This one is really fast – A quick tip about EQ – if you are adding EQ to a track, watch the peaks –
eg, if you have a track thats peak value is -3dB and you add 4dB @ 500hz, then its gonna clip.
this is also true if you take 4dB away from the signal – it still clips, this is because of the way that computers handle maths.
so watch out for that!
another thing to note is that its often better to remove frequencies than it is to add them. not always, but most times.
another one to remember is that nasal vocals tend to be about 1.1K (sometimes they are at 900hz)
also, try not to have overlapping frequencies – this can lead to everything sounding messy. try to write down where you are going to have all your frequencies before you start adding eq to everything, eg, are you going to have punchy bass, or are you going to have deep sub bass, or are you going to have punchy, deep sub bass ? where is your kick going to fit in with all that ? sometimes the kick has to have no low end on it, cos thats where all the bass is. you dont hear it like that, you hear a kick drum as a kick drum, but when your mixing it with deep bass you need to get rid of the low from the kick.
Always start from the low frequencies and work upwards. It makes it easier.
vocals are the most difficult part – you have to make them sound natural, but at the same time, they have to be restricted in their frequency range – if you want airy vocals then cut at 3k and boost at 9k, if you want bright non airy vocals then boost at 3k and cut at 9k
it often a good idea to to two or three takes of vocals and have layers with different frequencies emphisised, this way it sounds like a nice full vocal, even though its only three or four crap sounding vocals when solo’d
the same goes with guitars and keyboards.
I dont like low mids in cymbols, it makes them sound bronzy, I dont like that, but some people do, I always double track my cymbols, and compress the hell out of them, and then put an HPF at 3k and bring that into the mix, it makes for nice sparkly cymbols.
snare is different every time. I could write a whole article about eq for snare. infact, I think I might. I might do a seperate article for eq on every type of instrument, that’s keep my conten going for a long while =)
