ART Pro Audio Pro Channel - Mic Preamp/Compressor/EQ - Manual (Page 21)

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What is the best way to use EQ?
There are two schools of thought on EQ:
1) Use as much as you need to make things sound good.
2) Don’t use any EQ.
Most people follow the suggestion of “if it sounds good, it is good.” You need to use
your ears and judge for yourself as their are no steadfast rules for EQ’ing. Here are a
few pointers to guide you:
• Always tweak the instrument you are EQ’ing while listening to it in the mix. EQ’ing
an instrument when it is soloed doesn’t give you a good representation of how it will
sound when mixed with other instruments. You’d be surprised at how bad a killer
guitar track can sound when it is isolated from the rest of the mix. Remember, what
makes it killer is how it sounds in relation to the other instruments! Keep the big
picture in mind.
• Most people think of EQ as boosting only (“we’ll just add a little EQ...”). Many
times a “bad” sounding instrument can be fixed by simply isolating the offending
frequency and pulling it out. After you determine approximately where the “problem
area” is in the instrument (highs, lows, mids), isolate the track and boost one of the
mid bands. Slowly sweep through its frequency range. When the really nasty sound
jumps out at you (you’ll know it when it happens) turn the boost back to “0” (12
o’clock). Now put the track back into the mix and cut the frequency. You’ll have to
adjust the level of the instrument depending on how much you cut, but you should
find that with the problem area pulled out, the instrument works better in the mix.
• When recording EQ’d instruments, make sure you have a good representation of
frequencies on tape. Always monitor “off-tape” when recording to ensure that what
you’re hearing is what is on tape. When recording things like kick drums, make sure
you have enough low end “thud” and high end “click” (if applicable) before you
record.
Recording guideline: You can always boost or cut frequencies after they’ve been
recorded, but you can’t add frequencies that weren’t recorded! Also, if you get the
right sound when you record the tracks, you shouldn’t be spending a lot of time re-
EQ’ing during the mix.
• When mixing, concentrate on blending tracks and the song’s dynamics. If you find
yourself EQ’ing everything, take a break and come back to it later. Start mixing with
a group of instruments such as the whole drum kit or guitars and bass, instead of
listening to individual tracks. Mixing is the time for tweaking – not applying a sonic
re-design. Once again, “if it sounds good, print it!” Trust your ears – never mind
where the knobs are pointing.