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PowerTracks Pro Audio
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Joined: May 2012
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I like a nice, resonating bass. Therefore, my inclination is to invoke PG Five Band EQ and boost "lo" to +6 or more.
IS THIS A MISTAKE?
Would it be better to leave the EQ alone and let whoever is kind enough to audition my masterpieces adjust the levels on his own equipment?
I worry about this type of thing all the time.
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PowerTracks Pro Audio
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Joined: May 2000
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When working on recordings it is important to know how a given sound on your system translates to other systems.
Example - do you turn the bass up because your speakers do not display enough of the bass (in general on most music)?
If so, turning up the bass in the recording is the wrong approach because then when it is played on a system with 'enough' bass sound it will sound muddy or over done.
It may be better to turn up the bass on your system rather than put it in the recording.
Without hearing the music example it is very hard to comment, however this is why so many of us here repeat 'Know your monitors' so often. Once you know how things sound on your system compared to others, getting the proper adjustments becomes less guessing.
I do not work here, but the benefits are still awesome
Make your sound your own!
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PowerTracks Pro Audio
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rharv is exactly right.
Get to know your monitors. Try playing some commercial CDs through your system and see if the bass is light on those too. If they sound ok, then it's probably safe to lift the bass level in your own recordings. If they don't, adjust your monitor EQ until they do and then your own recordings should sound better.
If you decide to lift the bass level, you might want to look at compressing or limiting it as well, or it could affect your overall mix level.
ROG.
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PowerTracks Pro Audio
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Joined: May 2000
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Boosting Bass for a Bass Track is something that must be done with extreme care and must be done without "muddying up" the overall sound. That alone can make for huge problems, as the two are mutually exclusive.
When EQing, often is the case that OPPOSITES apply.
For example, if you need more definition on a bass track, that actually comes from the highs and not the lows. This is because the things like the beginning of the pluck of the string is what defines the beginning of the bass note, not the bottom end of the spectrum at all. Those "pickmarks" are important, and regardless of whether the bass is plucked with a pick or with the human thumb or fingers, they can do the most for allowing our limited human hearing to be able to find those all important note initiations. This is typically going to be somewhere around the 4K to 6K region of your equalizer.
Rather than use EQ, or EQ by itself, I think you will find a better way to emphasize your resonant bass by using the Audio Compressor plugin. Compressor first in the chain, followed by the EQ is a nice way to work here. Avoid overboosting bottom end, and by all means check your work on as many different systems as you can before releasing it, you may have to go back, Jack and do it again if it is boosted too much.
--Mac
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PowerTracks Pro Audio
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just to say "should I do this or do that?" is not enough info to make a decision.
The sound is what matters. Does it improve the song? If yes, by all means do it, if not, don't.
I sometimes do bump the EQ in certain ranges for a specific purpose and reason. But I then listen to the playback on my system and that is the determining factor if I leave it or change it.
I like lots of thump in the low end and nice air above everything but pushing the faders too much can ruin the mix. So the correct thing is to find that compromise where there is thump without the boom, and air without the shrillness associated with those freqs.
It's a hands on thing.
You can find my music at: www.herbhartley.comAdd nothing that adds nothing to the music. You can make excuses or you can make progress but not both. The magic you are looking for is in the work you are avoiding.
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PowerTracks Pro Audio
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Joined: May 2000
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I guess it would have been simpler if I had asked "When you listen to other music on that same system (like a CD) do you want to do the same thing?"
If the answer is yes, I'd be extra cautious with the 'boosting lows' approach on the recording. You may not be hearing the full sound.
If the answer is no, Mac (as usual) gave great insight in how to approach it. Only thing I'd suggest in addition is he recommends compression before EQ, I think the order of those may be reversed enough times to mention. Sometimes I EQ before Compressor, sometimes after .. depends on the track.
I do not work here, but the benefits are still awesome
Make your sound your own!
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PowerTracks Pro Audio
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Joined: May 2000
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rharv knows the rules, so he can intelligently break them as the need arises.
The reason that I stipulate putting the Compression before the EQ is that the Compressor can be used to level out the signal fed to the EQ, which then makes the EQ'ing process a more stable thing, especially for the noob.
With electric instruments, guitar or bass, the Compressor is usually the first thing to put inline after the pickup, for good reason.
--Mac
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