Basic EQ'ing for Mastering : Need a few tips

[gemini8026]

Been doing a few searches, but I'd like a little advice...

Ive always used the basic compression / loudness on my mixes. Ive never taken it to a level of doing any EQ'ing..

When I mix on my home monitors or speakers, I get a decent sound, but its not translating as well to other gear. I find the mixes fatuiging often. This can be due to a variety of factors, but Im looking at some help.

Here is a reference mix (everythign performed and mixed by me, Im a lonely man)

http://www.jeffwizniak.com/mp3/MyWorstEnemy.mp3

or

http://www.jeffwizniak.com/mp3/EdgeOfSanity.mp3

Both songs have a compressor and a maximiser on the master bus. But NO eq'ing is done. the mixes are pretty basic. Nothing fancy and nothing too high fidelity, but when I play them in my car, Im often turnign the volume down due to fatuige. But if I toss in some of my fave Soilwork / In Flames Cd's, it sounds just fine. I truly thing the high end honk is what Im getting fatuiged by.

Can anyone offer any tips, I would greatly appreciate them. Search + EQ tweaking in Cubase isnt in my favor tonight and I am getting frustrated

 

[Redoubt]

Any EQ I ever do on a master channel usually consist of low Q (wide strokes) and small increments.

 

[Fandus]

Any EQ I ever do on a master channel usually consist of low Q (wide strokes) and small increments.

+1

at this point you are only applying the final polish. if anything drastic is needed you should go back and do it in the mix.

typically a highpass and a high shelf for me. And lately I've been experimenting with mid side EQ which is cool.

 

[-Noodles-]

When mastering, rarely I give or take more than 3dB.

 

[Kessler_Audio]

Ditto to what Noodles said. I usually find that especially in the high end (9-15 KHz) i only boost or cut by 1-2 dB. When getting rid of the muck in a master you should cut no more than 3.3 dB.

 

[Nimvi]

About the reference mixes: I do notice something extremely fatiguing going on at 10khz-ish right away, in the rhythm guitar. It doesn't bother me so much on the second track, but the first makes me want to put my volume down right as the guitars start. Can't really tell what it is, it doesn't sound like a spike. Sounds more like an aural exciter being overdone. By maximizer, do you mean a loudness maximizer, or a bbe sonic maximizer? If it's the second, i think your problem lies there.

I think the mixes sound pretty great apart from that btw!