making space for instruments?

[downstroy]

so with eq you can do more space for instruments to sit better in the mix
so i like to ask,well i give you example: we got vocals and distorted guitars.

first thing where to cut or boost?
is it ok to check with freg analyser those areas where the guitars and vocals
are loudest and cut/boost there or do you allways got same fregs where to cut/boost

second thing how much?
yeah how much cut/boost should be enough if theres nothing weird in tracks
and q values when cut more narrow and boost more wide or is the anything special going on

im very thankful if someone could tell this cos wanna know how it do right
and maybe someone could do good tutorial video of this

 

[GearMan2point0]

post a clip bud

 

[downstroy]

http://dl.dropbox.com/u/4026066/-live%20for%20today.mp3

here...little bit raw but mostly i just solo track and eq randomly trying to get it sound good but its so damn hard

 

[Kohugaly]

finding the right frequency to cut/boost is sometimes hard. There is a little trick. Make a narrow boost on guitars(Q around 4 and boost cca 6 - 10db) and move it slowly from lower frequencies upwards. You will find a spot, were the guitar significantly masks the vocals. When you find it cut it and set the Q... how much? ask your ears! But don't overdo I've read somewhere around here that if you have to use cuts and boost over 6db, than something is wrong with the tone of the instruments itself.
It is also very useful to learn how different frequencies of the instruments/vocals sound. Check them with method mentioned above when soloed. What I like to do is, that i listen to the instrument solo, and unmute instrument one by one to hear "the battle for space".

And don't EQ when soloed! It's like shooting with your eyes closed!!

 

[Trevoire520]

so with eq you can do more space for instruments to sit better in the mix
so i like to ask,well i give you example: we got vocals and distorted guitars.

first thing where to cut or boost?
is it ok to check with freg analyser those areas where the guitars and vocals
are loudest and cut/boost there or do you allways got same fregs where to cut/boost

second thing how much?
yeah how much cut/boost should be enough if theres nothing weird in tracks
and q values when cut more narrow and boost more wide or is the anything special going on

im very thankful if someone could tell this cos wanna know how it do right
and maybe someone could do good tutorial video of this

Your entire post can only really be answered with "it depends"

It depends on the original source sound
It depends on the desired final sound
It depends on what every other sound in the mix is doing

No one can tell you "boost your vocals here, cut your guitars here, this many dB boost, q set this wide" because we've not got the mix laid out in front of us.
And even if you post a clip, people tell you what to do and it works out ok, what happens next time you're mixing a different song/band? You cant expect to come here every time asking people how to eq your latest track.

This is stuff you HAVE to learn by doing. Over and over and over, on different sources, in different mixes. You have to train your ear to hear what's not working in your mix and draw on your experience to know what to do in order to fix it.

There are some tools you can use to help train your ears.
Harman How To Listen is very good, simple feedback trainer is also useful though it's more designed for training your ears for live sound work.
Even just messing around with the eq in itunes/wmp can help you to learn what different frequency bands sound like and where the energy lives in different instruments in a mix.

 

[downstroy]

kohugaly thanks i will try that....

trevoire520 ok i finaly begin to get it ...all about ears and train train train,i just hoped that there is easy way to see with freg analysers what areas need to cut/boost cos well you know my untrained ears
but thanks i check that harman how to listen
...and of course i dont expect that people will tell how to eq my every mix.

 

[xeroxed88]

I really like your vocals. You sound a bit like Waylon from Mushroomhead!

 

[downstroy]

thanx

 

[jackbraglia]

just boost in the guitar what you cut from the vocal and vice-versa, finding the right frequencies to work with your mix...well thats up to you...vocals could be anywhere from 1 to 4khz. thats 2 octaves, so its impossible to tell you exactly which to boost/cut, just experiment.