Four Band Parametric Equalization
The famous sonic tool… the equalizer. What is an equalizer? Basically and equalizer is a tool that audio engineers use to boost frequency. By boosting different groups of frequencies the sound is shaped. The issue is how to do it and where to begin.
I remember when I first learned what an equalizer was in my basic audio recording class at IUP. I was super intimidated! Let me just start off by saying… don’t make that mistake. The equalizer is easy once you can overcome a few obstacles.
Background: So a parametric EQ basically looks a line. The spectrum is the audio wave as it plays through the dB measurements of the equalizer and over/under the line at 0 dB. The bands are the points that control your boosting and cutting of the wave. A basic equalizer will have four bands, but the same rules apply for all EQ’s. Think of it as your car stereo.
If you have a bad recording you won’t fix it with EQ… Don’t be lazy, re-record! The audio should be able to stand alone and still sound great, then when you add EQ it will sound even better. Get a good recording before any affects are added, the tree grows from the roots!
A four-point band means that you’ll have four points to shape the sound. There are no right or wrong ways to do audio work as I say pretty often, but having an idea where to start is important. Usually I cut the extreme low end. It cannot be heard anyway and will cut out that muddy sound that we all love to hate. From there I take each band and boost and cut sections of the audio to an extreme so I can hear what chunks of the sound actually sound the best and worst (middle and highs). After that I return the 2, 3, and 4 bands back to the center.
Once I know what sounds best I use infinitesimal gradations to boost the waves that help the sound. If the recording does have a sour spot, I’ll cut it down by small gradations. I would recommend slight adjustment to the sound and avoid over-boosting sections. A little goes a long way.
Experience is the most important part to audio recording and EQ. The only way to really learn is to apply these soft rules and see what works for you.
With that being said, how would you describe how to EQ to someone trying to learn audio techniques?