How do you give instruments their own EQ space?

[Len911]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kzo45hWXRWU

Can you really trust your ears??

[sabalsounds]

Great discussion!

I'll make the same disclaimer as others have made that I'm still learning every day. +1 to Mike Senior's book it's pure gold.

Beyond the technical/workflow tips and tricks I've accumulated, the advice that has really served me the most is:

1) mix in mono for most of your session
2) compress from the top down not vice versa (i.e. start with Master channel compression before bus compression then compress individual tracks as needed
3) look away from the computer screen often (if it sounds good it is good! stop tinkering )
4) always step away from the mix after an hour or two...it's amazing what issues can be revealed in your mix when you've cleared your head of it and come back with fresh ears
5) reference tracks

[TheElement]

Good point Michael! I almost went and spent more money. I still haven't broken even yet in this music biz..

[Len911]

We've kinda went from eq'ing instruments for their own space to a little bit of everything,lol! I'm the most guilty, I got distracted after my browser crashed. I suppose whether you need separation depends primarily if the subject is a fiddle, twin fiddles or divisi sections of violins, a single vs. a homogenized effect.

https://reverb.com/blog/psychoacoustics ... orts-sound

I think that's where I got distracted. Psychoacoustically eqing could certainly help in defining space.

Which led to further distraction, I wondered perhaps if there were times when you could eq the fundamental and harmonics separately if there was a conflict. So I experimented. I took one note from a flute, a G, from a project,
dropped it in Wavelab, and although the spectrum editor showed me the fundamental and harmonics, it wouldn't let me edit them separately, So I used the Melda dynamic eq. I could see the fundamental and about three of the next harmonics, raised them and decreased the fundamental. I rendered the G note, went back to Cubase project and put original G note back in, rendered, then took out and put in the harmonically adjusted G in. I didn't make a conflict, however, I could post a soundcloud wav to hear the difference, and also I increased the loudness of the altered G to equal the original G at -29 db. I didn't crossfade either sample after posting them back into the audio clip for obvious reasons.

https://soundcloud.com/huck-sawyer-finn ... es/s-48Myw

[TheElement]

lately I've been using subtractive eq on the bass. just sweeping bass using subtractive eq until I hear the kick coming through nice and full. also I tend to let kick take the low frequencies (everything cut off at 40hz) and the bass just above the kick. for the kick to punch through and be heard on small speaker I make sure a little is added in the high frequencies for the top kick (I sweep that to taste).

on top of eq I get the bass out the way of the kick using sidechain and also as an extra if I can (depends on type of bassline) I cut the bass out where the kick hits.

as for other sounds I try to pick sounds right from the start that work together with no eq. makes things a lots easier. but panning and some eqing like cutting lows all the way up to like 500hz and more always a good thing to do once you don't lose the sound you want. some high shelf on some instruments gives them some presence and shine...polishes them up some.

But yeah try some subtractive eq instead of adding. make mix fit together and work together instead of instruments fighting with each other.

[Paulie]

Great feedback

[AhjayStelino]

Which is a better frequency analyser?
I plan to use it as a plug in on Pro Tools 11.

Melda : http://www.meldaproduction.com/plugins/ ... tiAnalyzer

or

Blue Cat: http://www.bluecataudio.com/Products/Pr ... nalystPro/

thanks,
Ahjay

[jonnybutter]

I use Voxengo SPAN - it's good and it's free: http://www.voxengo.com/product/span/

[Len911]

Which is a better frequency analyser?
I plan to use it as a plug in on Pro Tools 11.

Melda : http://www.meldaproduction.com/plugins/ ... tiAnalyzer

or

Blue Cat: http://www.bluecataudio.com/Products/Pr ... nalystPro/

thanks,
Ahjay

My money is on the melda, in fact I need to update mine. I see they have the "areas" in this plugin now. Every week there are 5 random plugins for 50% off. It looks like then the price would be $33?? Also they have free updates for life.

The "areas" is a cool function. If you click on the image of the link you have, it will show different screen shots. There is one that shows in pastel colors, that shows the ranges of the sub bass, bass, low mid, mid, high mid and treble. You can make your own presets for the areas. You've seen "audio frequency charts" like these, just google and click images and you find a gazillion of them.
http://www.independentrecording.net/irn ... isplay.htm
It's probably best to make several presets for the frequencies so your analysis window is legible. The benefit to all this is when the analysis shows a collision between instruments or tracks, and with your areas and descriptions for those instruments, it might help you to make better decisions on what and where to cut for the collision and on what instrument for better effect.


*I see I've already posted about this earlier, except earlier, I didn't know about the upgrade for the "areas", it used to be in just the eq's,lol! Also it was just recently on sale for $32 actually, but because it is an eternal madness sale, it should come around again!

[andygabrys]

thanks for bringing up that Melda idea again Len. I got that a while back and always forget to use it. downloading the update now.