Audio Production Level 2 - EQ (Equalizer)

This course makes EQ theory understandable, and gives many practical examples and comparisons to help you improve your audio production. I provide all the audio and plugins needed. Instead of just giving pre-determined settings for EQs for different instruments/voices, this course provides the knowledge so that you can work out your own settings for absolutely any given situation. As with Audio Production Level 2 - Compressors, it gives a solid grounding, moving forward in the competent use of EQ.

Introduction

A comprehensive breakdown of everything you will learn in every section of this course

A recommendation to do the course in the order it's presented to get the most out of it and why

How to contact the tutor if you have any questions.

Section 2: Frequencies

Spectrum Analyzers
Using one plugin and two audio files

What is a Spectrum Analyzer, what it does, and how it can be useful

A description of the plugin

A step by step guide to setting up the plugin

Saving settings as a pre-set

Useful features of the plugin

Solving a problem using the Spectrum Analyser and the Reaper EQ

Harmonic Series Part 1

The plugin and audio file that are used

The different ways and terms of measuring the capability of human hearing

The direct relationship between frequencies and musical notes

What the harmonic series is

An explanation of the Harmonic Series Chart

Harmonic Series Part 2

Hearing the different harmonics within an audio note

What effect it has when the different harmonics are turned down

Having a first look at a spectrogram

Using the EQ to remove individual harmonics and hearing the difference it makes

Frequency Ranges

Explanation of what's on the screen

Dividing the sound into 3 frequency ranges

Listening to how cutting the different frequency ranges sounds

Using the EQ to boost the high frequency

Section 3: EQing Effectivel7

High Pass Filters

High Pass Filters on vocals

The plugins being used in this lesson

Why you use a high pass filter when it's hard to hear any difference

Looking and listening to below the turnover frequency

What we are listening to

The two main reasons to use a High Pass Filter

Shelf EQs

High shelf and Low shelf Eqs

What they are really effective for

Alternative ways to achieve a similar effect

Listening to and fine tuning the EQ

Examples using High and Low shelf EQs

Frequency Sweeping Part 1
Why we use frequency sweeping

The three different frequency sweeping techniques

How each of them work

Using solo and sweep with Reaper's EQ and then with SPAN.

Frequency Sweeping Part 2

Frequency sweeping for problem solving to be turned down

Enhancing "sweet spots" by turning them up

Bell EQ

A closer look at the Bell EQ and extending its usefulness

Using two Eqs to change the shape of a Bell EQ and hearing the effect

How the ColourEQ works

All its functions and its pros and cons

EQing by Microphone Placement

Looking at what an EQ is

How to alter the tone of the audio with careful microphone placement

Listening to how the different mic placements affect the recording

Combining different microphones

Section 4: Frequency Juggling

Lecture 13 Frequency Masking

Using two audio files and two plug-ins

Looking at how the new plug-in works

Understanding why we use frequency juggling

Examples of when frequency juggling isn't wanted

Visuals of different instruments playing the same note

Panning option pros and cons

Pitch shift option

Boosts and Filters

Frequency juggling within the context of a small mix

Where to use EQ boosts and why

Using frequency sweeping to find the nice and less nice sounding frequencies

Listening to before and after using EQ

Using Filters to affect the backing vocals and make them blend with the rest of the track

Kick and Bass

Explanation of basic filtering of the tracks used in this lecture

Listening to tracks with and without kick and bass

Looking at the spectrum analyser to see the frequency ranges in the kick and bass

Using boosting and cutting to help both kick and bass to be clearly heard

Section 5: Spectral Editing

Spectral Editing Intro

The audio and plugin used in this lecture

What Spectral Editing means

Looking at the various ways of visualising audio

Information about Spectro

Opening the plugin

An example of the plugin in action

Spectral Editing - Fixing

Example of fixing in action in a drum loop

Example of fixing in action in a guitar loop

An overview of Spectro and the buttons not already covered

Demonstrations of the fixes

Spectral Editing - Enhancing

The audio used in this session

Where we want to enhance

Before and after using the enhancement

Section 6: EQ-ing With Your Ears

Intro

The huge importance of training your ears, rather than completely relying on visual aids

An introduction to this section

An in-depth explanation of the SSQ plug-in (with minimal visual aids) used in this section

Exercise 1, Single Track

Starting by EQ-ing a single track

Watching volume levels and why

Deciding on beefing up the kik and making it tighter

Enhancing the ride cymbal

A full explanation of what I am doing with the SSQ plug-in

Listening to the "before" and "after"

Exercise 2, Mixing

Mixing a section of the multi-track session just using EQ and to show what a big part EQ plays when mixing

Using and naming the 6 tracks being used

The plugin which will be used

Referring to many techniques used in previous lectures

A point to remember when Mixing

Getting a general mix before EQ-ing

Listening to the drum overheads and using EQ to adjust and balance

Listening to the bass, and making both the bass and the drums work well together and hear each clearly

Making sure the guitar and bass can be heard clearly

Bringing in the snare

Listening and EQ-ing the rhythm guitar

Listening and EQ-ing the lead guitar

Using EQ to sit well together