marți, 12 iulie 2011

Beginners Guide to Equalization

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What is Equalization?
Equalization or EQ is a mixing process in music designed to boost or cut frequencies to change their tonal character or leave space within a mix. In a track each musical element will share a part of the frequency spectrum and elements with similar frequency content will fight with each other for a space in the mix. By using EQ you can effectively cut or boost these competing frequencies so they each can be heard in the mix.
Controlling Your Equalizer
On most EQ's you will find they have several bands that cover the entire frequency spectrum, so for example band 1 might be on 60 Hz, band 2 140 Hz, band 3 300 Hz and so on. Using these bands you can home in on specific frequencies and use a 'Q' setting to control the amount of frequencies either side of the main frequency you want to regulate. A larger 'Q' will mean you are affecting less frequencies and a smaller 'Q' will mean you are affecting more. Both large and small 'Q's have different purposes when mixing, larger 'Q's are generally to notch out unwanted frequencies and smaller 'Q's are far more transparent and natural, so perfect for light boosting.
Some EQ's will come with filters. These have a general purpose of cutting a part of the frequency spectrum to allow another part to be emphasised. The three main filtering processes are:
Band-Pass
This is a filter that only allows frequencies within a certain range to be heard, the rest will be inaudible.
High-Pass
This filter as the titles suggests only allows higher frequencies pass through and attenuates frequencies under the threshold set.
Low-Pass
A low-pass filter is the opposite of a high-pass filter and removes all frequencies after the threshold.
Using EQ to Improve your Mix
EQ can be used in various ways to help bring uniqueness to your mix, but there are general guidelines producers tend to stick to. The main one being that whenever you feel you should make a boost always ask yourself if you can recreate the same effect by cutting. Engineers will usually look to cutting rather than boosting when using EQ, this is because whenever you are boosting a signal there is always a chance you will add noise, distortion, phase shifting and more importantly reduce the amount of headroom left in your mix. By cutting frequencies in a mix you are making room for others by carving out spaces for them to sit in. One of the most common uses of EQ is to prevent frequency masking or clashing. This is when instruments with similar frequency content are mixed together resulting in them become indistinct in a mix. Cutting is particular useful in this situation because you are able to carve out unnecessary frequencies from one instrument so the other can fill the gap.
EQ is an art and only you can decide how you want each element to sound in your mix. Experiment and find your own unique approach to equalization.

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