chapTer 4:
WaxinG phiLoSophicaL
wHen to eq?
This is a question that deserves thought. in some cases, eq can be intuitive.
one of the simplest examples of corrective eq would be in treating the
human voice; adding top end to a vocal that needs articulation, or adding
bottom end to a vocal that appears thin. in all cases, one should listen
thoughtfully and let the material tell you what it needs. ultimately, one
should eq when a signal requires help to fit naturally and compliment a mix.
most musicians and artists would say they want their voice or instrument
to sound as natural as possible; however, there are many acoustic factors
which can affect one’s perception of how an event sounds. What most
artists and engineers desire is for an instrument to sound natural or, in
an idealized way, closer to the artist’s intention. most artists expect their
recorded material to perform well in the context of a mix without covering
other performers or getting covered up. using an outboard equalizer should
typically be viewed as much of a way to make corrective changes as it is to
make creative changes. The reason for this is that microphone placement,
room acoustics, the settings of the instrument or amp, and a whole host
of other variables are always applying their own unique type of eq to a
signal, some of which may be outside of your control and undesirable.
As a general rule, one should do most eq after applying compression;
though there are exceptions, such as taming a problem frequency in
advance of a compressor to allow the compressor to respond more
naturally. in this situation, one might consider subtractive eq prior to
compression, and additive eq post-compression. The most notable
exception to this rule is in stereo mastering, where eq should precede
final compression and limiting, to prevent any chance of peak overages.
tiPs on using Your eqP-wa
The eqp-WA is a program equalizer by design, which means, though quite
capable on individual instruments, it especially shines on complex, full
bandwidth material; i.e. complete mixes or instrument groups. it is especially
good with providing a final tone balance and adjusting the relationship of the
midrange to the low and high frequency bands in finished material. As with
all equalization, listen for what the source material calls for, and reference
back to the original (unaltered) source often to maintain perspective.
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