Understanding the basics on EQ.

EQ is one of the most well-known forms of audio processing in music production. It enables you to adjust the volume of specific frequencies or range of frequencies within a sound. Which in turn allows you to cure imperfections within the sound or even the whole song.

(Meijer, 2020)

The parametric EQ in ‘Logic Pro X’ is made up of 8 bands of EQ. These include:

1. Low Cut Filter (or High Pass Filter)

2. Low Shelf Filter

3. Bell Filter 1

4. Bell Filter 2

5. Bell Filter 3

6. Bell Filter 4

7. High Shelf Filter

8. High Cut Filter (or Low Pass Filter)

By raising these bands you are boosting these frequency ranges and by lowering these bands then you are cutting these frequencies. This helps to clean up the audio tracks and can be used to enhance clarity.

(Meijer, 2020)

EQ can also be used as a tool for making instruments sit better in a mix. When mixing music it's important to look at the audio spectrum. This will show you how the instruments sit in each frequency range. The most commonly used frequency ranges are:

• Low

• Low Mid

• Mid

• High Mids

• High

Overview of Frequencies:

Sub Bass

Sub Bass ranges from 20Hz to approximately 60Hz. A nice amount of Sub Bass can give your track a boost in power, but too much will make your low end sound muddy and undefined.

Bass

Bass ranges from 60Hz to approximately 250Hz. A lot of Bass may sound nice, but it can also completely overpower the rest of your mix. As always, use with restraint.

Low Mids

Low Mids range from 250Hz to approximately 1500Hz. These frequencies are responsible for the warmth and atmosphere of a sound, but it’s also one of those frequency ranges that plenty of different instruments deal in. To avoid frequency clashes between these instruments, you ought to think twice about boosting this frequency range.

High Mids

High Mids range from 1500Hz to approximately 4kHz. If you use a lot of lead synths, you will have a lot going on in this frequency range. It’s also the sweet spot of the punch of most percussion instruments (excluding kick drums).

Presence

Presence ranges from 4kHz to approximately 7kHz. Boosting this frequency range can add to the clarity of the mix and/or specific sounds, but too much can be very tiresome to listen to.

Brilliance/Noise

Brilliance/Noise ranges from 7kHz to 20kHz. It is quite similar to Presence in its use, but the higher end of this frequency range is mostly hisses and noise. A small boost may give your mix some breathing space, but too much just means you’re dealing with a lot of high-frequency noise.

(Meijer, 2020)

JWJ