make music now EQ for beginners

THE ESSENTIAL GUIDE TO...

EQ

NEXT MONTH

CHORUS

This month we get to grips with one of the most

important tools in the plug-in workshop EQ

aving already covered most of

the basic types of effect in our
Essential Guide series, its now
time to look at equalisation, or EQ for
short. EQ is among the most versatile
tools we have, but it's also one of the
hardest to master, requiring practice,
experience and lots of patience.
All sounds which are audible to the
human ear fall in the sonic spectrum,
that runs from 20 cycles per second
(20Hz) to about 22,000 cycles per
second (22kHz). Although the spectrum
is obviously continuous (any frequency
value is possible), certain parts of it are
well known for exhibiting particular

audible characteristics. For example, if a

hi-fi speaker emphasises frequencies
around 1kHz, it could be said to have a
nasal sound. If the same speaker is
not very efficient when it comes to
reproducing frequencies between 100
and 500Hz, it might be described as
having a thin sound.

In order to make effective use of EQ,

its important to train your ears to link
perceived sonic qualities with particular
frequency bands this skill will allow
you to quickly enhance a sound in a
predictable way, or correct a tonal
deficiency without having to get your
bearings by experimentation first. cm

EQ IS ONE OF THE HARDEST TOOLS

TO MASTER, REQUIRING PRACTICE,
EXPERIENCE AND LOTS OF PATIENCE

JARGON BUSTER

3 PARAMETRIC EQ
A type of EQ plug-in that offers a very
fine degree of control, using three
parameters for each band: frequency,
Q-factor and gain.

EQ CURVE
This curve graphically depicts
the frequency response of each
of the individual filters as well
as the plug-in as a whole

3 Q-FACTOR
Sets the width of the EQ band. High Q
values allow for very specific or
narrow adjustment, but can sound
quite resonant and unnatural.

FREQUENCY
This is used to
control the centre
frequency of one of
the EQ bands

3 NASAL
A term used to describe excess
power in the frequency band around
1kHz (600Hz-1.5kHz). Use a
parametric equaliser with a low Q
value to fix this problem.
3 BOXY
A word used to describe excess
power in the frequency band around
500Hz (300-800Hz). Use a parametric
equaliser with a medium Q value to
remedy this.

Q
This controls the range of the
filter each side of the frequency
band. Use low Q values to get a
more natural sound

FAT
This option enables a high
quality filtering technique
which improves the accuracy
of an EQ plug-in, particularly
with higher frequencies

028

LIM/SAT
Use these two buttons to
select the saturation
model required to give the
right amount of analogue
warmth to the sound

GAIN
This controls the amount
of boost or cut applied by
the band. Try to use cuts
rather than boosts, as a
general rule

| COMPUTER MUSIC JULY 2005 TUTORIAL

CMU88.t_guide 028

26/5/05 2:04:50 pm

EQ for beginners make music

Q&A focus
now

WHAT IS IT?

WHAT'S IT USED FOR?

As weve established, EQ is primarily a tool for

manipulating the relative balance of frequencies
within the audible spectrum. Er, what?', we hear
you cry. In simpler terms, it's a tool for changing
the tonal balance of an individual sound or a
complete mix. Several different types of EQ exist,
ranging from simple tone controls, which are
used to accommodate broad adjustments, right
through to parametric equalisers and notch filters
which can operate with surgical precision on very
specific frequencies.
With any equaliser, particular settings will
modify the frequency spectrum of the incoming
signal in a certain way, and this is generally
characterised by the use of an EQ curve. An EQ
curve is best viewed graphically, in order to give a
clear, visual representation of the impact the
current settings are having on the signal that's
being processed.
Some parametric equalisers (see Five To Try,
below) also offer a spectrum analyser that plots
out the current frequency content of the signal in
real time. The spectrum analyser is often placed
directly behind the EQ curve, allowing particularly
accurate and convenient EQ adjustments to be
made while monitoring the incoming signal (both
graphically and aurally).
While some equalisers offer one set of
parameters that operate on both left and right
channels, others offer independent settings for
each channel.

One of the most common applications for

EQ is problem solving cutting out noise or
interference, or taming excessive peaks at
particular frequencies. Most real mixers offer
a low-cut button that reduces the level of
the signal below 100Hz; this is particularly
useful for removing mechanical microphone
noise, for example.
In the virtual studio, where the majority of
signals are completely noise and
interference-free, EQ can still play an
important part in sculpting the tonal balance
of sounds produced entirely within the digital
domain ie, inside a computer. It can be
used to subtly enhance or emphasise a
particular characteristic of a sound, or
radically alter the sound with more extreme
settings. Hence, this is one of the most
versatile effects in the plug-in rack.
EQ is used heavily during the mixing
process, usually to craft individual sounds so
that they fit together properly in the mix. Its
also often used on entire mixes as the first
step in the mastering process (to provide tonal
balance and correction of the entire mix). It's
particularly important to use a good quality,
natural sounding plug-in when applying EQ for
such purposes.

HOW DO I USE IT?

As weve already seen, equalisation can be
used in a number of different situations, so
well try and pass on some general advice
here that's going to be relevant to most
typical applications.
When making any EQ adjustments, try
starting off by setting one band to a fairly
drastic boost, then sweep the frequency up
and down to find the particular range of
frequencies you want to operate on. Having
set the frequency, adjust the Q value and gain
until you achieve the result you're looking for.
Generally speaking, its good practice to
use an EQ plug-in to cut rather than boost
(although cutting one frequency can be
viewed as boosting all other frequencies!). Try
to picture a stone mason chipping away
unwanted marble to carve out a statue, rather
than gluing on left-over chips from elsewhere.
Or something like that.
Although EQ plug-ins are generally very
system/CPU friendly, its a good idea to avoid
any unnecessary adjustments, as unless you
have a good, high end plug-in, the sound may
end up losing its focus and, as a result, its
impact in the mix. In other words, make sure
youve switched off any unused bands and
always try to use conservative settings where
possible (small boosts/cuts with wide Q values).
Follow these general guidelines and you'll be on
your way to mastering the art of EQing!

3 Shure thing: EQ will remove any nasty mic-related

noises, like sibilance and breathiness from vocals

FIVE TO TRY...
DiscoDSP EQ30

www.discodsp.com

Fruity Parametric EQ
www.pluginspot.com

ParEQ

www.ntrack.com

HarmoniEQ

www.voxengo.com

NyquistEQ

magnus.smartelectronix.com

STEP BY STEP Applying equalisation in FL Studio with PSP MasterQ

Start FL Studio and load the track Toby-Striker (found in

the ProjectsCool stuff folder). Disable the Fruity
Parametric EQ and Limiter placed in the master
channel and load the DirectX version of PSP MasterQ (the
VST version has a compatibility issue with FL Studio). >>

In MasterQ, enable the bass rolloff, setting the frequency

to 38Hz and the Q value to 0.48. Removing the excess
bass will free up headroom, allowing the level of the
whole track to be raised. Click the right Lim-Sat button to turn
on Vintage Limiting. >>

The track sounds a little nasal. Set one of the

parametric EQs to a high Q value with high gain, then
sweep the frequency to find the resonant frequency
around 440Hz. Widen the Q factor to about 0.55 and apply a
small cut. Click the PROC button to compare the sounds.

TUTORIAL JULY 2005 COMPUTER MUSIC

CMU88.t_guide 029

| 029

26/5/05 2:04:53 pm