EQ Sweep Technique

[brandondrury]

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

[TonyB]

+1

Applying EQ should not be automatic. Fight the urge!

[Basil1963]

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

[garageband]

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.

[brandondrury]

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

[Basil1963]

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!

[brandondrury]

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

Brandon

[Basil1963]

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

[ryanoliver]

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.

[Basil1963]

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

[brandondrury]

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

[Basil1963]

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?

[brandondrury]

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

[Basil1963]

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

Thanks
Basil

[Gerhard]

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).