New To Audio Recording? Download Killer Home Recording: Setting Up FOR FREE!
Page 1 of 4 123 ... LastLast
Results 1 to 15 of 56
Like Tree4Likes

Thread: EQ Sweep Technique

  1. #1
    brandondrury's Avatar
    brandondrury is offline Supreme Overlord Commander
    Mix It Til You Puke Judge
    Full Disclosure Sessions
    Killer Home Recording
    Turbo Member
    Toontrack Country
    Committee
    Toontrack Techno Wars
    Committee
    Toontrack Metal Wars
    Gestapo
    ADK Metal Mayhem
    Judge
    Reindeer Ruckus 2011
    Judge
    Join Date
    Sep 2005
    Location
    Southeast Missouri
    Posts
    28,532
    Blog Entries
    31
    Liked
    1429 times

    Default EQ Sweep Technique

    This issue has popped up way too often. I cover it Killer Home Recording, but I figured I'd go ahead and give this one away here too.

    People are always asking for EQ charts.

    For EQ, I don't believe in charts. They don't help. You need to master the sweep technique. Once you have that down, life gets much easier.

    1) Don't think of EQing as something you are supposed to do like X. It's not like you are trying to do the Electric Slide on a wedding dance floor where every move is choreographed. (I have to be really crushed for that one! What a stupid dance! I'll do my own dancing thank you very much and it won't involve Nazi-style no-brained marching moves!)

    2) Listen to a track. If it sounds good, don't do anything to it.

    3) If there is something that sucks about it, identify the problem in your head. Let's say the vocals are kinda boxy sounding. Say to yourself "that boxy stuff sucks".

    4) Grab a parametric EQ. Boost by 8-12dB with a kinda sorta narrow Q / bandwidth. Start at 20Hz and increase the frequency until you start to hear that problem get WAY WORSE. Granted, you will be causing other problems by boosting so much that were otherwise fine. Ignore them. That's why #3 is so important. When you make the problem worse, stop increasing the frequency. You've found it.

    5) Now, instead of idiotically boosting 12dB, try cutting. Start small (1-2dB) because your ears will be goofed from the sweep. If you want more of the frequency at hand, boost it a few dB. (Definitely do not start with 12db!)

    6) Keep mixing

    7) If that same problem pops up again in a minute or two, just use more.

    Brandon
    bobbybovine and Kayci like this.



  2. #2
    TonyB's Avatar
    TonyB is offline God Jr.
    Toontrack Country Committee
    Committee
    Killer Home Recording
    Turbo Member
    ADK Metal Mayhem
    Judge
    Join Date
    May 2008
    Posts
    5,143
    Liked
    106 times

    Default Re: EQ Sweep Technique

    +1

    Applying EQ should not be automatic. Fight the urge!
    TonyB
    _________________
    Good Song + Good Arrangement + Good Performer + Good Performance + Good Acoustic Environment + Good Recording Chain + Good Monitoring Chain + Good Engineer + Good Luck =
    Good Product

  3. #3
    Basil1963 is offline Member
    Join Date
    Sep 2009
    Posts
    24
    Liked
    0 times

    Default Re: EQ Sweep Technique

    Your explanation on how to sweep and cut freqencies using an EQ is very clear and well writen. Your sense of humor cracks me up

    Basil

  4. #4
    garageband's Avatar
    garageband is offline Astronaut-Caliber Member
    Reindeer Ruckus 2009
    Gestapo
    Killer Home Recording
    Turbo Member
    PowerHouse
    Endurance #2
    Toontrack Metal Wars
    Gestapo
    Join Date
    Nov 2008
    Location
    Hoosierland
    Posts
    8,216
    Blog Entries
    5
    Liked
    675 times

    Default Re: EQ Sweep Technique

    It's also important to learn the frequency of certain sounds so I if you hear a dense spot, you have an idea of where it is and what's causing it.
    "Who knows what dreadful creatures inhabit the reaches of this galaxy." - Dr. Smith


    Bradner Street Recording

  5. #5
    brandondrury's Avatar
    brandondrury is offline Supreme Overlord Commander
    Mix It Til You Puke Judge
    Full Disclosure Sessions
    Killer Home Recording
    Turbo Member
    Toontrack Country
    Committee
    Toontrack Techno Wars
    Committee
    Toontrack Metal Wars
    Gestapo
    ADK Metal Mayhem
    Judge
    Reindeer Ruckus 2011
    Judge
    Join Date
    Sep 2005
    Location
    Southeast Missouri
    Posts
    28,532
    Blog Entries
    31
    Liked
    1429 times

    Default Re: EQ Sweep Technique

    I think that by using the sweep technique over the course of years, you do begin to learn the frequencies.....until you run live sound, can't use this tactic, and realize you don't know shit.

    I think the alternative of just assuming you are dealing with 400Hz and cutting it 2dB is little more than guessing.

    Brandon
    scubaninja likes this.



  6. #6
    Basil1963 is offline Member
    Join Date
    Sep 2009
    Posts
    24
    Liked
    0 times

    Default Re: EQ Sweep Technique

    I found this chart and it has some helpful hints on what frequencies to cut and what to boost. I know every mix is different but this might help to narrow some of the frequencies down.

    http://soundsector.net/wp-content/up...cy_ranges1.pdf


    I can't wait for the Supreme Overlord Commander's Book Murduerous Mixing to be unleashed!

  7. #7
    brandondrury's Avatar
    brandondrury is offline Supreme Overlord Commander
    Mix It Til You Puke Judge
    Full Disclosure Sessions
    Killer Home Recording
    Turbo Member
    Toontrack Country
    Committee
    Toontrack Techno Wars
    Committee
    Toontrack Metal Wars
    Gestapo
    ADK Metal Mayhem
    Judge
    Reindeer Ruckus 2011
    Judge
    Join Date
    Sep 2005
    Location
    Southeast Missouri
    Posts
    28,532
    Blog Entries
    31
    Liked
    1429 times

    Default Re: EQ Sweep Technique

    Thanks for the link. However, when a person fully grasps the sweep technique a person will never need these charts again.

    Brandon



  8. #8
    Basil1963 is offline Member
    Join Date
    Sep 2009
    Posts
    24
    Liked
    0 times

    Default Re: EQ Sweep Technique

    Yeah...I have alot to learn before I could just pick out what frequenices are causing the problems.

  9. #9
    ryanoliver's Avatar
    ryanoliver is offline Powerhouse Mega Member
    Killer Home Recording
    Turbo Member
    Join Date
    Nov 2008
    Posts
    1,441
    Liked
    10 times

    Default Re: EQ Sweep Technique

    Quote Originally Posted by Basil1963 View Post
    Yeah...I have alot to learn before I could just pick out what frequenices are causing the problems.
    Not many of us can, there's more than 20,000 to choose from . When you do the sweep technique and you find that nasty freq, lower it back down to 0 and have a listen. Can you hear it now? Focus on that frequency before you start cutting it, listen to it as you slowly pull it down until it sits where you want it to. The more you do this the more your ears will become sensitive to these harsh frequencies and you'll be able to pick em out easy.

  10. #10
    Basil1963 is offline Member
    Join Date
    Sep 2009
    Posts
    24
    Liked
    0 times

    Default Re: EQ Sweep Technique

    Hi ryanoliver,

    Thanks...good tip. Mixing is alot of trial and error for me. I can get some parts of my mix to sound good and than when I work on the weaker sounding parts it effects the good sounding parts. It can get very frustrating

  11. #11
    brandondrury's Avatar
    brandondrury is offline Supreme Overlord Commander
    Mix It Til You Puke Judge
    Full Disclosure Sessions
    Killer Home Recording
    Turbo Member
    Toontrack Country
    Committee
    Toontrack Techno Wars
    Committee
    Toontrack Metal Wars
    Gestapo
    ADK Metal Mayhem
    Judge
    Reindeer Ruckus 2011
    Judge
    Join Date
    Sep 2005
    Location
    Southeast Missouri
    Posts
    28,532
    Blog Entries
    31
    Liked
    1429 times

    Default Re: EQ Sweep Technique

    Thanks...good tip. Mixing is alot of trial and error for me. I can get some parts of my mix to sound good and than when I work on the weaker sounding parts it effects the good sounding parts. It can get very frustrating
    I offer numerous techniques in KHR that show you how to beat this. It's not as hard as you think, but you've got to keep your brain on it's toes!

    I have alot to learn before I could just pick out what frequenices are causing the problems.
    Join the crowd. There is only one group of people that have this craft down. They are called live sound engineers. They can't sweep like we can. They just have to know. Of course, live sound is about as fun as passing kidney stones.

    Even when you are pretty sure about X frequency, you are still only "pretty sure". Why guess? Just sweep through it and find the EXACT spot. When I gave up on guessing, my recordings improved immensely.

    Brandon



  12. #12
    Basil1963 is offline Member
    Join Date
    Sep 2009
    Posts
    24
    Liked
    0 times

    Default Re: EQ Sweep Technique

    That’s great news Man!
    Besides learning how to Eq things I need help understanding the mixing process order.
    Do you use the compressor first, EQ, panning and Fx?
    I understand not all tracks need everything, but where do you start when you mix?

  13. #13
    brandondrury's Avatar
    brandondrury is offline Supreme Overlord Commander
    Mix It Til You Puke Judge
    Full Disclosure Sessions
    Killer Home Recording
    Turbo Member
    Toontrack Country
    Committee
    Toontrack Techno Wars
    Committee
    Toontrack Metal Wars
    Gestapo
    ADK Metal Mayhem
    Judge
    Reindeer Ruckus 2011
    Judge
    Join Date
    Sep 2005
    Location
    Southeast Missouri
    Posts
    28,532
    Blog Entries
    31
    Liked
    1429 times

    Default Re: EQ Sweep Technique

    Do you use the compressor first, EQ, panning and Fx?
    I understand not all tracks need everything, but where do you start when you mix?
    This is an issue that is too big for a forum. I explain all this in Killer Home Recording: Murderous Mixing.

    Here's the super short version.
    Depends. There are times to EQ first and compress last and vice versa. It has to do with how the character of the compressor reacts to what's going on.

    Most of the time, I EQ first, if I had to pick a generic "rule". It has to do with whether or not you are using a compressor to induce a "chemical change". For example, there are times when I want mud induced harmonics via a hard working, fast release compressor and then I want to pull the mud out afterwards. That's an advanced technique (but fun as hell!).

    For normal stuff, EQ is before compression.

    For the most part, I'm talking about how I track.

    There are two "types" of EQ usage. There is creative EQ (telephone sound, tons of 3k for certain vocal sounds, adding click to kick drums, etc) and there is "get this damn thing to fit in there" aka "shoehorn" EQ. The creative EQ can be used anytime. The shoehorn EQ I use at the very end.

    I want to point out (another big discussion in Murderous Mixing) that there are BIG reasons not to look at mixing as a checklist.

    For example: 1) Panning 2) EQ 3) Effects 4) bla bla bla

    It's not a peanut butter and jelly sandwhich. Because everything is so damn interdependent, a totally different strategy is used where you do one thing and then another. The panning affects the effects which affects the EQ which affects the compression. Because everything is interdependent, you throw out the checklist and just start fiddling. My method is actually much simpler than my half-ass, confusing explanation here. (It's much better in the book!)

    Brandon



  14. #14
    Basil1963 is offline Member
    Join Date
    Sep 2009
    Posts
    24
    Liked
    0 times

    Default Re: EQ Sweep Technique

    I'll throw out my check list theroy.
    When is your Murderous Mixing book going on sale?
    Help me to help myself

    Thanks
    Basil

  15. #15
    Gerhard is offline Member
    Join Date
    Sep 2009
    Posts
    89
    Liked
    2 times

    Default Re: EQ Sweep Technique

    Can we maybe talk low pass and high pass filters. Where to use 'em and such. Since I recently underwent kinda a mindshift about eq. At first I thought of it as this magic wand that will bring out the good stuff in my recordings (that caused me to boost alot of freq, some as much as 13db, eish). Now I view it more like cutting the fat of your meat (hence removing the bad stuff so your left with the good stuff, so thats why I'm asking about lp and hp).

Page 1 of 4 123 ... LastLast

Similar Threads

  1. SWEEP!!
    By TAlderson in forum Irrelevant Stuff Here
    Replies: 4
    Latest Jive: 12-05-2005, 07:45 PM

Tags for this Thread

Posting Permissions

  • You may not post new threads
  • You may not post replies
  • You may not post attachments
  • You may not edit your posts
  •