Question about equalizing, surgical equalizing, etc.

[Rumburak]

Hi!

How many equalizers can I put in order?

This is the equalizing on my pad so far...

Dune 3 Pad.jpg (366.16 KiB) Viewed 718 times

Can I still put som M-Class onto it?

I am not good at mixing so are there some technical rules?

Thanks! Chris

[Loque]

You can insert as many EQs as you want or send your channel to a new bus where you have an additional EQ. Repeat sending to bus for more SSL EQs.

But... Think of what you really want to do. To me it sounds like you want to EQ just to do something, maybe to somehow get some better sound...somehow... IMO.

[Rumburak]

I want to EQ my Pads so that there are all the frequencies gone that I do not need.
I have an idea, I am just not good on the technical side of production.

Thanks!

[AttenuationHz]

Hmm, If it requires a lot of EQ'ing to get it sounding right then it might be the sound source that's the problem. High resonated cuts will cause even more issues though unless you can use a zero latency EQ: drastic cuts at certain frequencies will cause other frequencies to resonate on some EQ's. Better off using a minimal amount of EQ work on a given sound source.

What are you trying to do with the pad exactly and what issues do you hear when auditioning the pad on its own?

If you're just making room for other sounds in the track minimal gain increases or decreases might get better results. If there is a specific frequency that is being masked by another sound perhaps you might try to duck that frequency instead, using side chain compression.

[Rumburak]

I just want to get rid of all the frequencies I do not need for the Pad sound.
So... unless I know what I am doing it is better to keep my equalizing minimal and let someone experienced do the fine tuning?

Thanks!

[AttenuationHz]

I just want to get rid of all the frequencies I do not need for the Pad sound.
So... unless I know what I am doing it is better to keep my equalizing minimal and let someone experienced do the fine tuning?

Thanks!

Its hard to give the advice you are looking for without knowing exactly which frequencies you are talking about in context to the track. Which frequencies do you not need and why do you think you do not need them? Also what genre are you mixing.

Pretty much, small adjustments in the end will yield better results. For arguments sake if a track was being mastered and there was massive cuts going on it would be harder to master.

[guitfnky]

I’d say while you’re just starting out, try to limit yourself to one EQ per track, and get the most you can out of that before you start stacking. there are no rules, but I would suggest two guidelines to keep in mind: first, follow your ears. find what sounds good to you. second, most of your EQ moves should be done with some goal/purpose in mind. making something sound fuller, for instance, or sit better in the mix with another instrument. it’s good to always have some idea what you want to do.

after you’re comfortable with what different EQs can do, then you can start stacking them. keep in mind signal flow is crucial (if you put an EQ before a reverb, it can have a drastically different result than putting it after, for example). I mix as I write, so it’s not uncommon for me to have three or more EQs on a single track, at different points in the chain, all doing different things.

experiment. have fun!

[Rumburak]

Ok, I think I kinda get it now.

Mixing is kinda like make-up. If the songs instruments and its arrangement is bad, mixing cannot save the song!?

Thank you!

[MannequinRaces]

Ok, I think I kinda get it now.

Mixing is kinda like make-up. If the songs instruments and its arrangement is bad, mixing cannot save the song!?

Thank you!

Very much so. A good arrangement almost mixes itself. Sometimes sparser is better.

[two shoes]

Not to change the subject, but what do you think of Dune 3? That's the first VST I've been tempted by since taking the plunge into REs. I'd dearly love to see a Rack Extension version but alas if that were worth it for Synapse they'd probably have done it with Dune 2.

[two shoes]

Btw, there are a ton of good Youtube videos on the technical aspects of equalization. And don't be intimidated by the "technical" side of production either - when it comes to equalization there are a few basic principles anyone can understand in a few minutes that will make a world of difference. Once you've got your feet under you with some of the basics you will start to progress faster as you'll learn more from your experience every time you mix something.

A couple tips that were helpful for me are to start learning what frequencies are important to the sounds or instruments that are common in the type(s) of music you're interested in - there are certain "areas" that tend to have more competition between different sounds and learning how to make room for more than one sound that want to use the same frequency range is really important! You definitely want to get a handle on ducking techniques that can be used with compression or dynamic equalization to reduce the level of one sound only when another sound needs that space so to speak - Ochen K has a very reasonably priced rack extension called Carve EQ that is just for this type of technique. One thing that took me years to fully realize is that perhaps the most important type of EQ, and the one that will have the biggest impact on most of your mixes are simple high, low, and bandpass filters. Those fancy looking complex EQ curves with multiple parabolic filters and lots of aggressive cuts and boosts are great for marketing EQ plugins, but in most cases what you need to accomplish with an EQ to make your mix sound better is a lot simpler - in many cases as simple as some gentle high and low pass filters to get your sounds out of each other's personal space. The most important thing I've learned about equalization though is to stop trying to do it with my eyes - EQ plugins today are all about eye candy, even the good ones, and you need to force yourself to rely on what you hear and not what you're looking at - I'd even suggest turning off the background spectrum displays on the EQs that have them while you're learning as they will mislead you more often that not when you're just starting out. Good luck, and don't forget - Youtube is the most incredible educational resource in history for any number of subjects including almost every aspect of musical production and its FREE - avail yourself of it.