EQ levels when recording

[Genius Gone Insane]

Novice question here...Obviously, when you listen to cd's through your stereo you listen with the stereo EQed, generally with the lows and highs boosted and the mids cut. But when starting the recording process, if I am not mistaken, it is generally good to listen without any EQ. So at what point in the recording/mixing process do you start to listen with the EQ you would hear out of your stereo (and maybe other sound systems)?

Say for example I want to reference Arch Enemy's drum sound for my drums. Is it better to compare their sound and mine through monitors that are not EQd so I can here more of the frequency spectrum or is it better to listen to what the final product sounds like, as it would be EQed through my stereo?

Thanks. This question has been on my mind for some time...What do you guys do?

 

[Impy]

Listen through monitors (un-EQd) so you can hear everything, then when you're done you can listen through other systems, infact listening through other systems afterwards is highly recommendable so that you can get an idea of what people will hear at home.

 

[egan.]

I don't ever listen to mixes "eq'd" until I'm done and I never "eq" my studio monitors. The trick is to be comfortable and familiar on whatever you're mixing on. If you know what your monitors sound like and how they translate to other places it's a non-issue. But, if you are just trying to make things sound the same then I guess the only important thing is that you are comparing them on the most accurate system you have at your disposal (even if it's headphones).

 

[Andy Sneap]

No eq, good amp and good monitors, then hopefully, it will sound good on eq'd systems. You have to take your mixes out of the studio and listen also.

 

[FrostGiant]

Yeah, every monitor system has some coloring. You just have to learn it. Listen to some of your favorite albums many times to get a feel for what sound you need. But I've heard that putting every track down the middle and equing them so they own their own space before you split them into stereo is supposed to work great. I haven't tried it yet. But really it's about learning you're system. You can have the best monitors money can buy, but if you don't know how they translate across other systems they're worthless.

But basically play your mix on everything you own. I play mine on my home stereo, in my car, on my shower radio and thru my playstion to see what it's like and then adjust. Everything translates differently and that's why mixing engineers have jobs. It aint easy.