EQ

[timislegend]

And this subtractive thing.... Im sorry I dont buy it.

Whatever these sweep techniques are they have never helped me im afraid and I think this is bad approach.

i don't understand... are you saying you are having trouble with the technique?

or you just don't believe it is done this way... because i can assure you, these are the most common method of equalization there is. (subtractive/additive/surgical).

it is a regimen re-enforced by professionals and practiced by literally every critical listening publication in existence.

consider graphic equalization used in live situations:

locate the unpleasant funemental frequency and subtract it from the signal path by reducing it's gain by 100% ...then increase the gain to taste.

the idea is to increase or attenuate but do it to taste.

here is the method in action:

George Massenberg

watch what he is doing. *this method is coming from the guy who invented the parametric equalizer.

 

[BLUElightCory]

Maybe i was lucky, I know that I was not completely lucky.


But way the presets were useful it they showed how heavy handed I was being - in the wrong way.


And this subtractive thing.... Im sorry I dont buy it.

What the plugins also showed was that a few boosts really brought to life my vocals and kept the warms that I had subtracted out in my attempts.


I copied the SSL presets onto my logic EQ, the SSL was definitly a more aggressive sound but I was able to tweak the logic EQ close to and see what was going on and the curves were a lot softer than mine but definitly hit the attack of the notes and brought them out .


Whatever these sweep techniques are they have never helped me im afraid and I think this is bad approach.

I agree with Tim, and I think you still have much to learn.

Subtractive EQ is not the devil, it's just a method of EQ-ing that yields more natural results than boosting the hell out of everything. You can do things either way, but it's important to understand the differences and WHY you're boosting/cutting frequencies in the first place. Boosting lows and highs, for example, gives very similar results to cutting midrange and adding volume to compensate, except that when you cut frequencies you aren't adding anything that wasn't originally there, and you aren't adding extra level, phasey artifacts, or any of the other cons that generally come with boosting.

Maybe try this instead - figure out what you like about what the presets are doing (what frequency ranges they tend to boost/cut, how much, etc.) and try to recreate the sounds without using the presets as a guide. Learn from them, and start applying what you learn to your future projects. The problem with presets is that every guitar/snare drum/voice/etc. will be different, and one setting won't cover everything all the time. This is why you need to understand WHY the preset is set up with way it is in the first place.

 

[reg3n]

Maybe try this instead - figure out what you like about what the presets are doing (what frequency ranges they tend to boost/cut, how much, etc.) and try to recreate the sounds without using the presets as a guide. Learn from them, and start applying what you learn to your future projects. The problem with presets is that every guitar/snare drum/voice/etc. will be different, and one setting won't cover everything all the time. This is why you need to understand WHY the preset is set up with way it is in the first place.

+1

Without further reading, things i can say are:

George Massenberg is the best example of the good use of presets. NONE. He's finding what he needs to boost or cut, with a pair of ears.
And i wouldn't worry too much about the substractive /additive "technique", substracting 3db from any given frequency, is simmilar to adding all the others 3db and lowering the main gain, what i do is set my track volume first, and go from there, not ever touching it again (ok... sometimes, but rarely), if i want it more prominent in the mix, i'll work the fuck out of it but not just raise the level. What i find particularly useful in this is not just sitting there and making an amazing sound in 3 seconds, you've got to focus, a lot, and use your ears wisely.

 

[timislegend]

I agree with Tim, and I think you still have much to learn.

Subtractive EQ is not the devil, it's just a method of EQ-ing that yields more natural results than boosting the hell out of everything. You can do things either way, but it's important to understand the differences and WHY you're boosting/cutting frequencies in the first place. Boosting lows and highs, for example, gives very similar results to cutting midrange and adding volume to compensate, except that when you cut frequencies you aren't adding anything that wasn't originally there, and you aren't adding extra level, phasey artifacts, or any of the other cons that generally come with boosting.

Maybe try this instead - figure out what you like about what the presets are doing (what frequency ranges they tend to boost/cut, how much, etc.) and try to recreate the sounds without using the presets as a guide. Learn from them, and start applying what you learn to your future projects. The problem with presets is that every guitar/snare drum/voice/etc. will be different, and one setting won't cover everything all the time. This is why you need to understand WHY the preset is set up with way it is in the first place.

...couldn't have said it better, myself.

 

[Klosure]

done using my ears, subtractive/positive eq and presets


oh and years of playing with eq

http://dl.dropbox.com/u/880876/broken 12.mp3
( if it isnt up give it a few mins its uploading)