Noob-Alert: 1.5 kHz

[JoeJackson]

My mixes improved so much since I'm a regular on this board. It seems that my biggest problem was, that I haven't spent enough attention to a balanced frequency-curve.

I learned a lot since I use Ozones EQ-snapshot feature to also visually check my mixes against commercial ones (no need to worry, I still trust my ears more than my eyes on that matter ).
So the last songs I've done sound a lot more professional, clear (in a good way) and more defined. But it seems that I always get in trouble with a small section around 1.5 kHz. First it doesn't sound wrong at all - but when I check the average EQ-curve of a whole song, there is always kind of a "nipple" around 1.5 kHz, whereas there is a small valley in the EQ-curve of various commercial mixes.

I know, 1.5 kHz mainly comes from guitars and vocals, right? On guitars there is (at least to me pleasent) gritty sound around 1.5 kHz, which I don't want to cut to radically. On vocals there is a lot of "presence" and "aggression" at that range, right?

Why exactly is 1.5 kHz often referred to as a problematic frequency-range?

Cheers,
joe

 

[abyssofdreams]

Hmm, in addition it says here:

http://noise101.wikidot.com/eq-guide

1.5Khz-
Increase for clearer, cleaner bass.
Reduce to remove dullness of guitars.

 

[broken81]

I just found myself boosting in mastering around 1.5 to sound more like a comercial cd. mmmmm......

 

[AStacy2]

Well, in a lot of rock and metal tunes that area will be peaking. It gives it an edge really. But if you over do it in that area, your mixes are going to be fatiguing to the ear. Also, vocal sibilence is usually around that area or a little higher so watch that if you boost. Just don't add too much or your mix will be too harsh.

 

[JoeJackson]

I played around excessively today on a song with missing vocals. With a reaaally narrow cut at around 1.5 kHz on the guitars it reduces a bit of an annoying FM-style sizzle. I wouldn't have called it dullness, but okay. But I really had to sweep through the frequency-range to find a "sweet"-spot (which in this case isn't a sweet-spot, right? *haha*). That made the trick for now.

I guess there must be a sweet-spot on vocals in that area, too. As HexTheNet states, this should avoid excessive sibilence. Thanks, Dudes ... I guess that closed the missing link
I just could associate a certain sound or effect with that frequency.

Thanks