JPF Home Page Forums Musician Gear and Techniques General Technical Forum Understanding EQ...

Useful chart? Hmm...

This is a good one: "15 Khz - Increase to make sampled synthesizer sound more real". So if you want your synthesizer to sound more like a real synthesizer increase 15 Khz.

Here's the chart:
http://www.recordingwebsite.com/articles/eqfreq.php

Best, John

For more redicious questions and answers go to the Gearslutz web site and read. Maybe this one should be added to Michael's post, Evils in the Music Industry. P.S. I doubt if many people can even hear 15Khz. For further info Google the Fletcher-Munson Curves.

I know a lot less about EQ than I'd like. But what little I've learned by trial and error is consistent with this chart. So I expect the remainder that I did NOT know will work for me too.

There is no substitute for just listening - but there is something to be said for having a good starting point too.

So, yes, I think it will be quite useful. Thanks for posting it, John.

Scott

Humm,
A Graphic Equalizer is basically Tone Controls that allow adjustments of the overall sound spectrum. For more on the overall sound sprectrum look at the Fletcher-Munsun Curves. Mostly a Graphic Equalizer is used to balance up a room that may have defencies. In that case you just have to adjust until it sounds pleasing to you.

In a recording after the sound is put on some medium there may be some mixing, also adjusting the overall frequency until it sounds pleasing with the cavet that if you didn't get a good recording in the first place you probably can't fix it in the mix. A Equalizer/Mixer either raises the volume or cuts it at each part of the spectrum. Equalizers may have several controls along the sprectrum, (About 50 to 15K overall). More isn't necessarily better.

Yeah, Scott and Ray, the final decision is with my ears also (for better or worse). However, the chart does give some options to try for problematic areas. They may or may not work. Again, trust our ears.

Using EQ can stop a bass and kick from competing with each other. I did a recording a couple months ago where the bass & kick just wasn't working. Taking a little low-end off the kick solved the problem. It gave the bass more presence. Funny, in this situation, taking some low-end off the kick created an illusion of more kick depth too. It's all about finding a distinct space for every instrument so they're not fighting each other (both panning & EQ).

I still have so much more to learn in the recording process. Just hope my ears are up to it.

Best, John

Thanks for this chart. Recording and mixing is like peeling back layers....once you think you have it figured out you find more underneath it.

They forgot to include:

500Hz -- Reduce to make MY voice sound less ugly.

The best guys know the theory of what parts of the frequency spectrum to adjust for any given situation.....BUT they also use their ears......using ears and tech knowledge of the sound spectrum is a lethal combination.
I always remember a guy explaining about adding in parts of the spectrum that were outside human hearing. What difference it makes is actually audible cause the part you cannot hear can have an effect on the part you can making it sound a bit different.
Generally I leave that side of things to the experts.......despite a lot of the stuff being "geeky" they can make your tracks sound a whole lot better. I have not the time or patience to even start.

A side note, not sure if this applies here: When The Beatles produced "Sgt. Pepper", they included a dog whistle at the end of the album right after "A Day In The Life". It wasn't noticeable by our K9 friends on vinyl, but when the album was put on CD it was there.