MagicFrequencies
ExcerptedfromTheMixingEngineer'sHandbook
by Bobby Ows i ns k i
Page1of1
Editors'Note:Thefollowingexcerptfrom"TheMixingEngineer'sHandbook"byengineerBobby
[Link]
atthetheendfeaturesvariousprofessionalengineersofferingtheirperspectiveonEQtechniques.
Beforeweexaminesomemethodsofequalizing,itsimportanttonotetheareasoftheaudioband
[Link]
distinctranges,eachonehavingenormousimpactonthetotalsound.
SubBassTheverylowbassbetween16Hzand60Hzthatencompassessoundsthatareoften
feltmorethanheard,[Link]
[Link].
BassThebassbetween60Hzand250Hzcontainsthefundamentalnotesoftherhythmsection,soEQingthisrange
canchangethemusicalbalance,[Link].
LowMidsThemidrangebetween250Hzand2000Hzcontainstheloworderharmonicsofmostmusicalinstruments
andcanintroduceatelephonelikequalitytothemusicifboostedtoomuch.Boostingthe500Hzto1000Hzoctavemakesthe
instrumentssoundhornlike,[Link]
cancauselisteningfatigue.
HighMidsTheuppermidrangebetween2kHzand4kHzcanmasktheimportantspeechrecognitionsoundsifboosted,
introducingalispingqualityintoavoiceandmakingsoundsformedwiththelipssuchasm,bandv
indistinguishable.Toomuchboostinthisrangeespeciallyat3kHzcanalsocauselisteningfatigue.Dippingthe3kHz
rangeoninstrumentbackgroundsandslightlypeaking3kHzonvocalscanmakethevocalsaudiblewithouthavingto
decreasetheinstrumentallevelinmixeswherethevoicewouldotherwiseseemburied.
PresenceThepresencerangebetween4kHzand6kHzisresponsiblefortheclarityanddefinitionofvoicesand
[Link].Reducingthe5kHzcontentofamixmakes
thesoundmoredistantandtransparent.
[Link],
however,canproducesibilanceonthevocals.
Leo di Gar Kulka Equalization The Highest, Most Sustained Expression of the Recordists Heart, Recording Engineer/Producer, Vol. 3, Number 6,
November/December, 1972
For those of you who have an easier time visualizing the audio spectrum in oneoctave increments (like
those found on a graphic equalizer), heres an octave look at the same chart.
31Hz
Rumble, "chest"
63 Hz
Bottom
125Hz
Boom, thump, warmth
250Hz
Fullness or mud
500Hz
Honk
1KHz
Whack
2KHz
Crunch
4KHz
Edge
8KHz
Sibilance, definition, "ouch!"
16 KHz
Air
EasyToRemember
Golden Rules Of EQ
1. If it sounds muddy, cut
some at 250Hz.
2. If it sounds honky, cut
some at 500Hz.
3. Cut if youre trying to
make things sound
better.
4. Boost if youre trying to
make things sound
different.
5. You cant boost
something thats not there
in the first place.
TricksandTips
GeneralTips
UseanarrowQ(bandwidth)whencuttingusewide
Qswhenboosting
Ifyouwantsomethingtostickout,rolloffthebottomif
youwantittoblendin,rolloffthetop
ForSnare
Tofindthepointonthesnare,boosttheupper
midrangestartingatabout+5or6dBat2kHzorso.
Openupthebandwidth(ifthatparameterisavailable)
untilyougetthesnaretojumpout,thentightenthe
bandwidthuntilyougetonlythepartofthesnaresound
[Link]
youneedtheleastamountofboostinordertomakeit
jumpoutofthemix.
ForDrums
DavePensado:AlotofthemusicIdohassamplesin
itandthatgivestheproducertheluxuryofprettymuch
[Link]
daysyoualwayspulledoutalittle400onthekickdrum.
[Link]
doesnthappenasmuchanymorebecausewhenIget
thetape,evenwithlivebands,theproducersalready
triggeredthesoundhewantedofftheliveperformance
andthedrumsarecloser.
ForBass
Theratiobetweenthelowbass(80120Hz)andthe
midbass(130Hz200Hz)[Link]
fairlynarrowpeakingbands,oneat100Hzandanother
[Link]
toowarm,sometimesreducingtheupperbandcan
makeitmoredistinctwithoutremovingthedeeper
[Link],try
boostingsomeofthe1kHzareasincethisiswherealot
ofthesoundoftheFenderbasslives.
ForFatterGuitars
Figure 5
Boostmidrangealot(9dBorso)andsweepthefrequenciesuntilyouheartherangewheretheguitarsoundsthickbutyet
[Link],backtheboostdowntoabout+4orsountiltheguitarcutsthroughthemixwithout
beingtoobright.
DonSmith:[Link]
[Link],[Link]
upthehighstringsandaddingmudtothelowstrings,[Link]
stringismissinginachord,IliketoEQandboostitwayupto+8or+10andthenjustdialthroughthedifferentfrequencies
[Link]
instruments.
ForVocals
Boostalittleat125Hzto250Hztoaccentuatethevoicefundamentalandmakeitmorechestysounding.The2kHzto
4kHzrangeaccentuatestheconsonantsandmakesthevocalseemclosertothelistener.
EdSeay:OnavocalsometimesIthink,Doesthisvocalneedadietplan?Doesheneedtolosesomeflabdownthere?
Orsometimes,Weneedsomeweightonthisguysoletsaddsome300cyclesandmakehimsoundalittlemore
important.
DavidSussman:IfImrecordingvocals,Iliketorolloffquiteabitonthebottomendsothecompressordoesntstart
[Link],I
[Link]
[Link]
zoneinonacoupleofotherwoofyareasoncertaininstruments.
DavePensado:IthinkofEQasaneffectmuchthesamewayyouwouldaddchorusorreverbtoaparticularinstrumentor
[Link],ImighthaveavocalwhereIthinkitsreallyEQednicelyandthenIlladdalittlemore3kjusttogetittobitea
[Link]
[Link],thentakeittothenextlevel,thinkingofitasan
effect.
Source:ArtistPro
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