Some Mixing Topics; Equalization - Behringer EURORACK MX1604A User Manual

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EURORACK MX1604A
Fig. 6.4: Project studio setup example

7. SOME MIXING TOPICS

7.1 Equalization

The variable parameters of the channel equalizers on the EURORACK are described in sections 2.2 and 3.2.
Few people buying a mixer will need to be told how an Equalizer works. But how to get the best out of it? Well,
that’s another story. In the beginning EQ was an instrument for removing unwanted frequencies, or compen-
sating for imperfect microphone response curves, or bumps in a studio’s acoustic. It was a corrective device.
Tamla Motown turned that notion upside down in the sixties with the novel idea that you try to find for each
instrument a characteristic frequency not shared by the other instruments in the mix. Then you whack up its
gain. This makes individual voices punch through a mix in a slightly unnatural but exciting way.
In general corrective EQ usually involves broadband (slope) contouring, together with narrowband notching
of unwanted resonances. The narrower the notch or “Q”, the less the total signal will be affected. Finding bad
resonances is made easier by first frequency sweeping in BOOST mode.
“Motown” EQ is achieved by applying boost in a fairly broadband way. The broader the band, the more
musical but less instrument-specific the effect. Applying boost over a narrow bandwidth will sound “honky”.
For sounds which require drastic corrective EQ, it is advisable to have a couple of channels of fully compre-
hensive Parametric Equalization in your rack. (You can always bounce tracks though the outboard EQ,
freeing up the unit for the next task).
Check out the BEHRINGER ULTRA-CURVE PRO DSP8024, a superlative digital stereo Equalizer and much,
much more. Or our ULTRA-Q PRO PEQ2200 5-band Constant-Q state-variable analog EQ.
For “Advanced Equalization”, EQ might be applied to a signal as follows: First, trim the LF and HF shelves to
achieve the required slope or “loudness”. Now use a Parametric EQ band to boost the most significant
frequency for each instrument or tape track. Over all channels, if two or more of these frequencies coincide,
then you might have to settle for second best in some cases, if you want to achieve optimum separation in the
mix. Really nasty frequencies will need notching out.
7. SOME MIXING TOPICS 17