EQ Tips for the Recording Studio

At NOVA we have a small hands on studio for rent at $16 an hour.  Here are a few EQ hints for the recording studio as you mix your tracks down.

• Have a plan.  Before you change the EQ decide what you want to improve.
• Raising one vocal subject at 3 kHz can add clarity to that vocal and can help it move to the front of the mix. You can lower the background vocals at the 3 kHz range to make them fall to the background. You can boost or raise eq or both but be selective.
• Add presence to a vocal is at 4-5 kHz
• Vocal sounds such as 'm', 'b', 'v' can get lost if 2-4 kHz are boosted too high.
• Don't over boost at 1-4 kHz It can strain the ear.
• Control sibilance at the 5-16 kHz range.
• Sibilance and brightness may be found at the 6 kHz range. Open up the sound or reduce sibilance.
• Add power to a vocal around 80 but start looking at 60-125. Too much of this area can also make things sound muddy.
• Speech fundamentals occur between about 125 and 250 Hz. This is where you can add warmth. If you are looking for a powerful vocal don't add much here and boost around 80.
• The character of the voice is 300-1 kHz
• To make a telephone or radio speaker voice boost in the 1 kHz area.
• Vocals to harsh? Cut at 1 - 2 kHz
• Roll off vocals below 60 Hz. Anything below that are probably not vocals.