An Introduction to EQing in Mixing
By SourceAudio | Updated August 12, 2022
Professional grade EQing can make a great track sound even better, while a bad EQ job can absolutely ruin an otherwise great recording. Here are a couple of useful EQing techniques to take your mix to the next level.
EQ to Avoid Overlapping Frequencies
Fundamentally, a mixing engineer wants to make sure that overlapping of instruments in any frequency range is reduced to a minimum. Each instrument in a mix should occupy its own unique frequency range so that the mix doesn’t sound muddy and each voice has plenty of room to sound out.
To achieve this, the engineer uses broad frequency cuts, two on an instrument at most, and the best way to get started with this process is to begin with the most important instruments in the mix. You’ll give your most important instrument priority for the frequencies that make it sound the best, and then go to the second most important frequency, and so on. Ideally, the instruments should already have been chosen so that each one works together to form a complete spectrum of sound from the lowest audible frequency to the highest, so this process shouldn’t involve reshaping the sounds too much.
Removing Dissonant Harmonics
One of the most common tricks that engineers use to make instruments sound both louder and clearer is the removal of dissonant frequency harmonics. This is accomplished by using a graphic EQ, boosting a set frequency with your Q-value turned all the way up, and then slowly sweeping across the entire frequency spectrum to listen for dissonant harmonics that ring out. Once you have identified them, take that boosted EQ frequency and drop it all the way down to cut it to the level which sounds best.
You may want to take this a step further and engage the piano roll across the bottom of your frequency visualizer if you have one. You may find that those trouble frequencies you cut out end up aligning with notes that are not in the key of your song. With the piano roll, you can lock those nodes of your cuts onto the dissonant notes, which may provide an even more effective cut.
Like most mixing tools, the effect is subtle, and it’s best not to overdo it and punch too many holes in your instrument, but many subtle improvements on each track over of a mix go a long way to elevating a track.
Self-Serve AI Metadata Tagging is Here, and Your First 20 Songs are Free!
Unleash the Power of AI Tagging Inside Your SourceAudio Admin Panel Our new AI tagging delivers unmatched quality, value, and performance. And, when you tag a song with our AI, all future upgrades and updates flow your way automatic...[ READ MORE ]
Trends, Highlights, & Insights from 2023! Plus, a look ahead at 2024...
From our dedicated team to you and yours, we wish you all the best in this New Year and want you to know we are more energized than ever to deliver on our mission and roadmap to help you grow in 2024 and beyond!...[ READ MORE ]
Client Feature: 9 Questions with The Hit House
The Hit House is a one-stop label supporting independent artists, not an algorithm. The Hit House takes music personally and provides a premium score and sound design catalog driven by exclusive staff composers including award-winning musi...[ READ MORE ]