I really like this group, so I's want share a bit of information I've compiled. I hope this helps those in need. Make sure you visit www.recordingeq.com

peace
toy


THE EQ NOTEBOOK

Summary:

• The human ear cannot hear frequencies less than ½ an octave
• Twice the frequency is an octave
• Experienced engineers will always boost less and cut more
• Check and adjust levels before using EQ
• Wait to apply any EQ until you have a level mix


Q Settings

0.7 = 2 Octaves (Voices and Stringed Instruments)
1.0 = 1 1/3 Octave (General purpose Q setting for basic EQ)
1.4 = 1 Octave
2.8 = ½ Octave (use on percussive instrument to adjust attack)
4.0 = 1/3 Octave (Special Purposes)


Constant Q

You will need a constant Q when you want to boost only a certain range of frequencies.

Q Setting DB Cut/Boost Loudness
1 12-15 X4
2 6 X2
4 3 Slight


Octaves in the Frequency Range

When examining 20 Hz to 20 kHz it’s important to remember that twice the frequency is an octave. Thus if starting at a 500 Hz the next octave would 1000 kHz, the octave after 1000 kHz would be 2000 kHz, etc. To obtain musical results it is important to adjust these frequencies with a Q factor of 1.0, which roughly adjusts frequencies in amounts a little over an octave. It’s also important to recognize the attack frequencies.






Highest and Lowest Octaves

The highest and lowest octave ranges contain mostly hiss & rumble.

The lowest octaves are between 10Hz thru 40Hz.
The highest octave range between 10 kHz thru 20 kHz


Using EQ as a substitute for as Deesser

A deesser and an EQ used improperly can dull the vocals or mix. Using an EQ properly can eliminate the “S” sound while retaining the presence needed for a good mix.

Remembering that the human ear cannot hear changes in the 1/3 octave range use a Q of 4.0 and sweep to find offending frequency. Because the “S” sound varies from singer to singer the sweep should include a range from 7 kHz to 8.5 kHz. You can also use a spectrum analyzer to find the offending frequency as well.


Using Shelf EQ Settings

Shelf equalizers are best used for reducing rather than boosting energy.

Generally decent results can be had using a Shelf at Frequencies of 320 Hz or below and 2.5 kHz and above. Good results can be had using the settings below:

The Q should be set to 0.7 (two octaves).
For lower frequencies to boost or cut Bass put Frequency to 80 Hz
For higher frequencies to boost or cut brightness put frequency at 5 kHz

Shelving EQ is useful when trying to EQ instruments that might contain microphone leakage such as a snare drum. If trying to add 3K the result would be a clunky high hat using a shelf EQ could eliminate this problem.

Using Complimentary Equalization to avoid masking

The idea is to boost a certain frequency on one instrument and dip that same frequency on another instrument. This will get both instruments distinct, when properly done. When using this method you will be surprised that you get a lot of change with only a little amount of equalization. Use between 3 dB and 6 dB of boost and cut.


EQ Cheat Sheet Learning Guide



First Octave between 40hz and 80hz
Referred to as Low Bass – Gives more of a feeling and sense of power to the sound – very hard to hear at low volumes and practically non-existent on smaller stereo systems. When setting this level must listen both loud and soft. Too much energy in this range will make mix sound muddy on large speakers played loud. Avoid boosting this frequency on the entire mix use on one or two instruments like the kick.

40hz – (Fundamental Frequency Reduction)
Reduce on Bass to decrease boom and increase recognition.
50hz
Increase to add more fullness to lowest frequency instruments like kick, toms and the bass. (Peak 1.4Q)
Reduce to decrease the “boom” of the bass and will increase overtones and recognition of bass line in the mix. This is most often used on loud bass lines like rock. (Shelf EQ)
80hz
The lead or rhythm guitar doesn't generally need the lower frequencies below about 80Hz. You can cut those frequencies substantially (if not completely), minimizing interference of the guitar's low end with the bass guitar. (Shelf EQ)

Boost for general increase in Bass (Peak 0.7)







The Bass Range between 80hz and 250hz
This range of frequencies determines the “fatness” and “fullness” of the instruments sounds. Usually the equalization is applied centered to either 100hz or 200hz.

When 100 Hz is reduced on a guitar or bass to reduce "boom," at small boost at 200 Hz can be helpful to keep the instrument from sounding "lumpy" (certain notes hard to hear and others standing out). The guitar and bass have almost equal energy at their fundamental and 2nd harmonic frequencies. Thus if a range of notes becomes hard to hear because of a at lot of 100 Hz, reducing energy at 100Hz and adding energy at 200 Hz will help the notes be heard again.

100hz
As with the First octave this range should be adjusted and listened to at soft and loud levels to compensate for the Fletcher-Muson effect.

Increase this range to add body and fullness to guitar and snare, (Peak 1.0 Q) too much here can make these instruments sound boomy.
Boosting at 120hz adds weight to acoustic guitars.

Reducing on the guitar will usually add distinction between guitar and bass.
Increase to add a harder bass sound to lowest frequency instruments. (Peak 1.0-1.4Q)
Increase to add warmth to piano (Peak 1.0) and horns (Peak 1.4)
Reduce to remove boom on guitars & increase clarity. (Peak 1.0 – 1.4)







200hz
This frequency is considered the lowest frequency of a cymbal.

Increase to add fullness to Vocals determines the fullness of the vocal. (Peak 0.7 – 1.0)
Increase to add fullness to snare and guitar [harder sound] (Peak 1.4)

This range can also be reduced to increase distinction and clear up muddy vocals or midrange instruments. (Peak 1.0)

Reduce to decrease the gong sounds in cymbals. (Peak 1.0)









Bass Presence / Lower Mid Range between 250hz to 500hz
This range accents ambience of the studio & adds clarity to bass and Lower stringed instruments. Too much boost can make higher frequency instruments sound muffled and drums such as kick and toms sound like cardboard. Usual frequencies adjusted in this range are centered upon 300hz and 400hz.

Fatness of the snare resides in this range up to about 400 and down to about 120.

Dip between 350 Hz and 400Hz on the kick drum (to remove the "cardboard" sound) and increase the same frequency on the bass (to add bass presence).

The Lower Mid Range in general can be viewed as the "Bass Presence Range" Increasing this range gives clarity to the bass line and the lower-register of pianos and organs. Clarity and distinction can be obtained between the kick drum and bass guitar by both reducing the foot and increasing the bass guitar in this range, at the same frequency especially when speakers are at low volume.

250hz-350hz
The lower part of this range (250 Hz to 350 Hz) is sometimes referred to as "Upper Bass" and is used to increase distinction and fullness on the vocal, especially on female singers.

(Shelf Cuts @300) could be a setting that an engineer uses to get "ambiance" out of the overhead microphone.

Boosting 200hz-300hz adds boom to acoustic guitars.
Boosting 200hz-300hz also give strings a fuller sound.
Brass sections can obtain warmth by increasing to 200hz-400hz range

If the bass sounds muddy and needs to be cleaned up, cut at about 250Hz






400hz
Increase to add clarity to bass lines. (Peak 1.0)

This range is often reduced for overhead drum and cymbal microphones to increase clarity and presence on these instruments' and reduced to decrease "cardboard" sound of lower drums (foot and toms) (Peak 1.4)

Reduce to decrease ambiance on cymbals. (Peak 0.7-1.0 or Shelf @320)








The Mid Range (500hz-2khz)
This range can give a horn-like quality to instruments (500 Hz to 1 kHz) and a "tinny" sound (1 kHz to 2 kHz) or a telephone-like quality (all of the range). Equalization usually centers around 800 Hz and 1.5 kHz.

The mid-range also tends to accent the presence (800 Hz) and attack (1.5 kHz) of the bass guitar. The lower pitches of a rhythm guitar can be given more attack by a boost at 1.5 kHz.

For your Mid Range Instruments (vocals, guitars and piano) this range is most-often reduced rather than accented. Reducing 500 - 800 Hz on an acoustic guitar can remove the "cheep" sound and make it sound more "silvery." Reducing 800 Hz on a vocal makes it sound less nasal and have more body and presence. For snare drums, a reduction of 800 Hz can take the tinny, cheep sound out of the drum and make the snares have more sizzle rather than rattle.




800hz
Increase for clarity and "punch" of bass. (Peak 1.4)
Reduce to remove "cheap" sound of guitars (Peak 1.0)

* Reducing 500 - 800 Hz on an acoustic guitar can remove the "cheap" sound and make it sound more "silvery."

* Reducing 800 Hz on a vocal makes it sound less nasal and have more body and presence.

* For snare drums, a reduction of 800 Hz can take the tinny, cheep sound out of the drum and make the snares have more sizzle rather than rattle.




1500khz
Increase for "clarity" and "pluck" of bass (Peak 1.4)
Reduce to remove dullness of guitars. (Peak 1.0)











The Upper Mid Range (1khz-3khz)
Covering about one octave, this range of frequencies is responsible for the attack on percussive and rhythm instruments and the "projection" of mid range instruments. Equalization can be applied at any frequency in this range but still somewhat centers around 3 kHz.

On the foot drum, boosting 2.5 kHz or 4 kHz increases the attack. 2.5 kHz sounds more like a felt beater and 4 kHz sounds more like a hard-wood beater. These frequencies can also be used to increase the attack or "hit" sound on toms and snare drums.

Guitar lines often get more attack and distinction with equalization added at this range. A small boost (1-3 dB) for the vocal will increase projection. Adding too much energy, in this range, makes it hard to distinguish the syllables of the vocal and can cause listening fatigue. This range of frequencies is often reduced on background vocal to give them a more "airy" and "transparent" sound.

Tom ringing or rattling of the skins occurs at about 1-3kHz
Nasal vocals can be addressed at around 1-3kHz

3000khz
Increase for more "pluck" of bass. (Peak 1.4)
Increase for more attack of electric / acoustic guitar. (Peak 1.4)
Increase for more attack on low piano parts. (Peak 1.0)
Increase for more clarity / hardness on voice. (Peak 1.0)
Reduce to increase breathy, soft sound on background vocals. (Peak 1.0)
Reduce to disguise out-of-tune vocals / guitars.
The ringing overtones of crash and ride cymbals can be brought up within the 1-6kHz area
Increase for more attack on the snare or other drums. (Peak 1.4 to 2.8)
Brass - A more honky sound 1-3.5kHz


The Presence Range (4khz-6khz)
Although this range covers a mere half-octave of 4 kHz to 6 kHz, it is an often-used band of frequencies. This range makes most vocals and melody instruments sound closer and more distinct. Over-boosting causes an irritating and harsh sound. Equalization centers around 5 kHz.


5000 khz

Increase for vocal presence. (Peak 1.0)
Increase low frequency drum attack (foot / toms). (Peak 1.4 to 2.8)
Increase for more "finger sound" on bass. (Peak 1.4)
Increase attack of piano, acoustic guitar and brightness on rock guitars (Peak 1.4)
Reduce to make background parts more distant. (Peak 1.0)
Reduce to soften "thin" guitar. (Peak 1.0)


The Treble Range (7khz – 20khz)
Covering approximately that last two octaves of sound (6 kHz to 20 kHz), this band of frequencies is responsible for the brilliance and clarity on instruments. Equalization centers around 7 kHz, 10 kHz and 15 kHz.

7-12kHz will emphasize sibilance and breath noise in vocals
8-12khz will introduce a lot of rasp with additional shrillness to brass
5-10kHz range emphasizes the jangle or sparkle of steel-strung Acoustic guitars
16-18kHz region, gives crispness to vocals that helps pull out details in the recording.

The vocal "S" sounds are at about 7 kHz, making this a frequency that is avoided for vocals. Care must be exercised in reducing 7 kHz on vocals, however, because the vocal will sound dull very fast. The breath sound of the vocal is at 15 kHz and above, giving a breath quality without much accent on the "S": sound of the vocal.

The 7 kHz frequency is also the "metallic attack" frequency on drums The "sizzle" of cymbals is at 15 kHz.

When equalizing, 10 kHz and above is often used as a general "brilliance" frequency band.
The very top octave (10 kHz - 20 kHz) often has more noise component (hiss) than useful sound.



7000 khz
Increase to add attack on low frequency drums 4 more metallic sound (Peak 1.4 to 2.8)
Increase to add attack to percussion instruments.
Increase on dull vocals. (Peak 1.0)
Increase for more "finger sound" on acoustic bass. (Peak 1.4)
Reduce to decrease "s" sound on vocals.
(Peak 2.8 - Sweep frequency slightly (between 7 kHz and 8 kHz) to find the "exact" frequency of the S)
Increase 4 sharpness to synths, rock guitars, acoustic guitar and piano. (Peak 1.0 -1.4)
7.5-10kHz range emphasises bow and string noise on stringed instruments
Brass rasp in at about 6-8kHz


10000 khz
Increase to brighten vocals (Peak 1.0)
Increase for "light brightness" in acoustic guitar and piano. (Peak 1.0)
Increase for hardness on cymbals. (Peak 1.4)
Reduce to decrease "s" sound on singers. (Peak 1.4)


15000 khz
Increase to brighten vocals (breath sound). (Peak 1.0)
Increase to brighten cymbals, string instruments and flutes. (Peak 1.0)
Increase to make sampled synthesizer sound more real. (Peak 1.4 to 2.8)





Steps for setting up EQ Examination

1 Get a mix of the entire tune, leaving the equalizers alone. Do the best mix that you can using levels, panning and reverberation.
2 Listen to the mix and identify instruments that are hard to hear or don't sound very good. Equalize the worst offender. In our example we will say that you find that the rhythm guitar doesn't have much attack.
3. Solo that instrument and add equalization to it. Judge the amount of EQ you are using by putting the EQ "in" and "out." In our example you may want to set the EQ frequency to 3 kHz and set the boost to 6 dB.
4 Relieve the solo so that you hear the entire mix. Make a second judgment about the frequency and amount of EQ you are using by putting the EQ "in" and "out" with the entire mix playing.
5 Repeat steps 3 & 4 until you are satisfied.
6 Move onto another instrument.

EQ Tips and Additional Information

We know that extreme high and low frequencies stand out more when we listen to loud music, we can create the impression of loudness at lower listening levels by attenuating the mid range and boosting the HF and LF ends of the spectrum.

Therefore, if you want music to sound louder at low listening levels, then it makes sense to boost at the extremes of the low and high frequency range -- exactly what the Loudness switch on some hi-fi systems is designed to do. However, if you're going to use this type of overall EQ, it's best to leave it to the mastering stage, and then to add only a couple of decibels at most.


Another psychoacoustic effect which can be manipulated with EQ is the perception of distance. This is because the air damps high-frequency sounds more than low-frequency ones. If a sound source is very close, this effect is negligible. However, the further a sound has to travel through the air, the more the high frequencies are damped. Therefore, if you roll off a little high end from a sound, it seems further away. This technique is often used to bring a lead vocal to the front of a mix otherwise dominated by backing vocals, for example. The backing vocals are cut a little above 10kHz or so, while the lead vocal is given more energy above this frequency.

Very awesome post, but you lost me on the very first pointer:



Now, when I think of "octave", I'm thinking of notes that are 12 half-steps apart. I'm guessing that's not what you're talking about here, because the human ear CAN hear half an octave below middle C.

Can you clarify what you mean about "Octave"?

Thanks TS.

otan said:

Basically twice the frequency is one "EQ" Octave --

For instance 1000khz to 2000khz is an octave in relation to the Q setting. 2000-4000 // 4000-8000 etc

Check out the link below - very interesting

http://www.recordingeq.co...taveEQ.htm



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