To Eq Or Not To Eq - Yamaha MG166C Owner's Manual

To EQ or Not to EQ

In general: less is better. There are many situations in which you'll need to cut certain frequency ranges, but use
boost sparingly, and with caution. Proper use of EQ can eliminate interference between instruments in a mix and
give the overall sound better definition. Bad EQ—and most commonly bad boost—just sounds terrible.
Cut for a Cleaner Mix
For example: cymbals have a lot of energy in the mid and
low frequency ranges that you don't really perceive as
musical sound, but which can interfere with the clarity of
other instruments in these ranges. You can basically turn
the low EQ on cymbal channels all the way down without
changing the way they sound in the mix. You'll hear the dif-
ference, however, in the way the mix sounds more "spa-
cious," and instruments in the lower ranges will have better
definition. Surprisingly enough, piano also has an incredi-
bly powerful low end that can benefit from a bit of low-fre-
quency roll-off to let other instruments—notably drums and
bass—do their jobs more effectively. Naturally you won't
want to do this if the piano is playing solo.
The reverse applies to kick drums and bass guitars: you
can often roll off the high end to create more space in the
mix without compromising the character of the instruments.
You'll have to use your ears, though, because each instru-
ment is different and sometimes you'll want the "snap" of a
bass guitar, for example, to come through.
Some Frequency Facts
The lowest and highest frequencies than can be heard by the human ear are generally considered to be around 20 Hz
and 20,000 Hz, respectively. Average conversation occurs in the range from about 300 Hz to about 3,000 Hz. The fre-
quency of a standard pitchfork used to tune guitars and other instruments is 440 Hz (this corresponds to the "A3" key
on a piano tuned to concert pitch). Double this frequency to 880 Hz and you have a pitch one octave higher (i.e. "A4"
on the piano keyboard). In the same way you can halve the frequency to 220 Hz to produce "A2" an octave lower.
Boost with Caution
If you're trying to create special or unusual effects,
go ahead and boost away as much as you like.
But if you're just trying to achieve a good-sounding
mix, boost only in very small increments. A tiny
boost in the midrange can give vocals more pres-
ence, or a touch of high boost can give certain
instruments more "air." Listen, and if things don't
sound clear and clean try using cut to remove fre-
quencies that are cluttering up the mix rather than
trying to boost the mix into clarity.
One of the biggest problems with too much boost
is that it adds gain to the signal, increasing noise
and potentially overloading the subsequent cir-
cuitry.
The fundamental and harmonic
musical instruments.
Piano
Bass Drum
Bass
Guitar
Trombone
20 50 100 200 500 1 k 2 k
Fundamental: The frequency that determines the basic
musical pitch.
Harmonics: Multiples of the fundamental frequency
that play a role in determining the timbre
of the instrument.
MID Boost
LOW Boost
LOW Flat
LOW Cut
MID Cut
Frequency (Hz)
MG206C/MG166CX/MG166C Owner's Manual
Mixer Basics
Making the Most of Your Mixer
frequency ranges of some
Cymbal
Snare Drum
Trumpet
20 k ( Hz )
5 k 10 k
MID Flat
HIGH Boost
HIGH Flat
HIGH Cut
9