Knowing When to Use EQ
There are many uses for EQ. You can use it to enhance the bass in dance/electronic music. You can use it to add sheen to vocals by boosting some high range. You can take the thump out of bass drums by lowering the low end. You can help an instrument come out the mix more by enhancing certain frequencies. You can eliminate proximity effect by using a high pass to eliminate the bass rumble associated with proximity effect. The list goes on …
But EQ is not a magic cure-all for sound problems. Actually, most of the time you shouldn't need to EQ much at all, because much of your EQing comes from microphone placement. It won't fix harsh-sounding instruments or poor microphones. It can certainly help things, but over-EQing will sound unnatural.
Graphic EQs show a visual depiction of sound frequencies. Red lights pop up and down along with the frequencies present in the recording. This makes a great demonstration of how different instruments sound and what frequencies give those sounds. Being able to see with your eyes will help you make a connection to your ears. Listen to your own recordings as well as to professional CDs to learn what a good, smooth mix sounds like.
