EQ practice- I think I might be getting the hang of it...

Share and discuss your LMMS music projects here, and see what people think!
https://soundcloud.com/spugintrntl/eternal-playground

Brace yourselves, it's kind of a long one. I'm experimenting more and more with the 10-band EQ. I went for a simpler approach this time, adding the EQ plugin to the master channel, then another to the drum channel and making the necessary adjustments. (Before I'd been doing one EQ per channel, which was way more time consuming and harder to manage- either that or I was just doing it wrong). How do you guys manage EQ? Is there a way you're absolutely supposed to do it, or do you play it by ear?

Hope you like the track. I had a lot of fun making this one and I think it came out sounding pretty good.
This tune.......sounds really cool. And it's in a unique category, of it's own.

The 80's drum part at 3:37 secs, was really a cool way, to introduce the rest of the track.
And It was nice to hear it play, from time to time, throughout the tune too.

Okay, here's my EQ advice below:

There are many ways of using Eq. And sometimes, it comes down to personal preference.
And from what I've realised, not everyone uses Equalizers, the exact same way.
But I have always noticed, a common pattern.
Eq in most cases, are usually applied, to make percussion instruments like drum sounds sound stronger and to make synth sounds sound stronger and have a better presence in the track. ;)

In my case, I normally don't use Eq, on the master channel. I would use them
on some of the channels, my synth sounds and instrument sounds are linked too.

In my wip's, I would apply Eq to kick drum sounds and sometimes, on certain synth sounds.
When I apply Eq to a kick drum sound, or synth sound, I would make a beat/melody in the piano roll
play it and turn the Eq dials and at the same time, listen to the beat/melody, until it sounds good enough.

Another thing I learnt for myself. And later on, I saw it advised on other music forums, is to not overuse/add to many Equalizers and other effects.
Having less Eq plugins and effects in your project, is in alot of ways, a good idea.
In other words, "Keeping it simple enough," might be a better way of saying it. ;)

I will add more advice, if I remember anything else. :)
Thanks Brandy! Glad you liked the track!

Your EQ advice is actually pretty helpful. I've been getting the feeling that everybody does it a little differently, and hearing it from you is kind of refreshing. I've been reading as many EQ tutorials as I can get my hands on, and everybody seems to be obsessed with giving "tips and tricks" while just completely skipping over the basics, and this is the first time anyone's told me that having fewer EQs is a good idea. Honestly, most of the instrument plugins in LMMS are so tweakable that most of the time I feel like an EQ is largely unnecessary. Same with compressors. (and since most of the tutorials I've read are by people who do recording and not purely electronic music, that might be why they're as unhelpful as they are). I'm slowly learning when and how these things should be used.
I like this track, I like its development, I did not expect that, good surprise.

As I understand it, the EQ can serve many things:

- Sound design,
- Delimitation of frequency ranges,
- Corrections applied to the mix (for example to avoid the masking effects of kick and bass) or the master track,
- Special effects (via automations),
- ?
D.Ipsum wrote:
Fri Jan 19, 2018 2:00 am
- Corrections applied to the mix (for example to avoid the masking effects of kick and bass) or the master track,
What do you mean by "masking effects"? I'm not familiar with that term.
The only advise I can give, don't eq too long. That's one mistake I often make.

For hours trying to eq and then next day it does not sound good.
Foggy wrote:
Fri Jan 19, 2018 4:27 am
D.Ipsum wrote:
Fri Jan 19, 2018 2:00 am
- Corrections applied to the mix (for example to avoid the masking effects of kick and bass) or the master track,
What do you mean by "masking effects"? I'm not familiar with that term.
Hard enough to explain it in English, so: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Auditory_masking
Gps wrote:
Fri Jan 19, 2018 12:32 pm
The only advise I can give, don't eq too long. That's one mistake I often make.

For hours trying to eq and then next day it does not sound good.
Good advice.
Foggy wrote:
Mon Jan 15, 2018 2:46 am
Thanks Brandy! Glad you liked the track!

Your EQ advice is actually pretty helpful. I've been getting the feeling that everybody does it a little differently, and hearing it from you is kind of refreshing. I've been reading as many EQ tutorials as I can get my hands on, and everybody seems to be obsessed with giving "tips and tricks" while just completely skipping over the basics, and this is the first time anyone's told me that having fewer EQs is a good idea. Honestly, most of the instrument plugins in LMMS are so tweakable that most of the time I feel like an EQ is largely unnecessary. Same with compressors. (and since most of the tutorials I've read are by people who do recording and not purely electronic music, that might be why they're as unhelpful as they are). I'm slowly learning when and how these things should be used.
I'm glad my advice, was able to help you.

Yeah, alot of those sites, love to give a ton, of tips and tricks.
Not to say, that they don't come in handy in a few cases though. Ha! Ha! :D
Like say for example, kick drum sounds. They'll say to add all of these plugins etc. and add
some of that etc, and all you might have to do, is just add one eq and turn up one dial and it sounds really ridiculously good.

In my case, as I mentioned before, a thing that I always do is:
I don't always add an equalizer, to every single sound or instrument.
I only add an equalizer, according to the situation. Like to a synth sound or instrument
that needs to stand out more, or sound better or stronger.
Kick sounds are a good example, of adding an equalizer. Especially if you want the
kick sound in a particular track, to sound boomyish. :D