tools used when mixing are「EQ」,「Comp」and「volume」.
We will take a look at some「EQ」settings.
「EQ」is short for「equalizer」,
and can be found on guitar amps and other audio related products. Most people have seen this knob at least once.
Changing tone and tidying sound can be done through「EQ」.
In Computer Music, we can apply「EQ」to each track, and change sounds how we want.
However, figuring out「how should I edit it??」
is difficult until you’ve grasped the hang of it.
If summed up in one word, you have「freedom」in how you use it.
If it sounds good, it is good.
However, to get you started, we will take a look at some tips!
EQ tips
Tip 1「Cutting super low frequencies」
↑ We will apply a low cut below 30Hz to cut out sounds inaudible to the human ear.
※ This can make a tonal difference in certain cases, so make sure to be careful when editing.
Although inaudible to humans, computers can of course pick up this frequency,
and when raising compression it can cause problems, so be sure to cut it out.
Tip 2「Find unwanted frequencies and cut」
↑ When thinking「EQ」we tend to focus on boosting,
but similar to tip 1 cuts are incredibly important.
By cutting unwanted frequencies, you can avoid clashing of frequencies and tidy up your MIX.
「But how do I find unwanted frequencies??」
Take a look at the picture above.
We have the EQ point dramatically raised, with a very narrow「Q」(width).
Slowly move this point further to the right.
When doing so, you will find frequencies that are obviously irritating.
When you find this point, cut it!(example below)
↑ We find the troublesome frequency
↑ Lowered the points Gain (volume)
We are just looking at 1 point for this example, but you can also cut multiple areas as well.
In actuality this is more often the case,
and when the tone tidies up, the compression sounds better, and improves the overall sound.
Tip 3「Using bypass to compare the edited sound」
↑ After editing on unwanted frequencies, we can raise some「EQ points」and give the sound some character!
This relies entirely on personal preference.
Don’t focus too much on 1 track, and listen how it sounds in the mix as a whole.
EQs also comes with a「bypass」function.
This allows you to compare the sound with and without the「EQ」,
allowing you to check if you’ve really improved the sound or not.
We hope these tips help improve your mixes!
