EQ starting points

[HeadCrusher]

What if we tryed to get a sticky together where we noted done good starting points (frequencies) to eq any given instrument?

(I know every sound source is different but starting points are always a good help.)

I'm going to start with the kick drum and I am looking forward to your contributions.

KICK DRUM

60-80 Hz (Bell) - Add "balls"
300-400 Hz - Remove "wood"-sound
4000-6000 Hz - Add kick
8000+ Hz (Shelv/Bell) - Add highs

 

[myownsilence]

Problem is, although its an idea, why not just learn to use an EQ properly?

 

[HeadCrusher]

Well, feel free to add your "How to learn to use an EQ properly"-guide here is well.

Learning to use an EQ properly is kind of a 'starting point' as well anyway so I should be happy reading further contributions in that direction.

 

[ahjteam]

starting point:

- highpass everything from a frequency so that it affect the signal negatively for more headroom. minimum 30-40hz (usually only master bus, djembe, cello, bass and kick), but usually between 60-150hz
- then if there is something wrong with the sound, boost any frequency 9dB and start sweeping the frequencyrange. When it sounds bad, cut it. If it doesn't sound bad anywhere, remove the boost and don't cut it anymore

 

[John_C]

urmm the thing i find is that eq sweeping is the best way to go as far as mixing independant instruments. Just take a filter and sweep it around as the instrument plays, both boosting and cutting, and listen to what sounds best.
AT first all you hear is highs mids and lows
then you start to understand lower mids and upper mids
the process continues over time until you can just listen to something and go "needs a bit less around 1500hz" or "there's a ringing harmonic somewhere around 600 hz"

There are basic ideas that are valuable, but trial and error is the best way to creating a real ability and understanding with eq

 

[Metaltastic]

urmm the thing i find is that eq sweeping is the best way to go as far as mixing independant instruments.

Bingo - that's how I gained my knowledge of the following guitar frequencies (Note: I'm only describing the sound of having too much of each frequency, cuz I always do subtractive eq on guitars except for 4k)

150 Hz - Palm mute "Whoomp" (think "And Justice for All" )
250 Hz - Mud
400 Hz - THE DREADED WOOL/stuffiness
700 Hz - Cocked-wah
1k - Fuzziness, lack of definition, AM radio at the extreme
2k - Nasal
4k - Presence/bite

Never really bothered to ascribe names to anything higher, cuz I don't eq up there

 

[Jaymz]

8-10k "air" described by Colin

 

[John_C]

but then also 400 described as good for note def. by colin

 

[Zombietakeover]

but then also 400 described as good for note def. by colin

Exactly

 

[Metaltastic]

but then also 400 described as good for note def. by colin

Well I'm not saying it should be eliminated, as I mentioned my above terms are for knowing when you have too much of a certain frequency (since I always do subtractive eq on guitars except at 4k)

 

[myownsilence]

I do not agree with hi passing.low passing everything or anything in a swoop.


You can learn some stuff about eq by sweeping about.

but whats good

or something that is bad.



These are actually the real questions about eq that will contribute to you finding the best stuff in sound.


For example on a guitar good might be the cabinet boom - but you might have enough of that

Bad might be in the mids, something that is there that does not need to be but ounds better when removed. Problem is you can take away the character of the instrument if you just grab at random for something say at 400k and remove.

Good might be the pick attack in the 2k regions (it might not be there however so take 2k as a complete bit of random). However boosing here might bean the guitar sounds thing cos youve gone hard on the boost loosing the rest of the information.



And the my fav is when you get into boosting into a compressor. You thing that cutting at 50hz tighens up stuff, try boosting at 60-100 into a compressor. The frequency you push will trigger the compressor. You can tighten up the bass end and then eq stuff after the compressor to bring out the top, nice and tight but sharp and clear.


You see, its a big area for starting points, and starting points are not even the beginning if someone suggests something and leaves you fucked cos you are in the wrong area working.

I wish I had been given starting points, but if you want a starting point get your head out the clouds, they are not real and only work for any given circumstance.

Go here:

http://www.recording-microphones.co.uk/


Have a go at downloading the mixes and seeing how it goes. You might not like the tracks, but you should be in engineer mode, if you can do that and foxus on it then leave it to the AE's otherwise go for it, and let others listen to your work and compair to the final product. This can help quite a bit and may change your perspective of EQ.


Really dont force it to learn at your pace, you do get better and things get clearer, but honestly presets just dont work.

 

[ahjteam]

I do not agree with hi passing.low passing everything or anything in a swoop.

Why do you want to remove the treble from everything? Highpassing removes the low frequencies, lowpassing removes the high frequencies.

 

[Joematthews]

I think that full stop was meant to be a comma

 

[Metaltastic]

I think that full stop was meant to be a comma

I notice you're too manly to call it a "period" (thanks Maddox )

And there's nothing wrong with eq starter tips; obviously it takes practice to know how much cutting/boosting is too much, but I don't see the problem in giving certain descriptions to unpleasant sounds and suggesting where to try cutting to remove 'em!

 

[Jaymz]

You need to crank the 50hz pot to get that BOOOM from the bass drum, if you dont handle the 50hz pot you will not achieve the desired BOOM. Also if you are using Pro Tools...you will never get that BOOM, only SQUARRRRK!

 

[beyond dead]

the better you get at figuring out which freq.`s are doing what, the better you will be at achieving a good balanced source signal, which means you dont need to use as much eq to get the results you want come mix time!

 

[HeadCrusher]

And there's nothing wrong with eq starter tips; obviously it takes practice to know how much cutting/boosting is too much, but I don't see the problem in giving certain descriptions to unpleasant sounds and suggesting where to try cutting to remove 'em!

Well, that was the intention of this thread.

 

[HeadCrusher]

[...]

Go here:

http://www.recording-microphones.co.uk/


Have a go at downloading the mixes and seeing how it goes. You might not like the tracks, but you should be in engineer mode, if you can do that and foxus on it then leave it to the AE's otherwise go for it, and let others listen to your work and compair to the final product. This can help quite a bit and may change your perspective of EQ.

[...]

Thanks, I'll definitely check that out. Sure looks interesting.

 

[gabriel g.]

but all guitars are in different tunings!!!!
so: a´ =440Hz

440x12^ROOT (2^x)

x=your nodes (half-tones) included the starting point:

So if you want a c´´=783Hz

it´s very dangerous to just cut after a map!!!so If your guitar player is tuned to b you just cut all his tone and the harmonic vibes of his tone

 

[Fox Mulder]

Gawd.