SOUNDLIKETHEPROS

What is this mixing tool I’m talking about? EQ.

 

EQ (Equalization) is the absolute best tool to make your mixes sound great. And the amazing thing is, great stock EQs come free with just about every DAW (Digital Audio Workstation). If your aren’t happy with the way your music is sounding, EQ can really improve the sound of your music. Learning how to use EQ can take your music from amateur to professional.

All EQ does is separates the content of any given audio into different frequencies. This gives you the ability to improve the sound of the audio by altering the frequency spectrum. Don’t be intimidated by the sound of it, because it is much simpler than it may sound.

 

Here are a few real-world examples:

 

If your guitar sounds muffled, add some top end to the guitar using EQ and the guitar will come to life. This also works for any other instruments as well as vocals. Normally adding a high shelf around 4-8 kHz can open up your sound and give it a clear, expensive quality.

 

If your kick drum sounds like a piece of paper, cut out some of the mid-range frequencies around 500 Hz and boost the top end around 4KHz and low end around 60-100 Hz until you achieve the great kick drum you deserve.

 

If your bass guitar sounds more like a piece of plastic, add some beef to the bottom end by adding a bell curve boost around 60-100 Hz with EQ. It is also a good idea when doing this to set a high pass filter to cut out the lows below your boost to get rid of the extremely low frequencies that will not be heard or felt (below 20 Hz). Be careful not to overdo it or you may end up blowing a speaker or two.

 

And last but not least, the best tip I could ever give you is to put a high pass filter to cut everything under 80-100 Hz on every track except for bass guitar, kick drum, and toms. Cutting out all of these sub-bass frequencies on all your guitars, keyboards, synths, and percussion can really cut out all of the “mud” in your mixes and allow your bass-heavy instruments to hold down the low end.

 

All these subtle changes with the EQ can take your home recordings to the next level.

 

For in-depth tutorial videos and step-by-step explanations on exactly how to do this, click here!

 

Don’t forget to download my free eBook, An Introduction to Professional Home Recording, for more tips that will immediately improve your home recordings!