EQ Tips

Equalization is significanttal for getting your tracks to blend together. I wrote some procedures that you may want to understand about when using equalization in audio mixing

Figure out each and every frequency range in every single track and then make tweaks that builds a continuous and adhering sound that blends well together.
Avoid cutting and boosting all your tracks at the same frequency range. You need to build EQ settings that work well together. If each track is boosted and cut at the same frequency range, your song will most likely very harsh and your tracks will be competing for the same frequency ranges.
You need to make strategic cuts and boost on your tracks so instruments in the same frequency range do not mask each other. For demonstration the Kick drum and the bass guitar both sit in the low end of the frequency spectrum. If you boost the kick drum at 65kHz, you should not boost your bass guitar at 65kHz. You should actually cut your bass guitar at 65kHz and boost it someplace else, like 250Hz and if you boost your bass guitar at 250Hz, then you need to cut your kick drum at 250Hz. Are you following the trend here? Practicing this technique will improve your mixes drastically. This kind of EQ techniques is called Complimentary EQ'ing.

Linear Phase EQ:
Eqs are made from filters that change the frequency of an audio signal. When an EQ filters frequencies within the range, the signal can be delayed a very small amount. These delays can cause phase issues with the audio signal. A linear phase EQ fixes that issue.

That's why linear phase Eq'a are smooth and transparent eq's.
For example: Chorus's and flanges work with changing the phase and they make beautiful effects. Those effects alter the phase (timing) of the path of an audio signal.

About the Author

cd mastering
mixing and mastering
CJ Jacobson