4/3/2014 Magic Frequencies

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MagicFrequencies
ExcerptedfromTheMixingEngineer'sHandbook
byBobbyOwsinski
P a g e 1 o f 1
Editors'Note:Thefollowingexcerptfrom"The
MixingEngineer'sHandbook"byengineer
BobbyOwsinskidiscusseshowEQcanaffect
differentfrequenciesinanaudiomix.ATips
andTrickssectionatthetheendfeatures
variousprofessionalengineersofferingtheir
perspectiveonEQtechniques.
Beforeweexaminesomemethodsof
equalizing,itsimportanttonotetheareasof
theaudiobandandwhateffecttheyhaveonwhatwehear.Theaudio
bandcaneffectivelybebrokendownintosixdistinctranges,eachone
havingenormousimpactonthetotalsound.
SubBassTheverylowbassbetween16Hzand60Hzthat
encompassessoundsthatareoftenfeltmorethanheard,suchas
thunderinthedistance.Thesefrequenciesgivethemusicasenseof
powereveniftheyoccurinfrequently.Toomuchemphasisonthis
rangemakesthemusicsoundmuddy.
BassThebassbetween60Hzand250Hzcontainsthe
fundamentalnotesoftherhythmsection,soEQingthisrangecan
changethemusicalbalance,makingitfatorthin.Toomuchboostin
thisrangecanmakethemusicsoundboomy.
LowMidsThemidrangebetween250Hzand2000Hzcontainsthe
loworderharmonicsofmostmusicalinstrumentsandcanintroducea
telephonelikequalitytothemusicifboostedtoomuch.Boostingthe
500Hzto1000Hzoctavemakestheinstrumentssoundhornlike,
whileboostingthe1kHzto2kHzoctavemakesthemsoundtinny.
Excessoutputinthisrangecancauselisteningfatigue.
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HighMidsTheuppermidrangebetween2kHzand4kHzcan
masktheimportantspeechrecognitionsoundsifboosted,introducing
alispingqualityintoavoiceandmakingsoundsformedwiththelips
suchasm,bandvindistinguishable.Toomuchboostinthis
rangeespeciallyat3kHzcanalsocauselisteningfatigue.
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Dippingthe3kHzrangeoninstrumentbackgroundsandslightly
peaking3kHzonvocalscanmakethevocalsaudiblewithouthaving
todecreasetheinstrumentallevelinmixeswherethevoicewould
otherwiseseemburied.
PresenceThepresencerangebetween4kHzand6kHzis
responsiblefortheclarityanddefinitionofvoicesandinstruments.
Boostingthisrangecanmakethemusicseemclosertothelistener.
Reducingthe5kHzcontentofamixmakesthesoundmoredistant
andtransparent.
BrillianceThe6kHzto16kHzrangecontrolsthebrillianceand
clarityofsounds.Toomuchemphasisinthisrange,however,can
producesibilanceonthevocals.
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.
EasyTo
Remember
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.
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
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Figure 5

TricksandTips
GeneralTips
UseanarrowQ(bandwidth)whencuttingusewideQswhen
boosting
Ifyouwantsomethingtostickout,rolloffthebottomifyouwantitto
blendin,rolloffthetop
ForSnare
Tofindthepointonthesnare,boosttheuppermidrangestartingat
about+5or6dBat2kHzorso.Openupthebandwidth(ifthat
parameterisavailable)untilyougetthesnaretojumpout,thentighten
thebandwidthuntilyougetonlythepartofthesnaresoundthatyou
wantmost.Thenfinetunethefrequencyuntilyouneedtheleast
amountofboostinordertomakeitjumpoutofthemix.
ForDrums
DavePensado:AlotofthemusicIdohassamplesinitandthat
givestheproducertheluxuryofprettymuchgettingthesoundhe
wantedfromthestart.Intheolddaysyoualwayspulledoutalittle

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400onthekickdrum.Youalwaysaddedalittle3and6tothetoms.
ThatjustdoesnthappenasmuchanymorebecausewhenIgetthe
tape,evenwithlivebands,theproducersalreadytriggeredthesound
hewantedofftheliveperformanceandthedrumsarecloser.
ForBass
Theratiobetweenthelowbass(80120Hz)andthemidbass
(130Hz200Hz)isimportant.Tryusingtwofairlynarrowpeaking
bands,oneat100Hzandanotherat140Hzandboostoneandcutthe
other.Ifthebassistoowarm,sometimesreducingtheupperband
canmakeitmoredistinctwithoutremovingthedeeperfundamentals
thatliveinthe100Hzband.Also,tryboostingsomeofthe1kHzarea
sincethisiswherealotofthesoundoftheFenderbasslives.
ForFatterGuitars
Boostmidrangealot(9dBorso)andsweepthefrequenciesuntilyou
heartherangewheretheguitarsoundsthickbutyetstillbrightenough
tocutthrough.Now,backtheboostdowntoabout+4orsountilthe
guitarcutsthroughthemixwithoutbeingtoobright.
DonSmith:IuseEQdifferentfromsomepeople.Idontjustuseitto
brightenorfattensomethingupIuseittomakeaninstrumentfeel
better.Likeonaguitar,makingsurethatallthestringsonaguitarcan
beheard.Insteadofjustbrighteningupthehighstringsandadding
mudtothelowstrings,Imaylookforacertainchordtohearmoreof
theAstring.IftheDstringismissinginachord,IliketoEQand
boostitwayupto+8or+10andthenjustdialthroughthedifferent
frequenciesuntilIhearwhattheyredoingtotheguitar.SoImtrying
tomakethingsmorebalancedinthewaytheylaywithother
instruments.
ForVocals
Boostalittleat125Hzto250Hztoaccentuatethevoicefundamental
andmakeitmorechestysounding.The2kHzto4kHzrange
accentuatestheconsonantsandmakesthevocalseemclosertothe
listener.
EdSeay:OnavocalsometimesIthink,Doesthisvocalneedadiet
plan?Doesheneedtolosesomeflabdownthere?Orsometimes,
Weneedsomeweightonthisguysoletsaddsome300cyclesand
makehimsoundalittlemoreimportant.
DavidSussman:IfImrecordingvocals,Iliketorolloffquiteabiton
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thebottomendsothecompressordoesntstartkickinginandbringing
upanylowendrumbleornoise.IfImEQingapianoorsomething
thatsalreadybeenrecorded,Isometimesrolloffalotofthebottom
soIleavealotofroomforthebassandthekickdrumtooccupy.A
lotoftimesIdontneedanythingunderprobably100Hz.Illdosome
rollingoffwiththefiltersandthenImaytakeabellcurveandzonein
onacoupleofotherwoofyareasoncertaininstruments.
DavePensado:IthinkofEQasaneffectmuchthesamewayyou
wouldaddchorusorreverbtoaparticularinstrumentorvocal.Like,I
mighthaveavocalwhereIthinkitsreallyEQednicelyandthenIll
addalittlemore3kjusttogetittobitealittlemore.Thenitjust
makesmefeellikethesingerwastryingharderanditbringsouta
littlebitofpassioninhisorhervoice.SoItendtobemosteffective
whenIdothestandardequalizing,thentakeittothenextlevel,
thinkingofitasaneffect.
Source:ArtistPro
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