Mix Tip Monday: Using a dynamic EQ.
Howdy music makers and audio engineers! I hope your January has been bringing you new and exciting creative challenges so far!
This month I’ve decided to focus on the fine art of EQ. And in this week’s tip I will be explaining the idea of using a dynamic EQ to shape your sounds. This could easily be considered a type of compression, since it acts on a threshold and is a dynamic process. But I want to explain why thinking about it as an EQ move, rather than a compression move can help your critical listening and change the way you achieve a sound.
Firstly let me give a quick explanation of what a dynamic EQ process is. It’s a method of applying an EQ boost or cut based on the intensity of frequency content within an instrument or sound from moment to moment.
Unlike a normal EQ which cuts or boosts a static amount (Unless you automate it), the use of dynamic EQ allows you to dial in settings which make allowances for the varying musical range and timbres of the sound you’re working with.
Let’s say you’re working on a small acoustic ensemble. Perhaps a guitar, some strings and a smooth vocal. Each individual element in that mix is going to either have some acoustic resonances or potential tonal changes across the performances. This setup will present you with the challenge of crafting the sound in a way that keeps the full tonal range of each instrument sounding natural whilst taming and controlling any of the resonances or that are building up or poke out in the song.
Using dynamic EQ to make the cuts in the low mid range where resonances are likely to build up is a really clean way of processing in this scenario. It gives you the ability to tame the low build ups when they arrive without removing too much thickness and body from the entire performance.
It’s a great technique when used in a subtractive manner because it can really help even out a sound and put it into a great place before adding in any extra tonal excitement or broadband compression to it.
I hope that this tip can help you to achieve natural sounding mixes in the future!
