do i need to change my ways? (eq question)

I

idk Probly

New member
i just read Weiss Sound's sticky on EQ (great info, btw) & it got me thinking, maybe i've been DIY for so long that i've been DIW (doin it wrong) and never known it. Of course, from what i've read, the only hard and fast RULE to recording music that i've heard echoed everywhere is there ARE no hard and fast rules (other than don't mix the bass too loud). Here's where i get confused. People talk about EQ & they say "roll off 5hZ, boost 8kHZ, cut 3hZ" (not actual numeric freq references, but u get the idea). I use an MV8000 and although i add instrumentation and vocal tracks, i don't record live bands. So maybe bc of that i haven't run into a lot of problems with instruments crowding eachother in the sound field. When i listen to my mix, let's say i got my kick, snare, hh, tom, clap all separated on different tracks. if i hear something that doesn't sound right, kick too boomy i cut the low end on that track, clap too harsh i cut the high end on that one etc. etc. Between that, adjusting the overall level of the track, and some basic panning, it seems to work okay. But from what i read, it seems like i should be looking at the actual frequency values and making sure all different tracks/instruments are living in the correct number value/freq range, across the board, together, instead of seeing them as individual tracks. My mix doesn't sound muddy or abrasive or anything, so i don't have a real problem, i just wish i had a better grasp of the whole frequency aspect. Am i looking at it all wrong? Sorry for the long post.
 
idk probly... lol

we mix using our ears, if it sounds good then it sounds good no matter what numbers show up or what any charts/graphs look like. just make it sound good. personally, i dont pay attention to all that frequency/numbers/chart crap.
 
If some day you find out that you always turn the bass or high or whatever up in the same way, you're most probably just trying to equalize your (weak?) room acoustics away.
 
idk Probly said:
i just read Weiss Sound's sticky on EQ (great info, btw) & it got me thinking, maybe i've been DIY for so long that i've been DIW (doin it wrong) and never known it. Of course, from what i've read, the only hard and fast RULE to recording music that i've heard echoed everywhere is there ARE no hard and fast rules (other than don't mix the bass too loud). Here's where i get confused. People talk about EQ & they say "roll off 5hZ, boost 8kHZ, cut 3hZ" (not actual numeric freq references, but u get the idea). I use an MV8000 and although i add instrumentation and vocal tracks, i don't record live bands. So maybe bc of that i haven't run into a lot of problems with instruments crowding eachother in the sound field. When i listen to my mix, let's say i got my kick, snare, hh, tom, clap all separated on different tracks. if i hear something that doesn't sound right, kick too boomy i cut the low end on that track, clap too harsh i cut the high end on that one etc. etc. Between that, adjusting the overall level of the track, and some basic panning, it seems to work okay. But from what i read, it seems like i should be looking at the actual frequency values and making sure all different tracks/instruments are living in the correct number value/freq range, across the board, together, instead of seeing them as individual tracks. My mix doesn't sound muddy or abrasive or anything, so i don't have a real problem, i just wish i had a better grasp of the whole frequency aspect. Am i looking at it all wrong? Sorry for the long post.
Click to expand...

Congratulations, you are probably doing things right. You know what I do if my kick is too boomy? I cut the lows, same as you. And if my clap is too harsh? I cut the highs same as you.

Your genius is that you have not fallen victim to the same B.S. that most DIYers on the interwebz fall victim to. You aren't OVERTHINKING it. I am shocked, baffled, dumbfounded by all the EQ recommendations I read in posts on here and other forums. People do all this knob twisting here, there, over there, and under there, don't forget on top of there, cut at 441Hz and boost at 442Hz so that your wacka-wacka doesn't conflict with your wugu-wugu which was boosted at 441Hz and cut at 442Hz. They are trying to solve problems THAT AREN'T EVEN THERE!
 
I am still learning but as far from an instrumental stand point i know i have good mixes and only pay attention to 3 frequencies/objects/classifications

I dont really get into numbers and thats
Low, Mid and High.
 
There is a time and a place for looking at those numbers, and that's usually when you have to fix something very very specific issue. 99% of the time you should just trust your ears (which, of course, means that the monitoring environment has to be up to the job).
 
you always turn the bass or high or whatever up in the same way
 
chris carter said:
Congratulations, you are probably doing things right. You know what I do if my kick is too boomy? I cut the lows, same as you. And if my clap is too harsh? I cut the highs same as you.

Your genius is that you have not fallen victim to the same B.S. that most DIYers on the interwebz fall victim to. You aren't OVERTHINKING it. I am shocked, baffled, dumbfounded by all the EQ recommendations I read in posts on here and other forums. People do all this knob twisting here, there, over there, and under there, don't forget on top of there, cut at 441Hz and boost at 442Hz so that your wacka-wacka doesn't conflict with your wugu-wugu which was boosted at 441Hz and cut at 442Hz. They are trying to solve problems THAT AREN'T EVEN THERE!
Click to expand...

or maybe your ears aren't trained enough to understand them? just b/c he's doing what you do doesn't make him or you right lol. the problems are there if you can hear them. if you have 3 instruments that play in the same frequency spectrum and you're not making places for them your wacka wacka and your wugu wugu will sound like a clustered mess.

the B.S. that DIYers on the interwebz fall into is listening to all these EQ calibrations without UNDERSTANDING what the relevance is. there is not magic setting, just an in-depth understanding of the tendencies of sound (and good monitoring space)
 
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